Advice Please

Discussion in 'Training & Development' started by rodeo, Mar 29, 2004.

  1. rodeo

    rodeo Bit Poster

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    Hi all, Looking for some info on a company called JOSKOS based in kings Cross london, am looking to study MCSE MCSA CCNA and this company I have approached, anyone out Know anything about them or have studied with them, you hear so many stories about companies taking your cash and then folding. Thanking you all in advance.
     
  2. Jakamoko
    Honorary Member

    Jakamoko On the move again ...

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    Hi rodeo,

    Can you firstly tell us a bit more about what they offer for the money ?

    I mean, do you get all training materials provided (if so, what books do they give you)? One to one tutor support as required ? Exam fees paid?

    Are they offering distance learning, or is it classroom-based ?

    Sorry to bombard you with these questions, but it will let us give you some more information / comparison / opinion. I must say, it's not a company I've ever heard of - make sure you do your research (loads of info elsewhere around here) and DON'T sign up for anything until you've given it lots of thought and consideration.
     
    Certifications: MCP, A+, Network+
    WIP: Clarity
  3. rodeo

    rodeo Bit Poster

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    Hi Jakamoko, thanks for the quick response :D They offer class room tutoring, exams are not paid for. all course materials are provided, and at the moment they are offering a 4 for one package which includes MCSE MCSA CCNA and MCDBA For basic package Price starts at £3149. Offer Free Unlimited retraining, In house Microsoft and cisco Testing facilities, work experience placement, and Job Guarantee or your money back. you can see there web page at www.joskos.com. The main reason this one appeals to me is i work full time and would be able to study in the evenings and they are based quite close to my home.
    Thanking you again........
     
  4. Phoenix
    Honorary Member

    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    well firstly there overselling it there, the MCSA is the forerunner to the MCSE, and requires i think maybe one or two extra exams not usually required
    the MCDBA can be attained by choosing the correct electives
    so what your basically getting is an MCSE and CCNA, which is still fine for the money i suppose
    remember your looking at about a grand in exam fees though ontop of that (7MCSE, 1 CCNA, + retakes if neccasary)
    ask for a sample of the course material, some places give you aload of crap you end up purchasing decent books anyway, some give you actual microsoft/cisco material
    check the credentials of the instructor, they will not have a Cisco Certified Instructor unless they are a Cisco training center (which i doubt for the price and courses you have been offered) this is not such a problem if your trainer is a CCIE with 10 years experiance

    Inhouse testing facilities really means nothing if there charging you for exams, because you could go to any number of them in and around london, its usually only something training facilities brag about if they are supplying the exams with the courses as it encompasses a certain ease and familiarity

    also are we talking 2000 or 2003 courses, and find out if the cisco course is book based or hands on based, the CCNA can be passed without touching a router, the real world scenarios generally cannot
     
    Certifications: MCSE, MCITP, VCP
    WIP: > 0
  5. rodeo

    rodeo Bit Poster

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    Hi phoenix, Thanks for the reply. The courses are 2003, and yes the CCNA is instructor led. Also they point out that they are ISO 9002 mean anything? I have been there once and seen their classrooms in session, as for the course material its not microsoft or cisco. This one appeals to me for the reason I mentioned before, ie I work fulltime and the company is based just around the corner where i live, but as you say will do more research into them, just was wondering if anyone there heard of them and could put me in the right direction as I am complete new to this, although I have built my own pc and networked my apartment with two pcs, I have no certs and Its something I want to work towards, again thanks for taking the time to reply to my post, by the way are you working in IT, and where did you train?
     
  6. Jakamoko
    Honorary Member

    Jakamoko On the move again ...

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    Take several LARGE buckets of salt with that part, Rodeo - no Provider can just manufacture a job for you at the end of your Course. If you read elsewhere in this Forum, so will see similar claims made by other Companies. I would trust statements like that not one bit.

    HTH :D
     
    Certifications: MCP, A+, Network+
    WIP: Clarity
  7. rodeo

    rodeo Bit Poster

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    Hi Jakomoko, have browsed through the forums and yeah I agree, am still researching same, and will let you all know of the course and company I enroll in. I would just like to say what a totaly BRILLANT FORUM this is, I spent Hours last night browsing through different threads and was well into the small hours before i prized myself away and got some shut eye, well done to all involved :hammert
     
  8. Phoenix
    Honorary Member

    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    instructor led doesnt mean its a Cisco qualified intructor
    anyone can teach a cisco course (i teach the CCNA/DA and CCNP/DP) but to be a Cisco Certified instructor you have to work at a Cisco Training center, even the netacadamies do not employ CCIs infact, most net acadamies have very poor trainers, the one that works at my old school failed didnt actually have a CCNA, he just had the net acadamy teaching course he had been on, couldnt pass the NA though, yet he was teaching it lol

    good luck mate, hope they turn out to be a good'un
     
    Certifications: MCSE, MCITP, VCP
    WIP: > 0
  9. rodeo

    rodeo Bit Poster

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    Hi phoenix, thanks for the advice have not commited to enroll yet, still looking around, thanks again for you advice........
     
