If you're looking for a Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) course, be aware that training varies from company to company; some are much better than others. You'll come across a variety of courses, whether you're a beginner, or an experienced technician ready to gain acknowledged certifications. To become certified at the level of MCSA it's necessary to achieve pass marks in four MCP's (Microsoft Certified Professional exams). If you're joining the industry for the first time, you'll probably need to improve your skill-set before studying for the MCP exams. Identify a training company that has a team of advisors who can guide you towards the ideal program for you and who will get you started in the right place.

Being a part of progressive developments in new technology is as thrilling as it comes. You personally play your part in creating a future for us all. We're barely beginning to get a handle on how this will truly impact our way of life. The way we interact with the world will be massively affected by computers and the web.

The money in IT isn't to be sniffed at also - the usual income in the UK for the usual IT professional is a lot higher than average salaries nationally. It's a good bet that you'll receive a much greater package than you'd expect to earn doing other work. There is a considerable national demand for qualified IT professionals. It follows that with the constant growth in the marketplace, it is likely there will be for years to come.

Being aware of the sheer volume of debate on the area of computer technology at present, how can we recognize what precisely to look for?

Remember: a actual training program or a qualification is not what you're looking for; the career you're training for is. Many trainers unfortunately over-emphasise just the training course. It's common, for instance, to obtain tremendous satisfaction from a year of studying and then find yourself trapped for decades in a job you hate, simply because you did it without the correct level of soul-searching when it was needed - at the start.

Set targets for earning potential and whether you're an ambitious person or not. Sometimes, this affects which certifications will be expected and what you can expect to give industry in return. Seek advice from an industry professional, even if you have to pay - it's much safer and cheaper to investigate at the start whether a chosen track will suit, instead of discovering following two years of study that you're doing entirely the wrong thing and have wasted years of effort.

Those that are drawn to this type of work are usually quite practically-minded, and don't always take well to classrooms, and poring through books and manuals. If this could be you, use multimedia, interactive learning, where you can learn everything on-screen. Memory is vastly improved when multiple senses are involved - this has been an accepted fact in expert circles for years now.

Programs are now found in the form of CD and DVD ROM's, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Through video streaming, you will be able to see the instructor presenting exactly how it's all done, and then practice yourself - via the interactive virtual lab's. Any company that you're considering should be able to show you some samples of the materials provided for study. You should hope for instructor-led videos and a wide selection of interactive elements.

It's unwise to select online only courseware. Connection quality and reliability varies hugely across most broadband providers, ensure that you have access to disc based courseware (On CD or DVD).

One of the most important things to insist on has to be full 24x7 support from dedicated instructors and mentors. It's an all too common story to find providers that only provide support to you inside of office hours (typically 9am-6pm) and sometimes a little earlier or later (but not weekends usually). Avoid those companies which use 'out-of-hours' call-centres - with the call-back coming in during the next 'working' day. This is no use if you're stuck and need help now.

The very best programs utilise an internet-based 24x7 facility pulling in several support offices over many time-zones. You will have an interface which seamlessly accesses whichever office is appropriate irrespective of the time of day: Support when you need it. If you accept anything less than support round-the-clock, you'll regret it. You might not want to use the service during late nights, but you may need weekends, early mornings or late evenings.

A number of trainees think that the tech college or university route is still the best way into IT. So why are commercially accredited qualifications slowly and steadily replacing it? With fees and living expenses for university students spiralling out of control, plus the IT sector's increasing awareness that corporate based study is closer to the mark commercially, there's been a great increase in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA authorised training programmes that create knowledgeable employees for much less time and money. Academic courses, as a example, clog up the training with too much loosely associated study - and much too wide a syllabus. This holds a student back from learning the core essentials in sufficient depth.

When it comes down to the nitty-gritty: Accredited IT qualifications give employers exactly what they're looking for - the title says it all: i.e. I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Windows XP Administration and Configuration'. So an employer can identify exactly what they need and which qualifications are needed for the job.

A subtle way that course providers make a big mark-up is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. It looks impressive, till you look at the facts:

It's become essential these days that we tend to be a little more 'marketing-savvy' - and the majority of us ought to grasp that it is something we're paying for - it's not because they're so generous they want to give something away! It's well known in the industry that if students pay for each progressive exam, one by one, there's a much better chance they'll qualify each time - since they'll think of their investment in themselves and will therefore apply themselves appropriately.

Doesn't it make more sense to not pay up-front, but when you take the exam, not to pay any mark-up to a training college, and to do it in a local testing office - rather than in some remote centre? Huge profits are secured by some training companies who take the exam money up-front. A number of students don't take them for various reasons and so they pocket the rest. Astoundingly enough, there are companies around that rely on that fact - and that's how they increase their profits. Re-takes of any failed exams through training course providers who offer an 'Exam Guarantee' inevitably are heavily regulated. They'll insist that you take mock exams first so you can prove to them you have a good chance of passing.

