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You should feel pleased that you’ve made it this far! Just ten percent of people enjoy their work and find it stimulating, but most of us simply moan about it and nothing happens. Because you’ve done research it’s likely that you’re finding out about training, so even now you’re ahead of the game. Now you just need to research and follow-through.

Before embarking on a course, look for some advice - find an industry expert; someone who’ll give you career advice based on what works best for you, and offer only the courses which will get you there:

* Do you enjoy a busy working environment? Perhaps you like being a team player? Or you may prefer task-orientated work that only you know how to deal with?

* What do you need from the industry your job is in? (Things do change - look at the building trade, or banks for example.)

* Is this the last time you imagine you’ll re-train, and therefore, will this new career service that need?

* Do you have the assurance that retraining in your chosen sector can help you find employment, and will have the ability to keep you in work up to retirement age?

We request you to really explore the IT industry - there are more positions than workers to do them, because it’s one of the few choices of career where the market sector is on the grow. In contrast to the beliefs of some, it isn’t just geeks looking at screens every day (if you like the sound of that though, they do exist.) Most positions are filled by ordinary men and women who enjoy better than average salaries.

It’s so important to understand this key point: It’s essential to obtain proper 24×7 round-the-clock support from professional instructors. We can tell you that you’ll strongly regret it if you don’t adhere to this. Avoid, like the plague, any organisations who use messaging services ‘out-of-hours’ - with your call-back scheduled for the next ‘working’ day. This is no use if you’re stuck and want support there and then.

Keep your eyes open for providers that have multiple support offices around the globe in several time-zones. Each one should be integrated to offer a simple interface as well as round-the-clock access, when you need it, with no hassle. Don’t under any circumstances take anything less. Online 24×7 support is really your only option when it comes to computer-based courses. Maybe burning the midnight-oil is not your thing; often though, we’re out at work while the support is live.

Coming across job security in the current climate is problematic. Companies frequently drop us from the workforce at the drop of a hat - as and when it suits them. Whereas a fast growing sector, with huge staffing demands (as there is a growing shortfall of commercially certified workers), provides a market for lasting job security.

Recently, a UK e-Skills investigation demonstrated that twenty six percent of IT jobs are unfilled due to an appallingly low number of trained staff. Therefore, for each 4 job positions that exist around Information Technology (IT), employers can only source certified professionals for 3 of the 4. Acquiring proper commercial computing certification is therefore a ‘Fast Track’ to succeed in a long-term as well as satisfying occupation. As the Information Technology market is developing at such a quick pace, there really isn’t any other area of industry worth considering as a retraining vehicle.

Authorised exam preparation packages are crucial - and absolutely ought to be supplied by your course provider. Due to the fact that many IT examining boards are from the USA, it’s essential to understand how exam questions will be phrased and formatted. It’s no use merely answering any old technical questions - they need to be in the proper exam format. ‘Mock’ or practice exams will prove invaluable as a resource to you - then when the time comes for you to take the proper exam, you don’t get phased.

The age-old way of teaching, utilising reference manuals and books, is often a huge slog for most of us. If this describes you, find training programs that are on-screen and interactive. If we’re able to study while utilising as many senses as possible, then the results are usually dramatically better.

You can now study via interactive CD and DVD ROM’s. By watching and listening to instructors on video tutorials you’ll learn your subject via the expert demonstrations. Knowledge can then be tested by using practice-lab’s. Always insist on a training material demonstration from the school that you’re considering. You’ll want to see slide-shows, instructor-led videos and fully interactive skills-lab’s.

Some companies only have access to online training only; sometimes you can get away with this - but, imagine the problems if internet access is lost or you get slow speeds and down-time etc. It’s preferable to have actual CD or DVD ROMs that removes the issue entirely.

Students will sometimes miss checking on something of absolutely vital importance - how their company breaks up the courseware, and into what particular chunks. The majority of training companies will set up a program typically taking 1-3 years, and send out each piece as you complete each section or exam. Sounds reasonable? Well consider these facts: Often, the staged breakdown prescribed by the provider doesn’t suit you. You may find it a stretch to finalise all the elements inside their defined time-scales?

An ideal situation would be to have every piece of your study pack packed off to you right at the start; the complete package! This way, nothing can happen down the line which could affect the reaching of your goals.

If you want Cisco training, the chances are you’re looking for a CCNA. The Cisco training is the way to go for those who wish to get to grips with routers and switches. Routers are what connect networks of computers to other sets of computer networks over dedicated lines or the internet.

