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Because you’re doing your research on courses for MCSE, you’ll probably be in 1 of 2 situations: You might be wondering about a radical change of career to the IT sector, and you’ve found a growing demand for properly qualified people. Instead you’re someone with a certain amount of IT knowledge - and you should formalise your skills with the MCSE accreditation.

As you find out about training companies, make sure you don’t use those that compromise their offerings by not providing the latest level of Microsoft development. This will only hamper the student because they’ll have been studying an out-of-date syllabus which doesn’t correspond to the present exams, so they’ll probably fail. A company’s mission statement must be based upon doing the very best they can for their clients, and everyone involved should have a passion for what they do. Studying isn’t simply about qualifications - the process must also include assisting you in working on the best action plan for your future.

Lately, do you find yourself questioning your job security? Normally, we only think of this after something dramatic happens to shake us. But in today’s marketplace, the reality is that our job security is a thing of the past, for all but the most lucky of us. In times of increasing skills deficits together with rising demand though, we generally locate a newly emerging type of security in the marketplace; driven by a continual growth, businesses just can’t get the influx of staff needed.

The IT skills shortfall across Great Britain falls in at roughly 26 percent, as noted by a recent e-Skills survey. To explain it in a different way, this shows that the country can only locate three properly accredited workers for every four jobs in existence currently. Gaining proper commercial computing accreditation is consequently a fast-track to achieve a continuing and satisfying occupation. No better time or market settings will exist for obtaining certification in this swiftly growing and developing business.

Understanding a sensible career option can be very hard - so which sectors are important to investigate and which questions should we be posing?

With so much choice, is it any wonder that nearly all career changers have no idea which career they will follow. Because in the absence of any previous experience in computing, how could any of us know what anyone doing a particular job actually does? Achieving a well-informed decision can only grow from a detailed investigation across many changing areas:

* What nature of individual you are - what kind of jobs you really enjoy, and on the other side of the coin - what makes you unhappy.

* Do you want to get certified due to a certain reason - for example, is it your goal to work from home (working for yourself?)?

* Is your income higher on your priority-list than other requirements.

* When taking into account all that computing encapsulates, you really need to be able to absorb what is different.

* It makes sense to appreciate the differences between the myriad of training options.

In all honesty, it’s obvious that the only real way to research these areas is through a chat with an experienced advisor who has a background in IT (and chiefly it’s commercial needs.)

People attracted to this sort of work are usually quite practically-minded, and don’t really enjoy classrooms, and struggling through thick study-volumes. If this could be you, try the newer style of interactive study, where you can learn everything on-screen. Memory is vastly improved with an involvement of all our senses - this has been an accepted fact in expert circles for many years.

Courses are now available on CD and DVD discs, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Video streaming means you can watch instructors demonstrating how it’s all done, and then practice yourself - with interactive lab sessions. It’s very important to see the type of training provided by any company that you may want to train through. Be sure that they contain video demo’s and interactive elements such as practice lab’s.

You’ll find that many companies will only provide online training only; while you can get away with this much of the time, think what will happen when you don’t have access to the internet or you get a slow connection speed. It’s preferable to have physical CD or DVD discs which don’t suffer from these broadband issues.

Students will sometimes miss checking on something of absolutely vital importance - how their company divides up the courseware elements, and into how many separate packages. By and large, you will purchase a course staged over 2 or 3 years and get sent one module each time you pass an exam. This sounds logical on one level, until you consider this: Maybe the order of study pushed by the company’s salespeople doesn’t suit all of us. What if you find it hard to complete each and every section within their timetable?

An ideal situation would be to have all the learning modules posted to your home before you even start; the entire package! Thus avoiding any future problems that could impede your capability of finishing.

One of the most important things to insist on has to be 24×7 round-the-clock support through professional mentors and instructors. It’s an all too common story to find providers that only seem to want to help while they’re in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends. Beware of institutions which use call-centres ‘out-of-hours’ - where an advisor will call back during normal office hours. This is useless when you’re stuck and need an answer now.

It’s possible to find the very best companies who give students online direct access support 24×7 - including evenings, nights and weekends. If you fail to get yourself online 24×7 support, you’ll regret it. You might not want to use the service in the middle of the night, but consider weekends, early mornings or even late evenings at some point.

