Posts Tagged ‘education’
Adobe CS4 Design Career Training - Options
July 13th, 2009
Selecting an IT training program that equates to industries needs is vital in today’s economy. But it’s also just as relevant to discover one that you can cope with, that matches your abilities and personality. There are courses covering Microsoft User Skills up to Web Design, Databases, Programming and Networking. There’s a great deal of choice and so it’s probably best to chat to an experienced advisor prior to deciding which way to go: don’t make a guess and learn about a subject for a job you’d actually hate!
Currently, there are many versions of user-friendly and sensibly priced options to be had that furnish you with a great learning experience.
One crafty way that training providers make a big mark-up is by charging for exams up-front then giving it ‘Exam Guarantee’ status. This sounds impressive, till you look at the facts:
Everybody’s aware that they’re ultimately paying for it - obviously it has been inserted into the overall figure from the training provider. Certainly, it’s not a freebie (although some people will believe anything the marketing companies think up these days!) Students who go in for their examinations when it’s appropriate, funding them one at a time are much better placed to get through first time. They’re conscious of their spending and so are more inclined to make sure they’re ready.
Hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the appropriate time, and hang on to your cash. You’ll then be able to select where you sit the exam - so you can choose somewhere closer to home. A lot of questionable training course providers net a great deal of profit through getting in the money for all the exam fees up-front and hoping you won’t see them all through. Many training companies will insist that you take mock exams first and with-hold subsequent exam entries from you until you’ve proven conclusively that you can pass - making an ‘exam guarantee’ just about worthless.
Spending hundreds or even thousands extra on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is foolish - when consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will get you through.
Full support is of the utmost importance - ensure you track down something providing 24×7 full access, as anything less will not satisfy and will also impede your ability to learn. Don’t accept training courses that only support students via a call-centre messaging service after office-staff have gone home. Training organisations will always try to hide the importance of this issue. Essentially - support is needed when it’s needed - not when it’s convenient for them.
As long as you look hard, you will find the top providers who recommend and use online direct access support around the clock - at any time of day or night. Never make the mistake of compromise when it comes to your support. The vast majority of IT hopefuls who give up, are in that situation because they didn’t get the support necessary for them.
A top of the range training package will undoubtedly have accredited simulation materials and exam preparation packages. Steer clear of relying on non-official exam preparation questions. Their phraseology is often somewhat different - and this leads to huge confusion when the proper exam time arrives. Why don’t you analyse your depth of understanding through tests and simulated exams to prepare you for taking the actual exam.
Students often end up having issues because of a single courseware aspect very rarely considered: The breakdown of the course materials before being sent out to you. You may think that it makes sense (with most training taking 1-3 years for a full commercial certification,) that a training provider will issue a single section at a time, as you complete each part. Although: What would happen if you didn’t finish all the exams at the speed they required? Often the staged order doesn’t come as naturally as some other order of studying might.
Put simply, the perfect answer is to have a copy of their prescribed order of study, but to receive all the materials up-front. Meaning you’ve got it all if you don’t manage to finish at their required pace.
Students who consider this area of study often have a very practical outlook on work, and won’t enjoy sitting at a desk in class, and slogging through piles of books. If you’re thinking this sounds like you, go for more modern interactive training, where you can learn everything on-screen. Many years of research has always shown that an ‘involved’ approach to study, where we utilise all our senses, is far more likely to produce long-lasting memories.
Learning is now available on CD and DVD discs, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Through video streaming, you can sit back and watch the teachers showing you precisely how to do something, and then practice yourself - in an interactive lab. Don’t take any chances and look at some examples of the kind of training materials you’ll be using before you sign the purchase order. Always insist on video tutorials, instructor demo’s and interactive audio-visual sections with practice modules.
Often, companies will only use purely on-line training; sometimes you can get away with this - but, consider what happens when you don’t have access to the internet or you get slow speeds and down-time etc. A safer solution is the provision of CD and DVD ROM materials which removes the problem altogether.
Tags: web design, video streaming, web, Web development
Tags: a, advice, c, career, computer, computer;internet, Computers, e, education, g, games, h, hobbies, home, m, money, o, r, Reference Education, s, self improvement, shop, software, t, technology, u, Uncategorized, w, web, work
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CompTIA A Plus Training Courses Explained
July 12th, 2009
The CompTIA A+ course comprises of 4 specialised sectors - you need to pass exams in 2 different areas to be competent in A+. Because of this, the majority of colleges restrict their A+ to just two of the 4 sectors. To us, this is selling you short - yes you’ll have qualified, but experience of all four will give you a distinct advantage in the workplace, where gaps in your knowledge will expose weaknesses. That’s the reason why you deserve training in all 4 specialities.
