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To become a proficient web designer with relevant qualifications for today’s employment market, your must-have certification is Adobe Dreamweaver. For applications in the commercial world it’s important to have a full understanding of the full Adobe Web Creative Suite. This means also (but is by no means restricted to) Flash and Action Script. Should you desire to become an Adobe Certified Professional or an Adobe Certified Expert you’ll find these skills are vital.

Understanding how to design a website just gets you started. Traffic creation, maintaining content and some programming skills are also required. Look for training with bolt-ons to cover these skills maybe PHP, HTML, and MySQL, in addition to SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and E-Commerce skills.

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!

Stay focused on where you want to get to, and formulate your training based on that - don’t do it the other way round. Stay on target - making sure you’re training for a job that will keep you happy for many years. Seek guidance and advice from a skilled professional, even if you have to pay - it’s considerably cheaper and safer to investigate at the start whether something is going to suit and interest you, rather than realise following two years of study that the job you’ve chosen is not for you and have wasted years of effort.

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.

Programs are now found in disc format, where your computer becomes the centre of your learning. Utilising the latest video technology, you can sit back and watch the teachers showing you precisely how to perform the required skill, and then have a go at it yourself - in an interactive lab. It’s very important to see some example materials from your chosen company. Be sure that they contain full motion videos of instructors demonstrating the topic with lab’s to practice the skills in.

Seek out CD and DVD ROM based physical training media wherever available. You’re then protected from broadband ‘downtime’ or slow-speeds.

If you forget everything else - then just remember this: You absolutely must have proper 24×7 instructor support. Later, you’ll kick yourself if you don’t follow this rule rigidly. Be wary of any training providers which use call-centres ‘out-of-hours’ - where you’ll get called back during standard office hours. This is useless when you’re stuck and need an answer now.

The very best training providers incorporate three or four individual support centres across multiple time-zones. They use an online interactive interface to join them all seamlessly, irrespective of the time you login, help is just a click away, with no hassle or contact issues. Never make do with a lower level of service. Direct-access 24×7 support is really your only option with IT courses. Maybe late-evening study is not your thing; but for the majority of us however, we’re at work while the support is live.

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.

A subtle way that training providers make extra profits is via an ‘exam inclusive’ package and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. It looks like a good deal, until you think it through:

In this day and age, we tend to be a little more ‘marketing-savvy’ - and most of us realise that of course we’re actually paying for it - they’re not just being charitable and doling out freebies! Those who go in for their examinations when it’s appropriate, paying for them just before taking them are much more likely to pass. They’re mindful of what they’ve paid and so are more inclined to ensure they are ready.

Don’t you think it’s more sensible to hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you’re ready, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance to the college, and to do it in a local testing office - rather than in some remote centre? Why tie up your cash (or borrow more than you need) for exams when there’s absolutely nothing that says you have to? A great deal of money is netted by organisations charging upfront for all their exams - and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. In addition to this, many exam guarantees are worthless. The majority of organisations won’t be prepared to pay for re-takes until you’re able to demonstrate an excellent mock pass rate.

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.

One feature that many training companies provide is a programme of Job Placement assistance. The service is put in place to steer you into your first IT role. The need for this feature can be bigged up out of proportion though - 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 enable you to get a job.

Get your CV updated straight-away though (advice can be sought on this via your provider). Don’t wait until you’ve qualified. Quite often, you’ll secure your initial job while still studying (sometimes when you’ve only just got going). If your CV doesn’t show your latest training profile (and it isn’t in the hands of someone with jobs to offer) then you won’t even be considered! Actually, a local IT focused employment agency (who will, of course, be keen to place you to receive their commission) is going to give you a better service than a recruitment division from a training organisation. Also of course they should know the local industry and employment needs.

A big grievance of various training course providers is how much men and women are prepared to work to become certified, but how un-prepared they are to work on getting the job they have acquired skills for. Get out there and hustle - you might find it’s fun.

If you’re thinking about studying for the MCSE certificate, you’ll fall into one of two camps. You could be about to come into the computer world, and you’ve discovered that this commercial sector has lots of demand for qualified people. Or you may be someone with a certain amount of knowledge looking to polish up your CV with the Microsoft qualification.

