The Cheltenham Festival is one of the highlights of the British racing year but finding Cheltenham tips is not always at the top of everyone’s agenda. It is an occasion where both hardened fanatics and newcomers set their sights on winning money on some of the world’s best trained and bred horses. However, choosing winners can be a tricky task for beginners.

Looking for tips and advice is a good idea for those with no or little experience. The sources for this information are plentiful and with a little effort the chances of success can increase greatly. Betting shops, racing magazines and betting websites offer not only tips but advice on reading the form of horses.

Cheltenham has some of the most prestigious races, horses, owners and trainers all on show at the same event. Only the very best horses take part so it is a good idea to do a little homework before parting with cash. Studying the form of horses is critical to achieve long term success.

Beginners will be very tempted to pick a horse based purely on the name or the colours the jockey wears. However any experienced racing fanatic will say that clues to a horse’s potential in any given race can be found in the form statistics.

Form includes lots of information such as recent race placings, recent health, the conditions a horse prefers and the type of ground it performs best on. External factors should always be taken into account such as weather and ‘going.’ Going refers to the state of the turf on the track.

A track can be classified as heavy, soft, good or hard. Heavy ground is boggy and loose after significant rainfall. Hard ground has very little give and results from extended periods of dry, hot weather. Horses usually have a preference when it comes to the type of ground they’ll be running on. The track classification will usually be announced on the evening before or morning of a horse race.

Experienced race-goers will be used to studying form and investing their money wisely. However, newcomers should beware of investing large sums on one horse. A good way to make money is to spread the risk. One way of doing this is to make a place bet, often referred to as an each way bet. This pays out a percentage of the winning amount depending on what position the horse finishes in. An each way bet will normally pay three places but for larger fields some bookmakers will pay five places.

Find out more about our highly regarded cheltenham tips and grand national tips by visiting our website.

If you’re considering a web design career, find a course in Adobe Dreamweaver. The whole Adobe Web Creative Suite should additionally be learned comprehensively. This will educate you in Action Script and Flash, amongst others, and means you’ll be in a position to take your Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) or an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) qualification.

Creating a website is only the beginning of what you’ll need – in order to drive traffic to the site, maintain its content, and work with dynamic database-driven sites, you’ll need to bolt on more programming skills, such as PHP, HTML, and MySQL. You should also develop a practical knowledge of E-Commerce and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

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.

A rather worrying United Kingdom e-Skills study showed that 26 percent of all IT positions available remain unfilled as an upshot of a huge deficit of trained staff. Therefore, for every 4 jobs that are available in IT, employers can only locate trained staff for three of the four. Well qualified and commercially accredited new professionals are accordingly at a resounding premium, and it’s estimated to remain so for many years to come. We can’t imagine if a better time or market circumstances will exist for getting trained into this swiftly growing and developing sector.

How are we supposed to go about making the right decisions then? With such prospects, it’s important to know where to investigate – and what we should be digging for.

Looking at the myriad of choice out there, there’s no surprise that a large percentage of trainees balk at what job they will enjoy. Perusing long lists of different and confusing job titles is next to useless. Most of us have no concept what our good friends do at work – so we’re in the dark as to the ins and outs of a new IT role. Contemplation on these different factors is important if you want to dig down a solution that suits you:

* 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?

* Where is the salary on a scale of importance – is an increase your main motivator, or is day-to-day enjoyment a lot higher on your priority-list?

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

* Our advice is to think deeply about the amount of time and effort that you will set aside for the accreditation program.

To cut through all the jargon and confusion, and reveal the best route for you, have an informal chat with an experienced professional; a person who will cover the commercial realities and truth while explaining all the qualifications.

The old fashioned style of teaching, with books and manuals, is an up-hill struggle for the majority of us. If all this is ringing some familiar bells, look for learning programmes which have a majority of interactive, multimedia parts. Where we can utilise all of our senses into our learning, our results will often be quite spectacular.

Search for a course where you’ll get a host of CD and DVD ROM’s – you’ll begin by watching videos of instructors demonstrating the skills, followed by the chance to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills. Don’t take any chances and look at some of the typical study materials provided before you purchase a course. The minimum you should expect would be instructor-led video demonstrations and a variety of audio-visual and interactive sections.

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.

