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Computer and network support technicians are increasingly in demand in the United Kingdom, as organisations are becoming more reliant upon their knowledge and fixing and repairing abilities. Our desire for such qualified and commercially astute people is growing at an impressive rate, as everywhere we work becomes vastly more dependent upon technology.

Understanding the right career choice is fraught with stress – so which areas should we be checking out and what kind of questions should we pose?

Make sure you don’t get caught-up, like so many people do, on the training course itself. Training for training’s sake is generally pointless; this is about gaining commercial employment. You need to remain focused on where you want to go. It’s quite usual, in many cases, to thoroughly enjoy one year of training only to end up putting 20 long years into a job you hate, entirely because you stumbled into it without the correct level of soul-searching when you should’ve – at the outset.

It’s well worth a long chat to see the expectations of your industry. Which precise exams you’ll be required to have and how to gain experience. Spend some time assessing how far you think you’ll want to build your skill-set as often it can force you to choose a particular set of certifications. Seek out help from a professional advisor that has commercial knowledge of your chosen market-place, and who can offer ‘A day in the life of’ synopsis of what you’ll actually be doing with each working day. It’s good sense to know if this change is right for you before you commence your studies. There’s really no point in starting to train and then find you’ve taken the wrong route.

All programs you’re considering has to build towards a widely recognised accreditation at the end – and not a worthless ‘in-house’ piece of paper. Unless the accreditation comes from a company like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA, then you’ll probably find it will be commercially useless – as it’ll be an unknown commodity.

Full support is of the utmost importance – find a program offering 24×7 direct access to instructors, as anything less will not satisfy and will also hamper your progress. You’ll be waiting ages for an answer with email based support, and so-called telephone support is normally just routed to a call-centre which 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 call back over the next day or so (assuming you’re there), at a suitable time to them. This isn’t a lot of good if you’re stuck and can’t continue and only have certain times available in which to do your studies.

We recommend looking for providers that use several support centres from around the world. All of them should be combined to offer a simple interface and round-the-clock access, when you want it, with no hassle. Find a training school that goes the extra mile. Because only 24×7 round-the-clock live support truly delivers for technical programs.

Trainees looking at this market are usually quite practically-minded, and aren’t really suited to the classroom environment, and poring through books and manuals. If this is putting you off studying, use multimedia, interactive learning, where you can learn everything on-screen. Memory is vastly improved when we use multiple senses – this has been an accepted fact in expert circles for decades now.

You can now study via interactive discs. Through instructor-led video classes you’ll find things easier to remember by way of the demonstrations and explanations. Knowledge can then be tested by utilising the practice lab’s and modules. Always insist on a demonstration of the study materials from the training company. You should ask for instructor videos, demonstrations, slide-shows and interactive labs where you get to practice.

It’s usually bad advice to go for purely on-line training. Connection quality and reliability varies hugely across all internet service providers, ensure that you have access to actual CD or DVD ROM’s.

Adding in the cost of exams up-front then including an exam guarantee is common for many training course providers. But let’s examine why they really do it:

Everyone knows they’re still footing the bill for it – it’s quite obvious to see that it’s been added into the gross price invoiced by the college. It’s definitely not free – and it’s insulting that we’re supposed to think it is! Evidence shows that when trainees fund each examination, one by one, they’ll be in a better position to pass every time – because they are conscious of their investment in themselves and their application will be greater.

Why pay a college up-front for examination fees? Go for the best offer when you’re ready, don’t pay mark-ups – and take it closer to home – not at somewhere of their bidding. Why tie up your cash (or borrow more than you need) for examination fees when there’s absolutely nothing that says you have to? Big margins are secured by training companies charging upfront for all their exams – and then hoping that you won’t take them all. Pay heed to the fact that, in the majority of cases of ‘exam guarantees’ – the company controls how often and 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.

Average exam fees were around the 112 pounds mark last year through local VUE or Pro-metric centres throughout the country. So what’s the point of paying maybe a thousand pounds extra to get ‘an Exam Guarantee’, when it’s obvious that what’s really needed is consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software.

A lot of trainees assume that the traditional school, college or university path is the right way even now. So why then is commercial certification becoming more in demand? With a growing demand for specific technological expertise, the IT sector has been required to move to the specialised core-skills learning that can only come from the vendors – for example companies such as CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA. Often this saves time and money for the student. Essentially, only that which is required is learned. It isn’t quite as lean as that might sound, but the most important function is always to concentrate on the fundamentally important skill-sets (including a degree of required background) – without overdoing the detail in every other area (as degree courses are known to do).

