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.

CompTIA A+ (2009 Edition) to Launch in August

In August 2009, CompTIA will launch the 2009 Edition of CompTIA A+. The 2009 Edition will consist of two exams, CompTIA A+ Essentials (220-701) and CompTIA A+ Practical Application (220-702). Take the exam to update your CompTIA A+ certification or earn it for the first time.

The new version of CompTIA A+ Essentials is intended for the entry-level IT professional with at least 500 hours of hands-on experience in the lab or field. It tests for the fundamentals of computer technology, networking and security, as well as the communication skills and professionalism previously included in the 603 and 604 exams.

Exam 220-702, Practical Application, is an extension of the knowledge and skills identified in CompTIA A+ Essentials, but the focus is on scenarios in which troubleshooting and tools must be applied to resolve problems, with more of a “hands-on” orientation.

Current A+ Exams

The existing A+ exams (220-601, 220-602, 220-603, and 220-604) remain relevant and are in use by organizations and educational institutions throughout the world.  Those exams will remain in the market until July 31, 2010 to allow all who are training or studying with current materials to complete their course of study.  CompTIA A+ is ISO 17024 accredited, and as such, undergoes regular review and update so that the IT community can be assured of its continuing currency and relevance in the marketplace.

More information is available here.

Certification Fills the Skills Gap

By Kristin Clifford,

Research released by CompTIA shows that there are skills gaps in several key areas. When comparing reported proficiency in skills to the importance of those skills, the skill with the widest “gap” in proficiency is security/firewalls/data privacy.

What does this mean for IT professionals? It is obvious that in order to move ahead, IT pros have to be skilled at their job and able to keep up with changes in the industry. By taking note of the skills gaps, and ensuring their own proficiency in those skills, IT pros may be able to speed their move up the career ladder.

Stan Godard, manager of direct service education at Ricoh, is knowledgeable about what hiring managers are looking for in job candidates. He is in charge of managing trainers and helping with the curriculum development and instruction they do. When talking with students or instructors, Godard said he will share his feelings on the importance of certification in career advancement.

“If you are looking at it from a hiring manager point of view there are things that they need to look for …. ” Godard said. “Primarily when we are talking to the students we want to talk about things like the value of the certification to them and what the hiring manager is looking for … we like to tell them that the certifications demonstrate that they not only have the knowledge and ability to do the job but also to learn the changing technologies as they evolve in the industry.”

The ability to keep up with changing technologies is a key factor in job stability and advancement. This is common sense – no one is going to want to hire someone who knows Windows ’95 backwards and forwards, but can’t grasp Vista or even XP.

The research shows that, according the respondents, the skill that is by far expected to grow most in importance over the next five years is RF mobile, wireless technology (39% say it will be important one year from now vs. 55% say it will be important five years from now).

Thus, a technician who not only knows current wireless technologies, but also shows an aptitude for learning new ones, will have an advantage over someone who perhaps has not been trained and certified or learnt the basics.

There is no question there is a big difference (between certified and non-certified people),” Godard said. “(Certified people) are more than a step ahead, far ahead because it shows. It is not like starting with an unknown – you are starting with somewhat of a known quantity. Because the certification demonstrated that they have a specific level of knowledge and it also shows me that they have the initiative to go out and learn.”

More information on the Skills Gap Study can be found at www.comptia.org/research. For certification information, visit certification.comptia.org.

10 ways to keep your job

Author: Jerry Loza

When the economy is bad, we worry about our jobs. And although most of us would like to think we’re indispensable, our employers may disagree. Here are 10 strategies to put you in control of your career and help you avoid becoming a downsizing target.

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1: Show value

Let’s face it: If you are not adding value to your employer or your clients, there is little reason to keep you around. To put it another way, not adding value to the company is one of the fastest ways onto the layoff short list. Since this is what you’re trading for a pay check, constantly be asking yourself if what you are doing is adding value -and if it isn’t, what you can do to begin adding value.

2: Stay current

Just because technology may become obsolete, that doesn’t mean you have to go with it. Even if your job is the support of legacy systems, staying (or getting) current with newer technology increases the options your employer may have when it comes to leveraging your abilities. Besides, being stuck with legacy support is generally not a great long-term career strategy, and should the worst happen, the newer skills may help you land another job more quickly.

3: Network internally

People think about networking when looking for a new job, but don’t forget to network within your current place of employment. It is a great way to find out about, and get a lead into, opportunities in other areas of the company.

It can also be a more subtle way of making the right people aware of skills you can or would like to offer the company. Suppose you’re an operator who also knows Web development. If you, or a friend, can put a bug in the right person’s ear, you might be able to trade handling backup tapes for cascading style sheets.

4: Sell your company or department

It doesn’t matter how well you do your job if the company (or your department) lacks customer business. Become an advocate for your place of work. While your opportunities to do hardcore selling may be limited, that doesn’t mean you can’t contribute. If you’re working on the front lines, you’re in the perfect position to spot new opportunities you can then pass on to the appropriate person for sales follow-up. Everyone will benefit from having more business.

5: Sell yourself

Adding value is good. Having the right people know that you’re adding value is even better. Do not be shy. Document your accomplishments and pass the information up the ladder. If your clients/customers are pleased with your work, remind them to inform your supervisor about it. Most clients are more than happy to sing the praises of someone who deserves it.

6: Do not be a whiner (show good attitude)

The squeaky wheel isn’t the one that gets the attention- it’s the one that gets fired. No one likes a complainer, and being one is another quick way onto the next-to-go list. You may think others care about the injustices the company is perpetrating on you, but guess what? They probably don’t. They have their own problems to deal with.