Paying maybe a thousand pounds extra on an 'Exam Guarantee' is short-sighted - when study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is actually the key to your success.

A useful feature provided by many trainers is job placement assistance. It's intention is to steer you into your first IT role. The honest truth is that it's not as hard as some people make out to find a job - assuming you're well trained and qualified; the growing UK skills shortage sees to that.

Help with your CV and interview techniques should be offered (if not, see one of our sites for help). Make sure you bring your CV right up to date right away - don't leave it till you pass the exams! You might not even have got to the exam time when you land your first junior support position; however this won't be the case unless your CV is with employers. The most efficient companies to help you find a job are generally specialist independent regional recruitment consultancies. As they will get paid by the employer when they've placed you, they're perhaps more focused on results.

A big aggravation of various course providers is how hard students are prepared to work to become certified, but how un-prepared they are to work on getting the job they've studied for. Don't falter at the last fence.

To become a proficient web designer with the right credentials for today's employment market, your must-have certification is Adobe Dreamweaver. Additionally, it's good practice that you learn all about the entire Adobe Web Creative Suite, including Flash and Action Script, to have the facility to facilitate Dreamweaver professionally as a web designer. Having such skills can take you on to becoming an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) or Adobe Certified Professional (ACP).

In order to establish yourself as a full web professional however, there's a lot more to learn. You'll need to bolt on programming skills like HTML, PHP and MySQL. A firm grounding in E-Commerce and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) will also improve your CV and employability.

Lately, do you find yourself questioning how safe your job is? For most of us, we only think of this after we experience a knock-back. But in today's marketplace, the painful truth is that job security simply doesn't exist anymore, for the vast majority of people. Security can now only exist via a fast increasing marketplace, pushed forward by a shortage of trained workers. These circumstances create the correct background for a secure marketplace - definitely a more pleasing situation.

Looking at the Information Technology (IT) sector, a recent e-Skills investigation brought to light an over 26 percent deficit in trained staff. That means for each 4 job positions in existence across Information Technology (IT), we have only 3 certified professionals to perform that task. Achieving the appropriate commercial computer accreditation is consequently an effective route to a long-lasting and satisfying occupation. Undoubtedly, this really is such a perfect time to consider retraining into IT.

So, which are the questions we need to be posing if we're to gain the understanding necessary? After all, there seems to be many fairly tremendous prospects for us to think about.

Starting from the viewpoint that we need to home-in on the area of most interest first, before we're able to contemplate which training program meets that requirement, how do we know the right path? As having no solid background in computing, how could any of us be expected to understand what any job actually involves? Usually, the way to come at this issue correctly comes from a full talk over some important points:

* Your individual personality and interests - which work-oriented areas you love or hate.

* Are you looking to realise a closely held dream - for instance, being your own boss as quickly as possible?

* How important is salary to you - is it the most important thing, or is enjoying your job a little higher on the scale of your priorities?

* Looking at the many markets that the IT industry encapsulates, you'll need to be able to understand the differences.

* What effort, commitment and time you will set aside for obtaining your certification.

To be honest, the only way to gain help on these issues is through a chat with someone that has years of experience in IT (and more importantly the commercial needs and requirements.)

Many trainers provide piles of reference manuals and workbooks. It's not a very interesting way to learn and isn't the best way to go about taking things in. Many studies have proved that we remember much more when we use all our senses, and we take action to use what we've learned.

Fully interactive motion videos featuring instructor demo's and practice lab's beat books hands-down. And you'll actually enjoy doing them. Always insist on a look at some courseware examples from your training provider. You'll want to see demo's from instructors, slideshows and virtual practice lab's for your new skills.

Avoiding training that is delivered purely online is generally a good idea. Physical CD or DVD ROM materials are preferable where offered, enabling them to be used at your convenience - you don't want to be reliant on your internet connection always being 'up' and available.

Often, students don't think to check on a painfully important area - how their training provider breaks up the courseware, and into how many parts. By and large, you will purchase a course requiring 1-3 years study and get sent one module each time you pass an exam. While this may sound logical on one level, consider this: What would happen if you didn't finish each section at the proposed pace? Sometimes their preference of study order doesn't work as well as some other structure would for you.

In a perfect world, you'd ask for every single material to be delivered immediately - giving you them all to come back to in the future - at any time you choose. This allows a variation in the order that you attack each section as and when something more intuitive seems right for you.

Of all the important things to consider, one of the most essential is always comprehensive 24x7 direct-access support through expert mentors and instructors. 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. Try and find training with proper support available at any time you choose (even if it's early hours on Sunday morning!) Ensure you get access directly to professional tutors, and not a call-centre that will take messages so you're constantly waiting for a call-back during office hours.

Keep looking and you'll come across professional companies who offer direct-access support all the time - including evenings, nights and weekends. Always pick a trainer that gives this level of learning support. Only proper 24x7 round-the-clock live support delivers what is required.

