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CompTIA A + has a total of four exams and areas of study, but your only requirement is to get certified in 2 to be thought of as qualified. As this is the case, most training colleges only offer 2 paths. Yet learning about all 4 will help you to build a much wider knowledge and understanding of it all, which you’ll come to realise is an important asset in professional employment.

As well as being taught about the ins and outs of building and maintaining computers, students of A+ will learn how to work in antistatic conditions, along with remote access, fault finding and diagnostics. You may also want to think about adding the CompTIA Network+ training as you’ll then be in a position to look after networks of computers, and have a more responsible working role.

Listening to the sheer volume of debate on the area of Information Technology (IT) nowadays, how can we appreciate what precisely to look for?

A competent and specialised consultant (vs a salesperson) will ask questions and seek to comprehend your abilities and experience. This is vital for establishing the starting point for your education. If you’ve got a strong background, or sometimes a little commercial experience (maybe some existing accreditation?) then it’s likely your starting point will be different from a student that is completely new to the industry. Where this will be your opening attempt at IT study then you might also want to practice with some basic PC skills training first.

The age-old way of teaching, using textbooks and whiteboards, is usually pretty hard going. If this sounds like you, check out study materials which have a majority of interactive, multimedia parts. Many years of research has consistently shown that getting into our studies physically, will more likely produce memories that are deeper and longer-lasting.

Interactive full motion video utilising video demo’s and practice lab’s will forever turn you away from traditional book study. And they’re far more fun. You’ll definitely want a training material demonstration from your training provider. The package should contain instructor videos, demonstrations, slide-shows and interactive labs where you get to practice.

Avoiding training that is delivered purely online is generally a good idea. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where offered, so that you have access at all times – you don’t want to be reliant on a quality and continuous internet connection.

If you forget everything else – then just remember this: You absolutely must have proper 24×7 instructor support. Later, you’ll kick yourself if you don’t adhere to this. Beware of institutions who use ‘out-of-hours’ messaging systems – with the call-back coming in during office hours. It’s not a lot of help when you’ve got study issues and need an answer now.

Keep looking and you’ll come across professional companies which offer online direct access support around the clock – including evenings, nights and weekends. Unless you insist on 24×7 support, you’ll regret it. You might not want to use the service throughout the night, but you’re bound to use weekends, early mornings or even late evenings at some point.

‘In-Centre’ days get touted as a great facet by a lot of training academies. After chatting with many computer industry trainees that have tried them out, you’ll begin to see a common thread – they are viewed as a waste of time because of many things:

* Lots of back and forth visits – often hundreds of miles at a time.

* Asking for time off work – typical trainers will only provide Mon-Fri class availability and link several days together. This isn’t ideal for most people who work, even more so if travelling time is added into the mix.

* Usually, we find 4 weeks off each year is not really enough. Knock off over half of it for study days and see your problems doubled.

* Classes fill up fast and can sometimes be too big – so they’re not personal enough.

* Some trainees hope to push through at quite a pace, but some like to take it easier and not be forced to adopt an uncomfortable speed for them. This generates tension and bad atmosphere in most workshops.

* Many students tell us of the considerable cost of getting to and from the training centre and paying for food and accommodation gets very expensive.

* Study privacy is often very important to most students. There’s no need to sacrifice any possible promotions, salary hikes or accomplishment with your current employer just because you’re retraining. If your work discovers you’ve committed to accreditation in another sector, what are they going to be thinking?

* It’s common to feel awkward about asking questions while sitting with our fellow attendees – to avoid appearing stupid.

* It should be remembered that days in-centre become pretty much impossible to attend, when you live away for some of the month.

Doesn’t it make much more sense to take classes when it suits you — not the training company – and make use of interactive videos of instructors teaching a class. Imagine… If you’ve got a laptop you can learn absolutely anywhere you want (within reason!) And live 24×7 support is an online click away if you hit challenges. Classes and lessons can be repeated whenever you like – the more times you cover something – the more you’ll remember. And note-taking becomes a thing of the past – everything is done for you already. Although this can’t completely stop every single problem, it certainly removes stress and makes things simpler. You’ve also got less costs, travel and hassle.

