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There are four specialised areas of training in the complete CompTIA A+ course, of which you’ll need certification in two subjects to gain A+ competency. But only learning about 2 of the study sections is likely to leave your knowledge base somewhat light. Look for training that covers all the specialist areas - you’ll be glad you did when it comes to interview time.

Qualifying in CompTIA A+ by itself will give you the ability to repair and fix stand-alone PC’s and MAC’s; ones that are generally not connected to a network - essentially the domestic or small business sector. You might also choose to consider adding Network+ training to your A+ as you can then also look after networks of computers, and become a more senior IT professional.

Picking up on all the debate covering IT these days, how can we know what exactly to look for?

A capable and professional consultant (in contrast with a salesperson) will cover in some detail your current experience level and abilities. This is paramount to establishing the point at which you need to start your studies. Where you have a strong background, or maybe some live experience (possibly even some previous certification?) then it’s more than likely your starting level will be quite dissimilar from a trainee who has no experience. Opening with a user skills course first is often the best way to get into your IT programme, depending on your current skill level.

Any program that you’re going to undertake must provide a widely recognised accreditation as an end-result - not some little ‘in-house’ piece of paper. The main industry leaders like Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe all have internationally approved proficiency programmes. Major-league companies like these will make sure you’re employable.

If you forget everything else - then just remember this: You have to get round-the-clock 24×7 instructor support. We can tell you that you’ll strongly regret it if you don’t follow this rule rigidly. Find a good quality service where you can access help at any time of the day or night (no matter if it’s in the middle of the night on a weekend!) You want access directly to professional tutors, 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 when it’s convenient for them.

The best training colleges tend to use a web-based 24 hours-a-day service combining multiple support operations across the globe. You’ll have an easy to use interface which accesses the most appropriate office no matter what time of day it is: Support available as-and-when you want it. Don’t accept second best when you’re looking for the right support service. The majority of would-be IT professionals that give up, are in that situation because of a lack of support.

Those that are drawn to this type of work are usually quite practically-minded, and aren’t really suited to the classroom environment, and endless reading of dry academic textbooks. If you’re thinking this sounds like you, use multimedia, interactive learning, with on-screen demonstrations and labs. Where possible, if we can get all of our senses involved in our learning, then we normally see dramatically better results.

Study programs now come on CD and DVD discs, where everything is taught on your PC. Video streaming means you will be able to see the instructor presenting exactly how it’s all done, and then have a go at it yourself - via the interactive virtual lab’s. Any company that you’re considering should willingly take you through samples of their training materials. Make sure you encounter videos of instructor-led classes and many interactive sections.

Some companies only have access to training that is purely available online; and while this is acceptable much of the time, think what will happen if your access to the internet is broken or you get intermittent problems and speed issues. It is usually safer to have actual CD or DVD ROMs that removes the issue entirely.

Adding in the cost of examination fees upfront then including an exam guarantee is popular with many companies. But let’s examine why they really do it:

Clearly it isn’t free - you’re still being charged for it - the price has simply been included in the whole thing. For those who want to get a first time pass, then you should pay for each exam as you go, prioritise it appropriately and give the task sufficient application.

Take your exams somewhere local and go for the best offer you can find when you’re ready. Paying in advance for exam fees (plus interest - if you’re financing your study) is insane. Don’t line companies bank accounts with your hard-earned cash only to please their Bank Manager! There are those who hope that you will never make it to exams - then they’ll keep the extra money. Many training companies will require you to do mock exams and hold you back from re-takes until you’ve completely proven that you’re likely to pass - making an ‘exam guarantee’ just about worthless.

With the average price of Pro-metric and VUE examinations coming in at approximately 112 pounds in Great Britain, it makes sense to pay as you go. There’s no sense in throwing away maybe a thousand pounds extra at the start of your studies. Commitment, effort and practice with quality exam preparation systems are the factors that really get you through.

A question; why ought we to be looking at commercial qualifications rather than more traditional academic qualifications obtained from schools and Further Education colleges? Industry is of the opinion that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, proper accreditation from such organisations as Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA often is more effective in the commercial field - for much less time and money. Of course, a reasonable degree of background knowledge needs to be learned, but precise specialised knowledge in the areas needed gives a vendor trained student a huge edge.

As long as an employer is aware what they’re looking for, then they just need to look for a person with the appropriate exam numbers. Commercial syllabuses are all based on the same criteria and don’t change between schools (like academia frequently can and does).

Locating job security these days is incredibly rare. Companies will remove us out of the workforce with very little notice - as long as it fits their needs. Whereas a marketplace with high growth, where there just aren’t enough staff to go round (because of a massive shortfall of fully trained workers), enables the possibility of lasting job security.

The computer industry skills shortage throughout the UK is standing at roughly 26 percent, as noted by the latest e-Skills study. To explain it in a different way, this clearly demonstrates that the country can only locate 3 certified professionals for every 4 jobs that exist today. Highly taught and commercially grounded new workers are consequently at a resounding premium, and it seems it will continue to be so for many years to come. In actuality, seeking in-depth commercial IT training during the next year or two is very likely the best choice of careers you could make.

If your dream is to become a great web designer qualified appropriately for the current working environment, you’ll need to study Adobe Dreamweaver. For applications in the commercial world you should have an in-depth understanding of the full Adobe Web Creative Suite. This will include (though it’s not limited to) Flash and Action Script. If your goal is to become an Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) or an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) these skills will be absolutely essential.

The construction of a website is only the beginning of what’s needed - in order to maintain content, create traffic, and work with dynamic database-driven sites, you’ll be required to have other programming skills, for example PHP, HTML, and MySQL. In addition, you should gain a practical knowledge of E-Commerce and SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).

Being at the forefront of progressive developments in new technology gives you the best job satisfaction ever. You become one of a team of people creating a future for us all. We’re barely beginning to comprehend how all this will mould and change our lives. The way we interact with the world will be inordinately affected by computers and the web.

Let’s not forget that on average, the income of a person in the IT industry throughout this country is noticeably higher than average salaries nationally, therefore you will probably receive noticeably more with professional IT knowledge, than you could reasonably hope to achieve elsewhere. The requirement for certified IT specialists is a fact of life for a good while yet, because of the ongoing growth in this sector and the very large deficiency that we still have.

If the computing industry provides such an array of exceptional job prospects for us all - what are the questions we should ask and what aspects should we be considering?

It’s important to understand: a training program or the accreditation is not the ultimate goal; the particular job that you’re getting the training for is. Many trainers unfortunately place too much importance on the qualification itself. It’s a sad testimony to the sales skills of many companies, but a large percentage of students commence training that sounds magnificent from the sales literature, but which provides a job that is of no interest at all. Talk to many college graduates and you’ll see where we’re coming from.

Spend some time thinking about what you want to earn and whether you’re an ambitious person or not. Usually, this will point the way to what precise qualifications you will need and what you can expect to give industry in return. Speak to an experienced industry advisor who knows about the sector you’re looking at, and is able to give you a detailed description of what you actually do in that role. Establishing this before starting out on a training programme will prevent a lot of wasted time and effort.

