QUALIFICATIONS ???

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HELLO EVERYBODY

AS A NEWBY THIS LOOKS LIKE AN EXCELLENT FORUM, VERY INFORMATIVE AND USEFUL, ESPECIALLY FOR A NEWCOMER WITH LIMITED KNOWLEDGE.
MY QUESTION IS THIS, I AM DOING A HNC IN COMPUTING AND AFTER SPENDING A FEW HOUSE TRAWLING THRU SOME OF THE THREADS, THIS QUALIFICATION SEEMS TO BE VERY RARE. I AM THEREFORE THINKING THAT I MAY BE GOING DOWN THE WRONG ROAD AS FAR AS TRYING TO GET A FOOTHOLD IN THE IT INDUSTRY.
ORIGINALLY I WAS THINKING OF THE NATURAL PROGRESSION WHICH WOULD BE THE HND IN COMPUTING, CAN ANYBODY GIVE SOME ADVICE ON THE VALIDITY OF THESE KIND OF QUALIFICATIONS WITHIN THE INDUSTRY, ESPECIALLY IF THE SECTOR I AM LOOKING TO GO INTO IS TECHNICAL SUPPORT/NETWORKING
ALSO AS I DONT THINK I AM BEST SUITED TO HOME STUDYING, I AM LOOKING FOR SOME RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING TRAINING CENTRES, THERE IS ONE IN GORDEN ST IN GLASGOW CALLED LEARNING IT, I WAS THINKING ABOUT HAS ANYBODY HAD ANY DEALINGS WITH THEN

ALLY

 

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hello mate
a HNC might seem rare, but its not worthless, its an academic qualification which always holds some ground with companies, and its a great starting block for anyone new to IT
natural progression is good, but see how the HNC fairs, you may find it more useful to back that up with industry qualifications, such as A+, MCSE, CCNA etc, depending on your desired field

im not sure of any places up north as im from London

on another note, just thought I would point out that net etiquete dictates capital letters to be 'raised voice' or 'shouting' so perhaps you could ease the caps? ;)

Glad your finding the site useful mate

 

:roll:

thank for the rapid reply, apologies about the caps, force of habit
ally

 

WELCOME

 

Firstly, @Flex - ever the wag !!!

Hey Ally,

Cheers for easing on the voice Mate

I think most folks either go the Further Education route (ie college/Uni) or through self-Cert, like most of us here.

Personally, although i've been thru Uni for a non-IT degree, my IT certs were done bu distance learning. I didn't mind self-cert, as long as I could afford the time for it (ie peace and quiet, etc)

Learning IT on Gordon St is where I sit my exams, and I have nothing but good reports for the treatment I receive from them, but I can't comment on any courses they offer. Why not contact them, get some info, then ask for some opinions on here ?

Hope that helps for a start, Mate

 

the course i was thinking about was the A+ combined with the XP PRO, it is priced around the 3 grand mark, this seems to be par for the course as far as prices go, but i would like be sure that "it does what it says on the tin", b4 1 plough money i dont have into them.

 

they charge 3k for A+ and XP Pro? woah
i dunno what the avg price is these days but personally i consider that expensive, an entire MCSE costs about that maybe a bit more at last check

 

the course itself is based on a 6 week training program,it covers a+ soft, a+ hardware and a mcp xp pro qualification, also i only gives u 1 shot at the exams if u fail u pay for a resit

 

Mate - walk away RIGHT now- you're gonna gamble 3 large for A+ and XP Pro quals in 6 weeks ?

Not on the menu.

There are Course Providers that provide full courses of Certification (ie A+, MCSA, MCSE, Cisco), inc materials, support workshops and materials for pretty much the same $$$

It's my opinion, but I think I might not be alone .....

 

anybody got any names of companies that they have heard of, or dealt with regarding these courses. would appreciate any info on prices,course content and time factors.

 

I've just about finished my HND in computing The college does do the A+ but it is no where near as pricey as that (think it was about £400)
I've got myself a job in a school doing exactly what I set out to do. The HND is a good qual but doesn't do much in the practical sense. Before that I'd done practical in maintenance and networking (low level) but its only now, working in the roll that I am truely learning

Good luck mate, but don't pay they're asking price coz that is STEEP

 

Have you thought about upgrading your HND to a BSc via the Open University :?:

 

as i am only half way thru my hnc and i just wanted to find out the forums opinions as to the validity of academic qualifications, as i would find it a bit tough trying to complete industry qualifications at the same time.
as keen as i am to learn quick, i dont want to spread myself too thin and bite off more than i can chew.

 

Not much I can add to what everyone else has said. I also wish you welcome to our little corner of cyberspace. Glad to see you making full use of the facilities. What's an "HNC". I tried Googling it but nothing definitive came up. I assume it's a university degree but not the same as a BSc in Computer Science.

Not all people need a full BSc to meet their goals so I encourage you to got in the direction that seems bees to fit who you are and where you're going. My bachelors is in Computer Network Support, not Computer Science. That means I know squat about programming languages but lean heavily towards hardware, networking and operating systems knowledge.

I would say that as far as certifications go, the A+ remains the foundation for the rest of the IT industry and is a great place to start.

 

Trip

A HND is a Higher National Diploma equal to about years one and two of a first degree. They are begining to "muddy the waters" in the UK by offering a Foundation Degree in some subjects that take two years of study but are more vocational. HTH.

 

Ok. That's like an Associate's Degree here. Two year degree, usually taken at a community college. My program was a two year program but because I already had another bachelors, I just took one more class and elevated it from a 2 to 4 year degree.