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The fact is that a career within the electrical sphere is a frequent alternative for many people. From here on we will use the phrase of Electrical Industry to explain the more accurate term of “Electro-Mechanical Engineering”. Also, due to a wide variety of qualifications and standards throughout the world, we’ll focus on those that fit the UK domestic and commercial market. We will begin by reviewing the main issues first and come back to the ‘add-ons’ later, because of the huge number of options available as a career within this subject.

Essentially, we see two distinct forms of entry into the electrical market. To being with we have the older apprentice course and then secondly we have the option for those who wish to make a career change to join the industry. Throughout this document we will simply refer to two types of people the ‘Junior’ and the ‘Mature’ entrants.

Many Mature Entrants enter the market so they don’t have to rely on others, especially when they can work on their own building ideas and not have to pay for anyone else to help them. On the other hand, to gain further credentials and experience ‘Junior Entrants’ tend to work for a recognised electrical firm. Upon leaving school many apprenticeships provide a fast learning curve for young adults looking to boost their auxiliary skills.

The distinct types of entry have differing styles of training – It is the involvement with NVQ’s (or SVQ’s for Scotland), that differentiate the Junior Entrants. The training itself is similar to non NVQ training, but completion of the full programme means getting the actual qualifications. Often, this means that students have to gain an apprenticeship in order to be able to realise the course work and testing requirements of the job.

By opting to work on a freelance basis, many Mature Entrants appear to focus on those areas that provide profitable and practical solutions other than NVQ’s. Such as obtaining documentation that gives them the best chance to gain from their training endeavours and thereby the best financial rewards. This system, although appearing to reduce the attributes laid out, does allow for a faster and more solid entry into the domestic market.

So we have two defined routes laid out – one being for general employment and the other centred on self-employment. With self-employment a person may be working on a part-time or full time basis -to that end we will assume they are working full time. Salary options are often affected both by the know- how and the knack for doing things as well as any perceived formal levels of understanding.

The basic salary for Junior Entrants tends to start around the 12-15k mark, but rises regularly to around 30k with the right level of experience. That said, due to the UK press telling people that electricians can get salaries in excess of 70k p.a., it is more difficult to gauge incomes for ‘Mature Entrants’. Regardless of all that is the need to cover off additional costs such as tools, clothes and even a vehicle and all that goes along with that. In addition to this they will also have to allow for items such as accountancy and personal/professional insurance. Whilst there is lots of available work, a severe skills shortage means electricians are very much in demand. Working 7 days a week is totally achievable for most people if they want it. It should be noted that figures of 70-100k p.a. advertised are not necessarily easy to come by and would require some long working hours to obtain them.

It should be noted that the working week for most electricians differs between the Junior and Mature Entrant markets. For a ‘Junior Entrant’, most work is on a simple working week basis. The Mature market is however often reliant as to when their client base is available, especially in the domestic sector. Although by testing and installing various business systems, many self-employed electricians manage to work during a normal working week.

To be fair it’s often the boss of a company who states the type of specialist knowledge that Junior Entrants gain whilst in their employ. The mature entrant, on the other hand, may seek training outside of their core electrical field, possibly including plumbing and gas work. This gives them the chance to complete work for domestic clients without having to sub contract jobs out every time.

‘Green Engineering’ is another area to consider. This requires new skills and working knowledge and is one of the fastest growing areas today. Looking together to the UK and the EEC this activity could be of benefit to both Junior and Mature Entrants, providing new growth and opportunities to both disciplines.

Copyright Scott Edwards. Try Electrical Training or Electrical NVQs.

The figures explaining how much Plumbers can earn is often talked about in the papers. The lack of Plumbers in the UK has led to salaries of 30-70k p.a. being exhibited. Is this really a fib – or is this in fact accurate? For the competent and correctly skilled person, this level of salary is realistic. In fact, earnings in excess of 70 – 100k p.a. are achievable – but that is solely for those who work within the self-employed market-place, rather than those who work within established employment routes.

To be fair being with a regular employer often results in working from Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm as standard. Approximately wages of 15k and 30k p.a. are reasonable within the UK, along with standard benefits such as holiday pay and sickness allowance. That said it is by working longer than typically 9am to 6pm, Mon to Fri that self employed people achieve higher incomes than those adopting a traditional approach. This is more noticeable when the self employed plumber chooses to work in the domestic market, as result often requiring many evening and weekend visits to suit their clients.

Also there is the factor of self-employment and whether it goes with some people more than others. Equally there is a need to manage good ‘business sense’, with items such as advertising & marketing factors as well as correctly assessing your own hourly rate. Similarly, to cover additional elements such as legal and accountancy fees and materials and transport, will require the planning of most self-employed people. While these can mount up, (although they should always be a very small proportion of your earnings,) so can the benefits received. And the downsides are nearly always outweighed by the proceeds!

Often customary work from employers attracts Student Entrants especially if it meets their needs training in working knowledge and experience. On the other hand, the Self Employed Entrant needs to increase their list plumbing credentials as soon as possible. That said the vast majority of self-employed plumbers appear to favour the ‘domestic’ instead of the commercial market. (Not all of them, but the main do!)

