Frequently Asked Questions
Read this page if you’d like to know some of the finer details about the Network Professional Programme.
The NPP comes packed with a wide variety of long and short term benefits to your IT career. If you’d like to see the programme in person or try it out online, please send your CV to us using the form on the left of this page or contact us.
Whilst we would be delighted to answer your questions in person, over the phone or via email, here are some of the most popular questions that we get asked by our candidates:
- How does the ‘job (or you money back) guarantee’ work?
Unlike many training companies we will not take any money from you unless we are committed to getting you a great job in the IT industry. We back this up with a We back this up with a written document that guarantees you a job or your money back within three months of passing the certifications. We can do this because we will get to know your skills in depth before you join the programme and we have numerous relationships with employers and we know what type of employees they are looking for.
The terms of the Job Guarantee Agreement can be summarised as follows:
‘If the candidate fails to obtain an IT job offer of £18k-£25k per annum (current average is £18k) within 90 days of programme completion (120 days if the candidate undertakes a work placement) the supplier will give the candidate a rebate of £500 per month to a maximum of the total training fees. However as soon as an IT job of between £18-£25K is gained the repayments will cease. At this point a final payment by Just IT Training will be made, which will be pro rata for part months.’
- How practical are the courses?
The programmes focus on as much ‘hands on’ experience as possible. We are aware that this is what employers are looking for and what our delegates want. On average about 50% of the programme is applying the technical knowledge you learn to practical situations.
- How and where does the training take place?
We are in our own building ideally located for public transport and just 3 minutes walk from Liverpool Street Station, London. You will benefit from state of the art facilities, with flat screen PC’s, air conditioning and an ideal venue to learn from. The training runs from 9.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.
- How long does the programme last for?
Depending on what you want to learn the IT training can last between 9 weeks to 18 months. The majority of our candidates take part in the full programme of 5 modules and study the fast track route over 9 weeks. This is because they want to get into the IT industry or want to make a career change and they want to gain and develop skills in a range of areas as quickly as possible.
- Can I take just certain modules rather than the whole programme?
Yes. If you want to develop your skills in A+ or get qualified as a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) then Just IT Training is an ideal place to study. Contact us for specific pricing and dates of the courses.
- Do I receive any recognised professional certifications?
Yes. You will have certificates in some of the most sought after areas within the IT profession. These include CompTIA A+, Microsoft MCP XP Professional and Server 2003 and Cisco CCNA.
- Do you do MCSE courses?
- What support will I receive in getting interviews?
As well as receiving excellent technical training with us you will also develop your ‘soft skills’. We know that some of the pitfalls in getting the best job is having a good CV, having training in interview skills and have the confidence to present well. We therefore support and train you in all these areas. We will then contact employers on your behalf for jobs that suit you, so by the end of the programme you will have a positive mental attitude and skills to get the best job you can.
- What salary can I expect working in IT?
Most delegates get between £18-25K when they first start, with the average being £18.5k. So far the greatest starting salary we have placed anyone into with no IT experience is £26K in year one and £40K is year 2 – but this is exceptional. However most people should expect to be earning around £25K within 2 years of the joining the industry if they do the Network Professional Programme.
Within a few years, salaries in the IT profession can be as high as £50-100K depending on the specific job you are doing. Just check out the many job sites.
- How often do the courses start?
They start every 4 weeks, but they get booked up quickly. So contact us to find out when the next one commences.
- Can anyone do your courses?
Yes, subject to certain criteria. We want the people who study with us to have a genuine and burning desire to work within the IT profession. Employers look for people who have shown commitment to the profession and by taking part in a programme with Just IT Training this is clear - you have invested your time and money in furthering your career within the industry.
We would have a one-to-one informal meeting with you to enable us to assess how you would cope with the level of information on the programme. Don’t worry, we would tell you before the programme if we felt you would have problems keeping up with the rest of the group.
What we are looking for is that you have a burning desire to work in IT. So, if you have shown through a hobby, through studying or through your employment that you want to work in IT then we want to meet you.
- What is the small print? I want to know more about the Terms and Conditions
These can be found by clicking here. We have tried to write them in plain English so they are easy to understand!
- How can Just IT guarantee a job in the current economic climate?
Very simply, we can’t! In fact in any market you should be very sceptical of companies that suggest they can offer you a job guarantee. The only people who can promise you a job are employers. We do offer a guarantee and if you click here you will see it is a money back job guarantee.