An important area that is sometimes not even considered by people thinking about a course is ‘training segmentation’. This basically means the method used to break up the program for delivery to you, which completely controls how you end up. Delivery by courier of each element one piece at a time, as you pass each exam is the normal way of receiving your courseware. This sounds sensible, but you should consider these factors: What if you don’t finish each and every exam? And what if you find the order of the modules counter-intuitive? Through no fault of your own, you might take a little longer and not get all the study materials as a result.

For future safety and flexibility, many trainees now want to have all their training materials (which they’ve now paid for) sent immediately, and not in a piecemeal fashion. You can then decide how fast or slow and in what order you want to work.

We can’t make a big enough deal out of this point: Always get full 24×7 support from professional instructors. We can tell you that you’ll strongly regret it if you let this one slide. Beware of institutions 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 want support there and then.

Top training companies utilise several support facilities active in different time-zones. Online access provides the interactive interface to join them all seamlessly, any time of the day or night, there is always help at hand, without any contact issues or hassle. Never make the mistake of compromise when you’re looking for the right support service. Most IT hopefuls that drop-out or fail, just need the right support system.

One crafty way that training providers make more money is through up-front charges for exams 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.

Find the best exam deal or offer available when you take the exam, and avoid college mark-up fees. You’ll also be able to choose where to do your exams – so you can choose somewhere closer to home. Buying a course that includes payments for exams (which also includes interest if you’ve taken out a loan) is madness. Why fill a company’s coffers with your hard-earned cash only to please their Bank Manager! A lot bank on the fact that you won’t get round to taking them – so they don’t need to pay for them. It’s also worth noting that exam guarantees often have very little value. The majority of companies won’t be prepared to pay again for an exam until you have demonstrated conclusively that you won’t fail again.

With the average price of Pro-metric and VUE exams in the United Kingdom costing around 112 pounds, it makes sense to pay as you go. It’s not in the student’s interests to fork out hundreds or thousands of pounds for exams when enrolling on a course. Study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

Watch out that all exams you’re working towards will be recognised by employers and are up-to-date. Training companies own certificates are often meaningless. You’ll find that only recognised qualifications from the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA and Cisco will be useful to a future employer.

Training in Cisco is intended for individuals who want to learn about routers and switches. Routers join up networks of computers over the internet or dedicated lines. It’s most probable that your first course should be CCNA. It’s not advisable to launch directly into your CCNP as it’s a considerable step up – and you should gain some working knowledge to have a go at this.

It’s very probable you’ll get a job with an internet service provider or maybe a large company which is spread out geographically but still wants internal communication. This career path is very well paid and quite specialised.

The correct skill set and comprehension in advance of getting going on the Cisco CCNA is very important. So find an advisor who will be able to help you.

What are the questions we should be raising to gain the understanding we need? Since it seems there are a good many quite unparalleled opportunities for us to look at.

Don’t forget: a actual training program or a certification is not what you’re looking for; the job or career that you’re getting the training for is. A lot of colleges seem to over-emphasise the actual accreditation. You may train for one year and then end up performing the job-role for decades. Avoid the mistake of finding what seems like a program of interest to you and then put 10-20 years into an unrewarding career!

You also need to know your feelings on career progression and earning potential, and how ambitious you are. It makes sense to understand what will be expected of you, what qualifications they want you to have and how you’ll gain real-world experience. Seek out help from an industry professional that understands the sector you wish to join, and who can give you ‘A day in the life of’ understanding of what kinds of tasks you’ll be undertaking on a day-to-day basis. It just makes sense to know if this change is right for you well before you start on any retraining programme. There’s little reason in starting your training only to find you’ve taken the wrong route.

All programs you’re considering should always lead to a commercially valid accreditation as an end-result – definitely not some ‘in-house’ plaque for your wall. Unless the accreditation comes from a big-hitter like Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA or Cisco, then you may discover it won’t be commercially viable – because no-one will recognise it.

If you’re like many of the students we talk to then you’re quite practically minded – a ‘hands-on’ type. If you’re like us, the unfortunate chore of reading reference guides is something you’ll force on yourself if you absolutely have to, but you’d hate it. So look for on-screen interactive learning packages if books just don’t do it for you. Memory is vastly improved when multiple senses are involved – educational experts have expounded on this for as long as we can remember.

