All of us are short of time, and generally should we decide to learn a new profession, training alongside a job is the only option open to us. Microsoft certified training could be the answer. In addition, you may want to talk in detail on the types of jobs that are available when you've finished studying, and the type of individual such a career would appeal to. Many people feel happier if they can be advised on what the best route is for them. Training programs must be designed to suit your current level of knowledge and ability. Therefore, after working out the best kind of work for you, your next focus is the most applicable training course to see you into your career.

Students hopeful to begin a career in computers and technology generally have no idea of what direction is best, or which area to get qualified in. Therefore, if you have no know-how of the IT industry, what chance is there for you to know what some particular IT person spends their day doing? How can you possibly choose what educational path provides the best chances for a successful result. Achieving the right resolution really only appears via a detailed analysis covering many altering factors:

* Your hobbies and interests - often these reveal the areas will provide a happy working life.

* Is your focus to get certified for a precise motive - for instance, do you aim to work at home (self-employment possibly?)?

* Does salary have a higher place on your priority-list than anything else.

* Getting to grips with what typical IT areas and markets are - including what sets them apart.

* The time and energy you will set aside for your training.

For most people, dissecting all these ideas tends to require the help of an experienced pro that has direct industry experience. And we don't just mean the accreditations - but the commercial needs and expectations of the market as well.

Many commercial training providers only give office hours or extended office hours support; It's rare to find someone who offers late evening or full weekend cover. Avoid study programmes that only provide support to you through a call-centre messaging system after 6-9pm in the evening and during weekends. Training companies will try to talk you round from this line of reasoning. Essentially - you want to be supported when you need the help - not at their convenience.

It's possible to find the top providers who offer online direct access support all the time - including evenings, nights and weekends. Don't under any circumstances take less than you need and deserve. Support round-the-clock is the only viable option when it comes to IT learning. Maybe burning the midnight-oil is not your thing; but for the majority of us however, we're out at work at the time when most support is available.

A number of students are under the impression that the school and FE college path is still the best way into IT. So why then is commercial certification becoming more in demand? Accreditation-based training (as it's known in the industry) is far more effective and specialised. Industry has acknowledged that a specialist skill-set is vital to service the demands of a technologically complex world. CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA dominate in this arena. The training is effectively done through honing in on the skills that are really needed (alongside a relevant amount of associated knowledge,) instead of going into the heightened depths of background detail and 'fluff' that degrees in computing can get bogged down in - to pad out the syllabus.

If an employer understands what work they need doing, then all they have to do is advertise for the exact skill-set required to meet that need. Vendor-based syllabuses are all based on the same criteria and can't change from one establishment to the next (as academic syllabuses often do).

You'll come across courses which guarantee examination passes - 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, think about this:

Everyone knows they're ultimately paying for it - obviously it has been inserted into the overall price charged by the training company. Certainly, it's not a freebie (it's just marketing companies think we'll fall for anything they say!) Should you seriously need to pass first time, then you should fund each exam as you take it, give it the priority it deserves and give the task sufficient application.

Isn't it outrageous to have to pay the training company up-front for examinations? Go for the best offer at the appropriate time, rather than pay marked up fees - and do it in a local testing centre - instead of miles away at the college's beck and call. Paying upfront for examination fees (and if you're financing your study there'll be interest on that) is bad financial management. Why fill a company's coffers with additional funds only to please their Bank Manager! Many will hope you won't get to do them all - but they won't refund the cash. Re-takes of any failed exams through training companies who offer an 'Exam Guarantee' are always heavily controlled. You will be required to do mock exams till you've proven conclusively that you can pass.

Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on 'Exam Guarantees' is short-sighted - when consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.

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