Leo is the Training Manager at Just It and these are his top tips if you are looking to fast track your IT career
1) Stay at the forefront of the technology
Here at Just IT we are using cutting edge technologies such as Virtualisation from Sun Microsystem, VMware or the latest open source application such as Linux. This will come on top of the regular NPP course that we teach. Nowadays virtualisation is becoming one of the fastest growing applications that allow multiple operating systems to run on one physical computer which means less electricity and ease of administration. Thanks to virtualisation, students can now practice on any operating system at home and boost their knowledge in no time!
2) Get hands on skills – have a IT lab at home
At Just IT we don’t just train students on the theoretical sides to IT – we encourage them to apply their technical knowledge in a hands-on way through the IT Lab! This allows student to have a dedicated area where they can spend some quality time practising what they have learnt in order to sharpen their technical skills and knowledge. The motto in the industry is “break it and fix it” - this is the best way to learn! The IT lab doesn’t need to be a NASA type lab - a PC or laptop with loads of RAM and 2 LCD screens will be more than enough to start you of.
3) Show your passion!
Passion is the key element to anyone wanting to break into the IT market. IT is rapidly evolving which means that you need to always be up to date with all the new technologies that come onto the market - the cloud and virtualisation are hot topics at the moment! Make sure you spend time reading IT magazines and practising at home especially if you do not have any commercial IT experience as this will help you demonstrate to potential employers your enthusiasm for IT.
4) Building a good PC for less than you think!
If you have successfully put up a shelf then building a PC is even easier! With the knowledge and confidence that the will gain through the training programme you will find this exercise priceless! The NPP programme will give you the skills and knowledge in order to build your own PC, which will last for years, for less than £300! The programme also helps the student to identify what CPU, motherboard, RAM or hard disk to buy!
