The Training Camp

[Jules001]

My Son recently left college with less than the expected results and we are thinking of paying for him to attend a Training Camp residential intensive computer training course. It is an huge amount of money, which we will pay if we need to, but just wondered if anyone has any experience of this organisation or has any views on this. The course we are thinking about is a CompTIA A+/ Network +.

[vehelpfulguy]

Others may disagree, but I dont think these sort of qualifications will get him a job in IT.

IT companies expect practical experience of the real world,
paper qualifications dont count for a lot.

You might be better using the money to subsidise him in an IT job for a year or so while he gets some practical experience.

Try to find a local computer company who sell or install or maintain computers or other job in IT and see if he can get a job in there.

Also make sure he actually WANTS to work in IT and computers, and what part of IT.

IT is a massive business covering all sorts of areas, so he needs to know if he wants to be writing software programs, or fixing IT problems, or installing hardware or software, or testing hardware or software, or selling IT equipment or designing IT systems and so on.

It would help a lot if he has worked on computers at home or at college, maybe building a PC or installing software, writing programs or desgning web sites etc.

That wil help him get a job in IT.

Let me know if you want more help (I have worked in IT for over 30 years)

[Jules001]

He did the BTEC National Diploma at college, unfortunately along with him not putting in the effort to achieve a good grade (we think he may just scrape a Pass, if he's lucky) there were lots of problems with the tutors at the college and some unsatisfactory teaching and communication problems. He does want to work in IT, although his real passion lies within the computer gaming sector. He has designed his own gaming web site as a 'showcase' to show to prospective employers and is applying for lots of IT jobs, the trouble is there isn't an awful lot around for entry level candidates, they all seem to ask for Graduates. This is why we thought some sort of Certification would increase his chances of getting a foot on the career ladder, but we don't want to spend huge amounts of money for something that would be a waste of time and money.

[Mac70]

Following on from above, the first qualification he should look at is the MSDCT then supplement it with A+, and N+, if working in the corporate enviroment is his thing.
If that was the way he went, which I believe is difficult now to get started in, he would start at the bottom, mainly at the helpdesk reading from scripts and not getting much practical experience.
Im 36 now, and focused on helping home users, but Im self-studying and just plan to advertise in the local paper, undercutting my rivals.