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.

It’s abundantly clear: There’s no such thing as individual job security now; there can only be industry and business security - companies can just remove anyone whenever it fits the company’s business needs. Where there are growing skills shortages and increasing demand though, we often discover a newly emerging type of security in the marketplace; as fuelled by conditions of continuous growth, organisations find it hard to locate the staff required.

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.

Picking up on all the discussion on the area of IT these days, how is it possible to know what precisely to look for?

Of course: the training course or a certification is not the ultimate goal; the particular job that you’re getting the training for is. Far too many training organisations put too much weight in the actual accreditation. It’s an awful thing, but thousands of new students commence training that sounds fabulous in the sales literature, but which delivers a career that is of no interest. Try talking to typical college leavers for examples.

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.

Traditional teaching in classrooms, utilising reference manuals and books, is often a huge slog for most of us. If you’re nodding as you read this, find training programs which have a majority of interactive, multimedia parts. Where we can get all of our senses involved in our learning, our results will often be quite spectacular.

Modern training can now be done at home via easy-to-use DVD or CD ROM’s. By watching and listening to instructors on video tutorials you’ll absorb the modules, one by one, through the expert demonstrations. Then you test your knowledge by using practice-lab’s. You must ensure that you see the type of training provided by each company you’re contemplating. You’ll want to see that they include full motion videos of instructors demonstrating the topic with lab’s to practice the skills in.

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 most successful trainers utilise several support facilities from around the world. By utilising an interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together, at any time you choose, help is at hand, avoiding all the delays and problems. Find an educator that gives this level of learning support. Only true 24×7 round-the-clock live support provides the necessary backup.

Accredited exam preparation and simulation materials are a must - and should definitely be obtained from your training supplier. Students regularly can get thrown by going through practice questions that aren’t recognised by authorised sources. It’s not uncommon that the way questions are phrased can be completely unlike un-authorised versions and you should be prepared for this. ‘Mock’ or practice exams will prove invaluable for confidence building - so much so, that at the real thing, you will be much more relaxed.

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.

CV and Interview advice and support is sometimes offered (if it isn’t, consult one of our sites). Ensure you polish up your CV today - not after you’ve qualified! It’s not uncommon to find that junior support roles are offered to people who are still learning and haven’t even passed a single exam yet. At the very least this will get you on your way. The most efficient companies to get you a new position are generally specialist independent regional recruitment consultancies. Because they only get paid when they place you, they have the necessary incentive to try that bit harder.

A big aggravation of various training providers is how hard people are prepared to study to pass exams, but how un-prepared that student is to get the role they have qualified for. Don’t give up when the best is yet to come.

Without a constant influx of trained network and computer support workers, industry in the United Kingdom (as elsewhere) would surely run into problems. We have an on-going demand for technicians to support both the systems and the users themselves. Due to the progressively multifaceted levels of technology, more and more IT professionals are needed to look after the smooth operation of functions we’ve come to rely on.

There is a tidal wave of change washing over technology over the next generation - and this means greater innovations all the time. Technology, computers and dialogue via the internet will dramatically affect the way we live our lives over the coming years; overwhelmingly so.

Always remember that typical remuneration in the IT market over Britain as a whole is significantly better than in the rest of the economy, therefore you will probably earn considerably more as a trained IT professional, than you would in most typical jobs. It seems there’s a lot more room for IT jobs development throughout this country. The market continues to grow quickly, and with the skills shortage of over 26 percent that we’re experiencing, it’s highly unlikely that things will be any different for the significant future.

So, which sort of questions should we be asking if we want to arrive at the understanding we need? Since there seems to be some fairly outstanding possibilities for everyone to investigate.

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.

Be honest with yourself about how much you want to earn and what level of ambition fits you. Sometimes, this affects what qualifications you will need and what industry will expect from you in return. Seek out help from a skilled professional that ‘gets’ the commercial realities of the area you’re interested in, and who can offer ‘A typical day in the life of’ understanding of of what you’ll be doing on a day-to-day basis. It makes good sense to ensure you’re on the right track before you embark on your training program. What’s the point in kicking off your training only to realise you’ve made a huge mistake.

