IT training? Tips?

Thee Alex · 7th May 2008, 02:09 PM

I've reached the end of the road with shit, low paid, call centre jobs. I really want to retrain in the area I seem to have some skills in.

Anyone got any experience of IT training? Any recommendations?

AlanG · 7th May 2008, 02:36 PM

What do you mean by IT?

software development
building PC's
IT helpdesk
systems admin
networking
?

Thee Alex · 7th May 2008, 03:25 PM

IT helpdesk mostly

RiseAgainst · 7th May 2008, 03:56 PM

get yourself Microsoft certified, triples your expected salary.

RealR · 7th May 2008, 11:37 PM

Somehow I doubt that'll work for me XD

Zildjiain · 8th May 2008, 07:44 AM

Go into the PC World Computer repair section- watch how they handle customers- don't do what they do.

Took 4 months for them to replace my hard-drive (under warranty too).

RiseAgainst · 8th May 2008, 09:03 AM

out of interest, is there ANY IT call centre jobs that don't get shitty and boring pretty quickly?

The pay is never going to be great at many of them, simply because most of them are scripted for "equal levels of customer service" requiring very little knowledge to do the job.

stuartmaxwell · 8th May 2008, 09:15 AM

create a job for yourself rather than waiting around for something to be advertised, find out who the key "hands on" seniors are at the places you want to work (if you require training cerificates - go larger). Aggressively market yourself directly to them through, phone, email and letter. If they fob you off about HR or the like, ask them to have a word with HR as you got nowhere with them. Think of ways around the fob offs like "budgets" etc

In the instances where you do this with people who are dynamic/entrepreneurial/hands on executive types, they see a bit of themself (when they were a lad). You are more likely to convince them that you are worth £25k+training investments a year if you have get up and god/determination/object driven as opposed to a lazy, non plussed, non objective, call centres forever-type. (that isnt an insult to anyone btw)

I have used this is in the past for mid level employment/business development roles and it works really well

Pubic Wig · 8th May 2008, 02:52 PM

Urgh all the courses i can think of at Dundee College are possibly waaay to simple for you...but you could freshen up all your IT skills by doing an Advanced ECDL? I know Dundee College is a wee bit far off even for open and flexible learning but is there anywhere closer to you that you could do an Open learning IT course in your own time?

RiseAgainst · 8th May 2008, 03:59 PM

does an ECDL actually carry any weight in the workplace? i doubt it.

and does that really work Stuart? ive always tried to keep a fine line between pushing for a job and sounding over keen, i guess it depends on the job type i guess as well.

Pubic Wig · 8th May 2008, 04:35 PM

Errr, Id say it does; being the standard basic qualification in IT throughout Europe and all. It might be basic as hell but to employers its great coz they can at a glance see you are competent in many different software packages if you have the full qualification(and not just a module in Word). The advanced one would be better for Alex but even the bog standard one is a good thing to have. Naturaly if one has a HNC/D or Degree in Computing or IT skills its a bit redundent but if you dont have any IT qualifications its good to have.

humndislocation · 8th May 2008, 05:29 PM

A degree in computing probably won't do much for you, if you want to work in IT support. In my experience, most people on a computing course will be tech-savvy enough to build a PC from scratch, and have a good enough understanding of network hardware to be able to set up a small network, but you don't really learn much in the way of IT skills on a computing course.

stuartmaxwell · 8th May 2008, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiseAgainst

and does that really work Stuart? ive always tried to keep a fine line between pushing for a job and sounding over keen, i guess it depends on the job type i guess as well.

it depends on how the candidate approaches, i.e. as a business proposition or as an overeager chancer. I have tried this twice and it worked both times. whats the harm in it? fear of antagonising a senior person is def not an issue

Keerin · 8th May 2008, 05:44 PM

ECDL has never helped me. and of course it says it carries weight, thats how things sell themselves. Frosties don't have "type 2 diebetes alert" on the front do they? lol

7th May 2008, 02:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
Thee Alex Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Solihull, West Midlands Posts: 3,610 Band: Thee Moths, Wülfstabber, Explosions and Screaming, Catface, DJ Wrong Homer, Señor Citizen, Thee Infinite Golden Universe, Sports, WRRRMS, former member of Lipsick!	IT training? Tips? I've reached the end of the road with shit, low paid, call centre jobs. I really want to retrain in the area I seem to have some skills in. Anyone got any experience of IT training? Any recommendations?

