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Home > Archive > Certifications and IT jobs/Salaries > April 2001 > Spend lots of money on It training???
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Spend lots of money on It training???
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| Grandaddy 2001-04-23, 7:07 pm |
| What do you pro's think? Is it wise to spend a lot of money on IT training when it is possible to learn at home (self study programs)? I know there are some pretty good self paced programs out there, is it better to get the education/experience from a "center/institute". Thank you all,
G-dad | |
| Nicole 2001-04-23, 7:30 pm |
| A lot depends on how you learn, and how good the school is at your particular subject. Home study works for me, but some folks just can't make themselves sit down every day and study -- and some days it's hard to work 9 or 10 hours and then STILL have to cook myself dinner and study. And having a teacher to ask would be nice sometimes, too.
I've seen some great classes at community colleges that can be had for a song, especially programming classes.
IT training isn't cheap, but it also doesn't have to break the bank. Some of those IT schools are just in it for your money, and give the others a bad name. If one does decide to fork out the big $$$, they should proceed carefully. | |
| Grandaddy 2001-04-23, 8:32 pm |
| I guess I am also asking, is it possible to do a self pace study and succeed in getting a good job, granted that you recieve your certs? | |
| SasiSan 2001-04-24, 9:29 am |
| I agree with Nicole in that it depends on how you learn. It also depends on your current knowledge. I can learn most things on my own because I know where to start and have a lot to compare it too. When a completely new technology or product comes along I love sitting in a class for a couple days just to get me started, then I can add to the knowledge on my own. There is nothing better than having someone explain things to me and answering my questions.
The other problem of course is that after working all day, I am more likely to listen at that night course then I am to go home and crack the books on my own for three hours. So even though it is harder to put in all those hours, unless you are really self-motivated it might 'force' you to stay on pace and involved.
Bottom Line: I like classes and workshops as intro's to new topics, even if I use the time to sit in the back of the room and familiarize myself with the product (rather than sitting at home posting messages here  -- which is what I am doing right now rather than picking up a book)...
Nothing can guarentee you a job. Not a training center or all the certifications in the world. You need to be creative about getting experience (volunteer somewhere, help others, whatever...) | |
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| YEs, Depend of the return benefit and knowledge. Also base on your IT background, too.
If spend that much, why not go for the B.S, M.S or MBA! | |
| darthw 2001-04-25, 7:25 pm |
| As stated, a lot depends on what type of learning works for you. I have achieved many of my certs based on work experience and home study, but I spend a lot of time reading and taking practice exams at night, but I enjoy this type of learning process. Some of the more advanced certs will likely take some class time, particularly those technologies that I don't get much exposure to at work, however there are less expensive classes at the public colleges and tech schools here than the one-week boot camps. The colleges and vo-tech courses are good, however the drawbacks are you have to go a night or two a week for several weeks instead of for a single straight week.
I have a couple good "boot camp" type courses, but they didn't seem to make the cert tons easier to acquire. I still have to put in the study time. So, I definitely wouldn't go deep in debt to acquire a cert.
The certs, or college in general, seems best to familiarize a student with the potential uses of a software and IT theories. In most cases neither make you an expert, rather experience in the field makes you an expert. | |
| slapyomoma 2001-04-27, 1:21 pm |
| I personally think that training at home is fine. I tried the at school thing and unlike hooked on phonics, it didn't work for me. The guy was clueless of modern technology and didn't know much. I left the class and learned on my own and I saw him shortly after I received cert and he asked me if I could teach his class.
go figure.
from now on, i'll take my money and buy the software and learning materials. You'll come out cheaper with more knowledge.
sym | |
| RFBrown 2001-04-30, 7:00 am |
| You could take some of the money that you save by doing self-study to set up a small home network. However to get your hands on different types of server software could really add up.
At the school I attended, I got to configure networks using both NT4 and Win2K, as well as installing and configuring Exchange Server 5.5 and Exchange Server 2000. I cannot imagine trying to buy on my own all the Workstation and Server software that we used in the classroom. | |
| Nicole 2001-04-30, 10:03 am |
| Evaluation copies are available for most Microsoft server-based products, either by ordering from MS and paying shipping charges, or included with training books. They are usually good for 90 or 120 days. | |
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| I see the OS exam is updated. I was just wondering if the core exam is updated too. |
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