Cerco Trainees in UK

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Hi all,not been here for a while,
would like to hear from anyone who has done the Cerco fast track training course.
In particular anyone who has yet to find a job,
this is very important
please get in touch
Thanks

 

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Chocks away sparky1888
bandits at 5 o'clock

 

I did the Cerco course, and finished with 100% passmark for the CCSN on both Practical and Theory tests, and it took me some 300+ applications and lots of effort to secure my first IT job (as a systems intergrator on 14.5k per annum working for an industrial rack mount PC / Server supplier), but I didn't get a lot of response from the job placement side of cerco until (as the law of averages seem to operate), I was already in my first job for two weeks.
I managed to get the Friday off to go for the interview set up by Cerco, and found that although on first appearences this new job sounded as though it had potential, actuall, they (Cerco) were asking one man to do the work of three in the allocated time (swapping out old hardware and installing new hardware for banks such as server racks, switches and UPS's (uninterruptable power supplies, which incidentally weighed in at 300lbs).
To cap this, Cerco were paying £8.00 per hour but charging the client £20.00 per hour, so not only do they make five thousand pounds per student, but they are making a mint from in house labour also. Something not quite right about this was the fact that they told us if anything went wrong, or any question's were asked about the company for who we worked for, we were under no circumstances to let the clients know we were in fact sub-contracted by Cerco, becase the client would almost certainly loose the contract with Dell.
I changed my mind about taking this assignment up, and the Cerco employment agent said that because I had let them down, I wouldn't be approached or offered further work, so this is why I tend to state that Cerco was only 50% effective for me.
Sparky1888 , I really would consider saving £4,000, and doing self study or taking a college course.
The upside for me has been that I have discovered that extreme
determination does pay, and I have been for another interview (the employer approached me by email), for a field service engineer with 4000 per annum more than i'm currently getting, a car and they will train me to Microsoft MCSE and Cisco CCNA certification standards.


Best Regards Baron210 (Selsey) UK

 

thanks Baron...,
anybody else had any deallings with Cerco good or bad?

 

i finished the course the course with cerco and would deffo recommend them for the training,

however the jobs side of cerco isnt as good as they promise.

but and its a big but. since the course i have not been out of work.

and i have been avereging 12.00 p hour.

it takes a lot of effort to get the first job but it can be done

although cerco tell you its a waste of time using the internet.
that is hoe i got my first role which lasted for 9 months...........

if you need any more info u can email me ************ providing it does not break any forum rules.


MOD EDIT SG: Email address removed to prevent spam. Suggest that if you want to email garry you use the forums option to send him an email message.

 

To be honest withyou I am not really a fan of training “schools” or whatever they are called nowadays. There is something je ne sais quoi about them….if you ask me I would say save your money, and go the self study route.

 

Hi I did the cerco course about 3 months ago and since then i've had 2 days work moving pc's round an office. I'm not happy or impressed as once they have the money they dont seem to be too bothered. Many of the people on the course with me ( 18 of us) are also unimpressed. Not sure what if any recourse i have, it looks like i'm £4000 the worse of for a bit of paper that no one wants.

 

Hi All

OK here goes...

I went on the Cerco course last September, so 1 year ago today I was 2 weeks into the course. So I thought I would add a few bits to this thread, as a way of letting you all know what the ups 'n' downs have been like! For better or worse! I'm going to try to make it short...I tend to go on a bit

So a year ago I was on the course - Thought overall it was good, exams that you are given are easy, well passable by most peoples standards (non IT folk included!) the prep for the exams/tests was good, sometimes the instructors could have taken a little more charge! One of the first issues that I found was that you have instructors (not all!) that know way more than enough to get you up and running but not that good at dealing with 18-20 guys (on my course anyway) who are aged between 20 and 55 and WANT something for their money!! A guy or girl who is changing careers NEEDS to be reassured that what they are doing is the right thing...but the problem that I found was that was forgotten or not implied enough to certain candidates who needed it! So we have the course...not bad but could have been better.

Accommodation was awful (was included in the price when I did the course) not just the cleanliness but again I go back to the guy/girl changing careers situation, does he/she really want to have all that on his shoulders and then be put into someone’s home where he/she doesn't feel like he/she can go for a walk without being asked by someone where they were going!

So finished the course and did ok. I received an overall distinction, which sounds good but I was not in the minority. So there I was with a homemade Cerco laminated certificate in my back pocket ready to take on the I.T. world....hmmm or not!