Start a study-program in which you’re provided with an array of CD and DVD ROM’s – you’ll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, and be able to hone your abilities through virtual lab’s. Any company that you’re considering must be able to demonstrate a few samples of the materials provided for study. You’re looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and a wide selection of interactive elements.

Go for actual CD or DVD ROM’s where possible. You’re then protected from broadband ‘downtime’ or slow-speeds.

Proper support is incredibly important – ensure you track down something that includes 24×7 access, as not obtaining this level of support will severely hold up your pace and restrict your intake. Beware of institutions that use call-centres ‘out-of-hours’ – with the call-back coming in during office hours. It’s no use when you’re stuck on a problem and need help now.

Keep your eyes open for training programs that have multiple support offices around the globe in several time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to give a single entry point and also 24 hours-a-day access, when you want it, with no fuss. If you fail to get yourself direct-access round-the-clock support, you’ll regret it very quickly. You may not need it during late nights, but what about weekends, late evenings or early mornings.

Adding in the cost of examination fees as an inclusive element of the package price then including an exam guarantee is a common method with many training course providers. But look at the facts:

Thankfully, today we tend to be a bit more aware of hype – and the majority of us ought to cotton on to the fact that we’re actually paying for it (it isn’t free or out of the goodness of their hearts!) The honest truth is that when trainees fund each examination, one by one, the chances are they’re going to qualify each time – because they’ll be conscious of their investment in themselves and will therefore apply themselves appropriately.

Find the best exam deal or offer available at the appropriate time, and avoid college mark-up fees. You’ll also be able to choose where to do the examinations – which means you can stay local. Paying upfront for examinations (and if you’re financing your study there’ll be interest on that) is madness. Don’t line companies bank accounts with extra money of yours simply to help their cash-flow! Some will be pinning their hopes on the fact that you won’t get round to taking them – so they don’t need to pay for them. You should fully understand that re-takes through training companies who offer an ‘Exam Guarantee’ are monitored with tight restrictions. They will insist that you take pre-tests first so you can prove to them you have a good chance of passing.

With average prices for VUE and Pro-metric examinations coming in at around 112 pounds in the UK, it makes sense to pay as you go. There’s no sense in throwing away maybe a thousand pounds extra at the start of your studies. Commitment, effort and practice with quality exam preparation systems are the factors that really get you through.

OK, why might we choose commercially accredited qualifications as opposed to familiar academic qualifications obtained from the state educational establishments? Corporate based study (as it’s known in the industry) is more effective in the commercial field. Industry has realised that a specialist skill-set is what’s needed to cope with a technically advancing marketplace. Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA are the dominant players. Patently, an appropriate portion of associated knowledge needs to be covered, but focused specialised knowledge in the exact job role gives a commercially educated person a distinct advantage.

Think about if you were the employer – and you wanted someone who could provide a specific set of skills. Which is the most straightforward: Wade your way through a mass of different academic qualifications from various applicants, having to ask what each has covered and what commercial skills have been attained, or choose particular accreditations that specifically match what you’re looking for, and make your short-list from that. Your interviews are then about personal suitability – instead of having to work out if they can do the job.

The world of information technology is one of the more thrilling and changing industries that you can get into right now. Being a member of a team working on breakthroughs in technology puts you at the fore-front of developments shaping life over the next few decades. We’re in the very early stages of beginning to see just how technology will affect our lives in the future. Computers and the web will massively alter how we regard and interact with the entire world over the next few years.

Should lifestyle be around the top on your scale of wants, then you’ll welcome the news that the usual remuneration for IT employees in general is noticeably better than with the rest of the economy. Experts agree that there’s a great nationwide requirement for qualified IT professionals. In addition, as the industry constantly develops, it looks like there’s going to be for a good while yet.

Training in Cisco is designed for people who want to learn about routers and network switches. Routers join up computer networks via dedicated lines or the internet. It’s most probable that you should first attempt CCNA. It’s not advisable to launch directly into your CCNP as it’s a considerable step up – and you really need experience to have a go at this.

The sort of jobs available with this qualification mean it’s likely you’ll end up working for national or international companies that have multiple departments and sites but need their computer networks to talk to each other. Or, you may move on to working for an internet service provider. Jobs requiring these skills are plentiful and well remunerated.

Having the skills and correct mind-set before getting going on the Cisco CCNA is crucial. Therefore, discuss the requirements expected of you with someone who will be able to help you.