A lot of trainers will only offer support available from 9-6 (office hours) and sometimes later on specific days; not many go late into the evening (after 8-9pm) or cover weekends properly. Never accept certification programs which can only support you through a call-centre messaging service when it’s outside of usual working hours. Training schools will defend this with all kinds of excuses. The simple fact of the matter is - you want support at the appropriate time - not when it suits them.

The best trainers use multiple support centres active in different time-zones. Online access provides the interactive interface to join them all seamlessly, any time of the day or night, there is always help at hand, avoiding all the delays and problems. If you accept anything less than support round-the-clock, you’ll end up kicking yourself. You may not need it in the middle of the night, but you’re bound to use weekends, evenings and early mornings at some point.

Trainees looking at this market are usually quite practically-minded, and don’t always take well to classrooms, and struggling through thick study-volumes. If you identify with this, opt for more involving, interactive learning materials, where learning is video-based. If we can get all of our senses involved in our learning, then we often see hugely increased memory retention as a result.

Modern training can now be done at home via easy-to-use DVD or CD ROM’s. Instructor-led tutorials will mean you’ll take everything in through the demonstrations and explanations. You can then test yourself by interacting with the software and practicing yourself. Any company that you’re considering must be able to demonstrate samples of the materials provided for study. You should hope for instructor-led videos and many interactive sections.

It doesn’t make sense to go for purely on-line training. Due to the variable nature of connection quality from your average broadband company, ensure that you have access to actual CD or DVD ROM’s.

Students will sometimes miss checking on a vitally important element - how their company actually breaks down and delivers the physical training materials, and into how many separate packages. Individual deliveries for each training module one piece at a time, as you complete each module is the typical way that your program will arrive. While sounding logical, you should take these factors into account: Often, the staged breakdown insisted on by the company won’t suit you. And what if you don’t finish all the sections at the speed required?

To be straight, the very best answer is to have a copy of their prescribed order of study, but make sure you have all of your learning modules right from the beginning. Everything is then in your possession if you don’t manage to finish within their ideal time-table.

Consider the facts below very carefully if you’ve been persuaded that that over-used sales technique about a guarantee for your exam looks like a reason to buy:

In this day and age, we have to be a little more ‘marketing-savvy’ - and usually we grasp that it is something we’re paying for (it’s not a freebie because they like us so much!) Evidence shows that when trainees fund each examination, one by one, they will be much more likely to get through on the first attempt - as they are conscious of their payment and their application will be greater.

Do the examinations at a local pro-metric testing centre and go for the best offer you can find when you’re ready. Paying upfront for examinations (which also includes interest if you’ve taken out a loan) is a false economy. Resist being talked into filling the training company’s account with extra money of yours just to give them a good cash-flow! Many will hope you will never make it to exams - but they won’t refund the cash. You should fully understand that re-takes through companies who offer an ‘Exam Guarantee’ inevitably are heavily regulated. They’ll insist that you take mock exams first until you’ve proven that you’re likely to pass.

VUE and Prometric examinations are currently clocking in at an average of 112 pounds in this country. What’s the point of paying huge ‘Exam Guarantee’ costs (often hidden in the cost) - when the best course materials, the right level of support and exam preparation systems and a dose of commitment and effort are what’s required.

A service provided by many trainers is job placement assistance. It’s intention is to assist your search for your first position. Having said that, occasionally people are too impressed with this facility, because it’s really not that difficult for well qualified and focused men and women to secure work in IT - because there’s a great need for skilled employees.

You would ideally have help with your CV and interview techniques though; and we’d recommend all students to work on polishing up their CV right at the beginning of their training - don’t put it off till you’ve finished your exams. It’s not uncommon to find that junior support roles have been bagged by students who’re still on their course and haven’t even passed a single exam yet. At least this will get your CV into the ‘possible’ pile and not the ‘no’ pile. The top companies to help you land that job are normally specialist locally based employment services. Because they get paid commission to place you, they have more incentive to get on with it.

Certainly ensure you don’t put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, only to stop and leave it up to everyone else to find you a job. Get off your backside and get on with the job. Channel as much time and energy into landing the right position as you did to get trained.

Congratulations! By reading this it’s likely you’re thinking about 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 pleased to go to work each day, but most just moan and do nothing about it. Why not be one of a small number who actually do something about it.

Prior to considering individual courses, discuss your thoughts with an industry expert who can talk you through the right type of training for you. Someone who has the ability to ask questions about your likes and dislikes, and discover what type of job will be right for you:

* Do you operate better working alone or is being in a team environment an important option?

* Which criteria’s are important to you with regard to the sector of industry you’re looking to get into?

* Should this be the last time you’ll have to retrain?

* Would you like your study to be in an industry where you know your chances of gainful employment are high up to the time you want to stop?

We ask you to consider the computer industry - there are more roles than people to do them, because it’s a rare career choice where the market sector is expanding. Contrary to what some people would have you think, it isn’t a bunch of techie geeks gazing at their computer screens the whole day (though naturally some jobs are like that.) The majority of jobs are taken by people like you and me who enjoy better than average salaries.

It’s abundantly clear: There’s absolutely no personal job security anywhere now; there can only be market or business security - companies can just remove anyone whenever it fits the business’ business requirements. Wherever we find growing skills deficits coupled with high demand areas though, we often reveal a fresh type of security in the marketplace; driven by a continual growth, organisations are struggling to hire the number of people required.

Reviewing the computing industry, the recent e-Skills study demonstrated an over 26 percent deficit in trained staff. To put it another way, this means that Great Britain can only find 3 certified professionals for each 4 positions existing today. This alarming idea underpins the validity and need for more technically accredited computer professionals across the country. We can’t imagine if a better time or market state of affairs is ever likely to exist for getting certified in this quickly growing and developing sector.

Which kind of questions should we ask so as to take in the understanding required? Because it’s evident there are many fairly superb prospects for us all to look at.

Starting from the viewpoint that we have to choose the area of most interest first, before we’re even able to mull over which career development program would meet that requirement, how can we choose the correct route? Because without any solid background in Information Technology, how should we possibly understand what a particular job actually consists of? Ultimately, the right choice can only grow from a systematic investigation of several unique factors:

* Personalities play a major part - what things get your juices flowing, and what tasks ruin your day.

* Is it your desire to accomplish an important aspiration - for instance, working from home as quickly as possible?

* Any personal or home requirements you have?

* Getting to grips with what typical job roles and sectors are - including what sets them apart.

* The time and energy you’ll have available to commit your training.

For most of us, getting to the bottom of these areas tends to require the help of an experienced pro who has direct industry experience. And we’re not only talking about the accreditations - but the commercial expectations and needs of the market as well.

If you’re like many of the students we talk to then you’re a practical sort of person - the ‘hands-on’ personality type. If you’re anything like us, the trial of reading reference books and manuals is something you’ll force on yourself if you absolutely have to, but you really wouldn’t enjoy it. You should use video and multimedia based materials if books just don’t do it for you. Memory is vastly improved when all our senses are brought into the mix - experts have been clear on this for many years.

Start a study-program in which you’ll receive a selection of CD or DVD ROM’s - you’ll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, and be able to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills. Don’t take any chances and look at some examples of the kind of training materials you’ll be using before you purchase a course. The minimum you should expect would be instructor demonstrations, video tutorials and audio-visual elements backed up by interactive lab’s.