The full story is in the terms and conditions, which are downloadable and simple to understand. To find out more click here http://www.justit.co.uk/wp-content/u…bguarantee.pdf. One important thing to notice is that people have to be able to pass the exams, which is not easy if you are not inclined that way. About 60% of the candidates we train are graduates who have a reasonable chance of passing the CCNA, but it’s not easy.
The reality is that the vast majority of people get into IT before they have passed the CCNA and come back to train on this network qualification when they have a reasonable level of experience in the IT market. So the lesson to learn here is: don’t rely on the money back job guarantee unless you are confident with the exams side – it’s all on the website.
Typical jobs for people entering the IT profession are ‘First Line Technical Support’ ‘Helpdesk Analyst’ and ‘Desktop Support’.
If people feel concerned that they are not going to get a job after the programme they should take the pay as you earn option, which means that the full cost of programme is not paid until after employment is gained. See http://www.justit.co.uk/it_training/funding for more information.
So, the fact is that we don’t take people on our programme who we don’t think will benefit from the course. In the vast majority of cases, we help to get our candidates their first IT job.
- Some people have been let down by training providers – how do I know that Just IT will not let me down?
Knowing who is a good / bad personal training company is a nightmare. In the past there have been companies who have taken advantage of people and let them down with promises that are not delivered on. There are some steps you can take in order to feel reassured before you invest your time and money in a company:
- Look for companies that focus on getting you to the stage where you have all the skills to get a job - certifications, soft skills and commercial experience if you need it.
- Understand what you are paying for – Make sure that you know what you are getting for your money. Are you simply buying training? Does the cost cover the exams? Will you get additional career support?
- Decide what solution will suit you – Are you looking for self-study, classroom based or online training? Once you know what you prefer, this will help you to make a choice
- Visit the company at least once
- Meet the owner(s) / director(s) of the company
- Ask for the chance to try before you buy
- Look at the small print
- Talk to candidates on the courses
- Look at the financial stability of the company
- Look on the internet for positive / negative feedback
- Don’t rush into anything
- Look for guarantees that can be backed up
- Look for pay as you earn options
We are aware that Just IT is not perfect! Nevertheless, since 2001 over 2000 people have come to know about the strengths of Just IT and the amount of people who are really unhappy with the service that we supplied to them is extremely low.
The case studies that are available are a great way of following up with real people who have done the course and get opinions from candidates and not just the employees of Just IT.
Another idea is to speak to the employers that may be working with the training company. At Just IT this will give you the reassurance that you need to feel that we will look after your needs and allow you to reach your potential in your IT career.
For more information how why Just IT is a credible company to support you click here
- Can I be guaranteed a place on programme with the pay as you earn or sponsorship packages?
When people visit us the first time it’s all about us getting to know you and vice versa. If we
feel you are a person who will benefit from the programme and if you are happy with the course then we invite you back for a second meeting, which is a more formal interview. At this stage you need to make choices about how you will fund the course - we will be clear about what options are available to you depending on how you have performed at the interview.If you are a typical candidate for us then you can take part in the pay as you earn programme where you pay a percentage of the course fees at the start and then the rest when you get a job in IT. It’s always a good idea to pay as much as you can afford at the start as it’s cheaper for you this way.
If we feel that you will not benefit from the course then we will be honest with you. Some candidates will not be offered the chance to do the programme at all. Some candidates may be offered a place but without the pay as you earn option.
If you are an especially strong candidate and there are places available on the programme then we may offer a scholarship/sponsorship option. This means that all of the training fees are paid when you get a job in IT, the only cost that you would pay at the start is the exam fees (approximately £500 in total). See http://www.justit.co.uk/it_training/funding. This refreshing option is not what many people would expect from a private training company and we are proud of it.
All of these pay as you earn and sponsorship options are subject to space being available on the course. The candidates who pay the most at the start will get the first places on the courses. Since courses can be full up, this is something that may mean you have to wait for 4 weeks until the next course. We always suggest people contact us as soon as possible if they are keen to progress their career forward into an IT job so that we can line up a space on a course quickly.
- Can I speak to someone who has done the programme at Just IT?
Absolutely, we would always encourage you to do this before committing to the course. When people visit us we let them sit in on the training for as long as they want to and talk to the candidates who are doing the programme.
You may also want to speak to some of the past candidates with a background similar to your own. This will all help to give you the information you need to make a decision on how to progress into an IT career with Just IT.
We ask many of our candidates to go to a website called “The Review Centre” to comment on the course when they get a job. We are proud of this feedback, which means a lot to all of the people who work at Just IT. To find out more about their comments click here. If you would like to speak to any of them then just contact us.
