BTEC National 3 ICT to what?

[Furyus]

There's loads of downloads for IT courses! A+ N+ MCSA CCNA ect

I know it's a lot easier to be in the role before starting the studding but my M8 did the CCNA course, which he downloaded all the material, and then studied and went and sat the exams! he's now smilling with a 45k job!

 

[SkidMarkKing]

There's loads of downloads for IT courses! A+ N+ MCSA CCNA ect

I know it's a lot easier to be in the role before starting the studding but my M8 did the CCNA course, which he downloaded all the material, and then studied and went and sat the exams! he's now smilling with a 45k job!

Can you get mock CCNA exams on the internet?

Does it cost a lot to sit the exam?

 

[d_brennen]

Can you get mock CCNA exams on the internet?

Does it cost a lot to sit the exam?

Just over £100 for each one, or around £200 for the single test. Doing the single is daft unless you really know your stuff or are in a huge rush (and know your stuff).

 

[Biz.Kid09]

I did the BTEC Extended Diploma Level 3 and got D*D*D* and I am now at uni doing Comp Science.

 

[Craig321]

Hello.

Just interested to see what people are doing who completed the BTEC National level 3 course in IT.

I had a big shock when I came out of college and was told I can't do apprenticeships due to my level from college.

I finally managed to get some shop work repairing computers but obviously this isn't my life time goal as it is just minimum wage pretty much.

I don't fancy spending loads and going to Uni but I would like to get into networking. The problem with the level 3 IT course was that we only covered a little bit from a lot of areas of IT. EG, Hardware, Web Design, Animation etc. I do not have the knowledge to apply for a 30k a year networking job. (yet)

So where did you go from completing the BTEC National Level 3 course in ICT?

Hope you don't mind me asking, cheers.

Got DDD in this course 4 years ago now (IT Practitioners + Cisco CCNA) and went straight into a full time IT support job which paid fairly well considering my age. After 3 years I went travelling for 6 months. Now I'm back and am about to go back to the same company for a really decent wage in a half tech support half development/programming role which should gradually move towards full time development once I've got some experience and been on a course.

I've been very lucky, the company actually contacted the college asking for students they think would be suitable.

I also got accepted onto a computer science course but at the time decided to work. I have no GCSEs or a-levels so if you have those then you have way more options than I did.

If you really want IT as your career then I'd say go for computer science at uni. Don't worry about the money, the loans are easy to pay off.

It sounds like you just need to build up experience for a few years, you could try get lucky and find a company that's willing to invest in you (e.g. send you on a networking course), or just go to uni and hope you can find a decently paid job when you're done. Either way you need work experience to get a salary in the 30k area.

If you build up your experience, even just in 1st/2nd line support then it'll be easier to find a company that will invest in you and get you into what you really want to do.

 

[oli356]

Watched 3 hours of networking videos, lol. Eli the computer guy or something like that his username was. I understand a lot more (than what I did but obviously a long way to go). SNMP is now understud so thats a starting point, right? lol

I guess its a start, but you need to determine what you want to know about networking. Like today I've been studying BGP as part of my CCNP, start with IP addresses and what routers and switches do, fundamentals of networking

 

[SkidMarkKing]

I guess its a start, but you need to determine what you want to know about networking. Like today I've been studying BGP as part of my CCNP, start with IP addresses and what routers and switches do, fundamentals of networking

Covered the last bit of that dude.

I need to just get looking for networking jobs I think first as the best way to learn is on the job I feel. I do am gathering basic stuff from youtube.

Anyone know of any good sites offering IT related apprenticeships/training schemes?

 

[Furyus]

If you want a basic knowledge of Networking then I would consider going for the N+ then move onto Cisco courses.

If your knew to the Networking field then Cisco would be abit of a huge jump!
but I would download stuff like CTNUGGETS or professor messor is a good one!

Good luck in what ever you do though

 

[Casdawer]

One course to look at doing on the side is ITIL.

You can learn it from the comfort of your own home (loads of books / sites around) and the exam is about £100.

It's a fairly easy course to complete and a lot of employers do like to see ITIL v3 on CVs.

 

[grudas]

Covered the last bit of that dude.

I need to just get looking for networking jobs I think first as the best way to learn is on the job I feel. I do am gathering basic stuff from youtube.

Anyone know of any good sites offering IT related apprenticeships/training schemes?

http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/

only site you need..

good luck..

 

[d_brennen]

One course to look at doing on the side is ITIL.

You can learn it from the comfort of your own home (loads of books / sites around) and the exam is about £100.

It's a fairly easy course to complete and a lot of employers do like to see ITIL v3 on CVs.

It's good for the CV indeed. Stock up on the coffee before even opening a text on the subject, mind ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[jimjamuk]

Your best bet is to get some good all round It experience first with networking, 1st line, windows (inc server) and then look to specialise in something. Smaller companies like the all round guys as they dont need to employ many people to do a bit of everything. In bigger companies the deployments in desktop/networks/server are much bigger and people can specialise in an area and then the money does increase.

If you want to do networks then its a CCNA to be considered for most network specific roles. Buy the CCNA Cert Guide from amazon and read it at least 3 times to begin with then make sure you have each section down with some sims and test questions then go and pass it

 

[d_brennen]

Worth noting that Cisco certs are only "valid" for 3 years from passing. If you take and pass the next tier paper up (I.E. CCNA > CCNP), that automatically renews your CCNA. Not such a biggie if you wind up trading on your Cisco experties and an incentive to progress

 

[jimjamuk]

Yes it ties you into doing them for a few years at least - but if its networking you want to do then its a set of exams you do need to follow. Theres so much more choice now in the Cisco tracks than when I started

All mine expired now - dont know if I want to start it all again just so I can do some of the NP level specialisations

 

[tidusjar]

I went from the same course to 3rd line support then learnt and move up from there.

 

[Furyus]

Worth noting that Cisco certs are only "valid" for 3 years from passing. If you take and pass the next tier paper up (I.E. CCNA > CCNP), that automatically renews your CCNA. Not such a biggie if you wind up trading on your Cisco experties and an incentive to progress

Yes this is true, however you will not need to renew if you are currently still in that field of work, but if you take a break then you shall have to redo the exams, same goes for the CompTia courses

 

[ubersonic]

Just interested to see what people are doing who completed the BTEC National level 3 course in IT.

Flipping burgers usually

If you really want to work in IT don't bother with uni, it's a complete waste of time. Aim for Cisco/Microsoft qualifications, good starters are the Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) in networking fundamentals or the (Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification, then progress through higher levels. These types of qualification are worth much more to a perspective employer than any academic qualification (degrees, BTEC, AVCE, GNVQ, HND, etc).

 

[BoonMonkey]

Did this at sixth form. Went into an apprenticeship in business administration (Basically just warehouse work and lots of boring stuff), year and a half later I'm now working in IT with the same company as I showed potential.


Also, currently studying for my MCSA as paid for by the company.

 

[Gammawolf]

Flipping burgers usually

If you really want to work in IT don't bother with uni, it's a complete waste of time. Aim for Cisco/Microsoft qualifications, good starters are the Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) in networking fundamentals or the (Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification, then progress through higher levels. These types of qualification are worth much more to a perspective employer than any academic qualification (degrees, BTEC, AVCE, GNVQ, HND, etc).

I guess if you view a 30k job fresh out of uni a waste of time then yeah, don't go .

 

[Craig321]

I guess if you view a 30k job fresh out of uni a waste of time then yeah, don't go .

Yeah but that's not always going to happen is it.