Now for the following 3 months I sent via email 292 copies of my CV (yeah I counted - sad but true!) plus printed out 10 CV's everyday (nearly everyday!) and got suited and booted and walked into predetermined local businesses who I knew had some kind of I.T. dept, small or large it did not matter! I got chatting to one guy who turned out to be the director of a small PC repair business with 10 staff...I explained I had been on the Cerco course and had my cert to prove it...I remember what happened next like it was yesterday...he laughed!! Yup..laughed quite loud as well I might add! He explained that even a MS cert or ComptTIA cert is only part of what was needed, never mind a cert that was made on the local laserjet!

So there I was...hitting that VERY big brick wall that most if not all of us have seen in the I.T. industry, I was going out every day...speaking to people, getting my CV out, stepping into the job centre (as if!!) but there I was still 'doing my thing'. It was killing me...I didn't sign on for jobseekers allowance or apply for any benefits...it was my battle I told myself! I had said that to my other half from the beginning...I was not going to lose face now!! Mistake, possible, but not at that point!

Throughout the whole 3 months I went to 1 interview, it was arranged by Cerco but sadly they were looking for someone with on the job experience - why did I get sent there I hear you ask...to this day I don't know....maybe to get used to it - I was not happy at the time , but I learnt a few lessons so looking back I can't grumble! I took a bit of part time work, not in I.T. just to make sure that the bills were being paid.

OK let’s start getting to the happier part!

Just before Christmas I was looking through the local paper - obviously looking at the jobs section! I saw a local technical website company were looking for an onsite support engineer, hey in for a penny in for a pound, as always I was looking into the business, made sure that my CV fit with what they were looking for (no not making it up, just adding features and benefits!!) and off it went via email. It was no different to many others I had sent off, apart from one thing....this company really interested me...looked great...was local, was expanding, was too good to be true I thought!

About 2 days later I received a call....heart pounding I accepted an interview for the following day.

I had the interview, got on really well but thought that it would be too technical for me and therefore didn't think I would get it....You can guess....I got the damn thing!

I started on the 3rd Jan and have never looked back....since that time I have taken and passed my CompTIA N+ (with Cerco!) and receive a pay rise which has near enough paid for my course including the next 3 with them! I have taken over the running and configuration of 4 MS 2k3 web servers, the running of an email server with over a thousand users (now that’s a headache), carried out a complete office move with 15 PC's and 2 internal servers including sorting the networking etc, carried out full migrations of server 2000 SBS to 2003..ouch..but what I am saying is that in such a small space of time I have got over all what I went through in those awful months of not knowing!

So to summarise -

Even though at the time I thought my training provider was having me over a barrel, now I see the other side. Granted, not everyone will be in full time I.T. employment AND enjoying it within a year but sadly that happens in any industry no matter what you do....it was luck that made me look in the paper!

I can honestly say that even though Cerco have their downsides they also have their upsides too. I am happily going back for another week in December for my Server+ course and in the meantime trying to learn all I can from whomever I can!! All in all even though it never went to plan here I am in the industry that I wanted to be in, doing a job I love. What more can I say, apart from stick at it and it might all work out ok

(Now I did say I could go on a bit right? )

 

thanks for that gman, pleasure to read.

just wondering what certs you had before you started the course and what you currently have now, or achieved through cerco? - although ive paid for the Comptia A+ IT essentials course to be started next thursday, i am considering starting with cerco after the 12 weeks are over.

could i also ask who you did the course with? - i was given cercotraining.co.uk and apparently they have got some good feedback!

Thanks,

- Mossy

 

Hi Mossy

Gald it was a good read...if a bit long!!

I started with no certs at all before Cerco, I have taken the A+ off my own back but the Network+ was done with Cerco...well not 'With' Cerco as such...You have a one week intensive course before booking in to take the exam....but the course is not "the easy way out"….its very hard and you need to be doing a hell of a lot of revision before and after the course to feel confident to pass the N+.

The big thing is....and it is THE big thing..if you just pay for the normal Cerco 'Fast Track' course you will come away with NO official qualifications at all!! You receive the Cerco CCSN (Cerco Certificate in Systems & Networking) but this is an in-house cert and not recognised. You do find some companies that know about it but that’s about it. Really and truly you can't do the course for the cert...it would not be enough. I on the other hand paid for their Platinum track...which is the initial 4 week Fast Track course then 3 further one week courses for the CompTIA Network+, Server+ & Security+ which are spread over 18 Months (you pick the dates as and when you are ready). The cost of all of this was....wait for it…. £7000….(this includes accommodation, food etc.)..."ouch" I hear all the guys 'n' girls saying who self study!! True...but we all take different paths for different reasons...I am now happy with the path I'm taking. Saying that...If I knew then what I knew now...well lets say I may have thought a little bit harder or just taken the CompTIA courses.

