Finally decided to do self-study

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Hey Guy,

I have been seriously considering signing up to a course with a training provider. Yesterday I finally decide to go down the self study path as it seems to be the most sensible thing to do, so I have now bought all the CompTIA A+ recommended books and a practice PC which I have looking forward to receiving.

Yesterday I told the training providing that I didn’t want to do the package course as it was too expensive and today their “consultant” called me asking why I didn’t want to do the course. All I was hearing was the consultant’s sales pitch, he was telling me I’ll start a £20K job and in a year/2 years I will be earning £30K. After what I have been reading from this forum, everything the consultant said seems too good to be true and quite predictable.

Man, I am so GLAD I came across Certsforum.

 

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I wished it was that easy on that reckoning I should be clearing a 6 figure salary then . In all seriousness they are salesmen and talk out their backsides when they come up with figures like that as most will be on commission and will say anything to get you to sign up. A+ isn't going to get you a 20k job (unless your lucky). You are doing the right thing in doing self study for the A+ as it's a cert easily done with a couple of good books and a PC. I prefer self study and have only recently stumped up money to do a VCP course but only because to get the cert you have to and even then I made sure it was with a respected training company.

 

most people know my views on TPs so I wont go into it but they are just like the people at PC world, they know **** all about computers and the industry.

good luck on the A+.

 

I really can't get over how much these places charge, i mean, I was looking at the mcsa 2003 at one place, 12 days at £2300.

Actually, maybe a little tip, at one place I was taking exams the sales guy told me that often the classes have spare seats and if you phone up a few weeks in advance and there is space you can haggle a big discount.

 

To be honest doing a MCSE in 12 days would be counter productive as you wouldn't learn anything from it. Chances are it wouldn't do your career any good. Training Providers really need to be regulated.

 

Exactly this, but unfortunately they have been getting away with things for too long and are a major cause in my opinion of devaluing the IT industry, desimating the wages and stopping good techs from being able to get into the industry and I don't think anything could be done about it now.

 

It's all down to individual preference but having done courses with New Horizons and QA as well as self study, I can honestly say that I much prefer self study. That is not to say that I was disatisfied with those two companies, in fact quite the opposite.

Point is I personally prefer dipping in and out of studying when I like rather than being obliged to sit in a classroom listening to a lot of information all at once. In my opinion so long as you have enough self-motivation, self study is the best way to persue certification.

 

The training provider I contacted offered a package course which includes 4 weeks study for: A+, Windows XP (MCP), Windows server 2003 (MCDST), Cisco CCNA.

I’m believing to think this could have been a bit too much for someone like myself who hasn’t got any IT work experience.

 

Actually surely that depends on the individual concerned? I recently did my MCITP (actually 3 of them) in 2 weeks, I did it because I was at the end of one contract and had some free time, I certainly didn't want to go down the full route of over 36 days training to do the courses concerned and I simply can't do the self study route (I have a long commute and a 3 year old boy). For me the 12 day MCITP was perfect (although obviously it helped that I knew most of it before I went) and it certainly doesn't affect my career because I did it in 12 days.

As an example of what happens when I do self study (or don't in this case), I sat my 70-652 exam recently (Hyper-V) with no pre-reading or studying done, in the past my exam results have been in the high 800's but when I sat this exam I just scraped through (low 700's). Now I know that I should have revised but this was done off the cuff more to see where I needed to spend my time studying but.. well I didn't have the time. I do know that if I had just gone on the course I would have scored better (although a pass is a pass).

 

LOL I have been in IT most of my adult life so if that was the case I ought to be earning a million a year by now


good job dont listen to the BS

 

if you have the knowledge and years of experience some people may find a short course useful as revision.

if you have just done your GCSEs (figure of speech) ...... then obviously it would be reckless for any TP to offer a MCSE course. (MCSE been for people working in a admin role for over 18 months, ideally more)

 

Sorry was commenting on Standardz situation and relating TommyTee's post to his situation as from his post I'm assuming he is relatively new in IT. My brain isn't switched on today and I didn't make my post clear. Still think it's a heck of a lot to take in 12 days but yes agree it's different for experienced IT professionals doing it than people getting into IT.

 

These are the kind of training providers in my opinion you should avoid at all costs. I would say even an experienced IT pro would struggle to take in all that info in 4 weeks. I just think it's irresponsible for TP's to offer learning like that.

 

yeah its like everything its open to abuse .. especially when sales agents are paid peanuts and tempted with high sales related bonuses... well actually when money is involved full stop.

its a bit like buying second hand cars .. sorry boycie

 

Good call mate, and I agree, this is a damn useful site.
A couple of years ago I got my trousers taken down by a Training Provider. I paid £1100 for a self-paced vb.net 2003 course. In honesty, the course material was way too much for me, although I enjoyed the actual basic coding. In fairness though, paying over a grand for a copy of VB.net '03 was a bit steep, plus the "tutor assistance" was minimal, and not especially helpful.
I gave it up as a bad job.
Self-study aint easy, but its not meant to be, and the sense of reward when you succeed will be all the greater ( I imagine!)