Considering the education in Plumbing, each path into the industry needs some match in the certification modules. The issue of NVQ’s (or SVQ’s in Scotland) nevertheless appears to cause some difference.

Without a doubt, it is the greater dependence on the NVQ element that separates the Student Entrant from the Self Employed Entrant. The Self Employed Entrant will regularly employ a range of certifications in order to meet the needs of their client’s requirements from the beginning. Without a doubt the self employed person needs to quickly gain the core domestic- centred qualifications to satisfy their typical household-based clients. Once they have covered the core parts the Student Entrant will often carry on their study not dissimilar to an apprenticeship in the workplace (where the NVQ element can be appraised.) Considerable savings potential exists to the Student Entrant by taking on this cheaper form of study. That said it is the ability to gain real financial rewards long before the Student Entrant that encourages many Self-Employed Entrants to gain certifications faster and be motivated by a stronger commercial attitude.

This clearly demonstrates the need for talk about careers, covering the certification and study required along with the expected financial rewards. It would generate serious hardship, for example, for an adult requiring 20k p.a. (to provide for their family,) to go back to college and spend 3 years in low-paid apprenticeship work. Furthermore, many Student Entrants have their studies paid for them whereas the self-employed students fund the variety of course themselves. For self-employed people these costs are set by the course structure and the level of certification sought and can end up between 3k-10k+.

For the most part, Student Entrants will study at recognised further-education colleges, whereas the Self Employed Entrant has the option to consider the wider range of private commercial schools. It is through well known educational paths that many commercial training companies can offer routes into correct qualifications and skill-set requirements. One of the main advantages of this method is the opportunity for evening, part-time, and self-study classes – allowing Self Employed Entrants to train whilst continuing with their existing job, thus maintaining their financial situation. With so many colleges at hand, the key is to secure as many with technical data sources and gather them. Having provided an option for you to come back and review the links and adverts from several sites, why not book mark this page (CTRL-D).

Many plumbing students will increase their ‘marketability’ through the use of further courses. It is by training in areas such as Gas, Green Energy and Electrical that Plumbers can gain extra certifications. A typically popular route for Plumbers is Gas training, especially as this forms part of the usual commercial and domestic heating system.

It is with its main subjects, alongside added NVQ’s, that result in Gas Training being viewed as a technical program. It also features many options for on-going training, especially for those who trained as a plumber first and are now looking at some extra skills to add to their stable. From this idea the mature student works better with a fusion offered by Gas/Plumbing training. The path of focussing on the core subjects and at the same time dropping the NVQ’s seems to favour the Mature Student.

It is from this mix of training methods that the self-employed professional appears to benefit. The attraction is certainly the chance to gain a wider range of skill sets and earn money from them. The removal of any reliance of sub-contracting key skills of third parties definitely enhances the commercial package. Whilst sub-contracting can reduce the earning of a particular job perhaps more important is the deterioration of the value in a customer’s eye as they have to wait for jobs to be handled by others before completion of the overall task. To be fair the more talent a Plumber has in their own job then the more they have to offer their client base.

In retrospect, the Self Employed Entrant has the potential to achieve a much higher and more readily available income stream than Student Entrant, but to do so they need to develop both their business skills and achieve a broader range of certifications. Note: This information relates to the UK market, policies and industry requirements alone.

(C) 2009 S. Edwards. Pop to Plumbing and Heating Courses or www.Careers-Advisor.co.uk/caradvf.html.

Today, commercial institutions couldn’t function properly without assistance from support workers mending both computers and networks, while giving advice to users on a constant basis. Because we become growingly reliant on our PC’s, we in turn inevitably become increasingly more reliant upon the skilled and qualified IT professionals, who keep the systems going.

Many folks don’t really get what IT is about. It’s thrilling, changing, and means you’re working on technology that will change our world over the next few decades.

It’s a common misapprehension that the increase in technology we’ve had over recent years is slowing down. Nothing could be further from the truth. Terrific advances are ahead of us, and the internet particularly will be the biggest thing to affect the way we live.

If making decent money is around the top on your scale of wants, then you’ll welcome the news that the regular income for most men and women in IT is a lot more than with other market sectors.

The good news is there is a lot more room for IT jobs expansion in the United Kingdom. The industry continues to grow rapidly, and with the skills shortage of over 26 percent that we’re experiencing, it’s most unlikely that it will even slow down for quite some time to come.

Talk to any capable advisor and they’ll regale you with many horror stories of students who’ve been conned by dodgy salespeople. Stick to an industry professional who quizzes you to find out what’s right for you – not for their paycheque! Dig until you find an ideal starting-point that fits you.

With a bit of work-based experience or qualifications, your starting-point of learning is not the same as someone new to the industry.

Working through a foundation program first may be the ideal way to start into your IT studies, depending on your current skill level.

Many companies focus completely on the certification process, and avoid focusing on what you actually need – getting yourself a new job or career. Always start with the final destination in mind – don’t make the journey more important than where you want to get to.