Picking up on all this talk about Information Technology (IT) these days, how are we supposed to understand what in particular to look for?

Looking at the myriad of choice out there, it’s not really surprising that most potential newcomers to the industry don’t really understand the best career path they should even pursue. Flicking through long lists of different and confusing job titles is just a waste of time. Surely, most of us have no idea what our own family members do for a living – let alone understand the subtleties of any specific IT role. Arriving at an informed answer can only grow via a careful investigation of many varying areas:

* Personality factors and what you’re interested in – what kind of working tasks you enjoy or dislike.

* Are you driven to get qualified because of a precise reason – for instance, are you pushing to work at home (working for yourself?)?

* Any personal or home needs that guide you?

* Learning what the normal work types and sectors are – and what differentiates them.

* You will need to take in what is different for each area of training.

To be honest, you’ll find the only real way to research these matters is through a chat with an experienced advisor who has experience of IT (as well as it’s commercial needs.)

The old fashioned style of teaching, using textbooks and whiteboards, is often a huge slog for most of us. If all this is ringing some familiar bells, look for learning programmes that are on-screen and interactive. Where we can get all of our senses involved in our learning, then we normally see dramatically better results.

Top of the range study programs now offer interactive CD and DVD ROM’s. By watching and listening to instructors on video tutorials you’ll learn your subject through the expert demonstrations. Then it’s time to test your knowledge by using practice-lab’s. Each company you’re contemplating should be able to show you some samples of their courseware. You’re looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and interactive areas to practice in.

Seek out disc based courseware (On CD or DVD) if possible. You’re then protected from broadband ‘downtime’ or slow-speeds.

Training support for students is an absolute must – ensure you track down something that provides 24×7 direct access, as not obtaining this level of support will severely hold up your pace and restrict your intake. Avoid, like the plague, any organisations who use messaging services ‘out-of-hours’ – where an advisor will call back during typical office hours. It’s not a lot of help when you’ve got study issues and need help now.

As long as you look hard, you will find the top providers that offer direct-access support at all times – even in the middle of the night. Never settle for less than you need and deserve. Direct-access round-the-clock support is really your only option when it comes to technical learning. It’s possible you don’t intend to study late evenings; but for the majority of us however, we’re working at the time when most support is available.

Make sure that all your exams are current and commercially required – don’t bother with programs which end up with a useless in-house certificate or plaque. Unless the accreditation comes from a conglomerate such as Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco or CompTIA, then you’ll probably find it won’t be commercially viable – as it’ll be an unknown commodity.

Think about the facts below carefully if you’re inclined to think the sales ploy of ‘guaranteeing’ exams sounds like a benefit to the student:

Everyone knows they’re still paying for it – it’s quite obvious to see that it’s already been included in the full cost of the package supplied by the college. Certainly, it’s not a freebie – and it’s insulting that we’re supposed to think it is! The honest truth is that when students fund their own exams, when they’re ready to take them and not before, they’ll be in a better position to pass first time – because they’re aware of their payment and so will prepare more thoroughly.

Doesn’t it make more sense to find the best exam deal or offer at the time, not to pay any mark-up to a training college, and to do it in a local testing office – instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call? A lot of extra profit is secured by many companies that take the exam money up-front. For various reasons, many students don’t take their exams and so the company is quids-in. Astoundingly enough, there are companies around that depend on students not taking their exams – as that’s where a lot of their profit comes from. The majority of companies will insist that you take mock exams first and with-hold subsequent exam entries from you until you’ve proven conclusively that you can pass – making an ‘exam guarantee’ just about worthless.

Prometric and VUE exams are currently clocking in at an average of 112 pounds in Britain at the time of writing. Why spend so much more on fees for ‘exam guarantees’ (usually wrapped up in the course package price) – when a quality course, support and consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.

We’re often asked why academic qualifications are now falling behind more commercial certificates? Key company training (in industry terminology) is far more effective and specialised. The IT sector has become aware that such specialised knowledge is necessary to cope with an acceleratingly technical commercial environment. Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA are the key players in this arena. Of course, a necessary amount of associated information has to be learned, but core specifics in the particular job function gives a commercially trained student a massive advantage.

If an employer is aware what work they need doing, then all it takes is an advert for someone with a specific qualification. The syllabuses all have to conform to the same requirements and don’t change between schools (like academia frequently can and does).