Some companies only have access to purely on-line training; and although this is okay the majority of the time, consider how you’ll deal with it when you don’t have access to the internet or you get a slow connection speed. A safer solution is the provision of DVD or CD discs that don’t suffer from these broadband issues.

Often, students don’t think to check on a painfully important area - how their training provider segments the training materials, and into what particular chunks. You may think it logical (with most training taking 1-3 years to pass all the required exams,) that a training provider will issue one section at a time, as you pass each element. But: What would happen if you didn’t finish each section at the proposed pace? Often the staged order won’t be as easy as another different route may.

In all honesty, the best solution is to have their ideal ‘order’ of training laid out, but make sure you have all of your learning modules right from the beginning. You’re then in possession of everything if you don’t manage to finish within their ideal time-table.

At the top of your shopping list for a training program should be proper direct-access 24×7 support through professional mentors and instructors. Far too often we see trainers who will only offer a basic 9am till 6pm support period (maybe later on certain days) with very little availability over the weekend. Never purchase study programmes that only provide support to you with a call-centre messaging system after office-staff have gone home. Training companies will always try to hide the importance of this issue. But, no matter how they put it - you need support when you need support - not at their convenience.

Top training companies utilise several support facilities active in different time-zones. They use an online interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together, irrespective of the time you login, there is always help at hand, avoiding all the delays and problems. Search out a trainer that goes the extra mile. As only round-the-clock 24×7 support gives you the confidence to make it.

It’s not uncommon for companies to offer inclusive exam guarantees - this always means exams have to be paid for upfront, when you pay for the rest of your course. But before you get taken in by the chance of a guarantee, be aware of the facts:

We all know that we’re still paying for it - it’s obviously already been included in the gross price invoiced by the training company. It’s certainly not free - don’t think these companies are so generous with their money! The honest truth is that if a student pays for each examination, one after the other, they’ll be in a better position to get through on the first attempt - since they’re aware of their payment and therefore will put more effort into their preparation.

Find the best exam deal or offer available at the time, and save having to find the money early. You also get more choice of where you do your exams - meaning you can choose a local testing centre. Paying upfront for exams (which also includes interest if you’ve taken out a loan) is madness. It’s not your job to boost the training company’s account with additional funds only to please their Bank Manager! There are those who hope that you won’t get round to taking them - then they’ll keep the extra money. Pay heed to the fact that, with the majority of Exam Guarantees - they control when and how often you are allowed to do a re-take. Subsequent exam attempts are only authorised at the company’s say so.

Prometric and VUE exams are around 112 pounds in Britain at the time of writing. Why pay exorbitant charges for ‘Exam Guarantees’ (most often hidden in the package) - when good quality study materials, the proper support and exam preparation systems and a dose of commitment and effort are what’s required.

Every program under consideration really needs to work up to a properly recognised qualification at the end - and not a worthless ‘in-house’ diploma - fit only for filing away and forgetting. All the major commercial players such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco all have internationally acknowledged proficiency programs. Huge conglomerates such as these will make sure you’re employable.

The Microsoft MCSA course (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) is right for anyone wanting to become a network engineer. So if you’re already experienced but need to formalise your skills with a good qualification, or you are just getting into the industry, you will be able to find a course to fulfil your needs. Each category should have a different training track, so pay attention to check you’re being offered the best one prior to spending your money. Look for a training company that talks with you so they learn what you hope to do, and will give you direction on what you want to do, long before they select your course.

It’s abundantly clear: There’s absolutely no personal job security now; there’s only industry and sector security - companies can just let anyone go if it meets their commercial needs. In actuality, security now only emerges through a swiftly increasing marketplace, driven by a shortfall of trained staff. It’s this shortage that creates the right environment for a higher level of market-security - definitely a more pleasing situation.

The computer industry skills-gap throughout Great Britain falls in at approx 26 percent, according to the latest e-Skills survey. To explain it in a different way, this shows that Great Britain can only locate 3 certified professionals for every 4 jobs available currently. This distressing concept underpins the requirement for more technically certified Information Technology professionals in the UK. Unquestionably, now really is such a perfect time to train for the computing industry.

As the computer market presents such an array of dazzling advancement opportunities for us all - what questions do we need to raise and which factors are important to consider?

An advisor that doesn’t ask you a lot of questions - the likelihood is they’re just trying to sell you something. If they wade straight in with a specific product before getting to know your background and whether you have any commercial experience, then it’s very likely to be the case. Where you have a strong background, or sometimes a little work-based experience (some industry qualifications maybe?) then obviously the level you’ll need to start at will be different from a student that is completely new to the industry. It’s wise to consider user-skills and software training first. This can often make the transition to higher-level learning a much more gentle.

We need to make this very clear: You absolutely must have proper 24×7 instructor and mentor support. We can tell you that you’ll strongly regret it if you don’t follow this rule rigidly. Don’t accept training that only supports students with a call-centre messaging system after 6-9pm in the evening and during weekends. Training companies will defend this with all kinds of excuses. The simple fact of the matter is - you want support at the appropriate time - not as-and-when it’s suitable for their staff.

Keep looking and you’ll come across the top providers who give students direct-access support 24×7 - even in the middle of the night. You can’t afford to accept a lower level of service. Direct-access 24×7 support is the only viable option with computer-based study. Maybe late-evening study is not your thing; often though, we’re working while the support is live.

We’d hazard a guess that you’ve always enjoyed practical work - a ‘hands-on’ person. Usually, the unfortunate chore of reading reference guides is something you’ll force on yourself if you absolutely have to, but it doesn’t suit your way of doing things. You should use video and multimedia based materials if learning from books is not your thing. If we can involve all our senses in the learning process, our results will often be quite spectacular.

Learning is now available on CD and DVD discs, so you can study at your own computer. Through video streaming, you will be able to see the instructor presenting exactly how to perform the required skill, and then have a go at it yourself - in a virtual lab environment. Any company that you’re considering must be able to demonstrate samples of their courseware. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and many interactive sections.

Go for disc based courseware (On CD or DVD) whenever you can. Thus avoiding all the issues associated with broadband ‘downtime’ or slow-speeds.

What is the reason why qualifications from colleges and universities are being replaced by more qualifications from the commercial sector? Corporate based study (as it’s known in the industry) is far more effective and specialised. Industry has become aware that this level of specialised understanding is what’s needed to service the demands of an acceleratingly technical commercial environment. Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA are the key players in this arena. Essentially, the learning just focuses on what’s actually required. It’s not quite as straightforward as that, but principally the objective has to be to master the precisely demanded skill-sets (with some necessary background) - without overdoing the detail in everything else (as degree courses are known to do).

Just like the advert used to say: ‘It does what it says on the label’. The company just needs to 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.

A successful training package will also offer accredited exam preparation systems. Sometimes people can get thrown by going through practice questions that aren’t recognised by authorised sources. Sometimes, the terminology in the real exams is unfamiliar and it’s vital that you know this. As you can imagine, it’s very important to be confident that you’re absolutely ready for your commercial exam before embarking on it. Revising ‘mock’ tests helps build your confidence and saves you time and money on wasted exam attempts.