‘Exam Guarantees’ are often bundled with training offers - inevitably that means paying for the exams before you’ve even made a start on the course. Before you get carried away with a course with such a promise, why not be aware of the facts:

They’ve allowed costings for it somehow. It’s definitely not free - it’s simply been shoe-horned into the price as a whole. It’s well known in the industry that when trainees fund each progressive exam, when they’re ready to take them and not before, they will be much more likely to qualify each time - as they’ll be conscious of what they’ve paid and their application will be greater.

Shouldn’t you be looking to hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the appropriate time, not to pay the fees marked up by a training course provider, and to do it locally - instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call? Buying a course that includes payments for examination fees (which also includes interest if you’ve taken out a loan) is insane. Resist being talked into filling the training company’s account with your money just to give them more interest! A lot bank on the fact that you will never make it to exams - so they get to keep the extra funds. The majority of organisations will insist that you take mock exams first and not allow you to re-take an exam until you have proved to them you have a good chance of passing - so an ‘Exam Guarantee’ comes with many clauses in reality.

Exams taken at local centres are approximately 112 pounds in this country. Why spend so much more on charges for ‘Exam Guarantees’ (often covertly rolled into the cost of the course) - 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.

Be on the lookout that any exams you’re studying for will be recognised by employers and are up-to-date. The ‘in-house’ certifications provided by many companies are not normally useful in gaining employment. Unless the accreditation comes from a conglomerate such as Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco or CompTIA, then chances are it could have been a waste of time and effort - because no-one will recognise it.

If you think Cisco training might be for you, and you haven’t worked with switches and routers, you should start with the Cisco CCNA qualification. This teaches you the knowledge you need to understand routers. The world wide web is built up of many routers, and big organisations with several locations also use them to allow their networks to keep in touch.

Successfully achieving this qualification will mean it’s likely you’ll end up working for national or international corporations that have several locations, but still need contact. The other possibility is working for internet service providers. Both types of jobs command good salaries.

Start with a specially designed course that will take you through a specific training path in advance of getting going on the Cisco CCNA.

So, what are the questions we need to pose if we’d like to take onboard the understanding required? Because it’s apparent there are many fairly dazzling possibilities for us all to consider.

Ignore any salesman who just tells you what course you should do without a decent chat to better understand your current abilities and also your experience level. Make sure they can draw from a generous product range so they’re able to solve your training issues. An important point to note is that, if you’ve had any relevant accreditation or direct-experience, then you can sometimes expect to start at a different point than a student who’s starting from scratch. Consider starting with some basic PC skills training first. It will usually make the transition to higher-level learning a much easier going.

One of the most important things to insist on has to be proper direct-access 24×7 support through dedicated instructors and mentors. Too many companies only provide office hours (or extended office hours) support. Never buy study programmes that only provide support to you via a call-centre messaging system after office-staff have gone home. Colleges will defend this with all kinds of excuses. But, no matter how they put it - support is needed when it’s needed - not as-and-when it’s suitable for their staff.

Keep looking and you’ll come across the top providers which recommend and use direct-access online support all the time - even in the middle of the night. If you accept anything less than 24×7 support, you’ll regret it very quickly. You may not need it during late nights, but you may need weekends, late evenings or early mornings.

Traditional teaching in classrooms, utilising reference manuals and books, is usually pretty hard going. If this sounds like you, check out study materials which feature interactive and multimedia modules. If we’re able to study while utilising as many senses as possible, then we normally see dramatically better results.

Locate a program where you’ll get a host of CD and DVD ROM’s - you’ll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, with the facility to fine-tune your skills in fully interactive practice sessions. It’s imperative to see courseware examples from each company you’re contemplating. Be sure that they contain instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab’s.

Choose CD and DVD ROM based physical training media wherever available. This then avoids all the potential pitfalls with the variability of broadband quality and service.

Considering how a program is ‘delivered’ to you can often be overlooked. How many parts is the training broken down into? And in what sequence and how fast does each element come? A release of your materials piece by piece, as you pass each exam is how things will normally arrive. Of course, this sounds sensible, but you might like to consider this: Students often discover that their providers typical path to completion doesn’t suit. Sometimes, a slightly different order suits them better. Could it cause problems if you don’t get everything done within their exact timetable?

For maximum flexibility and safety, it’s not unusual for students to have all their training materials (which they’ve now paid for) posted to them in one go, with nothing held back. That means it’s down to you in which order and at what speed you want to go.

