| WildBill 2001-08-30, 8:16 am |
| Tips to becoming a Tech
This is a post on where I went to school, the problems I encountered, and some tips that my help some prospective techs looking to enter this field.
The Academy Of Learning (Canada-US) is where I went to become a computer tech (A+). The school only had one teacher out of five that could answer my questions to any degree. She very smart, but had no hands on experience in the field, in fact she had completed the SAME course I was taking only a few months in advance of ME!!!!
Having already paid for the course MYSELF out of my own pocket (no student loan) I continued to work toward my diploma, but was dismayed to find out that by the time I finished my course the old exams would be toast!
To offset this lack of hands on/knowledgeable training I fixed any of my friend’s computer who would let me, and started to volunteer at a local computer access center. The volunteering turned out to a great experience for me as the in house tech guy showed me the in and outs of computers ranging from 486's to PII's, and AMD 6K2's.
In the end everything worked out good for me, but the road could have been a lot smoother. If the information is helpful to anyone please feel free to email at b_roberts57 @hotmail.com and I will be glad to talk with you.
If you are going to go to a tech school here are a few tips for things a good school should be offering:
1. LOTS of hands on experience (at least 50%) this will be the work you will hopefully be doing for a career, if the school isn’t offering at least at 40% hands on ratio you don’t want to go there.
2. If looking to become A+ certified the school should give you, or let you build a computer as part of the course. These courses can be expensive so the cost of a computer isn’t really that much as you will find out.
3. The cost of the certifications included in the price (Comptai exams look quite expensive to most students on a fixed budget)
4. A work experience program at least 6-8 weeks long, or a six month paid work term would be the best
NO EXPERIENCE = NO WORK so try to get some.
5. Even with the new A+ Exams you should still be taught DOS 6.22 at the school (Windows 95, and 98 SE are still the most commonly used operating systems you will likely encounter, and when you work on them you have to know DOS inside and out)
6. Software training on MS OFFICE at the basic levels and preferably at a higher level (when you are finished school you will be asked to do a basic level software tests, even though it’s a tech job, so be prepared)
7. Windows Millennium should be covered in detail as it is on the exams for the A+.
8. Linux training would be nice too, as it is becoming more popular everyday.
9. Networking should be covered, and in a hands on environment (Networking is a tricky subject at times, and you really have to do it to appreciate the problems involved) so don’t over look it in finding a school.
10. Here in Canada we have a student protection fee (IF the school you attend goes bankrupt you will receive your money back) and the State side schools have similar programs in effect. If such a refund policy is not in effect find out way, because it should be.
11. Laptops should be covered in the course, as well as palm pilots. (NOT NESSARY BUT A GREAT BONOUS.
12. Besides your school manual see if you can get a A+ training guide like the All In One from Mike Myers (NO,not the actor) as part of the package. If they say that THERE manuals are the only thing you will need to become certified I would take a closer look at the school. The more resources you have to study with the better off you will be.
13. The school should let you access the internet (this is a good feature if you don’t have it at home) as it really will become one of your greatest resources when troubleshooting. See if this will be a feature at the school you hope to attend.
14. Last but not least ask plenty of questions. If the person you are talking feels uncomfortable answering any of the questions above, ask yourself why because they shouldn’t.
Well Good Luck-WildBill |