Massive developments are flooding technology in the near future – and it only gets more exciting every day. Computer technology and connections through the internet will dramatically affect our lifestyles in the near future; incredibly so.

Let’s not ignore salaries moreover – the usual income in the United Kingdom for a typical IT worker is noticeably more than average salaries nationally. Chances are that you’ll earn a much better deal than you’d expect to earn doing other work. Due to the technological sector emerging with no sign of a slow-down, the chances are that the requirement for certified IT specialists will continue to boom for a good while yet.

Whether you’re new to the industry, or a professional about to polish up your CV, there are state-of-the-art Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) courses that teach both student levels. To pass at the MCSA level you need to pass 4 Microsoft Certified Professional exams (MCP’s). If you’re joining the industry for the first time, you’ll probably be required to pick up some skills prior to doing all four MCP’s. Find a provider that has a team of advisors who can help you sort out the right way to tackle your goal and can match a course start point to your current skill set.

How can we make the right decisions then? With so much reward available, it’s essential to be guided as to where to look – and of course, what to actually be digging for.

We can see a plethora of jobs and positions available in computing. Arriving at the correct choice in this uncertainty often proves challenging. What is our likelihood of grasping the many facets of a particular career if we’ve never been there? We normally don’t know someone who performs the role either. To attack this, a discussion is necessary, covering a number of different aspects:

* Your individual personality and interests – what kind of work-centred jobs please or frustrate you.

* What time-frame are you looking at for retraining?

* How highly do you rate salary – is it the most important thing, or is job satisfaction a lot higher on your list of priorities?

* With so many markets to choose from in Information Technology – it’s wise to achieve a solid grounding on what sets them apart.

* Taking a cold, hard look at the level of commitment, time and effort that you’re going to put into it.

To cut through all the jargon and confusion, and uncover the most viable option for your success, have an informal meeting with an industry-experienced advisor; a person that will cover the commercial realities and truth whilst covering each accreditation.

It’s likely that you’ve always enjoyed practical work – the ‘hands-on’ person. Usually, the painful task of reading endless manuals can be just about bared when essential, but it’s not really your thing. Consider interactive, multimedia study if books just don’t do it for you. Many studies have proved that much more of what we learn in remembered when all our senses are involved, and we get physically involved with the study process.

You can now study via interactive CD and DVD ROM’s. Real-world classes from the instructors will mean you’ll absorb the modules, one by one, by way of the expert demonstrations. Knowledge can then be tested by interacting with the software and practicing yourself. It’s imperative to see the type of training provided by each company you’re contemplating. Be sure that they contain instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab’s.

Often, companies will only use purely on-line training; sometimes you can get away with this – but, consider what happens when you don’t have access to the internet or you get slow speeds and down-time etc. It’s preferable to have actual CD or DVD ROMs that will not have these problems.

Some trainers will only offer support to you inside of office hours (typically 9am-6pm) and sometimes a little earlier or later; most won’t answer after 8-9pm at the latest and frequently never at the weekends. Always avoid training that only supports students with a call-centre messaging service when it’s outside of usual working hours. Training companies will always try to hide the importance of this issue. Essentially – you need support when you need support – not at their convenience.

Keep your eyes open for study programmes that have multiple support offices across multiple time-zones. All of them should be combined to give a single entry point together with access round-the-clock, when it’s convenient for you, without any problems. If you accept anything less than direct-access round-the-clock support, you’ll regret it. It may be that you don’t use it throughout the night, but consider weekends, evenings and early mornings at some point.

Some training companies still use the rather old-fashioned idea of classroom days. Very often portrayed as a huge benefit, if you track down someone who’s been through a few, don’t be surprised to be lectured on several if not all of these:

* Constant travelling – very long trips usually.

* If, like many of us, you work, then Monday to Friday events represent a difficulty in getting time off. More than likely you will be having to deal with several days in a row too.

* Usually, we end up feeling 4 weeks annual leave is barely enough. Spend at least half of this for study days and see how much more difficult it makes things.

* Training classes can ’sell out’ fast and often end up larger than is ideal.

* The pace of the class – workshops typically have trainees of varied abilities, therefore there is often tension between the quicker-learners and the ones who need a little longer.

* Let us not forget the extra cost of driving or accommodation for the duration either. Often, this will cost many hundreds of pounds more – sometimes thousands. Work it out – you may be surprised.