There are colossal changes washing over technology over the next generation – and the industry becomes more ground-breaking every year. We’re at the dawn of beginning to get a handle on how all this will mould and change our lives. The way we interact with the world will be inordinately affected by computers and the internet.

A standard IT technician over this country as a whole is likely to get considerably more money than fellow workers in another industry. Mean average salaries are around the top of national league tables. Excitingly, there is not a hint of a downturn for IT industry expansion throughout this country. The industry is still growing hugely, and as we have a significant shortage of skilled professionals, it’s highly unlikely that things will be any different for years to come.

The forecasted temps are not the norm for this time of year. But I will take it!

It’s been raining all week and I’ve barely been able to ride.
An attempt was made Wed night but the rain started to fall too hard so I turned around and went home. I am a baby.
Good news, after [...]

The forecasted temps are not the norm for this time of year. But I will take it!

It’s been raining all week and I’ve barely been able to ride.
An attempt was made Wed night but the rain started to fall too hard so I turned around and went home. I am a baby.
Good news, after [...]

Today, many workplaces could not function efficiently were it not for support workers fixing networks and computers, while making recommendations to users each and every day. Because of the daunting complexities of technological advances, greater numbers of competent professionals are needed to look after the various different areas we’ve become dependent on.

Discovering job security in this economic down-turn is problematic. Companies can remove us from the workforce at a moment’s notice – whenever it suits. However, a sector experiencing fast growth, where there just aren’t enough staff to go round (because of a massive shortfall of commercially certified professionals), enables the possibility of true job security.

The computer industry skills-gap around the United Kingdom clocks in at over 26 percent, according to the most recent e-Skills study. That means for every 4 jobs that exist around IT, there are barely three qualified workers to fill that need. Accomplishing the appropriate commercial computing qualification is correspondingly a fast-track to achieve a life-long and enjoyable career. Quite simply, retraining in Information Technology during the next year or two is almost definitely the safest career choice you could ever make.

Making the right career option is hard enough – so which sectors are important to investigate and what are the questions we should be posing?

The market provides an excess of employment in the IT industry. Finding the particular one for you is generally problematic. As with no commercial skills in IT, in what way could we be expected to understand what someone in a particular job does? Achieving an informed answer really only appears via a thorough study of several shifting factors:

* Your personal interests and hobbies – often these define what possibilities will satisfy you.

* Are you looking to realise a specific objective – for example, becoming self-employed sometime soon?

* How highly do you rate salary – is an increase your main motivator, or does job satisfaction rate a lot higher on the scale of your priorities?

* Often, trainees don’t consider the amount of work required to gain all the necessary accreditation.

* You have to take in what is different for the myriad of training options.

To bypass the barrage of jargon, and reveal the best route for you, have an in-depth discussion with an advisor with years of experience; a person who understands the commercial reality whilst covering the certifications.

Full support is of the utmost importance – look for a package providing 24×7 full access, as not obtaining this level of support will severely impede your ability to learn. Avoid those companies which use ‘out-of-hours’ messaging systems – where an advisor will call back during office hours. It’s no use when you’re stuck on a problem and need help now.

The very best training providers incorporate three or four individual support centres across multiple time-zones. Online access provides the interactive interface to link them all seamlessly, any time of the day or night, there is always help at hand, with no hassle or contact issues. Don’t compromise where support is concerned. Most would-be IT professionals that fall by the wayside, just need the right support system.

Traditional teaching in classrooms, involving piles of reference textbooks, is an up-hill struggle for the majority of us. If this sounds like you, find training programs that are on-screen and interactive. Studies have repeatedly confirmed that an ‘involved’ approach to study, where we utilise all our senses, is far more likely to produce long-lasting memories.

Search for a course where you’re provided with an array of CD or DVD ROM’s – you’ll be learning from instructor videos and demo’s, and be able to hone your abilities through virtual lab’s. Any company that you’re considering must be pushed to demo some simple examples of their courseware. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and interactive areas to practice in.