The sometimes daunting task of landing your first IT job is often eased by some training providers because they offer a Job Placement Assistance facility. Ultimately it isn’t so complicated as you might think to land employment - as long as you’re correctly trained and certified; the shortage of IT personnel in Britain looks after that.

Ideally you should have CV and Interview advice and support though; also we would encourage any student to update their CV right at the beginning of their training - don’t procrastinate and leave it for when you’re ready to start work. Having the possibility of an interview is more than not being known. Many junior jobs are bagged by people (who’ve only just left first base.) The most efficient companies to help you land that job are most often local IT focused employment agencies. Because they make their money when they’ve found you a job, they have the necessary incentive to try that bit harder.

A good number of students, apparently, are prepared to study their hearts out (for years sometimes), only to give up at the first hurdle when attempting to secure their first job. Market yourself… Make an effort to get in front of employers. Don’t expect a job to just fall into your lap.

What might someone searching for Microsoft certified training expect to come across? Undoubtedly, companies ought to have a variety of routes that match the needs of training tracks certified by Microsoft. In addition, you may like to have a discussion on the jobs available to you when you’ve finished studying, and the kind of person that work might be right for. Many people like to discuss what they might be good at. Training courses should be designed to suit your ability level and skills. Hence, having worked out the most appropriate area of work for you, you’ll then need to look at what is the relevant route that will get you into that job.

Seeing as the IT market provides such an array of great career development opportunities for us all - then which questions should we raise and what aspects are most important?

We can see a myriad of work available in IT. Arriving at the correct choice in this uncertainty can be very difficult. After all, without any background in the IT industry, how are you equipped to know what someone in a particular field fills their day with? Let alone decide on what certification program is the most likely for success. Often, the key to unlocking this question correctly comes from a deep conversation around several different topics:

* The kind of person you reckon you are - what kind of jobs you really enjoy, and on the other side of the coin - what you hate to do.

* What time-frame are you looking at for the training process?

* What are your thoughts on job satisfaction vs salary?

* Getting to grips with what typical career areas and sectors are - including what sets them apart.

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

In these situations, you’ll find the only real way to research these areas will be via a meeting with a professional that has a background in Information Technology (and specifically it’s commercial needs.)

At the top of your shopping list for a training program should be comprehensive 24×7 direct-access support through professional mentors and instructors. So many companies we come across only seem to want to help while they’re in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends. Avoid training that only supports trainees via a message system after office-staff have gone home. Trainers will defend this with all kinds of excuses. The bottom line is - support is required when it’s required - not when it’s convenient for them.

World-class organisations opt for an online 24 hours-a-day facility pulling in several support offices over many time-zones. You’ll have an easy to use interface that accesses the most appropriate office at any time of day or night: Support when you need it. Unless you insist on 24×7 support, you’ll regret it. It may be that you don’t use it late at night, but consider weekends, early mornings or late evenings.

Most trainers typically provide mainly work-books and reference manuals. Learning like this is dull and repetitive and not a very good way of achieving retention. Memory is vastly improved with an involvement of all our senses - experts have been clear on this for as long as we can remember.

Locate a program where you’re provided with an array of CD or DVD ROM’s - you’ll begin by watching videos of instructors demonstrating the skills, with the facility to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills. It makes sense to see a small selection of training examples before you hand over your cheque. You should expect video tutorials, instructor demo’s and audio-visual elements backed up by interactive lab’s.

Choose physical media such as CD or DVD ROM’s every time. Thus avoiding all the issues associated with internet connection failure and issues with signal quality.

Many students come unstuck over a single training area which doesn’t even occur to them: The way the training is divided into chunks and couriered to your address. A release of your materials piece by piece, according to your own speed is the usual method of releasing your program. This sounds sensible, but you should consider these factors: Maybe the order of study pushed by the company’s salespeople doesn’t suit all of us. And what if you don’t finish each and every section inside their defined time-scales?

In a perfect world, you want ALL the study materials up-front - giving you them all to come back to in the future - irrespective of any schedule. You can also vary the order in which you move through the program if you find another route more intuitive.

Exam ‘guarantees’ are sometimes offered as part of a training package - this always means you have to pay for the exams before you’ve even made a start on the course. Before you get carried away with the chance of a guarantee, be aware of the facts:

Everybody’s aware that they’re still footing the bill for it - obviously it has already been included in the full cost of the package supplied by the college. It’s absolutely not free (it’s just marketing companies think we’ll fall for anything they say!) For those who want to pass first time, then you should fund each exam as you take it, give it the priority it deserves and give the task sufficient application.

Look for the very best offer you can when you take the exam, and hang on to your cash. You also get more choice of where you do the examinations - so you can choose somewhere closer to home. Huge profits are secured by a significant number of organisations that get money for exam fees in advance. A number of students don’t take them for various reasons but no refunds are given. Astoundingly enough, there are companies around that rely on that fact - as that’s where a lot of their profit comes from. Re-takes of previously unsuccessful exams via companies with an ‘Exam Guarantee’ are monitored with tight restrictions. They’ll insist that you take mock exams first to make sure they think you’re going to pass.

With the average price of Pro-metric and VUE exams coming in at approximately 112 pounds in Great Britain, by far the best option is to pay for them as you take them. Not to fork out thousands extra in up-front costs. Study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

Many trainers have a handy Job Placement Assistance program, to assist your search for your first position. Don’t get overly impressed with this service - it’s easy for training companies to overplay it. At the end of the day, the huge shortage of staff in the United Kingdom is why employers will be interested in you.

Whatever you do, avoid waiting until you have passed your final exams before bringing your CV up to date. As soon as you start studying, list what you’re working on and get promoting! Many junior support roles have been offered to trainees who are in the process of training and have still to get qualified. At the very least this will get your CV into the ‘possible’ pile and not the ‘no’ pile. If you don’t want to travel too far to work, then you’ll often find that a local IT focused recruitment consultancy could work much better for you than a centralised service, as they’re going to have insider knowledge of what’s available near you.

To bottom line it, if you put the same amount of effort into finding your first job as into training, you won’t have any problems. A number of people bizarrely conscientiously work through their course materials and then just stop once they’ve got certified and seem to expect employers to find them.

Technology and IT is one of the most electrifying and revolutionary industries that you can get into right now. Being up close and personal with technology is to be a part of the massive changes that will impact the whole world for generations to come. Computer technology and communication through the web will spectacularly shape the direction of our lives in the future; overwhelmingly so.

The money in IT isn’t to be sniffed at moreover - the income on average throughout Britain for an average IT worker is a lot more than the national average. It’s likely that you’ll earn a whole lot more than you’d expect to earn doing other work. As the IT industry keeps growing with no sign of a slow-down, the chances are that the requirement for well trained and qualified IT technicians will continue to boom for years to come.

If you want Cisco training, a CCNA is in all probability what you’ll need. The Cisco training is designed for people who need to know all about routers. Routers are what connect networks of computers to other computer networks via the internet or dedicated lines.

As routers are connected to networks, it is important to know how networks function, or you will have difficulties with the training and not be able to understand the work. Find a training programme that includes basic networking skills (CompTIA is ideal) before you start the CCNA.