Routers are linked to networks, therefore it’s essential to have an understanding of how networks work, or you’ll struggle with the program and be unable to do the work. Seek out a program that includes basic networking skills (for example CompTIA) before you start the CCNA.

Start with a tailored route that will take you through a specific training path in advance of commencing your Cisco training.

Usually, your everyday IT hopeful really has no clue how they should get into Information Technology, or even which sector is worth considering for retraining. Because with no solid background in the IT industry, in what way could we know what any job actually involves? Getting to an informed decision can only grow through a detailed analysis of many shifting criteria:

* Your individual personality as well as your interests - what kind of work-oriented areas you love or hate.

* Why you’re looking at starting in IT - maybe you’d like to triumph over a particular goal such as working for yourself maybe.

* What scale of importance is the salary - is an increase your main motivator, or is job satisfaction a little higher on the scale of your priorities?

* There are many areas to train for in Information Technology - you will have to gain a basic understanding of what separates them.

* You’ll also need to think hard about what kind of effort and commitment you’ll put into the accreditation program.

In actuality, you’ll find the only real way to gain help on these areas will be via a meeting with an advisor that has years of experience in the IT industry (as well as it’s commercial requirements.)

If your advisor doesn’t dig around with lots of question - the likelihood is they’re just trying to sell you something. If they’re pushing towards a particular product before learning about your history and experience, then you know it’s true. Of course, if in the past you’ve acquired any previous certification, then you can sometimes expect to commence studying further along than a trainee with no history to speak of. If you’re a new trainee beginning IT exams and training for the first time, you might like to ease in gradually, beginning with some basic user skills first. This is often offered with most accreditation programs.

It’s so important to understand this key point: You have to get round-the-clock 24×7 support from professional instructors. You will have so many problems later if you don’t. Beware of institutions who use messaging services ‘out-of-hours’ - where an advisor will call back during standard office hours. This is useless when you’re stuck and could do with an answer during your scheduled study period.

Top training companies utilise several support facilities across multiple time-zones. They use an online interactive interface to provide a seamless experience, irrespective of the time you login, help is just a click away, with no hassle or contact issues. If you accept anything less than 24×7 support, you’ll very quickly realise that you’ve made a mistake. You may not need it throughout the night, but you’re bound to use weekends, late evenings or early mornings.

Huge changes are about to hit technology as we approach the second decade of the 21st century - and this means greater innovations all the time. Technology, computers and interaction through the web will dramatically shape the way we live our lives in the future; to a vast degree.

A average IT worker across the UK will also get much more than equivalent professionals in another industry. Standard IT salaries are hard to beat nationally. It’s evident that we have a substantial nationwide need for certified IT specialists. In addition, with the marketplace continuing to expand, it looks like this pattern will continue for the significant future.

Every program under consideration should always lead to a fully recognised major accreditation at the end - not a useless ‘in-house’ plaque for your wall. The top IT companies such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe all have internationally recognised skills programmes. Major-league companies like these will make your CV stand-out.

Everybody is busy these days, and generally should we decide to learn a new profession, getting educated at the same time as holding down a job is the only option open to us. Training tracks certified by Microsoft can fill that gap. You might like to find a training advisor, who can give you some ideas on whereabouts in industry would be best, and the kind of tasks that are a good match for someone with your personality. When you’ve settled on the career path you want, a suitable training program needs to be singled out that’s goes with your ability level and skill set. You should expect to be offered a bespoke package for you.

The perhaps intimidating chore of finding your first IT job is often eased by some training providers because they offer a Job Placement Assistance service. Because of the massive skills shortage in this country at the moment, there isn’t a great need to get too caught up in this feature though. It’s actually not as hard as some people make out to land employment once you’re trained and certified.

Help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews should be offered (if not, see one of our sites for help). Make sure you update that dusty old CV immediately - not after you’ve qualified! Various junior support roles have been bagged by trainees who’re still on their course and have still to get qualified. This will at the very least get you on your way. Generally, a specialist independent regional recruitment consultant or service (who will get paid commission to place you) will perform better than any sector of a centralised training facility. It also stands to reason that they’ll be familiar with local industry and the area better.

To bottom line it, as long as you focus the same level of energy into finding your first IT position as into studying, you’re not going to hit many challenges. A number of people inexplicably put hundreds of hours into their training course and do nothing more once certified and would appear to think that businesses will just discover them.

