Computers Discussions

Maybe everyone who takes it just does it for fun and he's not meeting his quota, so he's a bit grumpy.

Could be!  So I replied to him that they should fix their website to say it is an Application, not just a online skills challenge. 

I would have done the same thing you did, "Take the Challenge." I didn't see anything on the site about it being an application. They made it sound like it was for fun. They should really revamp the website if they want only serious people and redo the radio ad as well.

Thanks for the heads up on this website.

You could right a review about it. Then email him AND the company the review's address so they can read it.  :  )

I wonder if he gets a commission. He might not be doing too well. Before he was rude with you, was he pushy?

Haha, I could review it but it wouldn't be fair considering I haven't used any part of the website or been in the Training program.  I'm glad you guys see the same thing I did! 

He wasn't pushy but he sent two emails within a few days which is why I thought (to be nice) I should tell him I'm not interested.

Well I guess you could all take the "fun" challenge if you want to push his buttons ;)  Just kidding, now that I know, I wouldn't recommend ANYONE visit their site.  The challenge was so ridiculously easy that I don't know how anyone couldn't pass the first level.

"Which of these options would you choose if you wanted to Add or Remove a program"

• Add/Remove Programs
• Recycle Bin
• My computer

Seriously, come on!

heh heh looks more like "The Painfully Obvious Quiz" rather than "The Challenge".

Were the rest of the questions that lame?

Most of them were that lame, I couldn't believe it.  It was like they were trying to see if you've ever used a computer before.

Folks, I am a local where Computer Training dot com operates in Newark, DE. Oftentimes the company advertises for "Assistant Directors of Admissions" and these positions pay $50,000 plus annually. You bet there's a quota! The position entails heavy duty telemarketing. Essentially, the only part of your background that matters to them is your ability to borrow or pay $25,000 plus for tuition! There is no assurance you will be successfully obtaining employment in the field. For what it's worth, many community colleges are beginning to offer similar programs, and often for less money.

 

Thanks for the info!  Honestly I never put much faith into a site like ComputerTraining.com that tries to say in their ads you will make soooo much money when I know people (including me) with actual degrees in computer science that can't find a job that pays that much right now. 

Thanks for sharing, it's nice to hear from someone who knows more about it. 

I took the "challenge" for fun and was actually called in for a meeting two days later.  I went to the meeting to see what they are about. They are offering basic Microsof certs MCST MCP MCSA and want you to pay $28,500 to take the course! not to mention they offer to set you up with funding right away because they realize that not everyone has that much money to put down. They go as far as handing you a Student Loan farm through Sally Mae and instruct you how to fill it out. Then they try to collect it from you right away.  They are purposfully targeting younger people (18-24) and try ing to get them to sign a 15 year loan.

Holy cow!  That's a lot of money for something anyone can do on their own for just a few hundred dollars.  You could go to a community college for 28500 and probably learn a lot more!  15 yr loans?  Geez!  I am definitely gonna make sure my know not to go near this high pressure scam.

A lot of towns also have a computer learning center that people can take coursess from... usually around $75 each I believe.  Most Parks and Recreation organizations will also offer training.  Hopefully people are smart enough not to fall for this cause it seems like such a waste.

I had to bump this up after hearing another ad today (now going by computertraining.edu but I looked and it's the same thing).

How can these ppl get away with such blatant LIES in their ads?  Here are some from today's ad.

Lie #1: IT people have the best job security.  WRONG - during all the layoffs my company had, IT people were hit hard just like every other department.  The only ppl with job security are the ppl who own the company!

Lie #2: IT people are the highest paid at a company.  WRONG - I can't speak for everyone, but can assure you that I am not the highest paid at my company.

Lie #3: Implies that a Microsoft Certification can get you one of these highly paid, highly secured IT jobs.  WRONG - please people, look at Monster.com and try to find 1 decent IT job that doesn't require a bachelor's degree? 

ANYONE can get microsoft certified and the only thing you should have to pay for is the final test.  But getting certified does not suddenly make you eligible for every great IT job.  Put it this way, a lot of people are laid off right now, people with bachelors/masters degrees and experience in IT jobs. Do you really think that with a microsoft certification, but no degree and no experience, that you'll be able to beat out a laid off ex-IT person in an interview?  I doubt it.

So if you want to invest in something, invest in a degree - you'll get much further with it.

Ok I'm done complaining :)  Just want to save anyone from doing this that thinks i will change their life!

BTW: Certifications are not forever, they expire and need to be retested/renewed often.  A bachelor's degree is forever.  Experience is KEY.