The appropriate skill-set and understanding ahead of getting going on the Cisco CCNA is essential. Therefore, discuss the requirements expected of you with someone who can fill you in on any gaps you may have.

So, what are the questions we should raise so as to take in the understanding we need? As it’s evident there are some somewhat great prospects for us all to chew over.

Usually, a everyday trainee doesn’t have a clue what way to go about starting in the IT industry, or which market they should be considering getting trained in. Scanning lists of IT career possibilities is next to useless. The majority of us have no idea what the neighbours do for a living - so we’re in the dark as to the intricacies of any specific IT role. To get through to the essence of this, there should be a discussion of many unique issues:

* Your personality type and interests - which work-related things you like and dislike.

* Are you looking to reach a specific goal - for example, being your own boss in the near future?

* Your earning requirements that are important to you?

* Some students don’t fully understand the level of commitment needed to achieve their goals.

* You will need to appreciate the differences between the myriad of training options.

At the end of the day, the best way of investigating all this is via a meeting with a professional that through years of experience will provide solid advice.

Training support for students is an absolute must - locate a good company offering 24×7 direct access to instructors, as anything less will not satisfy and will also impede your ability to learn. Never buy certification programs which can only support students through a call-centre messaging system when it’s outside of usual working hours. Companies will try to talk you round from this line of reasoning. The bottom line is - support is required when it’s required - not at their convenience.

We recommend looking for providers that have multiple support offices active in different time-zones. These should be integrated to offer a simple interface and also 24 hours-a-day access, when you want it, with no hassle. Never settle for less than you need and deserve. Direct-access 24×7 support is the only way to go for IT learning. Maybe late-evening study is not your thing; but for most of us, we’re out at work at the time when most support is available.

Traditional teaching in classrooms, involving piles of reference textbooks, can be pretty hard going sometimes. If all this is ringing some familiar bells, look for learning programmes which have a majority of interactive, multimedia parts. Long-term memory is enhanced with an involvement of all our senses - experts have been clear on this for decades now.

Locate a program where you’ll receive a library of CD and DVD based materials - you’ll be learning from instructor videos and demo’s, followed by the chance to hone your abilities through virtual lab’s. Always insist on a training material demonstration from any training college. You should ask for slide-shows, instructor-led videos and lab’s for you to practice your skills in.

Seek out CD or DVD ROM based materials whenever you can. You’re then protected from internet connection failure and issues with signal quality.

The way a programme is physically sent to you can often be overlooked. In what way are your training elements sectioned? What is the specific order and how fast does each element come? Normally, you will join a program requiring 1-3 years study and receive one element at a time until graduation. This sounds logical on one level, until you consider this: With thought, many trainees understand that their providers typical path to completion isn’t the easiest way for them. It’s often the case that it’s more expedient to use an alternative order of study. Could it cause problems if you don’t get everything done in the allotted time?

The ideal solution is to have all the training materials posted to your home before you even start; every single thing! Then, nothing can hinder your capability of finishing.

A sneaky way that course providers make more money is through up-front charges for exams and offering an exam guarantee. This sounds impressive, till you look at the facts:

You’ll pay for it one way or another. You can be assured it’s not a freebie - it’s simply been shoe-horned into the price as a whole. The honest truth is that if a student pays for each progressive exam, when they’re ready to take them and not before, there’s a much better chance they’ll pass first time - because they’ll think of their investment in themselves and so will prepare more thoroughly.

Do your exams as locally as possible and find the best exam deal or offer available then. Big margins are made by a number of companies who incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. A number of students don’t take them for various reasons and so the company is quids-in. Surprising as it sounds, there are providers that actually bank on it - as that’s where a lot of their profit comes from. Re-takes of previously unsuccessful exams through companies with an ‘Exam Guarantee’ are monitored with tight restrictions. They’ll insist that you take mock exams first until you’ve proven that you’re likely to pass.

On average, exams cost about 112 pounds in the last 12 months through UK VUE or Prometric centres. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra to get ‘Exam Guarantees’, when it’s obvious that what’s really needed is a regular, committed, study programme, with an accredited exam preparation system.

One useful service that many training companies provide is a Job Placement Assistance program. This is to assist your search for your first position. Don’t get overly impressed with this service - it’s easy for companies marketing departments to overstate it’s need. Ultimately, the massive skills shortage in the UK is what will enable you to get a job.

Advice and support about getting interviews and your CV is sometimes offered (if not, see one of our sites for help). Be sure to you update that dusty old CV straight away - don’t leave it till you pass the exams! A good number of junior support jobs have been offered to trainees who are still learning and have still to get qualified. This will at least get your CV into the ‘possible’ pile and not the ‘no’ pile. Generally, you’ll receive quicker results from a local IT focused recruitment consultant or service than any course provider’s centralised service, because they will be more familiar with the area and local employers.

Just make sure you don’t put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, then call a halt and expect somebody else to find you a job. Stop procrastinating and get on with the job. Put the same focus into getting your new role as it took to pass the exams.

IT has become amongst the most thrilling and changing industries that you can get into right now. To be working on the cutting-edge of technology is to be a part of the massive changes affecting everyone who lives in the 21st century. We’ve only just begun to scrape the surface of how technology will influence everything we do. Technology and the web will massively alter how we see and interrelate with the world around us over the coming years.

Wages in the IT sector aren’t to be ignored either - the typical remuneration in Great Britain for a typical IT worker is noticeably higher than average salaries nationally. It’s likely that you’ll earn a whole lot more than you’d typically expect to bring in elsewhere. With the IT marketplace developing nationally and internationally, it’s predictable that demand for well trained and qualified IT technicians will continue to boom for decades to come.

If your dream is to become a great web designer and have the most recognised qualification for the job market today, you’ll need to study Adobe Dreamweaver. We also advise that you learn all about the complete Adobe Web Creative Suite, which incorporates Flash and Action Script, to be able to use Dreamweaver as a commercial web-designer. These skills can result in you subsequently becoming an ACP (Adobe Certified Professional) or an ACE (Adobe Certified Expert).

Creating websites is only the beginning of the necessary skill-set for today’s web technicians. It’s a good idea to look for a course that includes important features like HTML, PHP, MySQL, Search Engine Optimisation and E-Commerce in order to know how to maintain content, create traffic and work with database driven sites.

There is a tidal wave of change flooding technology over the next few decades - and it becomes more and more thrilling each day. We’re only just starting to see just how technology is going to shape our lives. Technology and the web will massively alter the way we view and interact with the entire world over the years to come.

Should receiving a good salary be around the top on your wish list, you will be pleasantly surprised to hear that the income on average for IT employees in general is considerably higher than salaries in much of the rest of industry. Excitingly, there is a lot more room for IT sector development throughout this country. The industry continues to develop hugely, and we don’t have anywhere near enough qualified skilled IT professionals to fill current job vacancies, so it’s highly unlikely that things will be any different for decades to come.

How can we make an educated choice then? With all these possibilities, it’s essential to be guided as to where to dig - and of course, what to actually be digging for.