A sneaky way that training providers make a lot more is by charging for exams up-front then giving it 'Exam Guarantee' status. This sounds impressive, but is it really:

You'll pay for it somehow. It's definitely not free - they've simply charged more for the whole training package. The fact is that when trainees fund each progressive exam, at the time of taking them, there's a much better chance they'll pass first time - because they'll be conscious of their investment in themselves and will therefore apply themselves appropriately.

Isn't it in your interests to go for the best offer at the appropriate time, not to pay the fees marked up by a training course provider, and to do it in a local testing office - instead of the remote centre that's convenient only to the trainer? Why borrow the money or pay in advance (plus interest of course) on examination fees when there was no need to? Big margins are made because training colleges are 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 with companies with an 'Exam Guarantee' inevitably are heavily regulated. They will insist that you take pre-tests first until you've demonstrated an excellent ability to pass.

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.

Be alert that all certifications you're considering doing will be recognised by employers and are up-to-date. 'In-house' exams and the certificates they come with are usually worthless. All the major commercial players like Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA or Cisco all have widely recognised proficiency programmes. These heavyweights will make sure you're employable.

In the UK today, many workplaces couldn't function properly without the help of support workers mending PC's and networks, while advising users on a regular basis each week. Because of the daunting complexities of technology, more and more IT professionals are required to look after the various different areas we've become dependent on.

Often, individuals don't comprehend what information technology is all about. It is ground-breaking, exciting, and puts you at the fore-front of developments in technology affecting everyones lives in the 21st century. It's a common misapprehension that the revolution in technology we've had over recent years is lowering its pace. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are huge changes to come, and the internet significantly will become an increasingly dominant part of our lives.

If money is way up on your wish list, you'll welcome the news that the average salary of IT employees in general is noticeably greater than salaries in other market sectors. As the IT industry keeps increasing nationally and internationally, it's looking good that the need for professionally qualified and skilled IT workers will continue to boom for a good while yet.

Which questions do we need to be raising to arrive at the understanding required? After all, there seems to be some quite phenomenal prospects for us all to chew over.

Ignore the typical salesperson who pushes one particular program without performing a 'fact-find' so as to understand your abilities as well as experience level. Ensure that they have a wide-enough product range from which they could give you an appropriate solution. With a strong background, or perhaps a bit of commercial experience (some industry qualifications maybe?) then it could be that the point from which you begin your studies will be different from a trainee who has no experience. It's wise to consider some basic user skills first. It will usually make the learning curve a much easier going.

Students who consider this area of study can be very practical by nature, and don't really enjoy classrooms, and endless reading of dry academic textbooks. If this is putting you off studying, opt for more involving, interactive learning materials, where you can learn everything on-screen. Recent studies into the way we learn shows that memory is aided when all our senses are involved, and we get physically involved with the study process.

Study programs now come on CD and DVD discs, 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 a virtual lab environment. It would be silly not to view some of the typical study materials provided before you make your decision. What you want are video tutorials, instructor demo's and interactive modules with audio-visual elements.

Many companies provide purely on-line training; and although this is okay the majority of the time, think what will happen if your access to the internet is broken or you get intermittent problems and speed issues. It's much safer to rely on DVD or CD discs which don't suffer from these broadband issues.

Proper support should never be taken lightly - find a program providing 24x7 full access, as anything else will annoy you and definitely hamper your progress. some companies only provide email support (slow), and phone support is often to a call-centre which will take the information and email an instructor - who will then call back sometime over the next 24hrs, at a suitable time to them. This is not a lot of use if you're lost and confused and only have certain times available in which to do your studies.

Be on the lookout for training schools that utilise many support facilities from around the world. These should be integrated to enable simple one-stop access together with 24x7 access, when you want it, with no fuss. Search out a company that goes the extra mile. Only true live 24x7 support gives you the confidence to make it.

A successful training package will incorporate accredited exam simulation and preparation packages. Don't fall foul of depending on non-accredited preparation materials for exams. The way they're phrased is sometimes startlingly different - and this leads to huge confusion when the proper exam time arrives. Why don't you analyse your depth of understanding through tests and practice exams to prepare you for taking the real thing.

We're regularly asked to explain why traditional degrees are being replaced by more commercially accredited qualifications? Industry now acknowledges that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, proper accreditation from companies such as CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA most often has much more specialised relevance - for considerably less. Patently, a certain amount of closely linked knowledge has to be taught, but precise specifics in the areas needed gives a vendor educated person a huge edge.

The bottom line is: Commercial IT certifications provide exactly what an employer needs - the title says it all: as an example - I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Designing Security for a Windows 2003 Network'. So companies can identify exactly what they need and what certifications are required to perform the job.

Watch out that all qualifications you're studying for will be recognised by employers and are the most recent versions. 'In-house' exams and the certificates they come with are usually worthless. Only fully recognised qualifications from the top companies like Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA and Cisco will have any meaning to employers.