The same goes for access to our clients – we have many satisfied employers who have taken on Just IT candidates and we are happy for you to speak to them too.
- What are the differences between self study and using a company like Just IT to help you to get a job?
Self study can be a great way to gain certifications in the IT industry, but it does not suit everyone. You really need to look at your own personal situation and make a choice. But here are a few of the benefits and challenges of instructor-led training and self study:
Positives of instructor led training:
- Many people feel it is more motivating than self study
- There is an instructor available to support you and help with any areas of difficulty
- You can share knowledge and learn from others in the class
Challenges of instructor led training:
- You have to travel to the training venue
- It Is often more expensive than self study
- You have to make sure that you are available at the times the class is running
Positives of self study:
- Can be more flexible to suit people who are working
- Allows you to study at your own pace
- Can be less expensive
Challenges of self study
- Many people find it difficult to focus due to distractions
- You don’t get the benefit of interacting with others
- It can take longer to pass exams because of less encouragement and less access to specialist help
At Just IT we pride ourselves on decreasing the time it takes for people gain employment. We do this by providing candidates with relevant certifications, great career support and a work placement, leading to employment whenever possible. Self study can be good for some people, but for many it can be demotivating which results in it taking longer to gain a job. Since time is money this can be an expensive process for some people.
- When is it the right time to invest your time and money in a programme at Just IT?
We always suggest that candidates should try to get a job in IT by themselves before they invest in the programmes at Just IT. Depending on a person’s background it may be that the best advice we can give them is to simply keep on applying because a job is just around the corner. We know the market for IT support jobs very well and can soon see if the person has the right profile, experience and communication skills to get an IT job without our support. But if someone is struggling we encourage them to look at the training, career support and work placement programme. We are well aware that people get very frustrated sitting at home, and having a partner like Just IT behind them could be just the answer they were looking for. Keep in mind that the average salary that for a junior IT support job in London is £18,000; missing out on this by not having the right skills to get a job will cost an individual £1500 per month. We have come across many people who have spent more than 6 months looking for a way into the IT market before coming to Just IT for help. This is a potential loss of £9,000 before tax!
- How do you work out if the Just IT programme is good value for money?
Judging the value of a training course is difficult. It’s best to look at some of the reviews that people have put on the web to see how they feel their investment had paid off.
Working out if the course is going to represent good value for you involves meeting with the consultants and working out if you are going to get a job in IT without the programme and if so how long will this take. We would not suggest that a person who was getting 2 or more IT interviews per month would do the programme as it is likely that they already have the skills that employers are looking for. Equally if people are not getting at least 1 interview a month we would suggest they consider the programme straight away.
The Just IT programme is a fast track approach to getting a job in IT and we help people enter the market as quickly as possible. We do this because every month a candidate is not working is going to be costing them money. Typically people’s first IT job pays around £18.5K in London and so for every month they are not working they are missing out on £1500 of income. It’s not difficult to see that within a short time many candidates would be better off developing their technical skills and their experience in IT through a programme at Just IT rather than working in part time retail role or administration role and being underpaid for a job that may be frustrating them.
It’s also clear that as well as helping people get a job in IT, the technical skills, certifications and career support allows them to progress quicker in their career. Many of the candidates we train are able to gain salaries over £30K within 3-4 years. Also keep in mind that the average salary for IT people is around £38K, so it’s not difficult to see that the investment in a Just IT programme is a good one for many people – but not all. The only real way to find out if the programme is likely to be a good investment is to visit us and talk to the recruitment and training consultants.
- How do I get the right level of certifications – I don’t want to be over or under qualified?
At Just IT we know that it is vital to balance the certifications you hold with your profile and experience, and to tailor this balance to the market. If you take the wrong qualifications or take them too early, employers will see you as ‘paper qualified’ so you need to get it right. We know this, since we have placed so many people into IT support jobs since 2001.
Typically the Network Professional Programme takes people through certifications in A+1/A+1/XP Professional. At this point the work placement tends to take place over 4-8 weeks, running alongside the career support section of the programme.
The work experience, directly or through gained skills, usually leads to employment in an IT support job (typically £17-20K starting in London). The Server 2003 certification is studied before the work placement, but usually candidates sit the exam after they have secured employment and have experience.
Candidates are then encouraged to come back and do the CCNA within 18 months and when they have a relevant level of commercial experience.
We know that the CCNA qualification is a challenging one, but a lot of people are passionate about the networking side of the IT industry. We also work with a lot of graduates who are really keen on CCNA. We do state again and again that this is not a certification that they should focus on until they have experience.
