Upgrading Training and Certification?

An un-named reader asks: "For various reasons, I've been out of the workforce and IT industry since 2000, before which I was employed as an NT-based sysadmin at a large Canadian company. After moving to NYC I found the market flat and got into other work for a while. Now I find myself wanting to get back into IT professionally, but my resume is getting no nibbles at all (over 800 resumes submitted in the last year or so). As a result, I decided to take some training courses to get me back up to speed not just in the W-Intel world, but give me some usable knowledge of Solaris, a CCNA and Checkpoint. Here's where things bogged down. Are there any decent schools out there who have good facilities, good instructors and do more than 'teach-to-the-exams?"

"I checked out just about every 'school' offering training and placement in the New York City area, and frankly each of them almost had me running screaming into the night. Atrocious facilities, hot, stuffy, cramped classrooms and teachers whose every other words are 'memorize this--it will be on the test.'

Most places were shocked when I said I didn't care about certifications and exams. I explained that I need not just the theory but some hands-on experience with hardware that I don't have access to at home, and knowledge sufficient to at least get me something entry-level once again.

I learn best by demonstration and instruction so CBT CD-ROMs and 'go-read-a-book' aren't viable options for me. Since I'm not currently employed, I also need some form of placement assistance as well. Frankly, I didn't think this was too much to ask for until I really started looking. I looked at Learning Tree specifically, but their policies are strictly business-to-business training, not to individuals."

Comments

I'll be the hardass here

[Ensign Nemo]

"I learn best by demonstration and instruction so CBT CD-ROMs and 'go-read-a-book' aren't
viable options for me. Since I'm not currently employed, I also need some form of
placement assistance as well."

If you aren't willing to learn by playing around, then get the hell out of this field. People who just want to be shown are part of the problem with crappy IT departments. Either GET willing to 'go read a book' or stay out of the field.
Sorry to be so harsh, but learning by trying is important. If you aren't willing to do it, then good riddance.

Re:On your own

[maxpublic]

Funny. When I used to do the hiring I automatically excluded anyone with any sort of CS/IS degree. A CS/IS degree meant that the person in question was too fucking stupid to teach themselves, so they had go to college and have someone do the job for them.

I also found that people with any sort of remotely-computer-oriented degree expected to be treated like absolute authorities and given large salaries. When they found out their boss had all of one computer class in college, waaaay back in the early '80's, their contempt was palpable - even when it was proven time and again that I could run circles around the twits.

It simply wasn't worth the effort, in terms of retraining or personnel management (having to deal with with the assholes) to hire them in the first place. So their resumes were automatically chucked into my round filing receptacle and never seen again.

The best workers I ever had tended to be self-taught kids who were constantly learning on their own time out of simple fascination. I gladly paid these young'ns large sums of money because they were so bloody good at their jobs. Were I to transfer back into management I'd continue with the same practices today, only moreso I think (the folks with the degrees seem even more arrogant these days, if that's possible - and with even less reason, given the quality of a 21st century education).

Max