A competent and specialised advisor (as opposed to a salesman) will want to thoroughly discuss your current level of ability and experience. This is paramount to understanding your study start-point. Sometimes, the training inception point for a person with experience is vastly different to someone without. Always consider starting with some basic user skills first. It can brush up on your current abilities and make the slope up to the higher-levels a bit more manageable.

It's essential to have the very latest Microsoft (or any other key organisation's) accredited exam simulation and preparation packages. Due to the fact that a lot of examination boards in IT are American, you'll need to be used to the correct phraseology. It's no use simply going through the right questions - they need to be in the proper exam format. Always request some practice exams so you'll be able to test your understanding at all times. Practice exams add to your knowledge bank - so the real thing isn't quite as scary.

Don't get hung-up, like so many people do, on the training course itself. Training is not an end in itself; you should be geared towards the actual job at the end of it. Begin and continue with the end in mind. Don't be part of that group that choose a course that seems 'fun' or 'interesting' - and end up with a plaque on the wall for a career they'll never really get any satisfaction from.

You'll want to understand the expectations of your industry. What precise accreditations they'll want you to gain and in what way you can gain some industry experience. It's definitely worth spending time thinking about how far you reckon you're going to want to go as often it can control your selection of qualifications. Always seek guidance and advice from a skilled advisor, even if you have to pay - it's much safer and cheaper to discover early on whether you've chosen correctly, rather than find out after 2 years that you aren't going to enjoy the job you've chosen and have to return to the start of another program.

Many people assume that the traditional school, college or university route is still the most effective. So why are qualifications from the commercial sector becoming more in demand? With an ever-increasing technical demand on resources, the IT sector has of necessity moved to the specialised training that can only be obtained from the actual vendors - for example companies such as Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe. This usually turns out to involve less time and financial outlay. In essence, only required knowledge is taught. It isn't quite as lean as that might sound, but the most important function is always to focus on the exact skills required (with some necessary background) - without going into too much detail in all sorts of other things - in the way that academic establishments often do.

If an employer knows what areas they need covered, then all it takes is an advert for the exact skill-set required to meet that need. The syllabuses are set to meet an exact requirement and can't change from one establishment to the next (in the way that degree courses can).

Searching for your first position in IT is often made easier if you're supported with a Job Placement Assistance program. In reality it isn't a complex operation to land a job - once you're trained and certified; employers in this country need your skills.

Help with your CV and interview techniques may be available (if it isn't, consult one of our sites). Ensure you polish up your CV immediately - not when you're ready to start work! You may not have got to the stage where you've qualified when you land your first junior support position; however this isn't going to happen if your CV isn't in front of employers. The most efficient companies to help you land that job are normally specialist locally based employment services. As they will get paid by the employer when they've placed you, they have the necessary incentive to try that bit harder.

A regular grievance of a number of course providers is how much trainees are prepared to work to get top marks in their exams, but how little effort that student will then put into getting the role they're studied for. Have confidence - the IT industry needs YOU.

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