It’s an awful thing, but a large percentage of students kick-off study that often sounds spectacular in the sales literature, but which provides the end-result of a job that is of no interest at all. Talk to many university graduates and you’ll see where we’re coming from.

It’s essential to keep your focus on where you want to get to, and create a learning-plan from that – don’t do it back-to-front. Keep on track and ensure that you’re training for something that will keep you happy for many years.

Before you embark on a learning program, you’d be well advised to talk through specific market requirements with an experienced industry advisor, in order to be sure the learning course covers all the necessary elements.

Of all the important things to consider, one of the most essential is always 24×7 round-the-clock support with dedicated instructors and mentors. Far too often we see trainers who will only offer a basic 9am till 6pm support period (maybe later on certain days) with very little availability over the weekend.

some companies only provide email support (slow), and phone support is usually just a call-centre that will make some notes and then email an advisor – who will call back over the next day or so (assuming you’re there), when it’s convenient to them. This is no good if you’re stuck with a particular problem and can only study at specific times.

Top training companies incorporate three or four individual support centres from around the world. They use an online interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together, no matter what time you login, help is just a click away, without any contact issues or hassle.

Always choose a training provider that is worth purchasing from. Only proper round-the-clock 24×7 support gives you the confidence to make it.

(C) Scott Edwards 2009. Navigate to www.CareerProgression.co.uk/rcaprog.html or SQL Training Courses.

There are actually 4 different sectors in the full CompTIA A+ syllabus, but you’re just required to achieve pass marks in 2 for competency in A+. Be aware though that only studying two of the four specialities could expose flaws in your knowledge when applying for a job. At least learn about all four – this will give you the edge in the working environment.

A+ computer training courses are about fault finding and diagnosing – both remote access and hands-on, as well as building and fixing and working in antistatic conditions.

Should you fancy yourself as the person who is involved with a big team – supporting, fixing and maintaining networks, you’ll need to add CompTIA Network+, or consider an MCSA or MCSE with Microsoft as you’ll need a deeper understanding of how networks function.

Remember: the actual training program or a qualification isn’t what this is about; a job you’re training for is. Far too many training organisations place too much importance on the piece of paper.

Never let yourself become part of that group who select a program that seems ‘fun’ or ‘interesting’ – and get to the final hurdle of an accreditation for a job they hate.

Make sure you investigate your leanings around earning potential and career progression, and how ambitious you are. You should understand what (if any) sacrifices you’ll need to make for a particular role, what particular qualifications they want you to have and how to develop your experience.

We recommend that students always seek guidance and advice from a professional advisor before you begin a learning path, so you’re sure from the outset that the content of a learning package provides the skills necessary.

Many people assume that the state educational system is the right way even now. So why then are commercial certificates slowly and steadily replacing it?

With a growing demand for specific technological expertise, the IT sector has moved to specific, honed-in training only available through the vendors themselves – in other words companies such as Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA. Frequently this is at a far reduced cost both money and time wise.

In a nutshell, students are simply taught the necessary specifics in depth. It’s slightly more broad than that, but principally the objective has to be to cover the precise skills needed (alongside some required background) – without trying to cram in everything else – in the way that academic establishments often do.

Just as the old advertisement said: ‘It does what it says on the tin’. The company just needs to know what they need doing, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. They’ll know then that all applicants can do what they need.

Many training companies will provide a useful Job Placement Assistance program, to help you into your first commercial role. Don’t get overly impressed with this service – it’s easy for training companies to overplay it. At the end of the day, the need for well trained IT people in Great Britain is what will make you attractive to employers.

Get your CV updated straight-away though (advice can be sought on this via your provider). Don’t wait until you’ve graduated or passed any exams.

Getting your CV considered is more than not being regarded at all. A decent number of junior jobs are bagged by trainees who are still at an early stage in their studies.

Generally, you’ll receive better performance from a local IT focused recruitment consultant or service than you will through a training provider’s national service, as they’ll know the local area and commercial needs better.

A good number of people, it would appear, conscientiously work through their course materials (for years sometimes), and then just stop instead of attempting to secure the right position. Sell yourself… Work hard to let employers know about you. Don’t think a job’s just going to jump out in front of you.

Can job security really exist anymore? In the UK for example, with businesses changing their mind on a whim, there doesn’t seem much chance.

Where there are rising skills shortfalls coupled with growing demand of course, we often discover a newly emerging type of security in the marketplace; driven by the constant growth conditions, businesses are struggling to hire enough staff.

The Information Technology (IT) skills shortage throughout the country falls in at approximately twenty six percent, as shown by the most recent e-Skills study. So, for each 4 job positions available in Information Technology (IT), companies are only able to locate enough qualified individuals for 3 of them.

This single truth on its own shows why the country urgently requires so many more new trainees to join the industry.

Because the IT sector is expanding at such a speed, there really isn’t any other market worth considering for a new career.

Copyright 2009 Scott Edwards. Navigate to Access 2003 Training or www.NewCareersTraining.co.uk/wnct.html.