A+ Certification – It’s How They Know, You Know?

Want to get a jumpstart into a great new career in the world of computer support? You may already have the skills required, but in today’s cut-throat job market getting your CompTIA A+ certification authenticates your experience, and is imperative to have when seeking employment in this field. Becoming a certified IT professional validates your skills in installation, configuration, preventative maintenance, basic networking and diagnostics, and announces to employers that you are the only person for the job.

Getting the most credible certification in the industry sounds like it could be a pain staking process, but it doesn’t have to be. Thanks to Computer Based Training (CBT), now you get to decide when and where you receive the necessary training to pass the certification test. From the comfort of your own home, or at the office, you can put your personal training disc into any computer and learn when it is convenient for you. These courses are available on multimedia A+ training DVDs and they can also be formatted to play on your IPOD or portable video player. Some even offer online courses that make it even easier for you to get the knowledge you need for success.

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Computer Based Training for Average Joe

Author: Caitlina Fuller

Computer based training or CBT training is a type of elearning, where content is delivered to the learners using CDs and DVDs and the primary source of delivery is a computer.

It can be used for teaching any subject or topic though CBT training is very effective for learning computer applications, as learners can practice them while learning. So, one can learn basics of Microsoft Excel or any other application like Photoshop or Word. There is an extensive range of subjects and topics available in this format today.

Computer based training is especially of use to working IT or non IT professionals who do not find time to attend traditional classes but want to acquire newer skills which will give their career a boost. These self paced courses are ideal for entry level trainees or even established professionals. A computer is only what is required and since most PCs come with CD-ROMS, these training videos are easy to view. It also allows the user the flexibility to view the videos at work or at home. Even while you are on the move, the videos can be viewed on the laptop.

Computer based training videos have instructors led sessions which makes one feel like he is actually attending a real class. The instructors are certified ones and have good experience of the industry. With vast industry knowledge, experts design the curriculum to give quality information to the learners. The computer based training videos will have in depth discussions, demos, exercises and presentations which results in more effective learning.

The hands on experiences that these videos offer can not be duplicated in theoretical books. The videos CDs have instructions, simulations and practice exams to go through every step systematically. There are reviews at the end of a section to ensure that you have learnt the topic well. As a learner, you can go back to the areas and re-read them unless you are comfortable with it.

It is imperative for small and big corporate companies to impart trainings to their employees, to keep them up to date in order to survive in the competitive environment and companies failing to do so, will find it hard to carry on in tough situations. Corporate training CBT courses are designed such that it allows any company to teach a particular content, to its employees at the same time. It is a very cost effective method of teaching new skills to the employees.

About the Author:

Caitlina Fuller is a freelance writer. It can be used for teaching any subject or topic though CBT training is very effective for learning computer applications, as learners can practice them while learning. Computer based training videos have instructors led sessions which makes one feel like he is actually attending a real class.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com” – Computer Based Training for Average Joe

Why a Training Course Does Not Cost $5

So you got yet another throw-away ad in the mail, offering computer or soft skills training. You riffle the ad casually, holding it precariously over the trash bin as you eye its contents. “Get more done in less time,” “Be more efficient,” “Unlock the potential of your computer and your mind” are some of the headlines that leap out at you.

Yeah yeah yeah. Sure, you’re thinking. Maybe you will get some of those benefits, maybe you won’t. But why does training have to be so darn expensive? It’s a fair question, and as the owner and operator of a training company, I think I have a unique perspective to offer you. Let’s take a look at just exactly where the money goes.

Hidden Costs

First of all, keep in mind that there is a lot of hidden cost to the trainer and training company. This comes in the form of a huge time commitment to learn software, keep up to date, and also to market themselves on an ongoing basis. This simply takes a lot of time.

Also, if the trainer comes to you, there is considerable effort he/she must make in driving, finding your business, setting up the training room before the course, etc. Time is money too.

Direct Costs

I haven’t even mentioned direct costs such as:

• Computers
• Software
• Books
• Certifications
• Equipment – laptops, overhead projectors, etc.

Even a small training company can have a lot of hidden overhead you don’t see when they show up, smiling on your doorstep.

The Actual Value of Training

Additionally, the skills the trainer imparts help you and your employees do their jobs. Essentially, the trainer is providing you with the tools to do your business at the highest level possible. Isn’t it important, and valuable, to you as a business owner and/or personnel manager to have your business run as smoothly and efficiently as possible? Isn’t maximizing profits important, and can’t computer and soft-skills training assist you in meeting these goals?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taught presidents, executives, managers, and many others high up in the organizational food chain. Folks who were making many times more than I was for the same hours–and yet I was training them how to be more efficient, how to be confident, and what to do to be successful. Do you see the dichotomy here?

Dangers of Hiring on Price

Hiring a training company based on price alone, as with any product or service, is usually a big mistake. There are a lot of hacks in the computer and soft-skills training business who are willing to work for peanuts. Peanuts are for elephants, and not for high-caliber people.

How much does losing a whole day to poor training cost you in the long run? The simple maxim generally shows itself to be true: you do get what you pay for.

