Online certification training helps you achieve your professional goals and increase your chances of advancement in a most affordable and convenient manner. This is very suitable if you have a busy schedule or find it difficult to attend a regular class. Various courses are offered such as Linux and Java certification programs, as well as other IT subjects that you can study at home and at your own speed.
The number of universities, colleges, and internet learning programs that provide online certification training are steadily increasing to cope with the growing demand for IT skills in the industry.
Online certification training, however, is not for everyone. Students who excel in a classroom environment may not do as well in distance learning. There are no live interactions between the student and the instructor. You will have to set-up your own schedules and plans for your subjects. You will have to create your targets and discipline yourself to meet those goals.
Students who would like to enroll in online programs must have a basic understanding of operating a computer, word processing skills, spread sheets and database know-how. You must also have knowledge of accessing the internet and communicating through emails. You will have to be in front of a computer and read volumes of materials on a certain subject. If you are one of those people who have difficulty focusing on printed materials, you would do well in a classroom setting rather than an online certification training program.
The other disadvantage to taking distance courses is the fact that you will have to research on your own through the internet any additional data needed. You will have to wait for a response from your online instructor, if you have one, unlike in a classroom where you can just raise your hand and a question is quickly answered. Also, you won't have the benefit of study groups and class discussions on IT subjects that you would like to pursue.
There are several kinds of online certification training programs. One is instructor-led wherein you are assigned a person whom you can communicate with and who will guide you through the course. This type of program follows a strict schedule and entails deadlines for submission of work. The other kind of online training lets you study at your own speed. You can take an exam and complete the course whenever you are confident enough that you have understood the modules provided to you. Both programs also involve submission of assignments, research or worksheets, similar to a regular school system.
If you prefer to work at your own pace and are confident that you can find any extra information you need through your own efforts, however, you will probably do well with a self-directed online certification course which has no specific completion date and will let you study the material in the order of your choice.
To get an idea of the available online Linux certification training courses, you can visit redhat.com. Red Hat Inc., is one of the premier Linux OS distributors and has a highly regarded certification program, with both classroom and online instruction available. Looking over their online certification training is a good way to see the available curricula and their cost.
While online certification training is a great way for those who do not have time for classroom training to proceed toward certification testing, there is no substitute for on-the-job training in IT applications and troubleshooting. Second to that in desirability is classroom IT training which makes use of simulators to give students a taste of real world IT problem solving. Both the Red hat and Novell Linux certification exams, for instance, require candidates to provide hands-on IT solutions.
As a way to grasp IT theory, online certification training certainly has its place, but should really be accompanied by some sort of hands-on IT experience if it is to give you the best chance of qualifying as a certified IT professional.
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