If you’re like many of the students we talk to then you probably enjoy fairly practical work - the ‘hands-on’ individual. If you’re anything like us, the world of book-reading and classrooms would be considered as a last resort, but you’d hate it. So look for on-screen interactive learning packages if learning from books is not your thing. Research has consistently shown that connecting physically with our study, is proven to produce longer-lasting and deeper memory retention.

Modern training can now be done at home via easy-to-use DVD or CD ROM’s. Real-world classes from the instructors will mean you’ll learn your subject via their teaching and demonstrations. Then it’s time to test your knowledge by practicing and interacting with the software. It’s imperative to see examples of the study materials provided by any company that you may want to train through. You’ll want to see that they include video, demonstrations and various interactive elements.

Avoiding training that is delivered purely online is generally a good idea. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where available, so that you have access at all times - and not be totally reliant on a good broadband connection all the time.

There is no way of over emphasising this: Always get full 24×7 instructor support. We can tell you that you’ll strongly regret it if you don’t. Try and find training where you can access help at any time you choose (irrespective of whether it’s the wee hours on Sunday morning!) You’ll need direct-access to qualified mentors and tutors, and not a call-centre that will take messages so you’re constantly waiting for a call-back - probably during office hours.

Top training providers offer an online round-the-clock service combining multiple support operations across the globe. You will be provided with a simple interface which switches seamlessly to the best choice of centres no matter what time of day it is: Support on demand. Don’t ever make the mistake of taking second best with the quality of your support. Many students who throw in the towel, would have had a different experience if they’d got the right support package in the first place.

Many people question why academic qualifications are being overtaken by more commercial certifications? Industry now recognises that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, the right accreditation from companies such as Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA is closer to the mark commercially - at a far reduced cost both money and time wise. Patently, a certain quantity of associated information must 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’. 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:

We all know that we’re ultimately paying for it - it’s not so hard to see that it’s been added into the overall figure from the training company. It’s certainly not free - and it’s insulting that we’re supposed to think it is! The fact is that when trainees fund their relevant examinations, one at a time, they will be much more likely to get through on the first attempt - since they’ll think of their payment and their application will be greater.

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.

Many training companies offer a Job Placement Assistance service, to help you get your first job. Because of the massive skills shortage in the United Kingdom at the moment, there isn’t a great need to make too much of this option though. It isn’t such a complex operation to find the right work once you’re properly qualified.

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.

Many students, apparently, put a great deal of effort into their studies (sometimes for years), only to give up at the first hurdle when looking for a good job. Market yourself… Work hard to put yourself out there. A job isn’t just going to bump into you.

There are a total of 4 specialist training sectors in the overall A+ programme, but you’re just required to achieve pass marks in 2 for competency in A+. Be aware though that limiting yourself to 2 of the study sections might well not equip you for a job. Try to cover all four - employers will notice the difference.

Once you start your A+ training program you’ll become familiar with how to work in antistatic conditions and build and fix computers. You’ll also cover fault finding and diagnostics, through both hands-on and remote access. If your ambition is maintaining networks, add the excellent Network+ to the CompTIA A+ training you’re doing. Including Network+ will put you in a position to apply for more interesting jobs. Alternatively, you may prefer the Microsoft networking qualifications (MCP, MCSA and MCSE).

It’s irrefutable, the computing sector shows marvellous possibilities. Yet, to fully investigate, what are the questions we need to pose, and which are the areas we need to look at?

Students looking to get a career in IT generally haven’t a clue which direction they should take, or what market to obtain accreditation for. What chances do most of us have of understanding the tasks faced daily in an IT career when we haven’t done that before? Often we don’t know someone who is in that area at all. Reflection on many areas is essential when you need to dig down a solution that suits you:

* Personality factors plus what interests you - which work-centred jobs you like and dislike.

* What is the time-frame for retraining?

