Network and PC support technicians are more and more in demand in the UK, as organisations rely heavily upon their knowledge and fixing and repairing abilities. The world's desire for such qualified and commercially astute people is ever increasing, as commercial enterprise becomes vastly more technologically advanced.

We'd all like to believe that our jobs will always be secure and our work prospects are protected, but the likely scenario for most sectors around England right now is that there is no security anymore. We're able though to locate security at the market sector level, by probing for areas in high demand, together with shortages of trained staff.

The computer industry skills-gap around the United Kingdom clocks in at over 26 percent, according to the most recent e-Skills study. That means for every 4 jobs that exist around IT, there are barely three qualified workers to fill that need. Accomplishing the appropriate commercial computing qualification is correspondingly a fast-track to achieve a life-long and enjoyable career. Quite simply, retraining in Information Technology during the next year or two is almost definitely the safest career choice you could ever make.

If the IT market presents so many unparalleled career possibilities for us all - then which questions should we pose and what factors should we be considering?

The market provides an excess of employment in the IT industry. Finding the particular one for you is generally problematic. As with no commercial skills in IT, in what way could we be expected to understand what someone in a particular job does? Achieving an informed answer really only appears via a thorough study of several shifting factors:

* The kind of person you reckon you are - what tasks do you get enjoyment from, and don't forget - what you hate to do.

* Is your focus to get qualified because of a specific reason - for example, do you aim to work from home (self-employment?)?

* How highly do you rate salary - is an increase your main motivator, or does job satisfaction rate a lot higher on the scale of your priorities?

* Often, trainees don't consider the amount of work required to gain all the necessary accreditation.

* Taking a cold, hard look at the level of commitment, time and effort you'll make available.

The bottom line is, your only chance of covering these is from an in-depth discussion with an advisor or professional who understands the market well enough to lead you to the correct decision.

Many training companies only give basic 9am till 6pm support (maybe a little earlier or later on certain days); It's rare to find someone who offers late evening or full weekend cover. Look for training where you can access help at any time of day or night (irrespective of whether it's the wee hours on Sunday morning!) You'll need 24x7 direct access to mentors and instructors, and not a message system as this will slow you down - waiting for tutors to call you back - probably during office hours.

Keep your eyes open for study programmes that use several support centres around the globe in several time-zones. All of them should be combined to give a single entry point as well as 24x7 access, when you want it, without any problems. Seek out an educator that offers this level of study support. As only true live 24x7 round-the-clock support provides the necessary backup.

It's likely that you've always enjoyed practical work - a 'hands-on' personality type. If you're like us, 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. You should use video and multimedia based materials if you'd really rather not use books. Years of research and study has time and time again confirmed that an 'involved' approach to study, where we utilise all our senses, will more likely produce memories that are deeper and longer-lasting.

Search for a course where you're provided with an array of CD or DVD ROM's - you'll be learning from instructor videos and demo's, and be able to hone your abilities through virtual lab's. Any company that you're considering must be pushed to demo some simple examples of their courseware. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and interactive areas to practice in.

Many companies provide just online versions of their training packages; and although this is okay the majority of the time, consider how you'll deal with it if internet access is lost or you get slow speeds and down-time etc. It's preferable to have physical CD or DVD discs which don't suffer from these broadband issues.

We're regularly asked to explain why traditional academic studies are now falling behind more qualifications from the commercial sector? With fees and living expenses for university students climbing ever higher, and the IT sector's recognition that vendor-based training most often has much more commercial relevance, we have seen a large rise in Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA based training routes that supply key solutions to a student for considerably less. Higher education courses, for example, clog up the training with a great deal of loosely associated study - with a syllabus that's far too wide. This holds a student back from getting enough specific knowledge about the core essentials.

Imagine if you were an employer - and you wanted someone who could provide a specific set of skills. What should you do: Wade your way through a mass of different academic qualifications from hopeful applicants, having to ask what each has covered and what workplace skills they've mastered, or pick out specific commercial accreditations that perfectly fit 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 establishing whether they can do a specific task.