Ensure all your exams are current and commercially required - you’re wasting your time with programs which end up with a useless in-house certificate or plaque. Unless your qualification is issued by a company like Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA or Adobe, then chances are it won’t be commercially viable - because it won’t give an employer any directly-useable skills.

Make sure you don’t get caught-up, as many people do, on the certification itself. Training is not an end in itself; this is about employment. Stay focused on what it is you want to achieve. It’s common, for instance, to obtain tremendous satisfaction from a year of studying and then spend 20 miserable years in a job you hate, simply because you did it without some quality research when it was needed - at the start.

Spend some time thinking about earning potential and how ambitious you are. This will influence what particular certifications will be required and what industry will expect from you in return. Seek guidance and advice from an experienced advisor, even if you have to pay - it’s much safer and cheaper to discover early on if your choices are appropriate, instead of discovering after 2 years that the job you’ve chosen is not for you and have to return to the start of another program.

An effective training program will undoubtedly also offer accredited simulation materials and exam preparation packages. Ensure that the practice exams are not just posing the correct questions on the correct subjects, but also asking them in the exact format that the real exams will pose them. It throws students if the phraseology and format is completely different. For many reasons, it’s essential to be confident that you are completely prepared for your actual certification exam before taking it. Practicing simulated tests will help to boost your attitude and will avoid you getting frustrated with thwarted exam entries.

At the top of your shopping list for a training program should be comprehensive 24×7 direct-access support with dedicated instructors and mentors. It’s an all too common story to find providers that only provide office hours (or extended office hours) support. Look for training with proper support available at all hours of the day and night (even if it’s early hours on Sunday morning!) You want access directly to professional tutors, and not a message system as this will slow you down - parked in a queue of others waiting to be called back when it’s convenient for them.

If you look properly, you’ll find professional companies which give students online support 24×7 - including evenings, nights and weekends. Never ever take second best where support is concerned. Many trainees who fall by the wayside, are in that situation because of a lack of support.

Does an MCSE appeal to you? It’s very possible then that it’s likely you’ll come into one of two categories: You’re already a professional and you’d like to consolidate your skill-set with the Microsoft qualification. Or you could be completely new to commercial IT, but it’s apparent to you there’s lots of demand for certified networking professionals.

As you discover more about training colleges, steer clear of any who cut costs by not providing the latest level of Microsoft development. Over time, this will end up costing the student a great deal more because they’ve been learning from an old version of MCSE which will need updating very quickly. Don’t be pushed into a course for MCSE without a proper consultation. Find a training provider who will spend time helping and advising you on the most suitable training path for your requirements.

Any program that you’re going to undertake should always lead to a nationally accepted exam as an end-result - definitely not some ‘in-house’ printed certificate to hang in your hallway. Unless your qualification is issued by a big-hitter like Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA or Adobe, then you’ll probably find it won’t be commercially viable - because it won’t give an employer any directly-useable skills.

Don’t put too much store, as can often be the case, on the training course itself. Training is not an end in itself; this is about gaining commercial employment. You need to remain focused on where you want to go. You could be training for only a year and end up performing the job-role for decades. Avoid the mistake of choosing what sounds like a program of interest to you and then spend decades in a job you hate!

You must also consider your feelings on career progression and earning potential, and how ambitious you are. It’s vital to know what (if any) sacrifices you’ll need to make for a particular role, which qualifications are required and where you’ll pick-up experience from. Look for help from an experienced industry professional that understands the sector you wish to join, and is able to give you ‘A day in the life of’ outline of of what you’ll be doing with each working day. It makes good sense to discover if this is the right course of action for you well before your course begins. What’s the point in starting to train only to discover you’re on the wrong course.

Many trainees are under the impression that the school and FE college path is the right way even now. So why then are qualifications from the commercial sector slowly and steadily replacing it? Industry now acknowledges that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, proper accreditation from such organisations as Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe is closer to the mark commercially - for considerably less. Essentially, the learning just focuses on what’s actually required. It’s slightly more broad than that, but the principle objective is to concentrate on the fundamentally important skill-sets (including a degree of required background) - without going into too much detail in all sorts of other things (as academia often does).

Assuming a company is aware what areas need to be serviced, then all it takes is an advert for someone with a specific qualification. The syllabuses all have to conform to the same requirements and don’t change between schools (as academic syllabuses often do).

