7 things to ponder before you choose an IT Course / Institute

1. Choose a course that suits your background

Many students get carried away by what is possible but do not do a reality check. Let me give an example, Today we see many students without commercial art or similar background rush to do animation courses. They realize they have done a big mistake only after they have completed the course, spent valuable time and money. Yes it is fun to learn and do animation; yes you might even get your first job because there is serious crunch of animators in the industry. But the real story starts once you are into the job for 6 months or a year. You will feel stuck and find yourself not

growing and not getting higher responsibilities not for any other reason but the fact that you are misfit for doing high-end jobs in the field. Do you really want to get into a career where you don’t grow?

2. Seek advice from someone who has been there done that

As a student you might not have the right knowledge to judge the quality of course content. Everything written on that beautiful brochure would mean wow to you. However, due to various reasons, not all institutes including those having centers in every corner of India update the courses to match the pace according to what is required in the industry. So please find out an experienced professional who can help you judge the content of the course. Preferably the person advising you should have more then 3 years experience in the respective field. For god sake don’t do a course just because your friends or relatives are doing it, It is good to have company, but then it cannot be the reason to join the course. I think you can put your orkut skills to good use to find someone who can help you

3. No Pain No Gain

One of the weird reasons why students choose a particular institute is because they are nearby their home. If you know of an institute, which is away but better, then the one near your home, please don’t be silly to compromise on quality just because of location. If you are doing a course, take the pain to travel and learn from best possible location, all the efforts will give you rich dividends in the future.

4. Pay the fees in Instalments whenever possible

You are all excited about learning a new skill, you find a place, you pay the full fees, you get a receipt which has clearly written on it 'NOT Refundable'. Later if you find the institute is not up to the mark, or you don’t feel interested in the subject, be prepared for a life long reminder from your parents ' You paid the fees but you never completed the course'. The escape route here is to choose to pay in instalments, so that you only pay the next instalment if everything is going in line with your expectations

5. Choose a technology of future rather then a present phenomenon

Hype is one demon that can take even the most wise men for a ride. Don’t do a course just because it is in demand right now, consider the duration of the course and assess will you be able to capitalize on the hype, or will the hype fizz out by the time you complete the course? Try to find out areas, which are not in demand right now, but have a huge potential in next 4-5 years. It is always good to be associated with a technology, which is yet to reach its peak, rather then getting into a technology where the top slot is full.

6. Don’t continue learning at a bad Institute

Time is money, but we forget to implement its essence in our lives. You have paid the fees, but unfortunately the institute is not up to the mark. Quit it immediately, spending more time at a bad institute is not going to help your career in anyway. You can prevent such situation to arise by doing your homework well.

7. Do not choose an Institute just because the course fee is less

IT Training is an expensive business. Keeping good infrastructure, hiring quality trainers with in-depth knowledge is expensive, hence at many institutes the fees though may seem to be high, but the value they deliver more then makes up for the high cost. Unfortunately, many institutes are expensive for wrong reasons, i.e. to fund their promotion and advertisement expenses. Learn to differentiate between the 2 types. Blame the franchise system of scaling up IT training business; the sole objective is money making and sadly sometimes wrong things end up being compromised. If an institute is charging radically low fees, I doubt you will get quality. You might get the satisfaction of getting an amazing deal and making huge savings. But it is being Penny wise and pound-foolish. You will get a raw deal in terms of salary if you have not learnt from quality source, or worst you will not get a job. Stay away from 21 courses in 5000/- types.