Instead, show a positive attitude. After all, you have a regular pay check at a time when many do not. Stop comparing things to what you would like them to be like and consider what things could be like in an even less desirable environment. If you have a constructive idea, share it through the proper channels. Be a team player. It’s more productive and won’t mark you as a downsizing target.

7: Assess your role

You may find this to be harder than it sounds. What do you really bring to the table, from the company’s point of view? You can’t sell your value to the company if you don’t know what it is. Be objective and try to find the things you do that really help the company. Then, try to find the things that are uniquely you. If you can get through this introspection, you will discover one of the most important keys to your career. If you really can’t come up with anything, you may want to put extra effort into the “stay current” point mentioned above.

8: Show flexibility

If you have multiple skills that you’re willing to provide to your company, you will be much more valuable than a one-trick pony. Companies want to be efficient with their money. If they can keep one multi-functional, multi-talented person and have coverage for multiple areas of responsibility, that’s a smart business decision. Be the one they want to keep by showing a willingness to be utilized in ways that benefit the company.

9: Build respect

You want people to have a favourable impression of you. You want them to respect your abilities as well as respect you as a person. It’s more than simply being liked – respect runs a little deeper, and it leaves a more lasting impression. Do your work well and do the right things, and people will not only want you around, they may even seek you out. At a time when companies are looking for ways to make cuts, being a sought-after resource is about as good as it gets.

10: Have a plan

You’re busy enough without having to worry about all the tasks that may keep you employed through this economy. Come up with a plan on how you will implement the tips mentioned here. What new things will you add to your skill set and how will you acquire them? Where will you begin your networking efforts? You get the idea.

Besides your plan for staying, it’s probably a good idea to have a plan should the worst case come about. The plan does not need to be overly detailed, but it should contain enough information to get you started right away if you lose your job. Who will you use for references? Is their contact information current? What are your most marketable skills? Where will you begin networking outside the company? The first reason for this worst-case plan comes from my belief that if you make a plan for it, you will not need it. The second is that if you have a plan, you will be less likely to worry about that scenario and can therefore focus on providing the kind of high-value work that will keep you employed.

Weathering the storm

When the economy is bad, and the job market is tough, it is easy to think about how you will find your next job. But if you are still employed, there are many advantages to keeping the work you already have. Of course, if your entire company is about to fold, there isn’t much you can do about it. If, on the other hand, downsizing is the order of the day, the suggestions above may make the difference between continued cash flow and an unwanted extended unpaid vacation. Good luck.

Read more:

10 Reasons to be an IT Guy.

Years ago, being “into” computers meant long, lonely walks home from school, eating lunch at tables far, far away from the “cool kids” These days, thankfully, Geek is the new Chic and being in the Information Technology (IT) industry offers a lot of opportunities and many benefits that we’ll list below.

If you’re in the IT industry, many of these will be common knowledge to you.  If you’re not in the industry yet, or thinking about making a change, you really need to consider these 10 Reasons to be an IT Guy.

1. You can work in virtually any industry. Whether you’re fancy is banking, pharmaceuticals, e-commerce websites, or even the adult industry.  Yes, some IT folks actually work in the adult industry.  All those websites don’t just design themselves.  They all need IT folks to make the wheels turn.
2. You get to play with the latest technology. Depending on where you work, this can be truer for some. For the most part though, you usually get to work on (or at least experiment with) the latest tech.
3. You get to work with other smart people. Many industries are wrought with lazy people and hangers-on.  People who work just hard enough to not get fired, and who get paid just enough to not quit.  Typically, IT attracts smart people which allows you to increase your skills in the process.
4. New challenges every day. Even if you job consists of something fairly mundane (i.e. data backups) there is always the challenge to do things better, faster, cheaper and this presents a never ending set of challenges.
5. You get to be the hero. Many times you’re called upon to save someone’s rear end when they lost the document, spreadsheet or file they’ve been working on for weeks and need for a meeting in 10 minutes.  Sometimes it’s an easy fix, sometimes it’s not.  Either way, you get to save the day.
6. Stay technical or go into management. This relates to career development, but as an IT professional you have the choice to really stay technical as an engineer or architect, or get into management. Management typically means higher salaries, but it also introduces more stress, more vulnerability (at least at lower level management) and ultimately more risk. Management definitely has its benefits and you can always jump back into being hands-on technical when the need arises.
7. You can keep up with your kids. In previous generations, there usually ended up being a pretty big generational gap between parents and children.  IT professionals typically keep up with cutting edge technology, gaming consoles, gadgets and anything techie.  All of these things appeal to a large section of today’s youth; which allows you to narrow the “generational gap” and keep in touch with your kids.
8. You don’t have to pay someone to setup and maintain your home network(s). Most people who aren’t either a techie or in the IT industry have no clue how to setup, configure and maintain their home systems.  They’re at the mercy of the bench techs are their local technology superstore or their computer manufacturer’s IT help desk (where ever call begins with “reboot” and ends with “reinstall”).
9. Work from anywhere. Many companies offer the ability to work from home occasionally, if not exclusively.  The nature of IT, remote desktop capabilities, VPN connectivity, etc., allows an IT person to work from home or remotely as easily as sitting at their desk.  Many companies have “virtual teams” with IT people working remotely from anywhere in the world.
10. Get paid a great salary. In general, Information Technology salaries are very good.  IT professionals get paid very well, especially as time and experience increases.