Just as the old advertisement said: ‘It does what it says on the tin’. Companies need only to know where they have gaps, and then request applicants with the correct exam numbers. That way they can be sure they’re interviewing applicants who can do the job.

Let’s admit it: There really is pretty much no personal job security now; there’s only industry or sector security – as any company can fire a solitary member of staff whenever it fits the company’s commercial needs. However, a quickly growing market-place, with huge staffing demands (due to a growing shortfall of trained professionals), enables the possibility of true job security.

Taking the Information Technology (IT) industry for instance, the 2006 e-Skills investigation demonstrated a skills gap around the country of over 26 percent. Basically, we only have the national capacity to fill just 3 out of every four jobs in IT. This basic idea clearly demonstrates an urgent requirement for more technically trained computing professionals in the UK. Surely, now really is such a perfect time to consider retraining into IT.

Choosing a study program that fulfils industries needs is vital in our turbulent times. In addition, it’s also necessary to discover one that you’ll enjoy, that fits your character and ability level. Training ranges from Microsoft User Skills to career courses in Databases, Programming, Networking and Web Design. There’s a great deal of choice and so the chances are you’ll want to talk through your options with an experienced advisor prior to deciding which way to go: the last thing you want to do is get on the wrong course for something that doesn’t suit you!

By taking advantage of the latest training methods and keeping costs to a minimum, there is a new type of organisation supplying a superior brand of teaching and assistance for hundreds of pounds less.

Being aware of so much debate about computing technology at present, how are we supposed to appreciate what exactly to look for?

Make sure you don’t get caught-up, as can often be the case, on the certification itself. Your training isn’t about getting a plaque on your wall; you should be geared towards the actual job at the end of it. Focus on the end-goal. It’s a testament to the marketing skills of the big companies, but a great many students commence training that sounds marvellous from the syllabus guide, but which delivers a career that doesn’t fulfil at all. Try talking to typical college leavers for examples.

Prioritise understanding the exact expectations industry will have. What precise accreditations you’ll need and in what way you can gain some industry experience. You should also spend a little time considering how far you wish to build your skill-set as often it can affect your choice of accreditations. The best advice for students is to chat with an experienced industry professional before they make a decision on a particular study program. This helps to ensure it contains the commercially required skills for the chosen career path.

One of the most important things to insist on has to be full 24×7 support with dedicated instructors and mentors. It’s an all too common story to find providers that will only offer a basic 9am till 6pm support period (maybe later on certain days) with very little availability over the weekend. some companies only provide email support (slow), and telephone support is usually to a call-centre that will take the information and email an instructor – who will attempt to call you within 24-48 hrs, at a time suitable for them. This is no good if you’re stuck with a particular problem and have a one hour time-slot in which to study.

The best trainers have many support offices across multiple time-zones. They use an online interactive interface to seamlessly link them all, any time of the day or night, help is just a click away, without any problems or delays. Never compromise when it comes to your support. The vast majority of would-be IT professionals that can’t get going properly, just need the right support system.

Those that are drawn to this type of work are often very practical, 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 everything is presented via full motion video. Many studies have proved that much more of what we learn in remembered when we receive multi-sensorial input, and we get practically involved in what we’re studying.

Top of the range study programs now offer interactive discs. Instructor-led tutorials will mean you’ll absorb the modules, one by one, via the demonstrations and explanations. Then you test your knowledge by interacting with the software and practicing yourself. Always insist on a look at some courseware examples from the school that you’re considering. You should ask for slide-shows, instructor-led videos and virtual practice lab’s for your new skills.

It’s folly to choose training that is only available online. With highly variable reliability and quality from most broadband providers, ensure that you have access to physical media such as CD or DVD ROM’s.

In first place for the most common difficulty in the IT training sector is often the ‘in-centre’ workshop requirement. Most training schools push the so-called ‘benefits’ of these classes, however, they quickly become a major problem because of:

* The amount of travel required – frequent trips and often 100′s of miles each time.

* Workshop availability; frequently Monday to Friday and sometimes 2-3 days at a time. It’s not easy to get the work-leave.

* Annual leave lost – the majority of employed people only have 20 days holiday. If over half of it is swallowed up by study events, vacation time is going to be quite short for the family as a whole.