It's not uncommon for companies to offer inclusive exam guarantees - inevitably that means paying for the exams before you've even made a start on the course. Before you get carried away with the chance of a guarantee, consider this:

These days, we're a bit more aware of hype - and usually we know that for sure we're actually paying for it - it's not because they're so generous they want to give something away! Passing first time is everyone's goal. Entering examinations one by one and funding them one at a time sees you much better placed to get through first time - you take it seriously and are conscious of what you've spent.

Hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take the exam, and hang on to your cash. You'll then be able to select where you do the examinations - so you can find somewhere local. Big margins are netted by many training colleges that get money for exam fees in advance. For various reasons, many students don't take their exams but the company keeps the money. Amazingly, there are companies around who actually bank on it - as that's very profitable for them. Re-takes of previously unsuccessful exams through organisations who offer an 'Exam Guarantee' are tightly controlled. They will insist that you take pre-tests first until you've proven that you're likely to pass.

Prometric and VUE exams are in the region of 112 pounds in the United Kingdom today. Students should be very wary of forking out hundreds of pounds extra in charges for 'Exam Guarantees' (often covertly rolled into the cost of the course) - when the best course materials, the right level of support and study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

Consider only retraining paths which lead to commercially recognised certifications. There are far too many trainers proposing minor 'in-house' certificates that are essentially useless when you start your job-search. Unless your qualification is issued by a major player like Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco, then you'll probably find it won't be commercially viable - because it won't give an employer any directly-useable skills.

Whether you are new to network support, or an experienced technician about to gain acknowledged certifications, you'll find hands-on MSCA training tracks that are suitable for both entry levels. To qualify for an MCSA it's necessary to achieve pass marks in four MCP's (Microsoft Certified Professional exams). If this is your first entry into computing exams, you'll probably be required to learn a few things prior to having a go at all four MCP's. Find a provider with people who can help you sort out the right way to tackle your goal and will take care to start you at the right entry level.

IT has become amongst the most electrifying and revolutionary industries that you can get into right now. Being a member of a team working on breakthroughs in technology is to be a part of the massive changes 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 significantly transform how we regard and interrelate with the world around us over the coming decades.

Should lifestyle be up there on your goal sheet, then you'll appreciate the fact that the usual remuneration for the majority of IT staff is much higher than with most other jobs or industries. The good news is there is a lot more room for IT expansion in the UK. The market sector continues to grow hugely, and we don't have anywhere near enough qualified skilled IT professionals to fill current job vacancies, so it's most unlikely that this will change significantly for years to come.

Picking up on the sheer volume of discussion around computer technology nowadays, how is it possible to know what in particular to look for?

With so much choice, it's not really surprising that a large percentage of students balk at what job they will follow. Because having no solid background in the IT industry, how should we possibly be expected to know what someone in a particular job does? To attack this, a discussion is necessary, covering many definitive areas:

* Personality factors and interests - what kind of work-centred jobs you enjoy or dislike.

* Are you driven to get certified due to a specific raison d'etre - for example, do you aim to work based from home (maybe self-employment?)?

* The income needs that guide you?

* With so many ways to train in Information Technology - there's a need to gain some background information on what differentiates them.

* It makes sense to take in what is different for each individual training area.

For most people, getting to the bottom of each of these concepts requires a good chat with someone who has direct industry experience. Not only the certifications - but also the commercial needs and expectations also.

Some training companies only provide office hours or extended office hours support; most won't answer after 8-9pm at the latest and frequently never at the weekends. Look for training with help available at any time of the day or night (no matter if it's in the middle of the night on a weekend!) Make sure it's always 24x7 direct access to mentors and instructors, and not a call-centre that will take messages so you're waiting for tutors to call you back during office hours.

Keep your eyes open for study programmes that utilise many support facilities around the globe in several time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to provide a single interface as well as 24 hours-a-day access, when it's convenient for you, with the minimum of hassle. Don't accept second best where support is concerned. Many would-be IT professionals who throw in the towel, are in that situation because of a lack of support.