* Not wanting employers to know about the training is often very important to a lot of trainees. Why would you want to throw away any possible promotions, wage increases or achievement with your current employer because of your studies. If your boss finds out you’re putting yourself through training in a completely different market, what do you think they’ll do?

* It’s really not that uncommon for students to hide the fact that they want to raise a question – just due to the reason that they’re in front of other people.

* Being away from home with your work during the week – some trainees find themselves working or living away for part of the programme. Days in-centre become problematic to attend, yet you’ve already paid for them in your initial payment.

It obviously makes so much more sense to be taught at your convenience – not your training provider’s – and use interactive videos of instructors teaching a class. Training can take place wherever it suits you. If you own a laptop, you could get some sun outside while you study. If any problem raises its head then make use of the 24×7 support. It doesn’t matter how regularly you would like to re-take a quiz or test, video-based tutors aren’t ever likely to rush you! Also, as an added bonus, you’ll never have to write notes again. It’s already there for you to use. Quite simply: You save time, hassle, money and altogether avoid polluting our environment.

There is a tidal wave of change about to hit technology over the next generation – and this means greater innovations all the time. We’re only just starting to get a feel for how technology will affect our lives in the future. The internet will massively change the way we view and interact with the rest of the world over the coming years.

The usual IT man or woman in Great Britain has been shown to get noticeably more than employees on a par outside of IT. Average wages are amongst the highest in the country. Experts agree that there’s a great UK-wide requirement for trained and qualified IT technicians. In addition, with the constant growth in the marketplace, it looks like this will be the case for a good while yet.

We all have busy lives, and generally should we have cause to learn a new profession, studying at the same time as holding down a job is what we have to do. Training tracks certified by Microsoft can fill that gap. Additionally you might want to talk in detail on the types of jobs that are available when you’ve finished studying, and which personalities such positions may be appropriate for. Most students feel happier if they can be advised on what would suit them individually. Once you’ve decided on the area you want to get into, you’ll need a suitable training program matched to your ability level and skill set. Your study program ought to be of an excellent standard.

Since the computer industry presents such an array of exceptional career development prospects for us all – what are the questions we should raise and what elements carry the most importance?

It’s important to understand: the actual training or a qualification isn’t what this is about; the job or career that you’re getting the training for is. Far too many training organisations completely prioritise the actual accreditation. Students often train for a single year but end up doing a job for a lifetime. Don’t make the error of finding what seems like an ‘interesting’ course and then put 10-20 years into a job you hate!

Set targets for earning potential and the level of your ambition. This can often control what precise accreditations you’ll need to attain and what industry will expect from you in return. Before setting out on a training course, it makes sense to talk through individual career requirements with an experienced industry professional, to ensure the retraining program covers all the bases.

Those that are drawn to this type of work can be very practical by nature, and don’t really enjoy classrooms, and endless reading of dry academic textbooks. If this could be you, try the newer style of interactive study, where learning is video-based. Memory is vastly improved when multiple senses are involved – this has been an accepted fact in expert circles for as long as we can remember.

Locate a program where you’ll get a host of DVD-ROM’s – you’ll be learning from instructor videos and demo’s, with the facility to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills. Always insist on a look at some courseware examples from your training provider. You should ask for instructor videos, demonstrations, slide-shows and lab’s for you to practice your skills in.

Pick disc based courseware (On CD or DVD) wherever available. Thus avoiding all the issues associated with broadband ‘downtime’ or slow-speeds.

If you forget everything else – then just remember this: It’s essential to obtain proper 24×7 round-the-clock professional support from mentors and instructors. You’ll severely regret it if you let this one slide. You’ll be waiting ages for an answer with email based support, and telephone support is usually to a call-centre which will take the information and email an instructor – who’ll call back sometime over the next 1-3 days, when it’s convenient to them. This isn’t a lot of good if you’re sitting there confused over an issue and can only study at specific times.

Top training companies utilise several support facilities across multiple time-zones. By utilising an interactive interface to link them all seamlessly, at any time you choose, there is always help at hand, without any problems or delays. Look for a trainer that is worth purchasing from. Because only round-the-clock 24×7 support truly delivers for technical programs.

‘In-Centre’ days can be portrayed as a great feature by a lot of training companies. After talking to most computer industry trainees that have tried them out, you’ll likely realise that they’ve now become a waste of time due to many reasons:

* Constant visits to the workshops – often hundreds of miles.