It’s not uncommon for companies to offer inclusive exam guarantees - this always means you have to pay for the exams when you pay for the rest of your course. Before you get carried away with guaranteed exams, consider this:

We all know that we’re still paying for it - it’s quite obvious to see that it’s already in the overall figure from the college. It’s absolutely not free (it’s just marketing companies think we’ll fall for anything they say!) It’s everybody’s ambition to qualify on the first attempt. Taking your exams progressively one by one and funding them one at a time puts you in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt - you take it seriously and are aware of the costs involved.

Isn’t it in your interests to go for the best offer at the time, not to pay any mark-up to the training course provider, and to do it in a local testing office - instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call? A lot of extra profit is netted by many companies who take the exam money up-front. For quite legitimate reasons, a number of students don’t get to do their exams and so the company is quids-in. Amazingly, there are providers who rely on that fact - as that’s how they make a lot of their profit. Most companies will require you to do mock exams and with-hold subsequent exam entries from you until you’ve demonstrated an excellent ability to pass - which makes an ‘Exam Guarantee’ frankly useless.

Exams taken at local centres are approximately 112 pounds in Great Britain. Why spend so much more on charges for ‘Exam Guarantees’ (often hidden in the cost) - when good quality study materials, the proper support and consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.

Some training providers will provide a useful Job Placement Assistance program, to help you get your first job. Having said that, occasionally this feature is bigged up too much, as it is actually not that hard for any focused and well taught person to land work in IT - as there is such a shortage of qualified personnel.

Whatever you do, don’t procrastinate and wait until you have qualified before getting your CV updated. As soon as you start studying, enter details of your study programme and get it out there! Having the possibility of an interview is far better than not even being known about. Many junior jobs are offered to people who are still at an early stage in their studies. In many cases, a specialist locally based recruitment consultancy (who will get paid commission to place you) will perform better than any division of a training company. Also of course they should know the local area and commercial needs.

A big aggravation for a number of training providers is how much students are prepared to study to get qualified, but how little effort that student will then put into getting the role they’re qualified for. Don’t falter at the last fence.

There is a tidal wave of change washing over technology over the next few decades - and this means greater innovations all the time. We’ve barely started to get a feel for how technology will define our world. The internet will significantly change how we regard and interrelate with the rest of the world over the next few years.

Wages in the IT sector aren’t to be ignored either - the average salary over this country as a whole for a typical IT employee is noticeably more than the national average. Chances are that you’ll receive quite a bit more than you would in most other jobs. As the IT industry keeps developing with no sign of a slow-down, it’s looking good that demand for well trained and qualified IT technicians will continue to boom for quite some time to come.

With so many computer training courses to be had, it’s sometimes daunting to know what to look for. Find one that’s in line with your character and abilities, and one that is in demand in the commercial world. There are so many directions you can go in. Some re-trainers simply want Microsoft user skills, others want career skills such as courses on Networking, Programming, Databases or Web Design - and all can be catered for. However, don’t just guess. We’d advise you to share your ideas with an advisor who knows the computer industry, and can lead you down the right path.

There are now several easy-to-use and competitively priced courses to be had that provide you with a great learning experience.

Doing your bit in progressive developments in new technology is about as exciting as it can get. You become one of a team of people creating a future for us all. Computer technology and connections through the web will dramatically change the way we live our lives in the near future; to a vast degree.

A usual IT man or woman in the United Kingdom is likely to earn noticeably more money than equivalent professionals in another industry. Average incomes are hard to beat nationally. It would appear there is a lot more room for IT jobs increases throughout this country. The industry is continuing to expand quickly, and as we have a significant shortage of skilled professionals, it’s highly unlikely that things will be any different for a good while yet.

How can we reach the right choice then? With all these possibilities, we’ll need to know where to search - and what it is we should be digging for.

Students hopeful to kick off a career in computers and technology generally aren’t sure what path to consider, or what market to build their qualifications around. How can most of us possibly understand the tasks faced daily in an IT career when we’ve never done it? Maybe we haven’t met someone who performs the role either. Achieving an informed resolution can only grow through a methodical analysis across many unique factors:

* Personality plays a significant role - what kind of areas spark your interest, and what are the things that really turn you off.

* Why you’re looking at getting involved with Information Technology - is it to achieve some personal goal like working from home for instance.