If you're like many of the students we talk to then you're quite practically minded - the 'hands-on' personality type. Typically, the trial of reading reference books and manuals is something you'll make yourself do if you have to, but you'd hate it. Check out video-based multimedia instruction if you'd really rather not use books. Studies have repeatedly shown that an 'involved' approach to study, where we utilise all our senses, is far more likely to produce long-lasting memories.

Interactive full motion video involving demonstration and virtual lab's beat books hands-down. And they're a lot more fun to do. All companies should be able to show you samples of the materials provided for study. You should hope for instructor-led videos and interactive areas to practice in.

You should avoid purely online training. Physical CD or DVD ROM materials are preferable where possible, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want - you don't want to be reliant on your internet connection always being 'up' and available.

The way in which your courseware is broken down for you is often missed by many students. How is the courseware broken down? And in what sequence and what control do you have at what pace it arrives? You may think it logical (when study may take one to three years to gain full certified status,) for a training company to release a single section at a time, as you pass each element. Although: It's not unusual for trainees to realise that their training company's typical path to completion isn't as suitable as another. They might find a different order of study is more expedient. Could it cause problems if you don't get everything done in the allotted time?

To avoid any potential future issues, many trainees now want to make sure that every element of their training is couriered out in one package, all at the beginning. You can then decide how fast or slow and in what order you want to go.

Always expect the current Microsoft (or relevant organisation's) accredited exam simulation and preparation packages. Steer clear of relying on unofficial preparation materials for exams. The way they're phrased can be completely unlike authorised versions - and this could lead to potential problems once in the actual exam. You should make sure you check your depth of understanding by doing quizzes and simulated exams before you take the real thing.

Many training companies supply a practical Job Placement Assistance facility, to help you into your first commercial role. It can happen though that there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, because it is genuinely quite straightforward for a well trained and motivated person to secure a job in this industry - because there's a great need for well trained people.

Having said that, it's important to have help with your CV and interview techniques though; additionally, we would recommend everybody to bring their CV up to date as soon as training commences - don't wait until you've qualified. Having the possibility of an interview is more than not being known. Many junior support jobs are given to people (sometimes when they've only just got going.) If it's important to you to find work near your home, then it's quite likely that an independent and specialised local employment service might be of more use than the trainer's recruitment division, as they're far more likely to know the local job scene.

A slight grievance for a number of training providers is how hard trainees are prepared to study to become certified, but how little effort that student will then put into getting the position they're acquired skills for. Get out there and hustle - you might find it's fun.

As you're looking to study for an MCSE, you're probably in 1 of 2 situations. You may want to come into the computer world, and you've found this commercial sector has lots of demand for men and women who are commercially qualified. Or you might be a knowledgeable person attempting to gain accreditation with an MCSE.

Take care to ensure you confirm that the training provider you're using is definitely teaching with the latest level of Microsoft development. Many trainees are left in a mess when they discover they've been educated in an out-of-date syllabus which will need updating. Stay away from organisations that are just interested in your money. Ask for comprehensive, personal guidance to ensure you are taking the right decisions. Guard against being rushed into a one-size-fits-all course by an over-keen salesman.

When was the last time you considered the security of your job? For the majority of us, this issue only becomes a talking point when something goes wrong. But in today's marketplace, the lesson often learned too late is that true job security has gone the way of the dodo, for nearly everyone now. Whereas a fast growing sector, where there just aren't enough staff to go round (because of an enormous shortage of properly qualified workers), enables the possibility of proper job security.

Using the IT sector for instance, a key e-Skills study demonstrated massive skills shortages in the country of around 26 percent. Or, to put it differently, this highlights that the UK can only find three properly accredited workers for each 4 job positions in existence today. Achieving in-depth commercial IT qualification is correspondingly a 'Fast Track' to achieve a life-long as well as worthwhile line of work. It would be hard to imagine if a better time or market state of affairs is ever likely to exist for gaining qualification for this rapidly growing and blossoming industry.

How do we reach a good choice then? With such prospects, we'll need to know where to be looking - and what to be investigating.