We don’t sell the MCSE to entry level people (see http://www.justit.co.uk/it_training/mcse). It is better to study for this when you have more than two years’ experience in the industry and have the hands on knowledge to benefit from the training.
- How many people get a job in IT after the programme?
The vast majority of people that we train get a job in IT within 3-6 months from starting the programme. But there are around 10% of people who do not succeed in getting a job within a year and for us we judge this as unsuccessful, even though some people do then go on to get a job in IT at a later date. The actual speed that people get a job depends on their approach to learning and communicating and their back ground. We will not take everyone on the programme that comes to us, because for some people the Just IT programme is not right for them. So come and meet with us and if we can’t help you ourselves, we will give you advice about how to progress your career.
- How has Just IT evolved as a company?
The main way that companies grow is by listening to feedback and learning from their mistakes. Even though we do a really good job after all the experience at placing people into IT jobs, at Just IT we are always looking for feedback from candidates, our clients and our staff to allow us to further improve the level of service we give and help people get the most out of their career in IT.
Every week we get feedback online from the people who are studying on our programmes and we also have a ‘Customer Commitment Charter’ that encourages people to communicate with us in a structured manner when things don’t go well. Even after 10 years of helping over 2000 people get jobs in IT we still have things to learn! If you click here you will be able to down load the document. It shows that if your problem is not resolved efficiently and quickly then there is the chance to get Simon Perriton, the owner and Managing Director of Just IT, involved. We are proud of our high level of customer satisfaction and this commitment to listening to feedback means we will continue to improve everything we do in the years ahead.
- Simon Perriton is the owner of Just IT Training and Just IT Recruitment. What is his background?
Having graduated from Southampton University, Simon worked for BT and then in the pharmaceutical industry where he held roles in sales and marketing. At 30, he started an IT recycling company which grew to employ over 100 people. He then worked in an international graduate recruitment company before setting up Just IT Training in 2001. Just IT now has a sister company, Just IT Recruitment, and between the two companies Just IT employs over 25 people and has a turnover of £3M.
Simon was a founder member of the Institute of IT Training personal funded initiative.
Simon’s interests lie around helping people to reach their potential and he is passionate about inspiring people to be successful, whether candidates, his staff or himself.
- Does Just IT have sales representatives?
Just IT promotes its services by inviting candidates to send us their CV’s and talking initially on the phone about what interests them in IT. If we think the candidate has the communication skills, focus and background to potentially benefit from the programmes then we invite them in to meet with us. This is organised by representatives that we call Training Consultants. These people are overseen by the Managing Director, Simon Perriton, to make sure they give the right information and represent our services accurately. All candidates who are interested in taking part in the programme visit us at least twice. On the second visit they have a formal interview with a member of the Career Support Team who makes sure that the candidate is suitable for the programme, that they understand the detail behind the course and that they know what kind IT job they are moving towards.
- If you do the pay as you earn programme do you get a different course?
Candidates who are looking for a job in IT can take advantage of the pay as you earn programme which means they pay less for the course up front and pay the rest of the fees when they get a job. Click here for full information.
This is reassuring for some people. No job = no further payments. But the actual course is the same as the course where you pay the full fees up front. Even though you may have paid less up front, you get exactly the same service as people who have paid the full fees. It’s only the payment plan is different.
It is worth noting that the more you pay up front the less you pay when you get an IT job.
- I’ve seen jobs on different websites from Just IT Recruitment – are these real jobs?
Yes, they are! The annual turnover for Just IT Recruitment is £1.45M, raised from the placement of candidates we train and others that come from the general market. We place candidates into IT jobs from £18-80K and supply candidates with a range of skills that our employers look for from 1st Line Support skills to IT Directors.
The recruitment company uses job boards like the itjobboard, Reed, Jobserve, Monster and CWJobs to attract candidates. For junior IT support jobs we sometimes we can’t fill a job from the candidates we are training so we go to these web sites. The result is that some people who do not have the relevant certifications, soft skills or commercial experience apply for the jobs. Just IT Training will then call up the candidate and offer advice to them. If they are coming across barriers to getting into the IT industry that we think we can help them to overcome, we invite them to meet with us and provide them with advice. If they like what they see then they come back for a formal interview with the potential to get a place on the programme, with the overall aim of securing a role in IT.
- What types of people enrol on the programmes at Just IT?