Training support for students is an absolute must - look for a package offering 24×7 direct access to instructors, as anything less will not satisfy and will also hamper your progress. Many only provide email support (too slow), 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 will attempt to call you within 24-48 hrs, when it’s convenient to them. This is no good if you’re lost and confused and only have certain times available in which to do your studies.

As long as you look hard, you will find the top providers who recommend and use online support 24×7 - at any time of day or night. Don’t ever make the mistake of taking second best with the quality of your support. The vast majority of would-be IT professionals who drop-out or fail, would have had a different experience if they’d got the right support package in the first place.

The old fashioned style of teaching, using textbooks and whiteboards, is an up-hill struggle for the majority of us. If this describes you, look for learning programmes which have a majority of interactive, multimedia parts. We see a huge improvement in memory retention when multiple senses are involved - this has been an accepted fact in expert circles for decades now.

Courses are now available via DVD-ROM discs, where everything is taught on your PC. Using video-streaming, you can watch instructors demonstrating how to do something, with some practice time to follow - via the interactive virtual lab’s. You really need to look at the type of training provided by the company you’re considering. You’ll want to see that they include full motion videos of instructors demonstrating the topic with lab’s to practice the skills in.

It’s folly to opt for on-line only training. Connection quality and reliability varies hugely across all internet service providers, make sure you get disc based courseware (On CD or DVD).

When thinking of a computer training program it’s crucial that the certification you’ll be working towards is one that is current with the working world. Additionally, you should make sure that your training suits you, your abilities and your personality. There’s a big selection with these courses - starting with user skills and going up to training for programmers, web designers, networkers etc. Get help before you take the plunge - talk to an advisor with knowledge of the industry. Someone who can help you choose the right direction for you - that’s both relevant to industry and something you’ll enjoy.

Because there are such a lot of low cost, simple to follow courses and support, you should inevitably discover the right one that should take you into industry.

Proper support is incredibly important - find a program offering 24×7 direct access to instructors, as not opting for this kind of support could impede your ability to learn. Find a good quality service with proper support available at any time of day or night (even if it’s early hours on Sunday morning!) You want direct-access to qualified mentors and tutors, and not a call-centre that will take messages so you’re waiting for tutors to call you back during office hours.

It’s possible to find professional training packages that offer online support all the time - no matter what time of day it is. Don’t under any circumstances take less than you need and deserve. Direct-access round-the-clock support is the only kind to make the grade when it comes to technical courses. Maybe late-evening study is not your thing; often though, we’re out at work during the provided support period.

The somewhat scary thought of getting your first computer related job is often made easier because some trainers offer a Job Placement Assistance service. Ultimately it isn’t a complex operation to get your first job - assuming you’re well trained and qualified; employers in this country need your skills.

Bring your CV up to date as soon as possible however (advice and support for this should come from your course provider). Don’t put it off until you’ve qualified. Being considered a ‘maybe’ is better than being rejected. Many junior positions are bagged by students (sometimes when they’ve only just got going.) The most reliable organisations to help you find a job are generally specialist locally based employment services. Because they get paid commission to place you, they’re perhaps more focused on results.

Various trainees, it seems, invest a great deal of time on their training course (sometimes for years), only to do nothing special when looking for the right position. Introduce yourself… Make an effort to get yourself known. Don’t think a job’s just going to jump out in front of you.

Often, students don’t think to check on a painfully important area - the way their training provider breaks up the training materials, and into how many parts. You may think it logical (with most training taking 1-3 years to gain full certified status,) for your typical trainer to courier the courseware in stages, as you pass each element. However: What if you find the order offered by the provider doesn’t suit. What if you find it hard to complete each and every section within the time limits imposed?

Ideally, you want ALL the study materials up-front - giving you them all to come back to in the future - at any time you choose. This also allows you to vary the order in which you complete your exams where a more intuitive path can be found.

Including examination fees with the course fee then giving it ‘Exam Guarantee’ status is a common method with many companies. However, let’s consider what’s really going on:

Clearly it isn’t free - you’re still paying for it - it’s just been included in your package price. Students who take exams one at a time, funding them as they go are far more likely to pass first time. They are conscious of their spending and take the necessary steps to make sure they’re ready.

Go for the best offer you can find when you take the exam, and keep hold of your own money. In addition, it’s then your choice where to do your exams - meaning you can choose a local testing centre. Huge profits are made by many companies who incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. Many students don’t take them for one reason or another but the company keeps the money. Surprising as it sounds, providers exist who rely on that fact - as that’s where a lot of their profit comes from. Also, exam guarantees often have very little value. The majority of companies won’t be prepared to pay for re-takes until you have demonstrated conclusively that you won’t fail again.