Looking around, we find a plethora of job availability in IT. Deciding which one could be right in this uncertainty often proves challenging. Since without any previous experience in Information Technology, in what way could we know what any job actually involves? To get to the bottom of this, we need to discuss a variety of different aspects:

* Personality factors and interests - what work-related things you like and dislike.

* What length of time can you allocate for the retraining?

* Where is the salary on a scale of importance - is it the most important thing, or do you place job satisfaction higher up on your list of priorities?

* With everything that the IT industry encompasses, you really need to be able to take in what's different.

* It's wise to spend some time thinking about the amount of time and effort you're going to give to your training.

At the end of the day, the best way of checking this all out is from a meeting with an experienced advisor that through years of experience will be able to guide you.

Full support is of the utmost importance - locate a good company that provides 24x7 direct access, as anything else will annoy you and definitely hamper your progress. Avoid, like the plague, any organisations which use 'out-of-hours' call-centres - with your call-back scheduled for standard office hours. This is no use if you're stuck and need an answer now.

The best training colleges provide an online round-the-clock package pulling in several support offices from around the world. You will have a single, easy-to-use interface that accesses the most appropriate office irrespective of the time of day: Support available as-and-when you want it. Never make do with less than this. Support round-the-clock is the only viable option when it comes to computer-based training. Maybe late-evening study is not your thing; often though, we're out at work during the provided support period.

Many trainers provide mainly work-books and reference manuals. This can be very boring and not a very good way of studying effectively. Research over recent years has always shown that becoming involved with our studies, to utilise all our senses, is far more likely to produce long-lasting memories.

The latest audio-visual interactive programs involving demonstration and virtual lab's will turn you off book-based study for ever more. And they're far more fun. Each company you're contemplating must be able to demonstrate a few samples of their training materials. You're looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and many interactive sections.

It's usually bad advice to choose training that is only available online. With highly variable reliability and quality from most broadband providers, it makes sense to have CD or DVD ROM based materials.

Now, why is it better to gain commercial certification instead of familiar academic qualifications obtained from schools and Further Education colleges? Key company training (to use industry-speak) is far more specialised and product-specific. Industry has become aware that a specialist skill-set is what's needed to meet the requirements of a technologically complex world. CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA are the key players in this arena. Academic courses, as a example, clog up the training with too much loosely associated study - and much too wide a syllabus. This prevents a student from getting enough core and in-depth understanding on a specific area.

Put yourself in the employer's position - and you required somebody who had very specific skills. What should you do: Go through loads of academic qualifications from hopeful applicants, struggling to grasp what they've learned and which commercial skills they have, or choose a specific set of accreditations that precisely match your needs, and make your short-list from that. Your interviews are then about personal suitability - instead of long discussions on technical suitability.

Authorised exam preparation and simulation materials are essential - and must be supplied by your training supplier. Steer clear of depending on non-official exam preparation questions. The type of questions asked can be completely unlike authorised versions - and sometimes this can be a real headache when it comes to taking the real exam. Why don't you verify how much you know by doing tests and simulated exams prior to taking the real deal.

It can be a nerve-racking task, but getting your first role in IT can be eased by some companies, via a Job Placement Assistance facility. It can happen though that people are too impressed with this facility, because it is genuinely quite straightforward for any motivated and trained individual to get a job in this industry - as employers are keen to find appropriately well trained people.

Whatever you do, avoid waiting until you've finished your training before getting your CV updated. As soon as you start studying, enter details of your study programme and tell people about it! It's possible that you won't have even taken your exams when you will be offered your first junior support position; although this can't and won't happen if interviewers don't get sight of your CV. If it's important to you to find work near your home, then you'll probably find that a local (but specialised) recruitment consultancy can generally work much better for you than some national concern, for they're going to have insider knowledge of the jobs that are going locally.

Many men and women, it would appear, put a great deal of effort into their studies (for years sometimes), and just give up when it comes to attempting to secure the right position. Introduce yourself... Do your best to let employers know about you. A job isn't just going to bump into you.