* How highly do you rate salary - is it the most important thing, or is enjoying your job a lot higher on your list of priorities?

* Some students don’t fully understand the energy expected to get fully certified.

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

At the end of the day, the best way of understanding everything necessary is through a good talk with an experienced advisor that understands the market well enough to be able to guide you.

One thing you must always insist on is full 24×7 support with expert mentors and instructors. Far too often we see trainers who only seem to want to help while they’re in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends. Look for training where you can access help at any time of the day or night (irrespective of whether it’s the wee hours on Sunday morning!) Make sure it’s always 24×7 direct access to mentors and instructors, and not a call-centre that will take messages so you’re parked in a queue of others waiting to be called back during office hours.

The most successful trainers utilise several support facilities around the globe in several time-zones. An online system provides an interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together, no matter what time you login, help is just seconds away, with no hassle or contact issues. Always choose a training company that is worth purchasing from. Because only 24×7 round-the-clock live support truly delivers for technical programs.

If you’re like many of the students we talk to then you’re a practical sort of person - a ‘hands-on’ type. Usually, the world of book-reading and classrooms is something you’ll force on yourself if you absolutely have to, but it doesn’t suit your way of doing things. Check out video-based multimedia instruction if books just don’t do it for you. Recent studies into the way we learn shows that we remember much more when we use all our senses, and we get practically involved in what we’re studying.

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.

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

In first place for the biggest single let-down for IT students is a requirement to attend multiple workshop days. Many trainers extol the virtues of the positive points of taking part in these events, it’s almost certain though that you’ll find them a growing difficulty due to:

* Masses of visits to the workshops - usually very long trips.

* Accessibility to workshops; usually Mon-Fri and two or three days in a row. This can be difficult to get the days away from work.

* Most of us end up feeling 4 weeks annual leave is barely enough. Knock off a big chunk of this for study days and see how much more difficult it makes things.

* ‘In-Centre’ workshop days fill up quickly and often end up larger than is ideal.

* Often trainees want to work as quickly as possible, but some need a more gentle learning curve and be allowed to set their own speed. This breeds tension and unrest in most workshops.

* 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.

* Who amongst us hasn’t avoided posing that question we were dying to ask, just because we wanted to maintain the illusion that we did, in fact, understand?

* Typically, workshops become virtually undoable, in cases where you live away for part of the week.

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.

If making decent money is high on your wish list, you’ll be happy to know that the income on average of a typical IT worker is significantly greater than with most other jobs or industries. There is a great national need for trained and qualified IT technicians. It follows that as growth in the industry shows little sign of contracting, it seems this pattern will continue for the significant future.

For those hoping to start an MCSA training program, it’s important to realise that there are many different types of training; some are easier than others. You will find a variety of courses, whether you’re a beginner, or a professional hoping to gain accredited qualifications. To become certified for an MCSA you need to pass 4 Microsoft Certified Professional exams (MCP’s). For a newcomer to the industry, it’s possible you will need to improve your skill-set before studying for the 4 MCP’s. Search for a training organisation with people who can identify the best action plan for you and can match a course start point to your current skill set.

If the UK Information Technology (IT) sector provides so many fantastic advancement possibilities for us all - then what are the questions we need to be posing and which aspects are important to consider?

So many training providers are all about the certification, and avoid focusing on what it’s all actually about - which will always be getting the job or career you want. You should always begin with the end goal - too many people focus on the journey. Don’t let yourself become one of those unfortunate students that choose a course which looks like it could be fun - and end up with a plaque on the wall for something they’ll never enjoy.

It’s a good idea to understand what expectations industry may have of you. Which accreditations you’ll be required to have and how to gain experience. It’s definitely worth spending time setting guidelines as to how far you wish to build your skill-set as it will often force you to choose a particular set of qualifications. Obtain help from a skilled professional that has commercial knowledge of your chosen market-place, and will be able to provide ‘A typical day in the life of’ understanding of what duties you’ll be performing on a day-to-day basis. It’d be sensible to know if this change is right for you well before your course begins. There’s little point in kicking off your training only to discover you’re on the wrong course.