Prometric and VUE exams are around 112 pounds in Great Britain. Why pay exorbitant charges for ‘Exam Guarantees’ (often hidden in the cost) - when good quality study materials, the proper support and a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.

We’re often asked why traditional degrees are now falling behind more qualifications from the commercial sector? With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs becoming a tall order for many, alongside the industry’s general opinion that corporate based study often has more relevance in the commercial field, there has been a dramatic increase in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA certified training programmes that supply key solutions to a student at a much reduced cost in terms of money and time. Of course, a reasonable portion of relevant additional knowledge needs to be taught, but core specifics 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 tin’. The company just needs to know what they’re looking for, and then match up the appropriate exam numbers as a requirement. Then they know that anyone who applies can do the necessary work.

Without a steady stream of trained computer and network support staff, commerce throughout the country (as elsewhere) would be likely to be drawn to a standstill. There is an ever growing demand for technicians to support both the users themselves and their networks. The world’s need for such qualified and commercially astute individuals is growing at an impressive rate, as industry becomes progressively more dependent upon technology.

‘Exam Guarantees’ are often bundled with training offers - this always means exams have to be paid for upfront, before you’ve even made a start on the course. But before you get taken in by this so-called guarantee, consider this:

Of course it’s not free - you’re still paying for it - the cost has just been rolled into the whole training package. Trainees who take exams one at a time, paying as they go are much more likely to pass. They’re mindful of their investment and revise more thoroughly to ensure they are ready.

Sit the exam at a local pro-metric testing centre and hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take it. Buying a course that includes payments for examination fees (and interest charges if you’re borrowing money) is insane. Why fill a company’s coffers with additional funds only to please their Bank Manager! Some will be pinning their hopes on the fact that you will never make it to exams - so they get to keep the extra funds. It’s worth noting that exam re-takes with organisations with an ‘Exam Guarantee’ inevitably are heavily regulated. They will insist that you take pre-tests first so you can prove to them you have a good chance of passing.

Exams taken at VUE and Prometric centres are currently clocking in at an average of 112 pounds in Great Britain. Students should be very wary of forking out hundreds of pounds extra in fees for ‘exam guarantees’ (often covertly rolled into the cost of the course) - 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.

Searching for your first position in IT sometimes feels easier to handle with the help of a Job Placement Assistance service. Having said that, occasionally there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, for it’s really not that difficult for any focused and well taught person to find a job in IT - because there’s a great need for trained staff.

You would ideally have advice and support about your CV and interviews though; additionally, we would recommend everyone to bring their CV up to date as soon as training commences - don’t wait until you’ve qualified. It’s possible that you won’t have even got to the exam time when you land your first junior support role; although this can’t and won’t happen unless you’ve posted your CV on job sites. You’ll normally experience better performance from an independent and specialised local recruitment consultancy than you’ll experience from any training provider’s centralised service, as they’ll know the area better.

A slight frustration for a number of training companies is how hard men and women are prepared to work to become certified, but how little effort that student will then put into getting the role they’ve acquired skills for. Have confidence - the IT industry needs YOU.

The best type of training program should have accredited exam preparation systems. Make sure that the simulated exams are not just posing the correct questions on the correct subjects, but are also posing them in the way the real exams will pose them. This completely unsettles people if the questions are phrased in unfamiliar formats. A way to build self-confidence is if you verify your knowledge by doing quizzes and simulated exams to prepare you for taking the real deal.

Only consider retraining courses which lead to commercially recognised certifications. There are way too many minor schools offering ‘in-house’ certificates which aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on in today’s commercial market. All the major IT organisations such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco each have widely approved proficiency courses. Major-league companies like these will make sure you’re employable.

A lot of men and women assume that the school and FE college track is still the best way into IT. So why are commercial certificates slowly and steadily replacing it? With fees and living expenses for university students climbing ever higher, together with the IT sector’s increasing awareness that accreditation-based training often has more relevance in the commercial field, we have seen a big surge in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA accredited training courses that educate students for considerably less. In a nutshell, the learning just focuses on what’s actually required. Actually, it’s not quite as pared down as that, but the principle objective is to focus on the exact skills required (alongside some required background) - without overdoing the detail in everything else (as degree courses are known to do).

