So, you have decided to get involved with computer technology and get an education that will open the door to a new profession. Or you already work in the IT field and want to improve your skills. And then you are faced with a dilemma: which programming courses to take and how to choose.
These tips will help you to understand the variety of educational institutions and to choose the courses that meet the requirements of the market.
1. Where to learn a programmer - do not learn on one-day courses
As you know, demand creates supply. The profession of IT specialist is becoming more and more popular, therefore, the number of courses offering IT education, for example, to learn front-end from scratch is increasing. Among them are the so-called one-day courses, which are aimed at the only result - fast money. They offer to teach you all the skills of IT-profession in a short time. But the truth is that students of such courses are interested only in the certificate confirming their skills, they are not interested in the real knowledge. Very often such students just get essay help and wait for the day when they get a certificate. In reality, after such "training" you won't remember anything but the amount spent on these courses. Then where to go to learn an IT professional? The study of information technology is not the easiest process, so a week or even a month to master this discipline will not work. And if you have decided on the educational institution, be sure to find out in what conditions the training will take place, and what material and technical base the courses have. It will be very sad if you have to study in a rented classroom of some university.
2. Is it possible to guarantee employment?
Many IT courses guarantee employment after graduation. It would seem to be a huge plus in favor of choosing such training centers. In fact, such promises are as real as snow in the desert.
3. Good website
Before you make a choice in favor of this or that IT course, first of all, study their website. In the age of information technology, the website is the face of the company. It should be made qualitatively - after all, how can the institution give a good IT education, if it cannot find qualified professionals to develop and design their site. Also, there should be detailed information about each of the disciplines and teachers. In addition, the page should reflect the conditions of training and contact information, confirming that the company really exists. The content of the site should give you the most reliable information about IT courses.
4. Programming courses – reviews
It is not unreasonable to check the reviews of the IT courses. You can find them both on the website of the educational institution and on thematic forums. Attention should be paid to reviews for the last few months. But remember: more than half of the reviews on the Internet can often be fake or paid for. So you can also ask your friends or acquaintances, who have already graduated from similar courses or have been working in the IT field for a long time, where to go to study.
5. IT school professors
Focus only on those IT courses that are taught by experts from leading IT companies. Always check who is really teaching the course, what kind of experience they have in IT, and how successful they are. Find out which teacher will spend the most time with you in the learning process.
6. Don't forget English
It is almost impossible to work in an IT company without knowing English. So you need to understand what IT English is and why you need it. Ask whether the institution has additional classes in English and other disciplines (such as databases) that can increase your competitiveness among other graduates. It is good if you do not have to spend money on additional courses and can get all the knowledge you need in one place.
7. There is no such thing as unnecessary information and knowledge
Find out if the educational institution gives any additional materials. For example, videos of classes, useful articles, or webinars. All of this data will remain with you, and you can refer to it at any time if necessary.
8. The portfolio is your advantage in the job market
The chances of getting a job without a portfolio are very low, so be sure to ask if you will have a set of practical projects at the end of the course. It is the portfolio that will favorably distinguish you from other graduates with no work experience.
9. Getting to know people is never a waste of time
Find out if the training centers hold events that can be useful in terms of additional networking. For example, lectures of heads of the top IT companies, authoritative experts, as well as various conferences, where you can make contacts for further employment.
10. Preparing for an interview is an important element of learning
Finally, find out whether the educational institution prepares its students for interviews. If the school really cares about the future fate of its graduates, it will definitely organize sessions with the recruiter, where they will discuss how to write a CV for an IT company and all the nuances of the future interview.