Make sure that all your accreditations are commercially valid and current - don’t even consider studies which end up with a useless in-house certificate or plaque. All the major IT organisations such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe have widely approved skills courses. These big-hitters will make your CV stand-out.

People attracted to this sort of work are often very practical, and don’t really enjoy classrooms, and slogging through piles of books. If you identify with this, go for more modern interactive training, where everything is presented via full motion video. We see a huge improvement in memory retention with an involvement of all our senses - learning experts have been saying this for many years.

Study programs now come on CD and DVD discs, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Through video streaming, you are able to see your instructors showing you how to perform the required skill, and then have a go at it yourself - in an interactive lab. Every company that you look at should willingly take you through some examples of the materials provided for study. You’re looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and many interactive sections.

You should avoid purely online training. Ideally, you should opt for CD and DVD ROM courseware where obtainable, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want - and not be totally reliant on your internet connection always being ‘up’ and available.

There is no way of over emphasising this: Always get full 24×7 professional support from mentors and instructors. You will have so many problems later if you don’t heed this. Never purchase study programmes that only provide support to students with an out-sourced call-centre message system after office-staff have gone home. Companies will always try to hide the importance of this issue. The simple fact of the matter is - support is required when it’s required - not as-and-when it’s suitable for their staff.

We recommend looking for providers that use several support centres across multiple time-zones. Each one should be integrated to give a single entry point and also 24×7 access, when it’s convenient for you, with the minimum of hassle. Don’t accept second best when it comes to your support. The majority of would-be IT professionals who drop-out or fail, are in that situation because of a lack of support.

Adding in the cost of exam fees with the course fee then including an exam guarantee is common for a good many training companies. But look at the facts:

Patently it isn’t free - you’re still coughing up for it - it’s just been included in your package price. Students who go in for their examinations when it’s appropriate, funding them one at a time are much better placed to get through first time. They’re conscious of what they’ve paid and take the necessary steps to be ready for the task.

Don’t pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you at the appropriate time, and save having to find the money early. In addition, it’s then your choice where to sit the exam - so you can find somewhere local. A surprising number of so-called credible training course providers make huge profits because they’re getting paid for all the exam fees up-front and hoping either that you won’t take them, or it will be a long time before you do. Also, ‘Exam Guarantees’ often aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. The majority of organisations will not pay again for an exam until you’ve completely satisfied them that you’re ready this time.

On average, exams cost 112 pounds or thereabouts in the last 12 months when taken at Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So what’s the point of paying maybe a thousand pounds extra to get ‘an Exam Guarantee’, when any student knows that what’s really needed is a regular, committed, study programme, with an accredited exam preparation system.

We’re regularly asked to explain why qualifications from colleges and universities are being overtaken by more qualifications from the commercial sector? The IT sector is now aware that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, proper accreditation supplied for example by Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe is closer to the mark commercially - for considerably less. They do this by focusing on the particular skills that are needed (alongside a proportionate degree of background knowledge,) as opposed to covering masses of the background non-specific minutiae that degree courses often do (because the syllabus is so wide).

Think about if you were the employer - and your company needed a person with some very particular skills. What is easier: Go through reams of different degrees and college qualifications from several applicants, asking for course details and what workplace skills they’ve acquired, or select a specialised number of commercial certifications that perfectly fit your needs, and then choose your interviewees based around that. Your interviews are then about personal suitability - instead of long discussions on technical suitability.

Technology and IT is one of the more electrifying and revolutionary industries that you can get into right now. Being up close and personal with technology puts you at the fore-front of developments that will impact the whole world for generations to come. We’re in the very early stages of beginning to get an inclination of how technology will define our world. Computers and the web will massively alter the way we regard and interact with the world as a whole over the years to come.

If making decent money is up there on your goal sheet, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised to hear that the usual remuneration for the majority of IT staff is much more than with other market sectors. It would appear there’s no easing up for IT development across Britain. The industry continues to grow quickly, and we don’t have anywhere near enough qualified skilled IT professionals to fill current job vacancies, so it’s not likely that things will be any different for a good while yet.