Newly unemployed

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Well, my last job (labouring on a building site) has just finished, so it's off to the dole queue on Monday.

Anyway, disullusioned(sp?) as I am, I've managed to convince Mrs. A to be cool about me being on benefits 'till Jan (at the latest), which, given that we've got two kids, is kinda cool.

So, the deal is, I'm gonna get some study & some certs & take that to the jobcentre. If it's no help then I'll take the work I can get.

I'm hoping to get the A+ by then.

What I'd like to know is, is the ECDL worth much, or would some MOS certs be a better use of my time?

Is it even possible to get meaningful MOS's within that timeframe?

I'm in a bit of a mad scramble to learn stuff that I can use at the mo'.

All input appreiciated.

Thanks

 

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Hi Aurelius:

Sorry to hear about your unemployment situation.
With regard to the A+, I would recommend
purchasing Meyers book. It is an excellent
reference in studying for that certification.

Best of luck with your future IT career!

 

Thanks Mike.

Is the ECDL worth anything, or is a MOS more highly regarded?

I've read the employment forums & I doubt IT is gonna be what I get. However. if you were gonna hedge your bets & time was a factor. which would you go for?

Many thanks.

 

tbh neither are worth much in the back end side of IT
the ECDL is aimed at novices, covers the use of word, spreadsheets, etc and some other basics
MOS is an office cert, perhaps useful if your supporting a front office, but not required by most techy folks who have ever used office (although some advanced features still allude me)

MCP on the other hand might be of use, perhaps 70-270 coupled with A+/N+?
all depends on your timeframe/dedicated and target area of IT, for all i know you want to deploy and support office, in which case maybe a MOS is of use ;)

 

I've been in that position as well. It's possible to bounce back. Luck to you, lad.

 

When I first started I was signing on.

Ask the jobcentre for IT training, I did that and their training course program put me on work experience in the IT department of a bank! The bank then gave me a 3 month 'summer job' and I've never looked back since.

I wouldn't encourage anyone do give up thier jobs and sign on the dole specifically to do this- that's been discussed in another thread, but if you've found yourself in that situation then it could be a blessing in disguise

Ask them on day 1 when you first get there, lay all your cards on the table because you never know..

 

agree with phoenix mate, ecdl won't be much use as a tech but im doing it anyway, cos it's easy and it'll fill up sizeable gaps on my cv!

 

Hey, and don't forget to get yours and the familys teeth checked out and sorted...it's free when you're on benefits - well it was when I was claiming!

Good luck m8...grab back as much as your paid taxes as you can!!!

 

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'll see what the JC have to offer, but, in the meantime I think I'll go for the ECDL. As moominboy says, it looks easy & adds to a CV.

I'm not sure that an MCP would be something I could quickly chuck in to bolster a CV!

Cheers.

 

Haha.

Well I could use a new pair of specs

 

Best of luck.
That is good what happened to Pete01, and it could happen to you.

 

Well here's hoping eh?

It is kind of nice, knowing that someone in a similar position got a decent result though.

I'm not gonna go job-crazy 'till Jan, then certs or no, I'll take what I can get.

So, if someone with an ECDL shows up asking if you need your car washed.....

 

LOL, that is the spirit, don't let it get you down.
As Del boy used to say to Rodney. "you know it makes sense"

 

a single MCP is one exam, one course, its just as long winded as A+, if not less so, its not an MCSE (7 exams, years of study) 70-270 should take you no longer than A+ HW+OS

and its likely to mean alot more to an employer than an ECDL