* What priority do you place on job satisfaction vs salary?

* Often, trainees don’t consider the energy demanded to gain all the necessary accreditation.

* The time and energy you’re prepared to set aside for your training.

To completely side-step the confusing industry jargon, and find what’ll really work for you, have a good talk with an advisor with years of experience; someone who can impart the commercial reality as well as the accreditations.

We can’t make a big enough deal out of this point: You absolutely must have proper 24×7 instructor and mentor support. You’ll definitely experience problems if you don’t follow this rule rigidly. Never buy study programmes that only provide support to you through a message system when it’s outside of usual working hours. Colleges 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.

World-class organisations opt for a web-based 24 hours-a-day package pulling in several support offices throughout multiple time-zones. You’re offered an easy to use environment which seamlessly accesses whichever office is appropriate no matter what time of day it is: Support when you need it. If you fail to get yourself 24×7 support, you’ll very quickly realise that you’ve made a mistake. You might not want to use the service throughout the night, but what about weekends, late evenings or early mornings.

Those that are drawn to this type of work are usually quite practically-minded, and aren’t really suited to the classroom environment, and slogging through piles of books. If you’re thinking this sounds like you, try the newer style of interactive study, where you can learn everything on-screen. Learning psychology studies show that memory is aided when we involve as many senses as possible, and we get practically involved in what we’re studying.

Start a study-program in which you’ll get a host of CD or DVD ROM’s - you’ll be learning from instructor videos and demo’s, and be able to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills. Make sure to obtain a study material demo’ from the school that you’re considering. The package should contain expert-led demonstrations, slideshows and virtual practice lab’s for your new skills.

Avoiding training that is delivered purely online is generally a good idea. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where possible, as you need to be able to use them whenever it’s convenient for you - and not be totally reliant on your internet connection always being ‘up’ and available.

The way in which your courseware is broken down for you isn’t always given the appropriate level of importance. How many stages do they break the program into? What is the specific order and how fast does each element come? 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. This sounds sensible, but you might like to consider this: What would their reaction be if you find it difficult to do each element at the required speed? Often the prescribed exam order won’t be as easy as an alternative path could be.

An ideal situation would be to have all the learning modules packed off to you right at the start; every single thing! Then, nothing can hinder your capability of finishing.

You’ll come across courses which guarantee examination passes - they always involve paying for the exam fees up-front, at the start of your training. But before you get taken in by a course with such a promise, why not consider this:

These days, we’re a bit more aware of hype - and usually we know that for sure it is something we’re paying for (it isn’t free or out of the goodness of their hearts!) If it’s important to you to pass in one, then the most successful route is to pay for each exam as you go, give it the priority it deserves and apply yourself as required.

Look for the very best offer you can at the appropriate time, and avoid college mark-up fees. You’ll also be able to choose where to do your exams - meaning you can choose a local testing centre. A great deal of money is secured by some training companies that get money for exam fees in advance. A number of students don’t take them for various reasons but no refunds are given. Surprising as it sounds, there are companies around who actually rely on students not sitting all the exams - as that’s very profitable for them. Pay heed to the fact that, with the majority of Exam Guarantees - the company decides when you can do your re-takes. Subsequent exam attempts are only authorised at the company’s say so.

Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is short-sighted - when a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools is actually the key to your success.

It can be a nerve-racking task, but landing your first job is often eased by training colleges, through a Job Placement Assistance programme. Don’t get caught up in this feature - it isn’t unusual for training companies to overplay it. The fact of the matter is, the massive skills shortage in Britain is what will make you attractive to employers.

Help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews is sometimes offered (alternatively, check out one of our sites for help). It’s essential that you work on your old CV right away - not after you’ve qualified! Many junior support roles have been offered to students who’re still on their course and haven’t even passed a single exam yet. At least this will get you on your way. The best services to help you land that job are usually specialist independent regional recruitment consultancies. Because they get paid commission to place you, they have more incentive to get on with it.

In a nutshell, as long as you focus the same level of energy into securing a position as into studying, you won’t have any problems. A number of students inexplicably spend hundreds of hours on their training course and do nothing more once certified and seem to expect employers to find them.

Currently in the UK, commercial institutions could not function efficiently without assistance from support workers mending networks and computers, while recommending solutions to users each and every day. The need for better qualified personnel multiplies, as we turn out to be vastly more reliant on computers in the twenty first century.