You Can’t Buy Excellence

This may sound like a funny heading, but it’s true. While you can always pay more for a product or service, in the end, excellence is a matter of personal integrity and commitment, and you can’t just buy it. You have to find it, and often it does come at a price–deservedly so. I’m certain you would not complain about your own professional rates; no doubt you are worth every penny of your asking price.

Ultimately, high-level people such as you do not spend hours and hours for free; they know what their time is worth, and they ask for what the market will bear as fair return for their efforts. Finding people who demand excellence from themselves, and in turn share it with you, is a valuable commodity worth voting for with your training dollars.

Conclusion

We’ve explored some of the hidden and direct costs of computer training, and discussed why high quality training commands a price. After all, the people you hire will be teaching you and your employees how to better do your jobs. Isn’t increased efficiency, confidence, and competence valuable in helping your business be stronger and more competitive? What is that worth to you? In the end, you must decide.

Get your first IT position

The good news is that there are always plenty of opportunities out there for newcomers to the I.T. field even in bad economic times. The bad news is that newcomers to the market are up against a lot of competition – at one end you have wave after wave of new graduates and job seekers hitting the market every year and at the other end you have high-end I.T workers increasingly being asked to bring more skills to the table for the same pay – which has a tendency to force down lesser skilled I.T. workers toward lower paid/skilled jobs.

So how can you break that ‘inexperience’ cycle, particularly when economic times are tough and the economy is not doing so great? Well, while there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution for everybody, there are some general hints and tips that anyone looking to break into I.T. should keep in mind.

Firstly, you need to realistically check your expectations. Be cautious of the career claims made by training institutions and certification vendors. They want you to take their courses and sign up for their certifications and so they spend large amounts of money on slick advertising and promises of high-paid careers. Know one thing – if you’re new to the world of I.T. you’re not going to complete a few weeks or months of classroom training and then walk into a high-paid I.T. job, no matter what the advertisements say.

Secondly, you need to be flexible in your approach and the types of jobs you’d be willing to take in order to get to your ultimate job. A help-desk role may not seem like the ideal stepping stone for a would-be programmer, but it sure helps to fill out some of the gaps on the C.V. and could be good from a networking point of view. Likewise, a clerical job might seem worlds away from your ideal I.T. position, but there might be numerous ways in which to use, and demonstrate, your I.T. skills in such a role which may then lead to something more to your liking. Think of it as short-term steps to reach long-term goals.

With that mindset you then need to study carefully the job market and identify the types of jobs that might be within your reach – both I.T. and non-I.T. Even if you have a particular I.T. career path in mind (e.g. Linux administrator) you should consider all types of entry-level I.T. jobs (even if I.T. only makes up a part of the overall job description) as it will help you get a foot in the door. It’s much easier to get a job when you already have one and it it’s much easier to change tracks within the I.T. industry than to break into I.T. in the first place.

If you decide that you want to enhance your C.V. with a certification or two bear one thing in mind – a certification alone will not land you your first I.T. job. Those days, if they ever existed at all, are long gone. Most employers are wary of ‘paper’ certified individuals and for good reason. What a certification can do for you however is to help your C.V. stand apart from the crowd and show that you have a willingness to learn and take responsibility for your future.

Should You Recycle or Dispose of Your Computer?

Author: Robert Bell

Should You Recycle or Dispose of Your Computer?

When you dispose of your computer such as putting it out with the trash you contribute to the growing amount of e-waste in landfills. Computers are the biggest part of e-waste. Another problem with that is that toxins and carcinogens can get into the ground water and soil.

In 2007 about 500 million computers became obsolete just in the United States. That�s a lot of e-waste. Millions more became obsolete in other countries. When the owners decide to get new computers the majority of them won�t be recycled or reused.

There reusable materials in a computer that are lost when you dispose of your computer.
More energy is used to make new computers and more raw materials, less the materials that are recycled. Mining operations that dig the metals used in a new computer ravage the earth, destroying more forest area and that alone is a source of polluting the soil and water.

A lot of the mining done these days is mountain top removal mining. This destroys the tops of mountains in places like West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. The beautiful view and hiking land is ruined. Many streams are covered over too. There water sources and fishing areas are gone.

Recycling uses less energy than making new products and it usually makes less air and water pollution. It also saves landfill space. Recycling also saves money and creates new jobs. It creates more jobs than landfills or incinerators and limits pollution from incinerators. It also limits pollution from incinerators, and is a less expensive way for your city to manage waste.

Recycling just the plastic from your computer can save a good bit of landfill space because about 7% of the waste in a landfill is plastic, tough other plastic products contribute too, and your computer is mostly plastic. One billion pounds of plastic from electronics goes to a landfill each year. Reversely, park benches and fencing at the Honolulu Zoo were made from recycled plastic.

Recycling also prevents global warming. Recycling of waste products prevented the release of 32.9 million metric tons of carbon equivalent in 2000. Remember that disposed of computers are sometimes incinerated.

Recycling protects the habitats of wildlife. Whereas, disposing of your computer contributes to destroying forests, rivers and wetlands that wildlife relies on for life.

These are growing problems in developed countries that can be stopped with recycling. You can send or take your old computer to different types of recyclers. Businesses can be fined for illegally disposing of hazardous waste and they have to pay court costs.
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