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Nice One! As you’re looking at this we guess you must be considering retraining for a new career - that means you’ve already taken one more step than the majority. Less of us than you’d think are happy and fulfilled in our work, but it’s rare anyone does more than moan. You could join a select group who make a difference in their lives.

When considering retraining, it’s vital that you have in mind what you want and don’t want from the job you’re hoping to qualify for. Ensure that things would be a lot better before you spend time and effort taking a new turn. We recommend looking at the big picture first, to make an informed decision:

* Do you want to interact with other people? If so, do you like working with the same people or do you want to meet lots of new people? Maybe you’d rather be left alone to get on with things?

* Which criteria’s are fundamental with regard to the industry you’ll be employed in?

* Should this be the only time you will need more qualifications?

* Do you think being qualified will allow you to find new work easily, and stay employable until sixty five?

When listing your options, it’s relevant that you consider Information Technology - everyone knows that it is one of the few growth sectors. It’s not full of geeky individuals looking at computer screens all day - we know those roles do exist, but the majority of roles are done by people like you and me who get on very well.

Commencing from the viewpoint that we need to find the area of most interest first, before we can contemplate which training program would meet that requirement, how can we choose the right direction? Flicking through a list of odd-sounding and meaningless job titles is no use whatsoever. The vast majority of us have no idea what our next-door neighbours do at work each day - so what chance do we have in understanding the intricacies of any specific IT role. To work through this, we need to discuss several core topics:

* What hobbies you have and enjoy - these can show the possibilities will satisfy you.

* Are you aiming to reach a key goal - for instance, working from home in the near future?

* Any personal or home needs you may have?

* Learning what typical job areas and sectors are - plus how they’re different to each other.

* You need to appreciate the differences between each area of training.

Ultimately, the most intelligent way of covering these is from a meeting with an advisor that has enough background to give you the information required.

Consider the points below very carefully if you believe the marketing blurb about ‘guaranteeing’ exams sounds like a benefit to the student:

Of course it isn’t free - you’re still footing the bill for it - the price has simply been included in the whole thing. People who take each progressive exam, funding them as they go are much better placed to get through first time. They’re mindful of what they’ve paid and take the necessary steps to make sure they’re ready.

Don’t pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you at the time, and save having to find the money early. In addition, it’s then your choice where to take your exam - meaning you can choose a local testing centre. Including money in your training package for exams (plus interest - if you’re financing your study) is insane. Resist being talked into filling the training company’s account with additional funds only to please their Bank Manager! Some will be pinning their hopes on the fact that you don’t even take them all - but they won’t refund the cash. Don’t forget, with the majority of Exam Guarantees - the company decides when you can do your re-takes. You’ll have to prove conclusively that you can pass before they’ll pay for another exam.

Exams taken at VUE and Prometric centres are around 112 pounds in Great Britain. What’s the point of paying huge fees for ‘exam guarantees’ (usually wrapped up in the course package price) - when a quality course, support and study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

Commercial qualifications are now, very visibly, taking over from the more academic tracks into the industry - but why has this come about? Key company training (as it’s known in the industry) is most often much more specialised. The IT sector has acknowledged that a specialist skill-set is what’s needed to service the demands of a technologically complex marketplace. Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe are the dominant players. In a nutshell, the learning just focuses on what’s actually required. Actually, it’s not quite as pared down as that, but the most important function is always to concentrate on the fundamentally important skill-sets (alongside some required background) - without trying to cram in all sorts of other things (as universities often do).

The bottom line is: Accredited IT qualifications let employers know exactly what you’re capable of - everything they need to know is in the title: as an example - I am a ‘Microsoft Certified Professional’ in ‘Windows XP Administration and Configuration’. Therefore an employer can look at the particular needs they have and which qualifications will be suitable to deal with those needs.

Students who consider this area of study often have a very practical outlook on work, and aren’t really suited to the classroom environment, and poring through books and manuals. If you’re thinking this sounds like you, opt for more involving, interactive learning materials, where learning is video-based. Long-term memory is enhanced when we use multiple senses - educational experts have expounded on this for decades now.

Locate a program where you’ll receive a selection of DVD-ROM’s - you’ll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, and be able to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills. You’ll definitely want a study material demo’ from the training company. The materials should incorporate demo’s from instructors, slideshows and lab’s for you to practice your skills in.

