In today's high speed society, support workers who can solve problems with networks and PC's, plus give ongoing help to users, are essential in every sector of the economy. Industry's need for larger numbers of commercially qualified individuals multiplies, as society becomes vastly more reliant on PC's in today's environment.

A useful feature offered by some training providers is a Job Placement Assistance program. It's intention is to assist your search for your first position. With the growing need for more IT skills in this country right now, it's not too important to become overly impressed with this service however. It's not as difficult as you may be led to believe to land your first job as long as you've got the necessary skills and qualifications.

Bring your CV up to date as soon as possible however - you should get plenty of help from your training provider on this. Don't put it off for when you're ready to start work. Getting your CV considered is far better than not even being known about. Many junior positions are got by trainees (sometimes when they've only just got going.) In many cases, an independent and specialised local employment agency (who will get paid commission to place you) will perform better than any division of a training company. In addition, they will no doubt know local industry and the area better.

Essentially, if you put as much hard work into landing a job as into studying, you won't find it too challenging. A number of men and women strangely invest a great deal of time on their training course and then call a halt once they've got certified and appear to be under the impression that jobs will come to them.

There is a tidal wave of change coming via technology as we approach the second decade of the 21st century - and this means greater innovations all the time. We're at the dawn of beginning to get a handle on how this will truly impact our way of life. How we interrelate with the rest of the world will be massively affected by technology and the web.

Let's not ignore salaries either - the income on average throughout Britain for a typical man or woman in IT is considerably better than the national average. Odds are that you'll receive quite a bit more than you could reasonably hope to get in other industries. There is a great national need for qualified IT professionals. Also, as growth in the industry shows little sign of contracting, it looks like there will be for the significant future.

Exam 'guarantees' are sometimes offered as part of a training package - this always means exams have to be paid for upfront, when you pay for the rest of your course. Before you get carried away with the chance of a guarantee, think about this:

They've allowed costings for it one way or another. You can be assured it's not a freebie - they've just worked it into the package price. It's well known in the industry that when trainees fund their own exams, one after the other, there's a much better chance they'll pass first time - because they'll be conscious of their payment and will therefore apply themselves appropriately.

Don't pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you when you take the exam, and keep hold of your own money. You'll also be able to choose where to take your exam - meaning you can choose a local testing centre. A great deal of money is netted by a number of companies that incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. Many students don't take them for one reason or another and so they pocket the rest. Amazingly, there are companies around who rely on that fact - as that's how they make a lot of their profit. It's also worth noting that exam guarantees often have very little value. The majority of organisations won't pay again for an exam until you can prove to them you're ready to pass.

Due to typical VUE and Prometric examinations coming in at approximately 112 pounds in Great Britain, it makes sense to pay as you go. Not to fork out thousands extra in up-front costs. Commitment, effort and practice with quality exam preparation systems are the factors that really get you through.

Trainees looking at this market often have a very practical outlook on work, and don't really enjoy classrooms, and endless reading of dry academic textbooks. If you identify with this, go for more modern interactive training, where you can learn everything on-screen. Research into the way we learn shows that memory is aided when we receive multi-sensorial input, and we get practically involved in what we're studying.

Locate a program where you'll receive a library of CD and DVD based materials - you'll be learning from instructor videos and demo's, and then have the opportunity to hone your abilities through virtual lab's. You'll definitely want a training material demonstration from any training college. You'll want to see slide-shows, instructor-led videos and virtual practice lab's for your new skills.

You should avoid purely online training. Physical CD or DVD ROM materials are preferable where offered, as you need to be able to use them whenever it's convenient for you - ISP quality varies, so you don't want to be totally reliant on your broadband being 'up' 100 percent of the time.

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