Many companies provide just online versions of their training packages; and although this is okay the majority of the time, consider how you’ll deal with it if internet access is lost or you get slow speeds and down-time etc. It’s preferable to have physical CD or DVD discs which don’t suffer from these broadband issues.

We’re regularly asked to explain why traditional academic studies are now falling behind more qualifications from the commercial sector? With fees and living expenses for university students climbing ever higher, and the IT sector’s recognition that vendor-based training most often has much more commercial relevance, we have seen a large rise in Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA based training routes that supply key solutions to a student for considerably less. Higher education courses, for example, clog up the training with a great deal of loosely associated study – with a syllabus that’s far too wide. This holds a student back from getting enough specific knowledge about the core essentials.

Imagine if you were an employer – and you wanted someone who could provide a specific set of skills. What should you do: Wade your way through a mass of different academic qualifications from hopeful applicants, having to ask what each has covered and what workplace skills they’ve mastered, or pick out specific commercial accreditations that perfectly fit your needs, and then select who you want to interview from that. The interview is then more about the person and how they’ll fit in – rather than establishing whether they can do a specific task.

It’s not uncommon for companies to offer inclusive exam guarantees – inevitably that means paying for the exams before you’ve even made a start on the course. Before you get carried away with the chance of a guarantee, consider this:

Certainly it’s not free – you are paying for it – it’s just been wrapped up in the price of the package. The fact is that if students pay for each examination, one by one, there’s a much better chance they’ll qualify each time – because they’ll be conscious of their payment and therefore will put more effort into their preparation.

Hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take the exam, and hang on to your cash. You’ll then be able to select where you do the examinations – so you can find somewhere local. Big margins are netted by many training colleges that get money for exam fees in advance. For various reasons, many students don’t take their exams but the company keeps the money. Amazingly, there are companies around who actually bank on it – as that’s very profitable for them. Re-takes of previously unsuccessful exams through organisations who offer an ‘Exam Guarantee’ are tightly controlled. They will insist that you take pre-tests first until you’ve proven that you’re likely to pass.

Prometric and VUE exams are in the region of 112 pounds in the United Kingdom today. Students should be very wary of forking out hundreds of pounds extra in charges for ‘Exam Guarantees’ (often covertly rolled into the cost of the course) – when the best course materials, the right level of support and study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

Consider only retraining paths which lead to commercially recognised certifications. There are far too many trainers proposing minor ‘in-house’ certificates that are essentially useless when you start your job-search. Unless your qualification is issued by a major player like Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco, then you’ll probably find it won’t be commercially viable – because it won’t give an employer any directly-useable skills.

Our overseas PRO tipster, Chris  D’Amelio, racing for Cinelli gives us the inside scoop for Sunday’s classic – Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Well the early season classics are truly into full swing! The cobblestone battles produced some exciting racing and amazingly we saw the same names itched onto the trophies as in the previous editions of both Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders. Here in Belgium, the fans go a little crazy for their lycra-clad heroes and with the local ProTour outfit Quickstep taking out both victories, you can be assured there were a few extra Duvel’s going round late into the night. This week, it’s the more slender riders who get their turn as the riders fight it out for glory in the Ardenne classics. The most prestigious of these races is Liege-Bastogne-Liege, a race that in 1999 was taken out by fellow team mate Frank Vandenbroucke, when he stormed to glory up the final climb. It was on one of the early climbs however, where the race really took its form and acted as the launch pad for victory. Frank’s brutal attack here was all the more impressive, as he had said on television the day before that this was the exact place he would make his move. This climb is the mystical Côte de la Redoute.