You should remember: the training course or the accreditation is not the ultimate goal; the career that you want is. Too many training companies over-emphasise the certificate itself. Students often train for a single year but end up doing a job for a lifetime. Ensure you avoid the fatal error of finding what seems like a very ‘interesting’ program and then spend decades in a job you don’t like!

You’ll want to understand what industry will expect from you. Which certifications they will want you to have and how you’ll build your experience level. You should also spend a little time assessing how far you think you’ll want to build your skill-set as often it can present a very specific set of exams. Look for help from a skilled professional that has commercial knowledge of your chosen market-place, and who can offer ‘A typical day in the life of’ synopsis of what kinds of tasks you’ll be undertaking with each working day. It’s good sense to know if this change is right for you long before you start on any retraining programme. After all, what is the point in starting to train only to find you’ve gone the wrong way entirely.

We can guess that you probably enjoy fairly practical work - a ‘hands-on’ type. If you’re anything like us, the painful task of reading endless manuals is something you’ll force on yourself if you absolutely have to, but it’s not really your thing. Consider interactive, multimedia study if you’d really rather not use books. Many years of research has consistently demonstrated that becoming involved with our studies, to utilise all our senses, will more likely produce memories that are deeper and longer-lasting.

Fully interactive motion videos with demonstrations and practice sessions will turn you off book-based study for ever more. And you’ll actually enjoy doing them. It’s imperative to see examples of the study materials provided by your chosen company. Be sure that they contain video, demonstrations and various interactive elements.

Some companies only have access to purely on-line training; sometimes you can get away with this - but, consider how you’ll deal with it when you don’t have access to the internet or you only get very a very slow connection sometimes. It’s much safer to rely on actual CD or DVD ROMs that don’t suffer from these broadband issues.

Of all the important things to consider, one of the most essential is always proper direct-access 24×7 support with expert mentors and instructors. Too many companies will only offer a basic 9am till 6pm support period (maybe later on certain days) with very little availability over the weekend. Never accept study programmes that only provide support to students via an out-sourced call-centre message system outside of normal office hours. Trainers will defend this with all kinds of excuses. The bottom line is - you want support at the appropriate time - not as-and-when it’s suitable for their staff.

Top training providers tend to use an internet-based 24 hours-a-day package combining multiple support operations across the globe. You will be provided with a single, easy-to-use interface which seamlessly accesses whichever office is appropriate irrespective of the time of day: Support on demand. Search out a training provider that goes the extra mile. Only true live 24×7 round-the-clock support delivers what is required.

Commercial qualifications are now, very visibly, already replacing the traditional routes into the IT sector - why then is this the case? With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs climbing ever higher, and the IT sector’s general opinion that vendor-based training often has more relevance in the commercial field, there has been a great increase in Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA authorised training routes that provide key skills to an employee at a fraction of the cost and time involved. University courses, for instance, can often get caught up in a great deal of background study - and a syllabus that’s too generalised. Students are then prevented from getting enough core and in-depth understanding on a specific area.

Put yourself in the employer’s position - and you wanted someone who could provide a specific set of skills. What’s the simplest way to find the right person: Go through loads of academic qualifications from several applicants, trying to establish what they know and what trade skills they’ve mastered, or pick out specific commercial accreditations that precisely match your needs, and then select who you want to interview from that. The interview is then more about the person and how they’ll fit in - rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.

It’s not uncommon for companies to offer inclusive exam guarantees - this always means exams have to be paid for upfront, at the very beginning of your studies. However, prior to embracing the chance of a guarantee, think about this:

They’ve allowed costings for it by some means. One thing’s for sure - it isn’t free - it’s simply been shoe-horned into the price as a whole. Students who take exams one at a time, paying as they go are much more likely to pass. They’re mindful of the cost and prepare more appropriately to be ready for the task.

Take your exams at a local pro-metric testing centre and find the best deal for you at the time. A surprising number of questionable training course providers net a great deal of profit through asking for examinations upfront and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. It’s worth noting, in the majority of cases of ‘exam guarantees’ - the company decides when you can do your re-takes. They’ll only allow a re-take once completely satisfied.

With the average price of Pro-metric and VUE tests in the United Kingdom costing around 112 pounds, it’s common sense to fund them one by one. Why splash out often many hundreds of pounds extra at the beginning of your training? Study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

The perhaps intimidating chore of securing your first role in IT is often eased because some trainers offer a Job Placement Assistance service. The fact of the matter is it isn’t a complex operation to secure your first job - as long as you’ve got the necessary skills and qualifications; because there’s still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.

CV and Interview advice and support is sometimes offered (if it isn’t, consult one of our sites). Be sure to you bring your CV right up to date immediately - don’t leave it till you pass the exams! It’s not unusual to find that you will get your first job whilst you’re still studying (even when you’ve just left first base). If you haven’t updated your CV to say what you’re studying (and it isn’t in the hands of someone with jobs to offer) then you’re not even going to be known about! If you’d like to keep travelling time and costs to a minimum, then you’ll often find that a local IT focused recruitment consultancy may be more appropriate than a centralised service, for they’re going to have insider knowledge of what’s available near you.

Certainly be sure that you don’t invest a great deal of time on your training course, only to stop and expect somebody else to find you a job. Stand up for yourself and start looking for yourself. Put as much time and energy into finding the right position as you did to get trained.

Considering an MCSE? Then it’s likely that you’re probably in 1 of 2 situations: You’re already a professional and you need to formalise your skill set with the Microsoft qualification. In contrast you could be completely new to the computer world, and research demonstrates that there’s a growing demand for qualified people.

As you discover more about training providers, don’t use those that compromise their offerings by failing to provide the latest version from Microsoft. Ultimately, this will frustrate and cost the student a great deal more due to the fact that they’ve been educated in an outdated MCSE program which inevitably will have to be up-dated almost immediately. Computer training companies must be completely focused on establishing the best direction for their clients. Directing study is as much about guiding people on establishing where to go, as it is giving them help to reach their destination.

Wouldn’t it be great to know for sure that our jobs are safe and the future is protected, however, the truth for most sectors around the UK today appears to be that there is no security anymore. Whereas a fast growing sector, where there just aren’t enough staff to go round (as there is a growing shortfall of commercially certified professionals), enables the possibility of real job security.

The computing Industry skills-gap in the UK currently stands at just over 26 percent, as shown by the most recent e-Skills study. Put directly, we can’t properly place more than 3 out of every 4 jobs in the computing industry. This alarming certainty shows the requirement for more properly trained Information Technology professionals around the UK. In actuality, acquiring professional IT skills during the years to come is likely the finest choice of careers you could make.

As the computer industry provides some phenomenal advancement opportunities for us all - what questions do we need to raise and which areas are important to consider?

Don’t put too much store, as many people do, on the training course itself. You’re not training for the sake of training; you’re training to become commercially employable. Begin and continue with the end in mind. It’s quite usual, in some situations, to obtain tremendous satisfaction from a year of studying and then spend 20 miserable years in something completely unrewarding, as an upshot of not doing some quality research at the beginning.

Stay focused on what it is you’re trying to achieve, and create a learning-plan from that - don’t do it back-to-front. Stay on target and study for a career that will keep you happy for many years. We recommend that students always seek guidance and advice from a skilled professional before settling on some particular training path, so there’s little doubt that the specific package will give the skill-set required for your career choice.