* In a situation where running costs are very high, many trainers really push the size of the class – which is not ideal (increasing the ratio of students to teachers).

* A lot of trainees want to work as quickly as possible, while others are looking to take a more ‘steady’ pace and not be pushed beyond their comfort-zone. This brings tension and difficulty a lot of the time.

* Rising travel prices – driving or taking public transport backwards and forwards to the training facility plus bed and breakfast can cost a lot with each visit. If you only assumed a basic 5-10 workshops costing 35 pounds for one night’s accommodation, plus 40 pounds petrol and 15.00 for food, that becomes a minimum of 450-900 pounds of costs that we weren’t expecting.

* Most trainees want study privacy to avoid any kind of management questions in their job.

* It’s common to feel awkward about asking questions in a room full of our fellow trainees – who wants to look like they’re the only one who doesn’t get it?

* If you on occasion live or work away from home, consider the added problems of getting to the requisite classes, when time-off becomes even harder to obtain.

A more flexible training route is to employ pre-filmed workshops in the comfort of your own home – studying at your own pace, when it suits you – not anyone else. You can study anywhere you want. If your PC is a laptop, you could get a little fresh air outside while you learn. If you have any difficulties then make use of the 24×7 support. You have the ability to do the modules as often as you want or need. There’s also no need to jot down any notes because the class is available whenever you want it. Could it be simpler: No travelling, wasted time or money; and of course you end up with a more stress-free study environment.

There is a tidal wave of change washing over technology in the near future – and it only gets more exciting every day. There are people who believe that the technological revolution that’s been a familiar part of our recent lives is cooling down. All indicators point in the opposite direction. Massive changes are on the horizon, and the internet particularly will become an increasingly dominant part of our lives.

And don’t forget salaries either – the usual income throughout Britain for a typical IT professional is much higher than the national average. Odds are that you’ll earn a much better deal than you could reasonably hope to get in other industries. Due to the technological sector growing with no sign of a slow-down, one can predict that the need for certified IT professionals will flourish for a good while yet.

If you’d like to get involved in the web design industry, an Adobe Dreamweaver course is vital for getting professional credentials that are recognised around the world. For commercial applications you’ll need a thorough comprehension of the entire Adobe Web Creative Suite. This includes (but is by no means restricted to) Action Script and Flash. If your goal is to become an Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) or an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) then these skills are paramount.

Understanding how to make a website is only the beginning. Creating traffic, maintaining content and programming database-driven sites are the next things. Think about training programmes that also contain modules to teach these subjects perhaps HTML, PHP and MySQL, along with Search Engine Optimisation and E Commerce.

How are we supposed to reach an educated choice then? With all this potential, it’s essential to be guided as to where to look – and what to be searching for.

Potential Students hoping to kick off a career in computers and technology often aren’t sure what path they should take, let alone what market to obtain accreditation for. Flicking through long lists of different and confusing job titles is a complete waste of time. Most of us have no idea what our next-door neighbours do at work each day – so what chance do we have in understanding the subtleties of a specific IT job. To get through to the essence of this, a discussion is necessary, covering a variety of definitive areas:

* Which type of person you reckon you are – what kind of jobs you find interesting, plus of course – what don’t you like doing.

* Are you hoping to re-train for a certain raison d’etre – for example, are you pushing to work based from home (being your own boss?)?

* What scale of importance is the salary – is an increase your main motivator, or do you place job satisfaction a little higher on your priority-list?

* Because there are so many markets to choose from in Information Technology – you’ll need to gain a solid grounding on what makes them different.

* How much time you will commit your training.

To completely side-step the industry jargon, and find the best route for you, have a good talk with an experienced professional; an individual that appreciates and can explain the commercial realities whilst covering each qualification.

It’s likely that you probably enjoy fairly practical work – the ‘hands-on’ personality type. If you’re like us, the painful task of reading endless manuals is something you’ll make yourself do if you have to, but it’s not really your thing. So look for on-screen interactive learning packages if book-based learning really isn’t your style. Where we can study while utilising as many senses as possible, then we often see hugely increased memory retention as a result.

Programs are now found in the form of CD and DVD ROM’s, where everything is taught on your PC. Video streaming means you can sit back and watch the teachers showing you precisely how to do something, with some practice time to follow – via the interactive virtual lab’s. You must ensure that you see some example materials from the company you’re considering. You’ll want to see that they include instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab’s.