A+ computer training courses cover fault-finding and diagnostics - both remote access and hands-on, as well as learning to build, repair and fix and operating in antistatic conditions. If you feel it appropriate to add Network+ training to your A+, you will additionally be able to assist with or manage networks of computers, meaning you’re in a position to move further up the career path.
Don’t forget: the training itself or a qualification isn’t the end-goal; the job or career that you’re getting the training for is. Many trainers unfortunately place too much importance on the actual accreditation. Never let yourself become part of the group that choose a course that on the surface appears interesting - only to end up with a qualification for something they’ll never enjoy.
Stay focused on what it is you’re trying to achieve, and create a learning-plan from that - not the other way round. Stay focused on the end-goal and study for an end-result you’ll still be enjoying many years from now. Seek guidance and advice from an experienced industry advisor, even if you have to pay a small fee - it’s considerably cheaper and safer to discover early on if something is going to suit and interest you, rather than realise following two years of study that you aren’t going to enjoy the job you’ve chosen and have to start from the beginning again.
One area often overlooked by new students mulling over a new direction is the issue of ‘training segmentation’. Basically, this means the way the course is divided up for drop-shipping to you, which makes a huge difference to the point you end up at. The majority of training companies will set up a program spread over 1-3 years, and deliver each piece one-by-one as you complete each exam. If you think this sound logical, then consider this: What would their reaction be if you find it difficult to do every module within the time limits imposed? Often the prescribed exam order doesn’t work as well as some other structure would for you.
In a perfect world, you’d ask for every single material to be delivered immediately - meaning you’ll have all of them for the future to come back to - irrespective of any schedule. You can also vary the order in which you complete your exams where a more intuitive path can be found.
Students who consider this area of study can be very practical by nature, and won’t enjoy sitting at a desk in class, and struggling through thick study-volumes. If this could be you, go for more modern interactive training, where everything is presented via full motion video. Many studies have proved that much more of what we learn in remembered when all our senses are involved, and we put into practice what we’ve been studying.
The latest audio-visual interactive programs with demonstrations and practice sessions will turn you off book-based study for ever more. And you’ll actually enjoy doing them. You must ensure that you see courseware examples from each company you’re contemplating. It’s essential they incorporate instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab’s.
It is generally unwise to opt for on-line only training. Because of the variable quality and reliability of the ISP (internet service provider) market, you should always obtain disc based courseware (On CD or DVD).
Often, individuals don’t really get what information technology can do for us. It’s stimulating, innovative, and means you’re working on technology that will impact the whole world for generations to come. We’ve only just begun to get a feel for how technology will influence everything we do. Computers and the web will significantly change how we regard and interact with the rest of the world over the coming years.
The standard IT technician across the UK will also receive noticeably more money than equivalent professionals in another industry. Typical incomes are around the top of national league tables. It’s no secret that there is a great national demand for certified IT specialists. Also, as the industry constantly develops, it is likely there will be for quite some time to come.
OK, why should we consider qualifications from the commercial sector rather than traditional academic qualifications obtained from the state educational establishments? With a growing demand for specific technological expertise, industry has been required to move to specific, honed-in training only available through the vendors themselves - for example companies such as Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe. This often comes in at a fraction of the cost and time. This is done by honing in on the particular skills that are needed (alongside an appropriate level of associated knowledge,) instead of covering masses of the background non-specific minutiae that computer Science Degrees are prone to get tied up in (because the syllabus is so wide).
Assuming a company knows what areas need to be serviced, then all it takes is an advert for a person with the appropriate exam numbers. Syllabuses all have to conform to the same requirements and aren’t allowed to deviate (in the way that degree courses can).
Tags: video streaming, traffic building, marketing, blog
Tags: a, advice, c, career, computer, computer;internet, Computers, e, education, g, games, h, hobbies, home, m, money, o, r, Reference Education, s, self improvement, shop, software, t, technology, u, Uncategorized, w, web, work
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Copyblogger.com’s Brian Clark: The Outsourcing Conspiracy
July 8th, 2009
Brian Clark from copyblogger.com is a person I have admired since I got into the online marketing world. The content he delivers always teaches me something. Even his guest writers deliver quality post after post which is an added bonus.
I recommend his site to anyone that is interested in learning more about marketing and writing good copy.
He also has a membership site called Teaching Sells for which I was a member of for about 6 months. I used the content he put in there to lay down the groundwork for my first online venture and membership site.
Knowing that he is from Dallas too make me more of a fan-boy.
The Outsourcing Conspiracy: Oh no!