Listening to the sheer volume of debate on the area of IT at present, how do we know what exactly to look for?

You should remember: the training itself or the accreditation isn’t what this is about; the job or career that you’re getting the training for is. Too many training companies place too much importance on just the training course. Imagine training for just one year and then end up doing the actual job for 10-20 years. Avoid the mistake of choosing what sounds like a very ‘interesting’ program and then spend decades in a job you hate!

Get to grips with what you want to earn and how ambitious you are. Sometimes, this affects what precise exams will be required and what industry will expect from you in return. Sense dictates that you look for advice and guidance from an experienced industry professional before settling on a training path, so there’s no doubt that the chosen route will give you the skill-set required for your career choice.

Consider only study courses that’ll lead to industry accepted accreditations. There are way too many trainers suggesting their own ‘in-house’ certificates that are essentially useless when you start your job-search. You’ll discover that only industry recognised accreditation from the likes of Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe and Cisco will have any meaning to employers.

Students who consider this area of study are often very practical, and aren’t really suited to the classroom environment, and slogging through piles of books. If you identify with this, opt for more involving, interactive learning materials, with on-screen demonstrations and labs. Research over recent years has constantly confirmed that connecting physically with our study, is far more likely to produce long-lasting memories.

Find a course where you’re provided with an array of CD and DVD ROM’s - you’ll begin by watching videos of instructors demonstrating the skills, and be able to hone your abilities through virtual lab’s. Don’t take any chances and look at some examples of the kind of training materials you’ll be using before you hand over your cheque. The minimum you should expect would be instructor-led video demonstrations and a variety of audio-visual and interactive sections.

Purely on-line training should be avoided. Physical CD or DVD ROM materials are preferable where available, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want - it’s not wise to be held hostage to your broadband being ‘up’ 100 percent of the time.

It’s so important to understand this key point: It’s essential to obtain proper 24×7 round-the-clock support from professional instructors. Later, you’ll kick yourself if you don’t adhere to this. Locate training schools with help available at all hours of the day and night (irrespective of whether it’s the wee hours on Sunday morning!) Make sure it’s always 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 at a convenient time for them.

We recommend looking for training programs that utilise many support facilities active in different time-zones. All of them should be combined to offer a simple interface together with 24×7 access, when you need it, with no fuss. Never compromise where support is concerned. The majority of students who throw in the towel, would have had a different experience if they’d got the right support package in the first place.

Review the following points very carefully if you’re inclined to think the sales ploy of an ‘Exam Guarantee’ sounds great value:

Everyone knows they’re ultimately paying for it - it’s not so hard to see that it’s been added into the gross price invoiced by the training provider. It’s certainly not free (although some people will believe anything the marketing companies think up these days!) Passing first time is everyone’s goal. Taking your exams progressively when it’s appropriate and paying for them just before taking them puts you in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt - you revise thoroughly and think carefully about the costs.

Don’t you think it’s more sensible to not pay up-front, but at the appropriate time, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance to the training company, and to do it in a local testing office - instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call? Many questionable training colleges secure a great deal of profit because they’re getting paid for all the exam fees up-front then hoping you won’t see them all through. Remember, with most ‘Exam Guarantees’ - they control when and how often you can re-take the exam. Subsequent exam attempts are only authorised at the company’s say so.

Paying maybe a thousand pounds extra on ‘Exam Guarantees’ is foolish - when study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will get you through.

So, why ought we to be looking at commercially accredited qualifications as opposed to traditional academic qualifications gained through the state educational establishments? Vendor-based training (as it’s known in the industry) is more effective in the commercial field. Industry has realised that specialisation is what’s needed to meet the requirements of a technologically complex marketplace. Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA are the dominant players. In essence, the learning just focuses on what’s actually required. It’s slightly more broad than that, but the principle objective is to master the precisely demanded skill-sets (alongside some required background) - without overdoing the detail in every other area (as universities often do).

What if you were an employer - and your company needed a person with some very particular skills. What should you do: Wade your way through loads of academic qualifications from graduate applicants, struggling to grasp what they’ve learned and which commercial skills they have, or select a specialised number of commercial certifications that precisely match your needs, and make your short-list from that. You can then focus on how someone will fit into the team at interview - instead of having to work out if they can do the job.

