Complaint Review: National Computer Science Academy

Are you applying for the right jobs?  NCSA certifications are not designed to get you a job that actually requires a degree in computer science, or years of experience in the field of computers.  They are designed to teach you minimum qualifications to get a job that does not require a computer degree such as office assistant jobs. Most offices today require knowledge in computers especially with word processing and excel.  It is far too expesive to actually pay thousands of dollars to take office courses at a local college.  It makes more sense to do them on line though a program such as NCSA.  Also, the courses offered through NCSA keep computer professionals up to date in their chosen career field if they already have a degree,  Many of the tougher courses serve this purpose,  Computer systems and software are constantly changing.  

I recently enrolled my mom in NCSA.  She is 67 years old, completely computer illiterate, and recently laid off from an office job that did not rely on computers.  Everything was done on paper which she shuffled into filing cabinets.  Appointments were also booked with pen and paper insead of a computerized appointment manager.  These NCSA courses are prividing her with the minimum training and eucation to find a new job in an entrty-level office position.  It seems as if ll ajobs now, no mater how menial the labor is, requires some knowledge of computer.

Several years ago, i enrolled my son, when he was just a kid in high school.  I home schooled him and thoulght that this program would provide him with the training he needed to get a job someday.  He learned more from the five courses he took from NCSA than he learned in a real school when he actually went to one.  Although the job he works for now, does not require him to know anything realted to computers, these courses have been very helpful.  I run a small tax business and constantly have problems with my computers.  If they go down, my business sinks.  I have little knowledge of computers.  But, my son has been successfully keeping my equipment up and running.  He downloads appropriate software as needed for me and keeps track of my expenses and profits using my accounting software.  This year I made him a partner.  He is my technology manager.  

I am impressed with NCSA courses and might just take a few under my mother's account.  That way, I just have to pay for the certifications, if I want them.  The courses themselves can be used to educate multiple users.  For me, the certifications aren't really necessary.  I just want to improve my own business.

The only thing I don't like about the program is that if you don't use it for a while, it doesn't seem to remember you as a student.  If I pay for a one  year subscription,  I should be able to access it at any time during the year, even if I haven't used it in months.  My mom bought the one year program, but hasn't used it in 3 months.  She wants to use it now but can't seem to get into it.  I'd like to see this problem fixed.  Not every student has the time to work on courses regularly.  But if they paid the full price, it should be accssible at any time.

Also, perhaps, it's not your lack of certification that's not getting you the job.  Try looking at other areas.  Maybe you should should take a look at your interviewing skills and how you are "showing" your computer knowledge to the interviewer.  Having a certifcate means nothing to an employer, if he asks you a question during an interview and you don't know how to answer it probably.  Anyone can learn something long enough to pass a test and get a certificate.  But do you acutally remember now, what you learned in those courses you took five years ago.  A lot of students train this way in school, even in degree programs.  But they don't know how to do the job when they actually get one.  Try creating some very impressive projects with your new computer knowledge.  Then wait until the interviewer makes just the right comment or question so you can bring them out of your portfolio during your interview.  This will actually "show " the interviewer that you know your stuff.

 National Computer Science Academy Certifcations are not worthless I am just mentally ill.