It is generally unwise to go for purely on-line training. With highly variable reliability and quality from most broadband providers, make sure you get physical media such as CD or DVD ROM’s.

Get rid of any salesman who pushes one particular program without performing a ‘fact-find’ to assess your abilities as well as experience level. Always check they have access to a large range of products so they can solve your training issues. It’s worth remembering, if you have some relevant previous certification, then it’s not unreasonable to expect to commence studying further along than someone who is new to the field. Opening with a basic PC skills course first may be the ideal way to commence your computer programme, but really depends on your level of familiarity with computers.

We all have busy lives, and usually if we want to advance our future prospects, studying at the same time as holding down a job is what we’re faced with. Microsoft authorised training can be the way to do it. You might like to have a chat about jobs with a person who’s got industry experience - and should you be confused, then have some guidance on whereabouts in industry would be best, based on your likes and dislikes and your character. Having selected your career path, you’ll need a suitable training program matched to your needs. Your course material should more than match your expectations.

It’s usual for students to get confused with a single training area which is often not even considered: The way the training is divided into chunks and packaged off through the post. Many think it logical (when study may take one to three years for a full commercial certification,) that a training provider will issue the courseware in stages, until you’ve passed all the exams. Although: What would their reaction be if you find it difficult to do all the exams at the speed they required? Often the staged order won’t be as easy as some other structure would for you.

In a perfect world, you’d get ALL the training materials right at the beginning - giving you them all for the future to come back to - irrespective of any schedule. This also allows you to vary the order in which you complete your exams where a more intuitive path can be found.

Several companies offer a Job Placement Assistance facility, designed to steer you into your first job. The honest truth is that it’s not as difficult as you may be led to believe to get a job - once you’re trained and certified; employers in this country need your skills.

One important thing though, avoid waiting until you’ve completed your exams before bringing your CV up to date. As soon as your training commences, list what you’re working on and place it on jobsites! Being considered a ‘maybe’ is more than not being regarded at all. Often junior support roles are got by students who are still at an early stage in their studies. Generally, a specialist independent regional employment agency (who will get paid by the employer when they’ve placed you) should get better results than any division of a training company. Also of course they should know the local industry and employment needs.

Certainly make sure you don’t invest a great deal of time on your training course, then call a halt and imagine someone else is miraculously going to secure your first position. Take responsibility for yourself and get out there. Put as much energy and enthusiasm into getting your first job as it took to pass the exams.

Commercial certification is now, without a doubt, taking over from the traditional routes into the IT industry - but why is this happening? The IT sector is of the opinion that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, official accreditation from the likes of Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA often is more effective in the commercial field - saving time and money. Obviously, an appropriate quantity of relevant additional information must be learned, but core specialisation in the particular job function gives a commercially educated person a distinct advantage.

Just as the old advertisement said: ‘It does what it says on the label’. All an employer has to do is know where they have gaps, and then match up the appropriate exam numbers as a requirement. Then they know that anyone who applies can do the necessary work.

Make sure you don’t get caught-up, like so many people do, on the training process. Training for training’s sake is generally pointless; this is about employment. Focus on the end-goal. Students often train for a single year but end up doing the actual job for 10-20 years. Avoid the mistake of finding what seems like a program of interest to you and then put 10-20 years into a job you hate!

Stay tuned-in to what you want to achieve, and create a learning-plan from that - not the other way round. Keep on track and begin studying for a job you’ll enjoy for years to come. The best advice for students is to talk with an experienced industry professional before they make a decision on a particular training path. This is essential to ensure it contains the commercially required skills for the career path that has been chosen.

Incorporating examinations as an inclusive element of the package price then giving it ‘Exam Guarantee’ status is common for a good many training companies. But let’s examine why they really do it:

These days, we’re a little bit more aware of sales ploys - and generally we know that for sure we are actually being charged for it (it’s not a freebie because they like us so much!) Passing first time is everyone’s goal. Going for exams one by one and funding them one at a time puts you in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt - you prepare appropriately and are conscious of what you’ve spent.

Hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take the exam, and avoid college mark-up fees. You’ll then be able to select where you take your exam - which means you can stay local. Huge profits are made by many companies that get money for exam fees in advance. For various reasons, many students don’t take their exams and so they pocket the rest. Surprising as it sounds, there are training companies that depend on students not taking their exams - and that’s how they increase their profits. The majority of companies will insist that you take mock exams first and not allow you to re-take an exam until you’ve demonstrated an excellent ability to pass - which makes an ‘Exam Guarantee’ frankly useless.

With average prices for VUE and Pro-metric exams costing in the region of 112 pounds in this country, by far the best option is to pay for them as you take them. Not to fork out thousands extra in up-front costs. Commitment, effort and practice with quality exam preparation systems are the factors that really get you through.

If your search is for Cisco training and you haven’t worked with routers before, what you need is the CCNA. This training program has been put together to teach individuals looking to have a commercial knowledge of routers. Many large organisations that have several locations use them to join up their various different networks of computers to allow their networks to keep in touch. The Internet also is based on huge numbers of routers.

It’s very probable you’ll get a job with an internet service provider or a big organisation that is spread out geographically but needs regular secure data communications. Both types of jobs command good salaries.

Get on a specially designed course that will systematically go through everything to make sure you’ve got the appropriate skills and knowledge before starting your training in Cisco skills.

Of all the important things to consider, one of the most essential is always 24×7 round-the-clock support through dedicated instructors and mentors. Too many companies only provide office hours (or extended office hours) support. Look for training with help available at any time of the day or night (even 1am on Sunday morning!) Make sure it’s always 24×7 direct access to mentors and instructors, and not access to a call-in service which takes messages - so you’re parked in a queue of others waiting to be called back at a convenient time for them.

Top training providers opt for an online access 24×7 system combining multiple support operations throughout multiple time-zones. You get a simple interface that seamlessly selects the best facility available irrespective of the time of day: Support available as-and-when you want it. Find a training school that cares. As only round-the-clock 24×7 support gives you the confidence to make it.

We can all agree: There really is no such thing as individual job security available anymore; there can only be market or business security - companies can just let anyone go when it fits the company’s business requirements. When we come across growing skills deficits together with escalating demand though, we generally reveal a fresh type of security in the marketplace; driven forward by a continual growth, employers struggle to find the staff required.

Taking a look at the IT sector, the 2006 e-Skills analysis highlighted an over 26 percent skills deficit. Accordingly, for every four jobs that are available in IT, companies are only able to locate enough qualified individuals for 3 of the 4. Attaining proper commercial Information Technology certification is correspondingly an effective route to a continuing and pleasing career. Surely, this really is a fabulous time for retraining into Information Technology (IT).

Always expect the latest Microsoft (or any other key organisation’s) authorised simulation materials and exam preparation packages. Due to the fact that many examining boards for IT tend to be American, it’s essential to understand how exam questions will be phrased and formatted. It isn’t good enough simply understanding random questions - they must be in an exam format that exactly replicates the real thing. A way to build self-confidence is if you check your knowledge through quizzes and practice exams to prepare you for taking the actual exam.

Only consider retraining programs which will grow into industry accepted qualifications. There are way too many minor schools offering their own ‘in-house’ certificates which are worthless when you start your job-search. If your certification doesn’t come from a major player like Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA or Cisco, then chances are it won’t be commercially viable - because no-one will recognise it.

Commencing from the viewpoint that it makes sense to locate the area of most interest first, before we’re able to consider what career development program would meet that requirement, how do we decide on the correct route? I mean, if you have no experience in the IT industry, how can you expect to know what any qualified IT worker actually does day-to-day? Let alone arrive at what certification program is the most likely for you to get there. Deliberation over the following points is important when you want to discover the right answer for you:

* Your personality type and what you’re interested in - which work-centred jobs you love or hate.

* Are you looking to realise a specific aspiration - for example, working from home in the near future?

* How highly do you rate salary - is an increase your main motivator, or do you place job satisfaction a lot higher on your list of priorities?

* Some students don’t fully understand the level of commitment expected to get fully certified.

* You need to understand the differences across all the training areas.

For most of us, sifting through all these ideas tends to require the help of an experienced pro who can investigate each area with you. And not just the certifications - you also need to understand the commercial needs and expectations besides.