Out of the town of Aywaille, the climb curves it way round and runs parallel to the highway. The local government had to make special modifications to highway as traffic jams were frequent occurrence from fans stopping on the road to watch the race come through. From here the road heads left and as the gradient increases. On the road the names of all the stars, past and current, are painted in the classic white…  Merckx, VDB, Valverde. But the rider who takes the cake for the most markings is by far Philippe Gilbert who lives in the area. For almost the entire length of the climb his name is inscribed in capital letters on the road. PHIL PHIL PHIL…

The official race stats unfortunately, do not do the climb justice. At a length of just 2.1km, it has an average gradient of a mere 8.4% although in its steepest sections it ramps up to just under 20% and coming at 226.5km into this gruelling race you can be sure that the riders will be feeling the burn as they head for the heavens. When out training on the climb, I usually find myself pedalling a gear in the vicinity of 39×23 whilst attempting to snap the gear lever into magically finding something easier. For the contenders however, a 42 tooth chain ring is a common upgrade to make sure they maximize their gears ratios. Rumour has it, when Frank attacked on the climb and successfully dropped race favourite Michele Bartoli, he was pedalling no lower than the 42×16 up the steepest sections of the climb.

The climb was once of even greater importance in the race, as it came in the last 15km before the run into Liege. In more recent years though an extra 15km has been added to the parcours meaning that it is now usually a bigger selection of riders that make it over the climb before the penultimate deciding move is made closer to the finish. That said, the climb is an extremely popular place for fans to flock to on the day of the race.

So who is going to when on Sunday? Although I’d love to see an Aussie up on the top of the podium, and namely Cadel Evans as he is our best chance, I think on the day he may just be outclassed. My tip is the Italian Damiano Cunego.

a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZjd9pBmLoU”Film taken by Thomas Edison around the year 1900–wait for the (nearly successful) full-pipe attempt at the end:/abr /br /object width=”425″ height=”344″param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/aZjd9pBmLoUamp;hl=enamp;fs=1″param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/aZjd9pBmLoUamp;hl=enamp;fs=1″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”425″ height=”344″/embed/objectdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’http://res1.blogblog.com/tracker/3875270-4450788297995842614?l=www.mobikefed.org%2Fcyclingtips.php’//div

Depression is a mental illness that is quite often characterized by lengthy periods of sadness and melancholy, say the experts from the field of psychiatry.

But just because someone mopes around and hates the world around him or her, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he/she is suffering from depression, but if this kind of behavior, the feeling of emptiness, loss of self-worth and absolute lack of hope for happiness goes on , then, that individual is probably, indeed, depressed. However, there are various kinds of depression too.

Manic or Bipolar depression is characterized by sudden and extreme changes in mood – one minute the person is euphoric while the next minute (day or week), the same person feels as if he or she is hell.

Postpartum depression – characterized by a prolonged sadness and a feeling of emptiness by a new mother where physical stress during child birth, an uncertain sense of responsibility towards the new born baby can be just some of the possible reasons why some new mothers go through this.

Dysthimia is characterized by a slight similarity with depression, although this type has been proven to be a lot less severe, however. as with any case of depression, it should be sorted out immediately.

Cyclothemia – characterized by a nominal similarity with Manic or Bipolar depression wherein the individual suffering from this mental illness suffers from severe mood swings.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is characterized by being depressed only during specific seasons (i.e. Winter, Spring, Summer or Autumn). However, studies prove that more people actually fall ill during the Winter and Autumn seasons. Or they could suffer from severe mood swings, wherein a person’s mood may shift from happy to sad to angry in quite a short period of time.

‘Clinical depression’ or as some call it, ‘major depression’, is the [correct|actual medical term for depression. In fact, clinical depression is more a disorder than an illness, since it refers only to those who are suffering from the symptoms that cause depression.

However, in spite of being a real disorder, clinical depression can be treated. Doctors are usually highly optimistic that patients suffering from clinical depression will soon be well on their way to good mental health as long as they are treated as soon as they have been diagnosed. Patients who have sought treatment for clinical depression have proven to be quite successful in their quest, given that 80 percent of those treated have found relief from their disorder.