With regards to your questions about who i did the course with...do you mean which instructor? Or the company Cerco? It is cercotraining.co.uk. They do get mixed reviews….like all training providers! Most people on the course I was on were on the course simply to get a job in the industry via Cerco's "we get 98% of Candidates employment" and not for the qualifications.

 

WOW!!!! - £7000

...having done this course, would you honestly say that it was worth the money? - i am reely starting to get attracted to this cercotraining, and £7000 is a price i might be willing to pay (with the help of my father ) if it meens it gets you where you want to be. accomodation, food etc for 18months is a big thing, so i guess the price evens out a little..

whats accomodation like again? - you mention it being awful and that it was awkward going out etc.. who do you live with during these 18 months?.

you also say that its 3 weeks on each certification that you do, spread out to 18 months, and that you can pick the dates as and when you are ready.. could you please go in detail on that subject please?

for example is it full-time training for 3 weeks non-stop, and you choose when the 3 weeks begin, or is it 3 weeks spread out and you choose when each session is?

and is it possible to work during this time (to fund yourself) - because although accomodation and food etc is free, i have a car which may need petrol every now and then .

 

Mosab, please, please, please don't pay £7000 for that Cerco course, regardless of quality and their results, that is a massively overinflated price even if it includes a couple of weeks accommodation. If you are convinced you want to go down the training provider route there are far cheaper options. You should be able to pay £4000-£5000 for a whole MCSE with extras (A+, N+ etc).

 

Mossy - listen to Baba O'Riley - as you can see from my quote above...I would have probably done things differently! Just because I could afford that kind of money at that point in time and have been lucky enough to come out smiling does not mean that I would in any way recommend my path!

Accommodation - They have a list of people who let you stay with them in their homes for a fee as I believe is the case now, or some have an extension with a self contained unit or similar...not the best idea in my opinion.

Its 3 weeks in total for the CompTIA courses (apart from the 4 weeks FastTrack course which is full time), i.e. 1 week per exam full time 9-5:30. Yes you do choose when you do the courses, just a phone call to check the dates do not coincide with any other courses they may be running.

Some guys were working in the evening, but to tell you the truth if you pay for a course you need to give it your all...so preparation is the key….make sure you do not need to work while on the course.

After saying all of that....I say again, I would NOT recommend my path! To put it into perspective, after I have taken my last exam with Cerco and after paying £7k to do it I will still need to pay for, study and take 6 other MS exams to get my MCSE Security Specialisation cert!! Now that’s going to cost a whole load as well! SO it is not so pretty when you look at it like that!

 

mosab u need to read this post, it will help u save quite a lot of money, this post is by Zimbo:
link

 

yeh thanks for the advice baba.
and thanks gman for all that info! - appreciate the link riaz.hasan, was very helpful.

After reading everybodys review on cerco and studied more of it, i've decided that the path im currently taking is probably best for me.

Gman im glad that you have come out smiling, and wish you all the best!.

 

No worries Mossy, glad to help! I think you have made the right decision! I never like to TELL people what to do when it comes down to the rest of their lives!!..I think its always best to give an honest opinion of a situation and let others make their own minds up.

Good luck

 

Sorry for replying so late but yes I did get the job through Cerco Training.

 

Ignore the last post I was replying to a private message. Anyway back to the thread. In an ideal world we would all have jobs from Cerco as ex students. In the real world this is never going to happen. In my opinion there are many good things about Cerco. There are also bad things as you can see from the posts that have been posted. What I will say is that I think Gman has it spot on. We all have to take a path and dread taking the wrong one. We will make good and bad decisions in our IT careers.
Way back in Jan 2005 I was having a discussion with my manager in my previous employment about which course to take. I was about to be made redundant and was looking to go into a career in IT. He was pointing me in the direction of a microsoft cert whilst I was attracted to Cerco. I had a family to support and I wanted a job asap.
I chose the Cerco track and got my first job in IT due to them ( To which I am thankfull of). In hindsight I believe I made the right decision. That being it was right for me. This does not mean it is the right decision for everyone else.
My job is still not ideal but it has been a great platform to build on and I have a great amount of experience.
I wish you all good luck in whatever you decide. Whether you go the Cerco route is up to you. One thing is certain the more you try the more you will succeed.

Good luck all !

 

Think on reading this forum that i will cancel my interview tomorrow.
I work in a call centre on the systems and services side and thought this looked like a good way of improving my career qualification-wise. Did not realise that it was not a recognised qualification they provided + £4000 is rather a lot of money!