The classroom style of learning we remember from school, utilising reference manuals and books, is often a huge slog for most of us. If this describes you, check out study materials which have a majority of interactive, multimedia parts. Recent studies into the way we learn shows that long term memory is improved when we use all our senses, and we get practically involved in what we’re studying.

Find a course where you’ll get a host of CD or DVD ROM’s - you’ll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, with the facility to hone your abilities through virtual lab’s. It’s imperative to see some example materials from your chosen company. Be sure that they contain instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab’s.

Avoid training that is purely online. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where possible, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want - and not be totally reliant on your broadband being ‘up’ 100 percent of the time.

Considering how a program is ‘delivered’ to you is often missed by many students. How is the courseware broken down? And in what sequence and at what speed is it delivered? Training companies will normally offer a 2 or 3 year study programme, and send out each piece as you pass each exam. This sounds reasonable until you consider the following: Often, the staged breakdown insisted on by the company won’t suit you. And what if you don’t finish all the sections inside their defined time-scales?

To be honest, the best solution is to get an idea of what they recommend as an ideal study order, but get everything up-front. Meaning you’ve got it all should you not complete it at their required pace.

A lot of training providers only give support available from 9-6 (office hours) and sometimes later on specific days; most won’t answer after 8-9pm at the latest and frequently never at the weekends. You’ll be waiting ages for an answer with email based support, and phone support is usually just a call-centre who will chat nicely with you for 5 minutes to ask what the issue is and then simply send an email to an instructor - who’ll call back sometime over the next 1-3 days, at a time suitable for them. This is no good if you’re sitting there confused over an issue and have a one hour time-slot in which to study.

The best training colleges tend to use an internet-based 24×7 facility utilising a variety of support centres throughout multiple time-zones. You’ll have an environment that accesses the most appropriate office any time of the day or night: Support when it’s needed. If you fail to get yourself direct-access round-the-clock support, you’ll regret it very quickly. You might not want to use the service during late nights, but you’re bound to use weekends, evenings and early mornings at some point.

Validated exam simulation and preparation packages are crucial - and really must be obtained from your training provider. As the majority of examination boards in IT are from the USA, it’s essential to understand how exam questions will be phrased and formatted. You can’t practice properly by simply going through the right questions - it’s essential that you can cope with them in the proper exam format. Simulations and practice exams can be very useful as a resource to you - so when it comes to taking the real deal, you won’t be worried.

Several companies have a handy Job Placement Assistance program, to assist your search for your first position. The need for this feature can be bigged up out of proportion though - it’s quite easy for training companies to make too much of it. At the end of the day, the need for well trained IT people in the UK is what will enable you to get a job.

Whatever you do, avoid waiting until you’ve qualified before getting your CV updated. As soon as your training commences, list what you’re working on and tell people about it! Getting your CV considered is better than being rejected. A surprising amount of junior positions are offered to trainees (who’ve only just left first base.) Most often, a specialist locally based recruitment consultant or service (who will get paid commission to place you) will be more pro-active than a recruitment division from a training organisation. It also stands to reason that they’ll know local industry and the area better.

Please ensure you don’t put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, and then just stop and leave it in the hands of the gods to secure your first position. Stop procrastinating and get on with the job. Put as much resource into finding a good job as it took to pass the exams.

Network and computer support workers are more and more sought after in Great Britain, as organisations have come to depend on their technical advice and capacity to solve problems. Because our society becomes more and more reliant on our PC’s, we simultaneously inevitably become increasingly dependent on the technically knowledgeable IT networkers, who maintain those systems.

There is a tidal wave of change washing over technology over the next generation - and it becomes more and more thrilling each day. We are really only just beginning to comprehend how all this change will affect us. How we interrelate with the rest of the world will be significantly affected by computers and the internet.

A average IT man or woman over this country as a whole can demonstrate that they receive significantly more than employees on a par in another industry. Typical wages are around the top of national league tables. The requirement for certified IT specialists is assured for the significant future, because of the substantial expansion in the marketplace and the very large deficiency still in existence.

If the IT industry offers some unique career possibilities for us - then which questions should we ask and what elements are most important?

An all too common mistake that potential students often succumb to is to concentrate on the course itself, and take their eye off the end result they want to achieve. Universities are full of direction-less students who took a course because it seemed fun - rather than what would get them an enjoyable career or job. Don’t be one of those unfortunate people who select a program that seems ‘fun’ or ‘interesting’ - and get to the final hurdle of an accreditation for an unrewarding career path.

Spend some time thinking about what you want to earn and whether you’re an ambitious person or not. Often, this changes which certifications you will need and how much effort you’ll have to give in return. As a precursor to beginning a learning program, it makes sense to discuss the exact market requirements with an experienced industry professional, to ensure the learning path covers all the bases.

We’d hazard a guess that you’re quite practically minded - a ‘hands-on’ person. Usually, the world of book-reading and classrooms would be considered as a last resort, but it’s not really your thing. So look for on-screen interactive learning packages if book-based learning really isn’t your style. Memory is vastly improved when we use multiple senses - educational experts have expounded on this for years now.

Interactive audio-visual materials utilising video demo’s and practice lab’s will turn you off book-based study for ever more. And you’ll actually enjoy doing them. All companies should be able to show you a few examples of the materials provided for study. Make sure you encounter videos of instructor-led classes and many interactive sections.

Purely on-line training should be avoided. Ideally, you should opt for CD and DVD ROM courseware where possible, as you need to be able to use them whenever it’s convenient for you - you don’t want to be reliant on a good broadband connection all the time.

A lot of trainers only give support to you inside of office hours (typically 9am-6pm) and sometimes a little earlier or later; very few go late in the evening or at weekends. Avoid, like the plague, any organisations which use ‘out-of-hours’ messaging systems - with the call-back coming in during standard office hours. This is no use if you’re stuck and need help now.

World-class organisations opt for a web-based 24 hours-a-day facility involving many support centres from around the world. You get a simple environment which seamlessly selects the best facility available no matter what time of day it is: Support when it’s needed. Don’t compromise with the quality of your support. Many trainees that give up, are in that situation because they didn’t get the support necessary for them.

Qualifications from the commercial sector are now, undoubtedly, already replacing the older academic routes into the industry - but why is this happening? With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs increasing year on year, plus the industry’s general opinion that key company training is often far more commercially relevant, there has been a large rise in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA certified training routes that create knowledgeable employees for considerably less. Academic courses, for example, clog up the training with too much background study - and much too wide a syllabus. Students are then held back from getting enough core and in-depth understanding on a specific area.

Just as the old advertisement said: ‘It does what it says on the tin’. Companies need only to know what areas need to be serviced, and then request applicants with the correct exam numbers. Then they know that anyone who applies can do the necessary work.

Exam ‘guarantees’ are sometimes offered as part of a training package - inevitably that means paying for the exams before you’ve even made a start on the course. Before you get carried away with this so-called guarantee, be aware of the facts:

They’ve allowed costings for it somehow. You can be assured it’s not a freebie - they’ve just worked it into the package price. Students who enter their exams one by one, paying as they go are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They’re thoughtful of the cost and prepare more appropriately to be up to the task.