If you are seeking answers to questions related to clinical depression, the depression section of the health center can be highly recommended, as well as books on psychiatry and the Internet, which offers a lot of useful information, although self treatment is very much frowned upon. Clinical depression may not pose as great of a threat as the other types of mental illness, but it is best to leave to the professionals who can safely attend to and cure this disorder.

For those hoping to start an MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) study program, it’s important to realise that courses vary hugely; some are easier than others. You will be able to choose from a number of options, whether you’re a beginner, or an IT professional hoping to gain acknowledged certifications. If you’re just getting started in the industry, it may well be necessary to have some coaching ahead of getting involved in the first of the four MCP’s (Microsoft Certified Professional exams) that are necessary to pass the MCSA. Find a training provider that can tailor your studying to help you – with knowledgeable staff who will guide you to guarantee that you’ve selected your options carefully.

Being a part of the information technology industry is amongst the most electrifying and revolutionary industries to be involved in today. To be working on the cutting-edge of technology is to do your bit in the gigantic changes shaping life over the next few decades. We’re at the dawn of beginning to comprehend how all this change will affect us. How we interrelate with the rest of the world will be inordinately affected by technology and the internet.

Should lifestyle be up there on your goal sheet, then you’ll appreciate the fact that the usual remuneration for the majority of IT staff is much higher than with most other jobs or industries. The good news is there is a lot more room for IT expansion in the UK. The market sector continues to grow hugely, and we don’t have anywhere near enough qualified skilled IT professionals to fill current job vacancies, so it’s most unlikely that this will change significantly for years to come.

Picking up on all this debate around IT right now, how is it possible to know what exactly to look for?

Looking at the myriad of choice out there, does it really shock us that a large majority of career changers don’t really understand the best career path they should even pursue. Working through long lists of different and confusing job titles is a complete waste of time. The vast majority of us don’t even know what our next-door neighbours do at work each day – so what chance do we have in understanding the complexities of a specific IT job. Consideration of many areas is vital when you want to reveal the right solution that will work for you:

* Your personality type as well as your interests – which work-oriented areas you love or hate.

* Are you driven to get certified due to a specific raison d’etre – for example, do you aim to work based from home (maybe self-employment?)?

* How important is salary to you – is it of prime importance, or is day-to-day enjoyment further up on your priority-list?

* With so many ways to train in Information Technology – there’s a need to gain some background information on what differentiates them.

* Having a proper look at the level of commitment, time and effort you’ll make available.

For the average person, considering all these ideas requires a good chat with someone who can investigate each area with you. Not only the qualifications – but the commercial needs and expectations of the market as well.

A lot of trainers only provide basic 9am till 6pm support (maybe a little earlier or later on certain days); It’s rare to find someone who offers late evening or full weekend cover. Be wary of any training providers that use messaging services ‘out-of-hours’ – where an advisor will call back during typical office hours. It’s not a lot of help when you’ve got study issues and need help now.

Keep your eyes open for study programmes that utilise many support facilities around the globe in several time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to provide a single interface as well as 24 hours-a-day access, when it’s convenient for you, with the minimum of hassle. Don’t accept second best where support is concerned. Many would-be IT professionals who throw in the towel, are in that situation because of a lack of support.

If you’re like many of the students we talk to then you’re quite practically minded – the ‘hands-on’ personality type. Typically, the trial of reading reference books and manuals is something you’ll make yourself do if you have to, but you’d hate it. Check out video-based multimedia instruction if you’d really rather not use books. Studies have repeatedly shown that an ‘involved’ approach to study, where we utilise all our senses, is far more likely to produce long-lasting memories.

Interactive audio-visual materials involving demonstration and virtual lab’s will forever turn you away from traditional book study. And they’re a lot more fun to do. It’s very important to see the type of training provided by each company you’re contemplating. Be sure that they contain instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab’s.

Purely on-line training should be avoided. Always choose CD or DVD based study materials where obtainable, so that you have access at all times – it’s not wise to be held hostage to a good broadband connection all the time.