Often, companies will only use purely on-line training; while you can get away with this much of the time, imagine the problems when you don’t have access to the internet or you only get very a very slow connection sometimes. It is usually safer to have CD and DVD ROM materials which will not have these problems.

Some training providers are still using the rather old-fashioned idea of classroom lessons. Very often portrayed as a huge benefit, after discussion with someone who has first-hand experience, you’ll most likely hear about many or all of these problems:

* Constant journeys to the workshops – sometimes very long trips.

* Mon-Fri accessibility to events is usual, and with two or three days required at a time, this is usually problematic for a lot of trainees who are working.

* Usually, we end up feeling 4 weeks annual leave is not really enough. Take away a big chunk of this for training events and see your problems doubled.

* Training events sometimes end up overly large as well.

* Maybe you like to work at a slower or quicker pace than the rest of the class. Sometimes this causes tension in the class.

* A lot of students tell us of the considerable cost of travelling back and forth to the training facility whilst paying for accommodation and food becomes prohibitively expensive.

* Many attendees want to keep their training private to avoid any kind of management questions in their work.

* How many of us have avoided asking a question, because we wanted to look smarter?

* Usually, classes frequently become pretty much unreachable, when you work away for part of your week or month.

Infinitely more flexible is to use filmed classes at the location of your choice – and do it when it’s convenient to you – not someone else. Ponder this… Using a laptop then you’re free to work in the garden, a park, or just outside. And live 24 hr-a-day support is only a web-click away when you get challenged. It doesn’t matter how often you have to re-cover a topic, video teachers will never get annoyed or frustrated! And don’t forget, in this situation, you can forget taking notes. It’s already there for you when you need it. Even though it’s impossible to stop any normal learning difficulties, it surely removes stress and makes things simpler. Plus you’ve got less hassle, travel and costs.

Some trainers only provide office hours or extended office hours support; not many go late into the evening (after 8-9pm) or cover weekends properly. Avoid, like the plague, any organisations that use call-centres ‘out-of-hours’ – with the call-back coming in during normal office hours. This is no use if you’re stuck and could do with an answer during your scheduled study period.

The best trainers use multiple support centres from around the world. Online access provides the interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together, at any time you choose, help is just seconds away, without any contact issues or hassle. Seek out an educator that goes the extra mile. As only round-the-clock 24×7 support truly delivers for technical programs.

Let’s face it: There really is no such thing as personal job security now; there can only be industry and sector security – companies can just drop any single member of staff when it meets their trade interests. In times of rising skills shortfalls and growing demand though, we often discover a newer brand of market-security; driven forward by the conditions of constant growth, businesses struggle to find the staff required.

Using the IT industry for example, a recent e-Skills analysis showed a skills deficit in the UK of around 26 percent. Showing that for every 4 jobs that exist across Information Technology (IT), we have only 3 certified professionals to fill that need. This one concept in itself shows why the UK desperately needs a lot more people to become part of the industry. Actually, retraining in Information Technology throughout the years to come is very likely the greatest career direction you could choose.

A+ consists of four exams and specialised sectors, but you only need to pass two of them to qualify for your A+. This is why a great number of colleges stick to just two options. But giving you all four options will provide you with a far deeper level of understanding of your subject, something you’ll appreciate as a Godsend in the commercial world.

CompTIA A+ training programs are about fault finding and diagnosing – both through hands-on and remote access, alongside building computers and repairing them and working in antistatic conditions. It could be a good idea to consider supplementing the A+ with Network + as it will give you the knowledge to take care of computer networks, and become a more senior IT professional.

Massive developments are coming via technology over the next generation – and the industry becomes more ground-breaking every year. We’re only just beginning to get to grips with what this change will mean to us. How we correlate with the world as a whole will be inordinately affected by technology and the internet.

And don’t forget that typical remuneration in the world of IT across the UK is a lot higher than in the rest of the economy, which means you will be in a good position to gain a lot more in the IT sector, than you could reasonably hope to achieve elsewhere. It’s evident that we have a significant country-wide requirement for qualified IT professionals. And with the marketplace continuing to expand, it seems there’s going to be for a good while yet.

Apparently, the Information Technology (IT) market promises tremendous potential. Yet, to arm ourselves with the correct information, which questions do we need to pose, and what are the sectors we need to investigate?

Many companies only concern themselves with gaining a certificate, and forget why you’re doing this – which is of course employment. Always begin with the end in mind – don’t get hung-up on the training vehicle. It’s a testament to the marketing skills of the big companies, but a great many students start out on programs that sound magnificent from the sales literature, but which gets us a career that is of no interest. Try talking to typical college students for examples.