At times individuals don’t catch on to what information technology is doing for all of us. It is electrifying, revolutionary, and means you’re working on technology that will affect us all over the next generation. We are really only just starting to understand how this will truly impact our way of life. How we communicate and interact with everyone around us will be profoundly affected by technology and the internet.

If making decent money is around the top on your scale of wants, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised to hear that the average salary of a typical IT worker is considerably more than with the rest of the economy. Demand for well trained and qualified IT technicians is certain for quite some time to come, due to the continuous expansion in the marketplace and the massive deficiency that we still have.

If your dream is to become a great web designer with relevant qualifications for today’s employment market, your must-have certification is Adobe Dreamweaver. In order to take advantage of Dreamweaver commercially in web design, a thorough comprehension of the complete Adobe Web Creative Suite (including Flash and Action Script) is in our opinion essential. Having such skills means, you can go onto become either an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) or Adobe Certified Professional (ACP).

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).

Huge changes are washing over technology over the next few decades - and it only gets more exciting every day. There are people who believe that the technological advancement we’ve had over recent years is cooling down. All indicators point in the opposite direction. We have yet to experience incredible advances, and the internet in particular is going to dominate how we conduct our lives.

The money in IT isn’t to be sniffed at either - the typical remuneration throughout Britain for a typical person working in IT is considerably higher than the national average. Odds are that you’ll earn quite a bit more than you’d typically expect to bring in elsewhere. Due to the technological sector emerging with no sign of a slow-down, it’s predictable that the requirement for qualified professionals will continue actively for quite some time to come.

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.

Stay tuned-in to where you want to go, and build your study action-plan from that - not the other way round. Stay on target and study for a career you’ll enjoy for years to come. You’d also need help from an experienced person who can explain the sector you’re considering, and who can offer ‘A day in the life of’ outline for that career-path. This really is essential because you need to know if this change is right for you.

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 very best training providers use multiple support centres active in different time-zones. By utilising an interactive interface to join them all seamlessly, at any time you choose, help is just a click away, with no hassle or contact issues. Never make the mistake of compromise where support is concerned. Many students that drop-out or fail, would have had a different experience if they’d got the right support package in the first place.

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.

The latest audio-visual interactive programs with demonstrations and practice sessions beat books hands-down. And they’re a lot more fun to do. Each company you’re contemplating should be able to show you a few examples of their training materials. Make sure you encounter videos of instructor-led classes and many interactive sections.

Purely on-line training should be avoided. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where possible, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want - you don’t want to be reliant on your broadband being ‘up’ 100 percent of the time.

The way a programme is physically sent to you isn’t always given the appropriate level of importance. How is the courseware broken down? And in what sequence and do you have a say in when you’ll get each part? Most companies will sell you a program spread over 1-3 years, and courier the materials in pieces as you complete each exam. On the surface this seems reasonable - until you consider the following: What if there are reasons why you can’t finish each and every exam? What if you don’t find their order of learning is ideal for you? Because of nothing that’s your fault, you mightn’t complete everything fast enough and consequently not get all your materials.

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.

One crafty way that colleges make a big mark-up is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course then giving it ‘Exam Guarantee’ status. It looks like a good deal, till you look at the facts:

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.

Doesn’t it make more sense to find the best exam deal or offer when you’re ready, instead of paying a premium to a college, and to do it locally - rather than in some remote centre? Huge profits are secured by many training colleges that incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. Many students don’t take them for one reason or another and so the company is quids-in. Believe it or not, providers exist that rely on that fact - as that’s where a lot of their profit comes from. Pay heed to the fact that, with ‘Exam Guarantees’ from most places - the company decides when you can do your re-takes. They’ll only allow a re-take once completely satisfied.

Prometric and VUE exams are currently clocking in at an average of 112 pounds in the UK. Why pay exorbitant ‘Exam Guarantee’ fees (usually wrapped up in the course package price) - when a quality course, support and consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.

Some training providers have a handy Job Placement Assistance service, to help you into your first commercial role. The honest truth is that 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.

However, don’t procrastinate and wait until you’ve passed your final exams before updating your CV. Right at the beginning of your training, list what you’re working on and place it on jobsites! Many junior support jobs have been offered to people who are in the process of training and haven’t got any qualifications yet. At least this will get you on your way. The most reliable organisations to get you a new position are usually local IT focused employment agencies. Because they get paid commission to place you, they have the necessary incentive to try that bit harder.

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.