Were it not for a steady stream of qualified network and PC support staff, business throughout the country (along with most other places) would surely be drawn to a standstill. We have an on-going requirement for technicians to support systems and users alike. As we're all becoming more and more reliant on our PC's, we additionally inevitably become increasingly dependent on the skilled and qualified networking professionals, who keep the systems going.

If an advisor doesn't question you thoroughly - chances are they're really a salesperson. If someone pushes specific products before understanding your background and experience, then it's definitely the case. With a strong background, or even a touch of commercial experience (maybe some existing accreditation?) then obviously your starting point will vary from a trainee who has no experience. If you're a new trainee commencing IT study for the first time, it's often a good idea to avoid jumping in at the deep-end, beginning with some basic PC skills training first. This can be built into any educational course.

It's important to understand: the course itself or an accreditation isn't the end-goal; the job or career that you want to end up in is. A lot of colleges seem to over-emphasise the certificate itself. It's a testament to the marketing skills of the big companies, but the majority of trainees begin programs that seem great from the marketing materials, but which gets us a career that is of no interest. Speak to a selection of university students to see what we mean.

It's well worth a long chat to see what expectations industry may have of you. What exams you'll be required to have and how you'll go about getting some commercial experience. It's also worth spending time thinking about how far you think you'll want to build your skill-set as it will often force you to choose a particular set of exams. We recommend that students take guidance from an experienced professional before settling on a study program, so you're sure from the outset that a program provides the skills necessary.

For the most part, a typical IT hopeful has no idea where to start with the IT industry, or even what sector they should look at getting trained in. Because in the absence of any commercial skills in IT, in what way could we understand what someone in a particular job does? Deliberation over these different issues is vital when you need to discover a solution that suits you:

* What hobbies you have and enjoy - these can point towards what areas will give you the most reward.

* Are you hoping to get qualified for a certain reason - i.e. are you pushing to work based at home (maybe self-employment?)?

* Is the money you make further up on your priority-list than other factors.

* With many, many areas to train for in the IT industry - you'll need to gain some background information on what separates them.

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

For the majority of us, dissecting so much data tends to require the help of someone that can investigate each area with you. And we don't just mean the accreditations - you also need to understand the commercial requirements and expectations also.

Always expect an authorised exam preparation system as part of your training package. Often students can find themselves confused by practising exam questions that aren't recognised by authorised sources. Quite often, the question formats and phraseology is startlingly different and you need to be ready for this. For many reasons, it's essential to know that you're absolutely ready for your actual certification exam prior to going for it. Revising mock-up exams adds to your knowledge bank and will avoid you getting frustrated with thwarted exam entries.

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