Spend some time thinking about how much you want to earn and what level of ambition fits you. Sometimes, this affects what qualifications will be required and what industry will expect from you in return. You’d also need help from an advisor who knows the commercial realities of the market you’re considering, and who can give you ‘A day in the life of’ synopsis for each job considered. All of these things are absolutely essential as you’ll need to know if you’re going down the right road.

Of all the important things to consider, one of the most essential is always full 24×7 support from trained professional instructors and mentors. Too many companies only provide support to you inside of office hours (typically 9am-6pm) and sometimes a little earlier or later (but not weekends usually). Email support is too slow, and telephone support is usually to a call-centre which 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, at a suitable time to them. This is not a lot of use if you’re sitting there confused over an issue and only have a specific time you can study.

We recommend that you search for study programmes that use several support centres active in different time-zones. All of them should be combined to give a single entry point and also access round-the-clock, when you want it, with the minimum of hassle. Always choose a training company that cares. As only live 24×7 support gives you the confidence to make it.

If you’re like many of the students we talk to then you probably enjoy fairly practical work – the ‘hands-on’ individual. Usually, the trial of reading reference books and 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. Research has constantly demonstrated that an ‘involved’ approach to study, where we utilise all our senses, is far more likely to produce long-lasting memories.

Study programs now come in the form of CD and DVD ROM’s, so you can study at your own computer. Video streaming means you can watch instructors demonstrating how to do something, and then have a go at it yourself – with interactive lab sessions. All companies must be able to demonstrate some samples of their training materials. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and many interactive sections.

Many companies provide online training only; and although this is okay the majority of the time, imagine the problems if you lose your internet access or you only get very a very slow connection sometimes. It is usually safer to have DVD or CD discs that removes the issue entirely.

Considering how a program is ‘delivered’ to you can often be overlooked. How many parts is the training broken down into? And in what order and do you have a say in when you’ll get each part? Normally, you’ll enrol on a course taking 1-3 years and receive a module at a time. This may seem sensible until you think about these factors: It’s not unusual for trainees to realise that the company’s usual training route is not what they would prefer. Sometimes, varying the order of study will be far more suitable. And what happens if they don’t finish inside of the expected timescales?

To provide the maximum security and flexibility, it’s not unusual for students to make sure that every element of their training is couriered out in one package, all at the beginning. You can then decide in what order and how fast or slow you want to work.

Consider the following points in detail if you’ve been persuaded that that over-used sales technique about ‘guaranteeing’ exams sounds like a benefit to the student:

In this day and age, we tend to be a bit more aware of hype – and usually we grasp that it is actually an additional cost to us (it isn’t free or out of the goodness of their hearts!) If you want to get a first time pass, you must avoid exam guarantees and pay when entering exams, prioritise it appropriately and apply yourself as required.

Do your exams somewhere local and hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take it. Why tie up your cash (or borrow more than you need) for examinations when you didn’t need to? Huge profits are secured by training companies charging upfront for all their exams – and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. It’s worth noting that exam re-takes via organisations with an ‘Exam Guarantee’ are always heavily controlled. They will insist that you take pre-tests first to make sure they think you’re going to pass.

VUE and Prometric examinations are currently clocking in at an average of 112 pounds in Britain at the time of writing. Why spend so much more on ‘Exam Guarantee’ fees (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.

One useful service that several companies offer is job placement assistance. This is to help you get your first commercial position. In reality it’s not as difficult as you may be led to believe to land employment – as long as you’re correctly trained and certified; the growing UK skills shortage sees to that.

However, what is relevant is to have help with your CV and interview techniques though; and we’d recommend everyone to update their CV right at the beginning of their training – don’t put it off for when you’re ready to start work. Quite often, you will be offered your initial job whilst still on the course (sometimes when you’ve only just got going). If you haven’t updated your CV to say what you’re studying (and it hasn’t been posted on jobsites) then you don’t stand a chance! The most efficient companies to help get you placed are usually independent and specialised local recruitment services. As they’re keen to place you to receive their commission, they have more incentive to get on with it.

Not inconsiderable numbers of students, it would appear, spend evenings and weekends on their training and studies (for years sometimes), and just give up when it comes to finding a good job. Promote yourself… Work hard to get in front of employers. Don’t expect a job to just fall into your lap.