You should remember: the course itself or a qualification is not the ultimate goal; the particular job that you want to end up in is. Many trainers unfortunately place too much importance on the course or the qualification. It's quite usual, for example, to obtain tremendous satisfaction from a year of studying and then spend 20 miserable years in something completely unrewarding, simply because you did it without the correct level of soul-searching at the beginning.

Stay tuned-in to where you want to get to, and formulate your training based on that - don't do it the other way round. Keep your eyes on your goals and study for something that will keep you happy for many years. All students are advised to speak to an industry professional before they make a decision on a particular retraining program. This gives some measure of assurance that it has the required elements for the chosen career path.

Looking around, we find a plethora of job availability in IT. Deciding which one could be right for yourself is generally problematic. Since with no previous experience in IT, how could any of us understand what any job actually involves? Ultimately, any kind of right choice really only appears from a thorough study of several altering criteria:

- Your personal interests and hobbies - these often highlight what things will satisfy you.

- Are you driven to get certified because of a particular reason - i.e. are you looking at working based from home (self-employment?)?

- Is the money you make further up on your wish list than some other areas.

- Getting to grips with what typical work types and markets are - and what differentiates them.

- How much effort you're prepared to set aside for your training.

For the majority of us, considering each of these concepts will require meeting with an advisor who can explain things properly. And we don't just mean the accreditations - you also need to understand the commercial requirements of the market as well.

Several companies have a handy Job Placement Assistance program, designed to steer you into your first job. Because of the massive demand for appropriately skilled people in the UK today, it's not necessary to become overly impressed with this service however. It isn't so complicated as you might think to land a job as long as you've got the necessary skills and qualifications.

However, what is relevant is to have advice and support about your CV and interviews though; and we'd recommend everybody to update their CV as soon as training commences - don't delay for when you're ready to start work. You may not have got to the stage where you've got to the exam time when you land your first junior support job; however this won't be the case if your CV isn't in front of employers. In many cases, an independent and specialised local employment service (who will, of course, be keen to place you to receive their commission) is going to give you a better service than a division of a training company. It also stands to reason that they'll know the area and local employers better.

A good number of men and women, apparently, spend evenings and weekends on their training and studies (sometimes for years), only to do nothing special when attempting to secure a job. Introduce yourself... Make an effort to get yourself known. Don't expect a job to just fall into your lap.

'Exam Guarantees' are often bundled with training offers - inevitably that means paying for the exams at the start of your training. Before you jump at the chance of a guarantee, be aware of the facts:

Certainly it's not free - you're still being charged for it - it's just been wrapped up in the price of the package. The honest truth is that when trainees fund their own exams, when they're ready to take them and not before, the chances are they're going to qualify each time - since they'll be conscious of what they've paid and therefore will put more effort into their preparation.

Take your exams somewhere close to home and don't pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you when you're ready. Buying a course that includes payments for exam fees (plus interest - if you're financing your study) is bad financial management. Resist being talked into filling the training company's account with extra money of yours just to give them a good cash-flow! There are those who hope that you won't get round to taking them - then they'll keep the extra money. It's worth noting, with most 'Exam Guarantees' - they control when and how often you are allowed to have another go. You'll have to prove conclusively that you can pass before they'll pay for another exam.

Exams taken at local centres are approximately 112 pounds in the United Kingdom today. What's the point of paying huge 'Exam Guarantee' costs (most often hidden in the package) - when a quality course, support and study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

Discovering job security in the current climate is problematic. Companies often throw us from the workforce at the drop of a hat - as and when it suits them. We could however discover security at market-level, by searching for areas of high demand, mixed with a shortage of skilled staff.

The IT skills-gap in the United Kingdom is standing at approx twenty six percent, according to the most recent e-Skills investigation. Or, to put it differently, this shows that the United Kingdom is only able to source 3 trained people for each 4 job positions that are available now. This alarming truth shows an urgent requirement for more appropriately certified computing professionals across Great Britain. No better time or market state of affairs is ever likely to exist for getting certified in this rapidly increasing and blossoming market.

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