Where should I start my IT training?

[marc92]

Due to some work fixing a couple broken PCs and creating a few complex Excel spreadsheets I've been offered a job as on-site IT for a medium sized company with about 6 offices in CA and TX. What they are asking of me is to administer their servers (NT servers) and start building some SQL databases.

They know I have no formal training in either area and are willing to train me, or rather pay for my training. They have asked me to look into the training and find out 1) how long it takes and 2) how much it costs. They don't "need" me to have a list of certifications, but they do want to make sure I'm getting competent training.

Any ideas on where to look would be very helpful. I would be based in Dallas and would like to have in person training rather than online. Thank you.

 

[rjoubert]

New Horizons offers courses in the Dallas area. You can check out the "Dallas Schedule" link located on the bottom right of the home page...

http://www.nhcomputerlearning.com/

Good Luck!

 

[SQLSister]

If you are going to be building databases, you need to first of all understand relational database design. This article showuld be a good starting place.

http://www.deeptraining.com/litwin/dbdesign/FundamentalsOfRelationalDatabaseDesign.aspx

Good in person training is hard to find. Most of the classes I've been to in the last ten years are very poor indeed (including, or should I say especially, Microsoft approved classes). If you want in depth training, don't take the one day or even even week training classes. Go to your local university, community college or technical school and take semester courses. Even there you will need to investigate as some schools are better than others.

I would also suggest that a heavy investment in books would be helpful. The comapny would probably be willing to help build you a technical library.

"NOTHING is more important in a database than integrity." ESquared

 

[AlexCuse]

I've almost finished one course from here:

http://www.appdev.com/

I thought it did a pretty good job (can't speak for the other 6 that have been sitting on my bookshelf for a year that I've not had a chance to open yet!)

I like the ability a course like this gives me to pace myself. Its' hard for me to even get one day away from work, nevermind a week, so it made sense for us to go with this type of course for training.

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[sillyVM]

anyone tried this?

http://traininghott.com/Courses.htm