  10. tripwire45
    Honorary Member

    tripwire45 Zettabyte Poster

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    Since I'm from "across the pond", I'm unfamiliar with the educational system in the UK. Everyone talks about these pricey, private IT schools. Don't you have anything equivalent to a Community College. I got my IT degree at my local state university. They don't have a community college here, but they do have a "trades" school that includes several two-year programs. My IT degree came from that side of the university (although I was able to turn the two year degree into a four year degree because I already have another bachelor's). Since it's a public institution, it's a lot cheaper than these other outfits. They tend to offer a good program including Microsoft, Cisco, Linux, hardware and network basics and security. I hope you can find something like that. It might be possible to get completely adequate IT learning at a reasonable cost.
     
    Certifications: A+ and Network+
  11. Phoenix
    Honorary Member

    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    the courses were talking about are not institutional degrees or diplomas, but industry qualifications
    i'm not sure if you could get an industry qualification at a community college, i know some schools offer A+ and CCNA and Cisco Net Acad etc, which you could do here, but its much quicker to do the private route
    a Cisco Network Acadamy program spans 2 years for college students, i can teach you the equiv in a week full time course
    we need to goto college/university for our degrees too trip, but these are not classified as degrees, in some instances that is bad, but in the UK having a degree isnt such a deal as it is in the US, especially for IT related work
    i should be starting my MSc in the fall, i will need that if i ever plan on working in the states lol :)
     
    Certifications: MCSE, MCITP, VCP
    WIP: > 0
  12. rodeo

    rodeo Bit Poster

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    Hey tripwire45, I have only just begun to seek out these courses and JOSKOS appealed to me because of its location to me, there is one uni thats a bus ride from me that offer IT cert etc but that would mean commuting after work to and fro etc, I must admit I'm more Familar with the U.S. system than here, so only research and research will get me there in the end, but thank you for you comments :D
     
  13. mattwest

    mattwest Megabyte Poster

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    Hi

    About 3 years ago i shelled out £2800 for a series of 35 days of instructor training. MCSE, CCNA and Net+.

    They took my money, i recieved 5 days of training and the Net+ and then the company folded ! ! !

    3 Years on and no sign of any money back.

    But i didnt sit and cry about it.... i put my efforts into self study, i bought books and got hands on at work or at home. I put myself through the A+, Network+, Server+, Linux+, CCNA, MCSA and some CIW certs.

    Each exam would usually be one or two books (£40-£80) and the exam (at £100-£170). All in all i think it worked out cheaper.

    Two things tho, you need motivation for this approach and also if you are completely new to IT you need the hands on exerience to help you pass the exams.

    Hope this helps.

    Matt

    No Job without experience, no experience without a job, no certs without access to a job and experience !!
     
    Certifications: See my signature...
    WIP: Maybe re-certify my CCNA
  14. tripwire45
    Honorary Member

    tripwire45 Zettabyte Poster

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    Really? You can teach 4 full semesters of cisco netacad in a week. Even in forty hours, that's really ambitious...especially with the labs and the Threaded Case Study. I took semesters 3 and 4 in about 8 weeks in an accellerated summer program and it was a real stretch.

    I think I see what you're saying. It is sort of like the "Boot Camp" process where you shell out a ton of dough for a highly intense teaching experience plus labs. My understanding though is that the people who benefit most from a Boot Camp experience are people already pretty well versed in the IT world but needing to "bone up" on the details to pass the cert exams. Sure, I newbie might be able to pull it off, but it would be pretty tough. Besides, there's more to IT than a certification exam. Some of the material you can learn in a more traditional educational environment is quite valuable...especially for folks less experienced...they might need more time and study to really absorb the concepts. JMHO.
     
    Certifications: A+ and Network+
  15. Phoenix
    Honorary Member

    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    the Cisco Net Acad is basically A+, CCNA and a few other odds and ends thrown into it
    it is design for total novices hence its time, the CCNA and A+ are not designed for novices, hence they can be completed much quicker
    i wouldnt say in a boot camp fasion either
    im not fond of boot camps even as someone with significant experiance
    i also do see the advantage of formal education but its somewhat lacking for IT Hardware and Network based professions, it is mainly used in analyst, database and programming roles as they are somewhat more standard :)
     
    Certifications: MCSE, MCITP, VCP
    WIP: > 0
  16. rodeo

    rodeo Bit Poster

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    Hey Phoenix where did you study for you certs? Just noticed your based in london. And would you recomend any good websites for looking for IT based work here in london, and any training collages you may have come across, Thanking you in advance :D
     
  17. Phoenix
    Honorary Member

    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    did my NT4 MCSE with some company i forget the name of, went bust years ago (did it when i was 14) and wouldnt of recommended them anyway
    did the majority of my cisco course with a company in north london, will pm you the details if you wish, but you need a pretty solid grasp of things to pass, there courses are not really aimed at the complete novice

    other MCSE i did self study
    same with the lotus one and the Comptia courses (A+ with i was 14, Security+ last year)
     
    Certifications: MCSE, MCITP, VCP
    WIP: > 0
  18. rodeo

    rodeo Bit Poster

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    Hey, Phoenix thanks for the reply. I am prepared to work hard, and I wouldnt say Im a complete novie but wouldnt say im an expert either, but have a firm grasp of whats needed, would be gratefull if you could PM me details of school in North london. Thanks for you time.
     
  19. rodeo

    rodeo Bit Poster

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    Hi phoenix thanks for the PM will look in to them, thanks again for your help :D
     
  20. dom73

    dom73 Bit Poster

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    So is anyone who was studying with joskos, i am ready to take the course but i dont know which provider (similar or the same as joskos) :rolleyes: is most competetive, sorry for my bad english
     

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