For UK members - my misses needs basic IT certification, which one?

Good morning peeps.

My misses has no IT certification at all and to be honest, no IT skills at all. She has a good job in a bank but it's all proprietary stuff. She's asked me to help her get something basic so if she ever leaves her job she'll have something on her CV saying she has PC skills (every job seems to ask for PC literacy these days). She has looked at IC^3, European Driving Licence, Microsoft MOS, CompTIA A+. What are your thoughts on these for a total technophobe?

Cheers all.

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NinjaBoy

Hi,

The IC3, ECDL and MOS are basically user certs/qualifications (also known as Information Worker Certs). They may help with helpdesk jobs with "how to" type queries, but not with technical issues. MOS certs are version specific, the IC3 is below the MOS and the ECDL (and the advanced version) is not version specific.

The A+ is a very good cert, or should I say the subject knowledge that the A+ covers is very good. However while the A+ is becoming more well known in the UK, it's not listed in a lot of job adverts (imo, this is because it's implied that the tech should have that level of knowledge). You could look at the Microsoft version of the A+ & Network+; the MTAs.

Depending on what job role your Missus is doing/looking for, will depend on what/which path she want to do

CDRichards

Hi NinjaBoy - thank you for your reply. The misses isn't looking to get into the IT industry, she's just concerned that if she went for ANY job they tend to ask if you're IT competent, so she'll just need something to say she can do the basics. She's looking to get something that can show that she can get by on a PC as a user, not a technician. For example head of HR would use a PC a lot but wouldn't need to know how it works. I looked into MOS and was surprised that there wasn't an overall Office cert but lots of individual ones, that will be quite pricey when you add up all the exam and book fees! Closet MTA I could find was the Operating System one, ideal if they did an Office MTA exam lol.

Again, thank you for your (continued) help.

NinjaBoy

If that's the case, I would say that the two biggest user IT qualifications that HR likes to see (and recognises without any issues) would be either the ECDL or the iTQ. The good thing is if your missus decides to take one of them that quite a few learning providers (colleges, private training companies, etc) will integrate the MOS certification into it (however like I said it is depending on the learning provider).

There is an overall MOS cert called the Microsoft Office Master, but it's made up of the individual MOS certs.

Kai123

I recently got the ECDL (not received the cert yet or updated my CV). A recruiter phoned for a 1st line support role for general PC hardware and software issues, taking server issue calls that get escalated up to 2nd and 3rd.

I mentioned that I got the ECDL, and he was thought it was brilliant. Some companies put alot on the ECDL and a few tech roles had the ECDL as compulsory. I've always had to explain in cover letters that I have office skills, and recruiters always ask and its alot better saying you have the ECDL rather then explaining you know how to use Office.

Thats my experience with the ECDL. Its only really for impressing recruiters and HR people, because its insanely easy to get (the first 5 questions are the same for every Office module).

CDRichards

@NinjaBoy - I think I'll help her study to take the ECDL, she'll never be a huge IT fan but she needs something to get by in this day and age.

@Kai123 - Get it on your CV!!! And congrats on passing it. What study material did you use?

Kai123

CDRichards wrote: »

@NinjaBoy - I think I'll help her study to take the ECDL, she'll never be a huge IT fan but she needs something to get by in this day and age.

@Kai123 - Get it on your CV!!! And congrats on passing it. What study material did you use?

A government training and education body (not employed atm so free training). I actually used www.gcflearnfree.org/office2010 and flew through the requirements on the program. That website is very brilliant for passing the ECDL.