One area often overlooked by those mulling over a new direction is that of ‘training segmentation’. This basically means the method used to break up the program for drop-shipping to you, which vastly changes what you end up with. Many companies enrol you into some sort of program spread over 1-3 years, and drop-ship the materials to you piecemeal as you complete each exam. On the surface this seems reasonable – until you consider the following: Often, the staged breakdown prescribed by the provider doesn’t suit you. It may be difficult to get through all the sections inside their defined time-scales?

In all honesty, the best option is to have a copy of their prescribed order of study, but get everything up-front. Meaning you’ve got it all should you not complete it inside of their required time-scales.

You should look for authorised exam simulation and preparation programs as part of your training package. Ensure that your practice exams are not only asking questions on the right subjects, but ask them in the same way that the proper exam will structure them. This completely unsettles students if the questions are phrased in unfamiliar formats. A way to build self-confidence is if you test how much you know by doing tests and mock ups of exams to get you ready for the real deal.

Getting into your first IT role is often made easier with the help of a Job Placement Assistance service. Having said that, occasionally there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, because it is actually not that hard for any motivated and trained individual to find a job in IT – because companies everywhere are seeking well trained people.

Whatever you do, don’t procrastinate and wait until you have qualified before getting your CV updated. The day you start training, mark down what you’re doing and place it on jobsites! It’s possible that you won’t have even passed your first exam when you’ll secure your initial junior support position; although this isn’t going to happen if your CV isn’t in front of employers. If it’s important to you to find work near your home, then it’s quite likely that a specialist independent regional recruitment consultant or service could work much better for you than a national service, as they’re far more likely to have insider knowledge of local employment needs.

A slight grievance for a number of training providers is how hard trainees are prepared to study to become certified, but how little effort that student will then put into getting the position they’re acquired skills for. Get out there and hustle – you might find it’s fun.

The voice of Australian cycling is back!  For those of you who don’t know, Matt Keenan was seriously injured in a freak accident while out riding a few weeks ago.  Thankfully Matt is doing well and he’s back at work already.  A broken neck isn’t gonna stop this champion.  Watch this clip for his account on his accident, as well as some great insight to other crashes of the week.

Not to kick at a dead horse, but if my last post didn’t settle the Theo Bos vs Daryl Impey incident, then Matt’s elegant and simple explanation of what he saw happen will.  It simply boils down to this (at about the 6 min mark on the video)

“I believe him, it wasn’t deliberate. Despite that, it was purely Theo Bos’ fault and he should be suspended for a minimum of 3 months.  He tried to come up the inside on Daryl Imepy to keep himself sheltered from the wind protected, because he didn’t have much team support from the Rabobank squad.  As Impey was just minding his own business the gate was starting to close on Theo Bos, he put the hand on the shoulder of Daryl Impey and brought him down. He should not be taking his hands off the bars in a sprint”

Theo, a pure sprinter, forgot rule #6.  He should know better not to box himself in.

Glad to see you back Matt and thanks for the commentary.

The voice of Australian cycling is back!  For those of you who don’t know, Matt Keenan was seriously injured in a freak accident while out riding a few weeks ago.  Thankfully Matt is doing well and he’s back at work already.  A broken neck isn’t gonna stop this champion.  Watch this clip for his account on his accident, as well as some great insight to other crashes of the week.

Not to kick at a dead horse, but if my last post didn’t settle the Theo Bos vs Daryl Impey incident, then Matt’s elegant and simple explanation of what he saw happen will.  It simply boils down to this (at about the 6 min mark on the video)

“I believe him, it wasn’t deliberate. Despite that, it was purely Theo Bos’ fault and he should be suspended for a minimum of 3 months.  He tried to come up the inside on Daryl Imepy to keep himself sheltered from the wind protected, because he didn’t have much team support from the Rabobank squad.  As Impey was just minding his own business the gate was starting to close on Theo Bos, he put the hand on the shoulder of Daryl Impey and brought him down. He should not be taking his hands off the bars in a sprint”

Theo, a pure sprinter, forgot rule #6.  He should know better not to box himself in.

Glad to see you back Matt and thanks for the commentary.