Put yourself in the employer’s position - and your company needed a person with some very particular skills. What should you do: Pore through reams of different degrees and college qualifications from hopeful applicants, trying to establish what they know and what workplace skills they’ve acquired, or choose a specific set of accreditations that precisely match your needs, and then select who you want to interview from that. Your interviews are then about personal suitability - instead of having to work out if they can do the job.

The CompTIA A+ training program covers four areas of training; you’re thought of as A+ competent when you’ve passed the test for two of the four areas. This is why most training providers only have two of the courses on their syllabus. You’ll find that it’s necessary to have the training for all four areas as many jobs will demand knowledge and skills of the entire course. It isn’t necessary to take all four exams, although it would seem prudent that you at least have a working knowledge of every area.

Passing the A+ exam by itself will allow you to repair and fix computers and Macs; ones that are generally not connected to a network - which means the home or small business market. If your ambition is taking care of computer networks, add the very comprehensive CompTIA Network+ to your training package. This qualification will mean you can get a higher paid position. You may also want to consider the Microsoft networking qualifications (MCP, MCSA and MCSE).

Considering how a program is ‘delivered’ to you is often missed by many students. How many stages do they break the program into? And in what order and at what speed is it delivered? Individual deliveries for each training module stage by stage, as you complete each module is the typical way that your program will arrive. This sounds logical, but you should consider these factors: Often, the staged breakdown offered by the provider doesn’t suit. What if you find it hard to complete all the modules at the speed required?

In a perfect world, you’d get ALL the training materials right at the beginning - so you’ll have them all to come back to in the future - whenever it suits you. Variations can then be made to the order that you complete your exams if another more intuitive route presents itself.

Only consider learning courses which will move onto industry accepted qualifications. There are far too many trainers promoting their own ‘in-house’ certificates which will prove unusable in today’s commercial market. You’ll find that only recognised certification from companies such as Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco and CompTIA will be useful to a future employer.

Incorporating examination fees up-front and offering an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is popular with a number of training colleges. However, let’s consider what’s really going on:

You’ll be charged for it by some means. It certainly isn’t free - they’ve simply charged more for the whole training package. We all want to pass first time. Entering examinations one by one and paying as you go makes it far more likely you’ll pass first time - you revise thoroughly and are conscious of what you’ve spent.

Shouldn’t you be looking to hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take the exam, instead of paying a premium to the college, and to do it locally - rather than in some remote centre? What’s the point in paying early for examinations when there’s absolutely nothing that says you have to? Huge profits are made by companies charging all their exam fees up-front - and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. It’s also worth noting that many exam guarantees are worthless. Many training companies won’t pay for you to re-take until you can prove to them you’re ready to pass.

Exams taken at local centres are currently clocking in at an average of 112 pounds in Britain at the time of writing. Students should be very wary of forking out hundreds of pounds extra in ‘Exam Guarantee’ costs (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.

Traditional teaching in classrooms, involving piles of reference textbooks, can be pretty hard going sometimes. If this describes you, look for learning programmes that are multimedia based. Years of research and study has repeatedly verified that getting into our studies physically, is far more likely to produce long-lasting memories.

Programs are now found in disc format, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Utilising the latest video technology, you can watch instructors demonstrating how something is done, with some practice time to follow - via the interactive virtual lab’s. Always insist on a demonstration of the study materials from any training college. You should ask for expert-led demonstrations, slideshows and virtual practice lab’s for your new skills.

Some companies only have access to training that is purely available online; and although this is okay the majority of the time, imagine the problems if your access to the internet is broken or you only get very a very slow connection sometimes. A safer solution is the provision of DVD or CD discs which removes the issue entirely.

Looking around, we find a glut of work available in computing. Arriving at the correct choice out of this complexity can be very difficult. What are the chances of us grasping the tasks faced daily in an IT career when it’s an alien environment to us? Often we don’t know someone who does that actual job anyway. To come through this, a discussion is necessary, covering several different aspects:

* Which type of individual you think yourself to be - what tasks do you get enjoyment from, and conversely - what don’t you like doing.

* For what reasons you’re getting involved with IT - is it to triumph over a life-long goal such as being your own boss for instance.

* How important is salary to you - is it of prime importance, or is day-to-day enjoyment further up on the scale of your priorities?

* Learning what the main job types and sectors are - including what sets them apart.

* You have to understand what differentiates each individual training area.

The best way to avoid the industry jargon, and reveal what’ll really work for you, have a good talk with an industry expert and advisor; a person that will cover the commercial realities and truth whilst covering the certifications.