All sorts of people, but with a few things in common: they are team players with a passion for IT, the ability to learn and good communication skills. We typically train people aged between 21 and 30. With that said, the oldest person who has trained into a job in IT support through the programme is 52 and the youngest is 18! We screen your CV, we screen you on the phone and then we screen you at two interviews before you invest your time and money in the programme. This is how we can feel sure that we have done everything we can to make sure you are someone who can reach your potential and get the job in IT that you want.
- Just IT offers a combination of training and recruitment services – is this a good thing?
Just IT Recruitment and Just IT Training are two separate companies. They operate from the same premises and have the same shareholder but they deliver two different services. They key point about the relationship is that Just IT Recruitment is ideally placed to secure jobs for the candidates that undertake the training with Just IT Training.
We believe that this gives a unique combination and one that really gives candidates advantages over other training companies they could choose. If people want to train for the sake of certifications alone then they can study at Just IT (in which case the cost of the programme will be lower) but the vast majority of people choose Just IT because they want to get a job and they can see how we will help them to achieve this.
In 2001 when the company was first set up we did not want to take people’s money for training fees unless it would help them to get a job. After 2 years of trading and because of the success of Just IT Recruitment we decided to introduce a ‘money back job guarantee’. This commitment ensures that we work to the highest standards, which benefits our candidates and Just IT as a company.
Some people tell us that they “shouldn’t have to pay to get a job”. This is true, but at the same time our candidates recognise that they may not have left university, school or their previous job with the skills required to secure employment. In this market, with the level of competition out there for jobs and with a lack of government support, it is clear that Just IT plays a valuable role in helping to get IT careers started.
- How can I tell if I will find the exams easy or difficult?
We take some people on the programme who blast through the certifications and others who find them more challenging. The important thing is they get a job in IT and reach their potential. We don’t just focus on certifications we focus on the whole profile of the person. This means analysing things like confidence, CV, communication skills, dress sense, body language and commercial experience and working to improve these skills.
We try to get people into the IT industry as quickly as possible because time is money. The typical salary people get in London as an entry level candidate is around £18.5K, although we have one employer who pays £26K for a 12 month fixed contract - very unusual but great! If we assume that the £18K job is worth £1500 per month to an individual on the course, then every month they are studying (assuming they are not working) is costing them £1500 so we understand that if we can get them into the market quickly everybody is happy.
If people are suitable in terms of their learning style and academic background, then they typically do the full time intensive option over 3-5 months. If they are challenged with the learning the can ‘jump’ from one course to another (the courses run every 4 weeks) to allow extra time for home study. Equally some people need an extended work placement or even two to make the required improvement in soft skills. The course is as flexible as the candidates need it to be. The important thing is they fulfil their potential as quickly as possible.
There is also a home learning solution, http://www.justit.co.uk/it_training/online-it-courses, that runs across the country for people who are working or cannot study in London. This can allow people to study in an even more flexible way, whilst being supported by the Career Support Team and the Recruitment business through WebEx sessions and trips to London. Candidates on this solution still need to come into London for work placements. We are working to set up more relationships in larger cities so if anyone knows companies that are interested in offering work placements for 4-8 weeks I would love to hear about them.
- How many people pass the exams?
On the instructor led side, 90% of our candidates pass at least one of the certifications and 70-80% pass two within 5 weeks of starting the programme.
- Is there any government funding for the programmes?
Unfortunately at the moment there is not government funding available for the programmes. However, we provide several options for funding to help candidates manage the cost including pay as you earn and sponsorship packages.
- How will Just IT Recruitment support me?
Just IT Recruitment has just re-launched a new web site so please go and check it out. It will give you an idea of the calibre of company who will help to support you into your career in IT!
- What happens if you contact us and we don’t think that the IT industry or the programme at Just IT is for you?
We will be honest with you. At Just IT Training we take time to get to know you as an individual through the two-stage interview process. If after this we feel that IT may not be the right career for you then we will tell you and explain why. If you would still like to pursue a career in IT then we will give you frank advice. We will not sell training courses to people who we feel will not progress to a career in IT; this doesn’t help the candidate and it damages our reputation in the market so we avoid it at all costs.
- How can I find out more?
Arrange to meet with us and discuss your career aspirations and find out what Just IT Training can do for you. This is an opportunity to talk about the programme content and specifically what skills you will have after completing the course. A senior trainer would be available so you can be assured of leaving with a full understanding of the technical
aspects of the programme.You will leave with a full understanding about how Just IT could help you gain a well-paid job in the IT profession. To organise a meeting please contact us by filling out the form on this page or calling 020 7426 9835.
