IT trainer?

daveg

I've just successfully completed my Certificate in Training and Education. I'm going on to do the Diploma this year and then hope to stick it out another 2 years to get my BA. Anyway my questions are:

• What should I do if I want to move into the IT training field? Should I consider studying for an MCSE in parallel to the BA?
• Any recommendations on which company to study the MCSE with?
• Has anyone any idea what the career options are like in IT?
• Should I abandon all hope of moving into IT and think about training in other fields (any suggestions)?

Thanks in advance.

Eoin

First, congratulations on the certificate.

daveg wrote:

* What should I do if I want to move into the IT training field? Should I consider studying for an MCSE in parallel to the BA?

If you want to move into IT training, then obviously you have to be a subject matter expert in the area in which you want to train people. Do you have an area of IT expertise at the moment?

I think that Microsoft have a specific certified trainer certificate (MCT). I don't know much about it, but I would assume you have to be certified in the area (MCP / MCSE) before you can become a certified trainer.

daveg wrote:

* Has anyone any idea what the career options are like in IT?

The IT market in general is picking up, and training companies always seem to do well.

daveg wrote:

* Should I abandon all hope of moving into IT and think about training in other fields (any suggestions)?

What are your interests? No real point training people in things that you don't want to learn about to the point where you are qualified to train other people.

daveg

Eoin thanks for the info. I have a keen interest in IT. I have done some IT work previously (a few years IT support for a cybercafe) but have no IT qualifications (I have a diploma in Electronics). Maybe I should consider going as for as Diploma in Training and Education and then specialise in an area I wish to train (say the MCSE or MCT).

Moonbeam

It might be worth doing the JEB diploma as well.

Decide what area u would like ot teach n first,then investigate qualifications in that area

Eoin

daveg wrote:

Eoin thanks for the info. I have a keen interest in IT. I have done some IT work previously (a few years IT support for a cybercafe) but have no IT qualifications (I have a diploma in Electronics). Maybe I should consider going as for as Diploma in Training and Education and then specialise in an area I wish to train (say the MCSE or MCT).

I hope you don't mind me saying this, but to my mind, that is doing things backwards - I would look to first become a professional in the field you wish to train people in, and then complete the training course. This may well mean getting into IT support first for a while, so you have a practical / hands on knowledge of the area you wish to train people in. I think most IT trainers have worked in the field first, and then go on to teach it.

If you just learn the field for the sole purpose of teaching it, you will have little or no knowledge of how it fits into the day-to-day working environment.

However, this is if you want to teach a very specific course - e.g. administering Windows XP or something similar. Your experience to date may well already qualify you to train people for the ECDL or something along those lines.

Best of luck with whatever option you go for.

TheMonster

TBH that would be the type of trainer I don't like to have. I prefer someone who has worked in their field and then decided to tran rather than a trainer who has learned how to teach something. I can read the manuals to get that type of training.

(I don't mean this as an attack on you personally-just the training industry in general)

daveg

Don't get me wrong. I have some IT experience (3 years IT support for a cybercafe) so I have some IT experience. I have a good technicial background working in Electronic maintenance and test Engineering.

No offence taken from any of the posts. I know where your coming from. Perhaps I should look at training from the ground up (maybe ECDL/MOS training) and then try to get into more technical training such as MCSE? I think I'll look into the Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor course which will qualify me (with my cert) as a MOS trainer.