I was on his site recently and couldn’t help but notice that he had a graphic for a free report titled The Outsourcing Conspiracy. Oh boy! He had me hooked.
The bi-line even says: What the 4 Hour Work Week and Internet Marketing Gurus Aren’t Telling You About Outsourcing.
I believe that outsourcing works (it does) but was dying to find out what Brian Clark’s opinion on the matter was. It was on my hard drive faster than you can imagine. I finished reading it in about an hour, and had my brain fried for days. So…
Guess What? He is Positively Right!
If you are new to online marketing than outsourcing is not your best choice right now. He argues that outsourcing can cause more damage and lost money. Which is possible and highly likely. The model of outsourcing he writes about is the same as Tim Ferris mentioned in his book. That model is the one where you hire employees as freelancers.
He admits that at one time he did that very thing and made money doing it. The problem was that he found himself looking for talent regularly and eventually made him feel like more of a manager than a business owner.
However, the method I promote is a spin on what is written in the 4Hour Work Week. I have hired and trained someone to work for me full time.
Knowing that she is on my payroll and not having the fear that she will leave me allow me to breathe a little. I have invested a lot of time in getting her trained and up to speed on my strategies and have the confidence she can pull it off. I have made mistakes, but they have not cost me hundreds of dollars to correct. And also, when she makes mistakes (or I gave her bad directions) I can simply tell her to make the changes or simply start all over.
Can a person that is working a full time job and learning how to me an internet marketer in their spare time afford to hire someone full-time? It is likely they can’t. So outsourcing is not for everyone.
There! I admit it!
I was at the point where I had too many ideas that needed to be implemented and I just couldn’t handle it anymore. What I pay her gives me peace of mind when I am out at the park with my daughters.
So What’s Brian Clark’s Point?
Ahh, yes. You know he has to have one.
He wraps up the report by delivering the idea of Partnering versus outsourcing. He gives examples of some of the greatest companies in the world coming our of partnerships: Google, Microsoft, IBM.
Even though he argues against what I preach, I do see his point and would recommend what he is suggesting to anyone. I believe that he will deliver the information you need to be able to find the partner you need to help you on your path to freedom.
I had a partner in my first online business and continue to have him. Early on I was in no position to hire someone. I didn’t know what I was doing to be able to tell them what to do.
In the process of creating the product and building the site we have learned a whole lot about the business. And being accountable to each other has helped us when times got tough. There is something to be said about building something with someone that you can count on.
So what do you do? Replace Myself or Partnering for Profits? It all depends on your time, energy, and resources.
Tags: Web development, traffic building, web design, blogging
Tags: brian clark, business, copyblogger.com, education, john jonas, management, marketing, online business, outsourcing overseas, partering for profits, replace myself, replacemyself, replacemyself.com, training
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Three Simple Steps To Build Your List Using Social Networking Sites
July 7th, 2009
If you have a website floating out there with little natural traffic and you’ve been wondering about investing time and resources into a social media marketing campaign then this is my take on the various social networking sites and why you should throw your hat into one or two rings.
With so many social networking sites out there its easy to get lost in the woods, struggling to find your way around and find yourself camped out, talking nonsense with the social media fools, freaks and geeks sending postcards, virtual drinks and all those other latest social applications floating around the social media universe.
It’s essential to plan ahead to avoid failure in any marketing campaign but social media with all its’ attractions and distractions makes this task even harder. So, here’s what you need to do;
Start by listing three things to get a clear picture of who you are, who you are not and who you want to be. Branding is a big part of any marketing model but with social networking sites able to send your message, words or brand across several platforms with the click of a button it’s vital you nail it from day one. If you dont you might just end up the fool at the party. And nobody listens to a fool!
Next in your plan to conquer the social media world should be a research phase. Start out with a list of twenty popular social networking sites and find out if your customers wuold use this type of platform. This is easy to do but very important because the last thing you want is to waste your time, efforts and energy on facebook if all your customers are on Zenzuu or some other niche social networking site.
Third, get in there and listen to whats being said before you start to speak. Theres a lot of noise online and to stand out from the crowd and develop a good social media marketing presence the first thing you need to do is listen. Take twitter as an example and its easy to see how few people have any real idea or knowledge of how to use this particular social networking site.
So, be social. Be unique and try to add some value or entertainment to the social media party. Do this well and when you speak others will listen. Get this wrong and you’l be whistling into the wind.
Tags: video streaming, traffic building, Site promotion, Web development
Tags: advertising, business, education, entrepreneur, facebook, how to, Internet Marketing, list building, marketing, network marketing, social-media, twitter, work from home
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