7th May 2008, 02:36 PM	#2 (permalink)
AlanG ModSword +5 of Editing Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Dundee Posts: 3,253	What do you mean by IT? software development building PC's IT helpdesk systems admin networking ? __________________ Ernie Ross - "I'm not a rent-a-quote MP" 10 Sep 04 Ernie Ross being a rent-a-quote MP 23 Jul 04

8th May 2008, 05:44 PM	#14 (permalink)
Keerin Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: probably work Posts: 5,771 Band: Welcome Home, Explorer; Vulsellum; Altruist	ECDL has never helped me. and of course it says it carries weight, thats how things sell themselves. Frosties don't have "type 2 diebetes alert" on the front do they? lol __________________ Welcome Home, Explorer \|Vulsellum\|Scum Killer

7th May 2008, 03:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
Thee Alex Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Solihull, West Midlands Posts: 3,610 Band: Thee Moths, Wülfstabber, Explosions and Screaming, Catface, DJ Wrong Homer, Señor Citizen, Thee Infinite Golden Universe, Sports, WRRRMS, former member of Lipsick!	IT helpdesk mostly

7th May 2008, 03:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
RiseAgainst Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Work id presume Posts: 2,485 Band: Cheat To Win	get yourself Microsoft certified, triples your expected salary.

7th May 2008, 11:37 PM	#5 (permalink)
RealR Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dundee Posts: 4,124 Band: They are make believe	Somehow I doubt that'll work for me XD

8th May 2008, 07:44 AM	#6 (permalink)
Zildjiain Wants to change his name Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Glasgow Posts: 899 Band: of Brothers	Go into the PC World Computer repair section- watch how they handle customers- don't do what they do. Took 4 months for them to replace my hard-drive (under warranty too).

8th May 2008, 09:03 AM	#7 (permalink)
RiseAgainst Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Work id presume Posts: 2,485 Band: Cheat To Win	out of interest, is there ANY IT call centre jobs that don't get shitty and boring pretty quickly? The pay is never going to be great at many of them, simply because most of them are scripted for "equal levels of customer service" requiring very little knowledge to do the job.

8th May 2008, 09:15 AM	#8 (permalink)
stuartmaxwell Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: dundee, paris, peckham Posts: 1,341 Band: archives, they took our jobs, robot house	create a job for yourself rather than waiting around for something to be advertised, find out who the key "hands on" seniors are at the places you want to work (if you require training cerificates - go larger). Aggressively market yourself directly to them through, phone, email and letter. If they fob you off about HR or the like, ask them to have a word with HR as you got nowhere with them. Think of ways around the fob offs like "budgets" etc In the instances where you do this with people who are dynamic/entrepreneurial/hands on executive types, they see a bit of themself (when they were a lad). You are more likely to convince them that you are worth £25k+training investments a year if you have get up and god/determination/object driven as opposed to a lazy, non plussed, non objective, call centres forever-type. (that isnt an insult to anyone btw) I have used this is in the past for mid level employment/business development roles and it works really well

8th May 2008, 02:52 PM	#9 (permalink)
Pubic Wig Dark Lord of the Sith Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Scumdee and Stirling Posts: 1,875 Band: Merkin...pioneers of Applecore Metal. Yeah. Thats right. Applecore. Hard as fruit.	Urgh all the courses i can think of at Dundee College are possibly waaay to simple for you...but you could freshen up all your IT skills by doing an Advanced ECDL? I know Dundee College is a wee bit far off even for open and flexible learning but is there anywhere closer to you that you could do an Open learning IT course in your own time?

8th May 2008, 03:59 PM	#10 (permalink)
RiseAgainst Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Work id presume Posts: 2,485 Band: Cheat To Win	does an ECDL actually carry any weight in the workplace? i doubt it. and does that really work Stuart? ive always tried to keep a fine line between pushing for a job and sounding over keen, i guess it depends on the job type i guess as well.

8th May 2008, 04:35 PM	#11 (permalink)
Pubic Wig Dark Lord of the Sith Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Scumdee and Stirling Posts: 1,875 Band: Merkin...pioneers of Applecore Metal. Yeah. Thats right. Applecore. Hard as fruit.	Errr, Id say it does; being the standard basic qualification in IT throughout Europe and all. It might be basic as hell but to employers its great coz they can at a glance see you are competent in many different software packages if you have the full qualification(and not just a module in Word). The advanced one would be better for Alex but even the bog standard one is a good thing to have. Naturaly if one has a HNC/D or Degree in Computing or IT skills its a bit redundent but if you dont have any IT qualifications its good to have.

8th May 2008, 05:29 PM	#12 (permalink)
humndislocation Hardcore is serious guys Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Dundee Posts: 5,711 Band: Blasphemous Necrorapist	A degree in computing probably won't do much for you, if you want to work in IT support. In my experience, most people on a computing course will be tech-savvy enough to build a PC from scratch, and have a good enough understanding of network hardware to be able to set up a small network, but you don't really learn much in the way of IT skills on a computing course.