I was messing around and found these comments.  I normally just do research and not post on message boards.  However, after reading the comments here I was very motivated to clear up some misperceptions.  First off, I do not know ComputerTraining.com or .edu very well.  I have recruited / hired many IT folks.  Some have come from this school.  Let's get the facts:

1.  Certs are forever they never expire.  You do need to upgrade periodically with new technologies.  Once certified on Windows Vista, you are always certified on Windows Vista.  When the next OS comes out - you should take the upgrade exam.

2.  Technology changes - A Bachelor's degree in any technology form from 10 years ago is not nearly as good as one today.  That degree from 10 years ago learned very different skills than someone today.  Certs keep skill fresh and up to date.

3.  Experience is the key --- but BIGGER is the RIGHT experience.  For a Help Desk role - give me someone with the wrong IT experience (ie computer programmer), I would much rather have a fresh grad from a cert school who is trained to do the Help Desk Role.

4.  If you want to invest in something - Invest in an education that gets you the career you want.  If you want to be a programmer or IT generalist - go get a degree.  If you want to work in Networking, go obtain networking certifications.  Degreed networking curriculums don't do a good job being technical enough.  Reason is that the networking technology changes to frequently.  That course you took 3-4 years ago wouldn't be very relevant in networking.

I am going out there and saying I did this.  It was the biggest waste of my money.  YourHired, the certifications have an expiration date.  Look at the certs when you get them now.  Mine expires every two years.  That being said, when I was hired, I only receive 14 dollars an hour.  This course cost me 26k a year.  The instructor was playing games in the back, the career advisor was updating her myspace page and facebook page instead of looking for jobs.  Luckily, I had a friend (The tried and true method of getting an IT position) that knew my capabilities and was able to get me hired at an IT firm.  However, the other people that were there with me were strippers and bartenders.  Luckily, I rose quickly but I could have done the same without the school.  In addition, sorry to say this to all the IT people out there, but IT is a joke.  I went back to engineering because of the security and because it was not as much a political game as IT.  People, DO NOT TAKE COMPUTERTRAINING.com.  Get a helpdesk position, work on your certs on your own time, show initiative and advance that way.  Or, if you have the time, go to school and get a degree.  It will save you heartache in the long run.  In addition, I went from Help Desk to Network Engineer in under a year.  However, while I did use some of the information provided to me by the course, the rest I learned on my own thru boards and studying in addition to simulations downloaded.

Hi Paliceag, thanks for sharing your experience!  I still hear these ads on my radio daily and I always change the station so I don't have to hear the exaggerations and lies they are saying.  This is a tough economy, right now a 26k cert isn't going to push anyone from low-level job into high-paying job just like that.  This is what the ads seem to claim and it bugs the heck out of me.

I've always been told certs DO expire so thanks for clarifying that for us.  

Well, IT isn't a joke everywhere, you just have to get into the right company I guess.  I'm happy with my IT position, but I'm also the only IT in my department so that might be why :)

I agree you will advance quicker with experience.  I worked as a Legal Secretary for almost 2 years out of college b/c I couldn't get a job.  But while there I designed some databases and web pages for them which helped me get interviews and ultimately my current IT/Web job.

Great input all around!  Sounds like you lost some money with CT.com but glad to know it all worked out in the end.  Thanks for sharing!

In 2007 I was scammed into this......in hopes of a new career, I look back I WAS SO STUPID......just put me deeper in debt.  I didn't even finish and got only a 30% reimbersment....NEVER go to ComputerTraining (loser) .com  They should be closed down PERIOD

I agree 100% with Paliceag " a big waste of money" I took all courses and passed 6 out of all seven exams at the time. What got me a job in IT was the fact that I have  a degree in electrical engineering and SAP (business warehouse and R/3) experience.  Furthermore,  keep in mind that very few large companies use Microsoft for their servers, you would be better serve if you take certs such as Red Hat linux, HP and cisco for a lot less money.  If you're looking to get into the IT field; explore other avenues; Microsoft certs is something you can do on your own; get the exams prep from ebay for $25 and study hard; also,  a combination of  Microsoft, Cisco, Linux/Unix will carry you a lot further.   DO NOT WASTE $24k  CTC.com.

Thanks for your input luckyet and d2theg.  I really appreciate people who have had experience coming here to tell the truth!  I agree, anyone can get a cert on their own.  There are cheaper and online ways of learning for the test.  

Ok so you always have to pay for the test, but that is like 200$ right?  I can't believe it's $24,000 for CT.com.  If you have that much to spend, you can probably figure out how to afford an actual school and get an actual degree.