Hello World!!!

[YankeeRuinX]

Hello, I have just found this site and it seems like a place that can certainly help me. I'm 25 and currently a Head Chef with no IT qualifications and I'm looking at a career swap into the IT industry. I was looking to do something in Web Development so after getting in contact with Advent and Computeach last week they sent their salemen round to see me today.
During the week I have got a hold of lots of study material from a friend who is working for a pretty big website and have been using the w3schools website to help me in my quest to learn. I've also been reading HTML for dummies as I thought this might be the best place to start and like I said I have been using the w3schools website which I find extremely helpful. I have already worked through the HTML, XHTML and CSS sections but obviously I need to practice these a lot more as the web page I have knocked up using Notepad isn't going to land me a job in the industry.
After speaking to the Advent and Computeach salesmen and hearing all about how I will be earning £30k in 2 years for the measly sum of £5k!!!! The both wanted me to do the Master CIW Designer course and one also pointed me the Networking direction as well. I decided to do some research as I was pretty confident that there would be other ways, then I stumbled across this site.
So hello everyone
If anyone has got any tips, advice on if the Advent and Computeach courses are worth it,what the Networking course (MCSE) or CIW course is like or even if you know of a better way to do them, then let me know.
Thanks everyone

[BosonMichael]

Originally Posted by YankeeRuinX

...and hearing all about how I will be earning £30k in 2 years...

Ah, so he's going to hire you, then, for an extended period of time? Otherwise... how can he know what you WILL be earning in two years?

Statements like that should be like huge, waving red flags to you... there's no way that someone can guarantee that you'll be making that kind of money. It's a typical sales trick.

Can a course like that be beneficial to you? Absolutely. But do you want to know how many people fell for the whole "30K in 2 years" bait... and then could never got an IT job... and are now horribly in debt because of it?

With the networking courses, they'll sell you an MCSE course... but what the salesman WON'T tell you is that the MCSE is designed for people with a year of experience administering servers in a 250+ user, multi-site, multi-server environment... not a year in IT, but a year doing that job (which you wouldn't start out doing). They don't care about that... they're only interested in selling you the course. Here, we're not interested in taking your money... we're interested in giving you the truth. Who do you think you ought to believe? ;)

Most of us here advocate self-study for this very reason. Truth be told... you don't NEED a training course to get started in IT. You just need a study plan, which you can get by listening to people in the industry... like, people on this forum.

Welcome to the forum! Hope you enjoy it here.

[YankeeRuinX]

Lol don't worry I didn't actually believe them when they were telling me about the fantastic money I'd be making so quickly, if it were so easy then everyone would do it
Anyway after reading things on here about the Master CIW Designer course and the fact that it doesn't cover a lot of the code you need to know to make nice websites I have been wondering if it would be better to do a different course.
Can anyone recommend one where I will actually learn the ins and outs of making a website or is the CIW course the only way.

[greenbrucelee]

Hi Welcome

I am not sure about web design, but you could get a couple of books on HTML and practice yourself, get a portfolio together to show future employers.

[Notes_Bloke]

Hi & welcome to CF

NB

[Rafek]

Hello & Welcome,

Good advise from BM there, the sales man can in no way guarantee what someone will be willing to pay you.
While many peeps use these training providers and are very happy with them many here promote self study due to the wild boasts of the sales men....oh and the hugh saving in self study.

Try to get as many opinions you can and read around what these provides give you for the money and they you alone can decide if it's worth your hard earned cash..

Goodluck and enjoy your studies.

[craigie1977]

Welcome to CF

[sunn]

Welcome...

[Chopperchand]

Hi and welcome,

It will be best to do A+, N+ and then MCDST, see if you can get some experience in an IT role (part time/ volunteering) if possible,

Not much value in giving up 5K up front when you could do more valuable studying in your own time for the cost of a couple of books.

Not to sure with regards to web design

[BosonJosh]

Welcome to the forums!