Isn’t it outrageous to have to pay a college at the start of the course for examinations? Go for the best offer at the appropriate time, instead of paying a premium - and sit exams more locally - rather than possibly hours away from your area. Paying upfront for examination fees (which also includes interest if you’ve taken out a loan) is a false economy. Resist being talked into filling the training company’s account with your money simply to help their cash-flow! There are those who hope that you won’t get to do them all - but they won’t refund the cash. It’s worth noting, with ‘Exam Guarantees’ from most places - you are not in control of when you are allowed to have another go. You’ll have to prove conclusively that you can pass before they’ll pay for another exam.

Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is remiss - when hard work, commitment and the right preparation via exam simulations is actually the key to your success.

The perhaps intimidating chore of landing your first role in IT is often eased by training colleges, through a Job Placement Assistance facility. The need for this feature can be bigged up out of proportion though - it isn’t unusual for their marketing department to make it sound harder than it is. Ultimately, the massive skills shortage in Great Britain is the reason you’ll find a job.

Help with your CV and interview techniques might be provided (if not, see one of our sites for help). Make sure you polish up your CV straight away - not after you’ve qualified! Quite frequently, you will get your first role whilst you’re still studying (sometimes when you’ve only just got going). If you haven’t updated your CV to say what you’re studying (and it’s not being looked at by employers) then you won’t even be considered! The most reliable organisations to get you a new position are most often specialist independent regional recruitment consultancies. Because they only get paid when they place you, they have more incentive to get on with it.

A common aggravation of various training companies is how much students are focused on studying to get qualified, but how ill-prepared they are to market themselves for the role they’re acquired skills for. Don’t give up when the best is yet to come.

Training for your CompTIA A+ covers 4 different sectors - you need to pass exams in 2 different areas to reach the level of A+ competent. For this reason, most training providers only offer two of the four areas. To us, this is selling you short - sure, you can pass an exam, but experience of all four will give you a distinct advantage in your working life, where knowledge of all four will be necessary. So that’s why you need education in the whole course.

Once you start your CompTIA A+, you’ll become familiar with how to work in antistatic conditions and build and fix computers. Diagnostic techniques and fault finding are also on the syllabus, as is remote access. Were you to add Network+ to your A+ course, you’ll also have the ability to take care of networks, allowing you to expect a better remuneration package.

Being aware of all the debate about computing technology currently, how can we understand what precisely to look for?

Starting from the idea that it makes sense to choose the area of most interest first and foremost, before we’re able to ponder which educational program fulfils our needs, how do we decide on the right path? I mean, without any know-how of the IT market, what chance is there for you to know what some particular IT person spends their day doing? Let alone decide on which certification program will be most suitable for ultimate success. To get through to the essence of this, we need to discuss a variety of different aspects:

* Our personalities play a major role - what kind of areas spark your interest, and what tasks you really dislike.

* Is your focus to re-train for a particular reason - for instance, are you pushing to work based from home (being your own boss?)?

* Does salary have a higher place on your wish list than other requirements.

* Always think in-depth about the energy needed to attain their desired level.

* What effort, commitment and time you will commit the training program.

Ultimately, your only chance of covering these is via a meeting with a professional that knows the industry well enough to give you the information required.

We can’t make a big enough deal out of this point: It’s essential to obtain proper 24×7 round-the-clock instructor and mentor support. Later, you’ll kick yourself if you don’t follow this rule rigidly. Avoid certification programs which can only support trainees via a message system when it’s outside of usual working hours. Training companies will always try to hide the importance of this issue. But, no matter how they put it - you need support when you need support - not at times when they find it cheaper to provide it.

Top training providers utilise an online access round-the-clock package utilising a variety of support centres from around the world. You’ll have a single, easy-to-use environment which seamlessly accesses whichever office is appropriate no matter what time of day it is: Support on demand. Never make the mistake of compromise when you’re looking for the right support service. Many students who give up, would have had a different experience if they’d got the right support package in the first place.

Traditional teaching in classrooms, utilising reference manuals and books, can be pretty hard going sometimes. If this sounds like you, find training programs which feature interactive and multimedia modules. Many studies have proved that much more of what we learn in remembered when we involve as many senses as possible, and we get physically involved with the study process.

Interactive audio-visual materials with demonstrations and practice sessions will beat books every time. And you’ll find them fun and interesting. It’s wise to view examples of the courseware provided before you make your decision. Always insist on instructor-led video demonstrations and interactive audio-visual sections with practice modules.

It is generally unwise to select online only courseware. Because of the variable quality and reliability of all internet service providers, make sure you get actual CD or DVD ROM’s.

A lot of training academies are still using one of the most out-dated training concepts - classroom lessons. Often sold as a benefit, following a chat with most students who’ve had to attend a couple, don’t be surprised to be lectured on several if not all of these issues:

* Lots of round journeys - normally 100’s of miles or more.

* Mon-Fri access for events is usual, and with two or three days required at a time, this is usually problematic for most working students.

* Most of us end up feeling 4 weeks off each year is barely enough. Spend at least half of this for educational classes and see how much more difficult it makes things.

* Training events fill up quickly and can be very crammed in.

* Some attendees want to work as quickly as possible, but some need a more gentle learning curve and not be pushed beyond their comfort-zone. This causes tension and bad atmosphere in most cases.

* Tot up the cost of all the petrol, fares, accommodation, parking and food and you’ll be in for a big surprise. Attendees mention extra costs mounting to several hundred and sometimes thousands of pounds. Do the maths - and you’ll see how.

* Don’t risk any chance of getting side-stepped for a possible promotion or salary hikes because you’re getting trained in a different area.

* It’s very common for students to hide the fact that they want to raise a question - purely due to the reason that they’re with their peers.

* Working away from home - many trainees need to live or work away for part of their training. Events become hard to get to, unfortunately you’ve already coughed up the readies as part of your fees.

It would be better to simply watch and be trained by instructors one-to-one through videoed lessons, working on them at a time that’s convenient for you and you alone. You could study at home on your desktop computer or use your laptop to enjoy the sun. Any questions that pop up, just utilise the 24×7 Support (that should’ve been packaged with any technical type of training.) No matter how regularly you have to re-cover a topic, on-screen teachers won’t ever lose patience! And don’t forget, because of this, note-taking becomes a thing of the past. It’s all there for immediate use. Could it get any simpler: A lot of money is saved and you avoid all the travelling; and you get a more comfortable study atmosphere.

Huge changes are about to hit technology as we approach the second decade of the 21st century - and the industry becomes more ground-breaking every year. There are people who believe that the technological revolution that’s been a familiar part of our recent lives is slowing down. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have yet to experience incredible advances, and most especially the internet is going to dominate how we conduct our lives.

Wages in the IT sector aren’t to be ignored moreover - the income on average over this country as a whole for the usual IT worker is considerably better than average salaries nationally. Odds are you’ll make a whole lot more than you would in most other jobs. Because the IT market sector is still growing with no sign of a slow-down, it’s looking good that demand for qualified professionals will continue actively for decades to come.