* If you’re working, then weekday events are difficult to make. You could be contending with two or three days together to make it worse.

* Holiday days lost – most IT hopefuls only get 4 weeks annual leave. If half or more of that is used up by study workshops, you haven’t got a great deal of holiday time remaining for the family as a whole.

* Classes can ’sell out’ fast and can be very crammed in.

* Some trainees want to progress quickly, while others are looking to take a more ’steady’ pace and not be forced to adopt an uncomfortable speed for them. This generates tension and unrest a lot of the time.

* Soaring travel costs – driving or taking public transport to the training college and of course accommodation over-night can really add up every time you have to go. If you only assumed 5-10 workshops costing around 35 pounds for an over-night room, plus a petrol cost of 40 pounds and 15.00 for food, we find an extra 450-900 pounds of hidden costs on top.

* Most attendees want to keep their training private to avoid any kind of questions in their job.

* Every one of us must, at some time, have avoided asking a question, because we wanted to maintain the illusion that we did, in fact, understand?

* There are those of us who sometimes live away for part of the week, imagine the trouble involved in getting to the needed classes, when time is at a premium.

For a far more flexible approach, exploit ready-made, videoed classes in the comfort of your own chosen environment – and do it when it’s convenient to you – not anybody else. Do them at home on your PC or if you have laptop, why not get outside if the weather’s nice. Any questions; then make use of the 24×7 support (that we hope you’ll insist on with any technical courses.) Repeat lessons and modules whenever you feel you need to – the more times you cover something – the more you’ll remember. And no worrying about keeping up with note-taking either – it’s all provided. Could it get any simpler: No wasted time or money, travelling is avoided; plus you’ve got a much more peaceful study setting.

IT has become one of the most thrilling and changing industries that you can get into right now. Being up close and personal with technology is to be a part of the massive changes shaping life over the next few decades. We’re only just starting to understand how all this change will affect us. The way we correlate with the world as a whole will be profoundly affected by computers and the internet.

And keep in mind that on average, the income of a person in the IT sector across the UK is much better than remuneration packages in other industries, which means you will more than likely gain considerably more as an IT specialist, than you could reasonably hope to achieve elsewhere. Excitingly, there’s a lot more room for IT sector development throughout this country. The industry continues to grow hugely, and as we have a significant shortage of skilled professionals, it’s most unlikely that there’ll be any kind of easing off for years to come.

A+ consists of four exams and study sections, but you’re just expected to achieve certification in two for qualification purposes. As this is the case, the majority of training providers only offer 2 paths. However, training you in all four will provide you with a more confident perspective of the subject, which you’ll come to realise is an important asset in professional employment.

A+ certification on its own will allow you to fix and repair stand-alone PC’s and MAC’s; ones which are usually not part of a network – essentially the domestic or small business sector. Were you to add Network+ to your CompTIA A+ training course, you’ll also learn how to look after networks, giving you the facility to command a higher salary.

How can job security really exist anymore? In the UK for example, with businesses changing their mind on a whim, it seems increasingly unlikely. We could however discover security at market-level, by searching for areas that have high demand, coupled with a shortage of skilled staff.

Recently, a UK e-Skills survey brought to light that more than 26 percent of IT jobs are unfilled due to a lack of well-trained staff. Meaning that for each four job positions that are available throughout the computer industry, we’ve only got three properly trained pro’s to do them. This basic reality underpins an urgent requirement for more commercially accredited computer professionals across the country. Surely, now, more than ever, really is a critical time to consider retraining into the computing industry.

How do we reach an informed decision then? With such prospects, we’ll need to know where to look – and what it is we should be digging for.

For the most part, the normal person really has no clue how they should get into a computing career, or even what sector they should look at getting trained in. As having no commercial background in computing, how could any of us be expected to understand what a particular job actually consists of? Getting to any kind of right answer will only come via a thorough study across many different key points:

* The kind of person you think yourself to be – the tasks that you enjoy doing, and conversely – what you definitely don’t enjoy.

* What length of time can you allocate for the training process?

* How important is salary to you – is it the most important thing, or is job satisfaction higher up on your priority-list?

* With so many ways to train in computing – there’s a need to achieve a basic understanding of what separates them.

* You should also think long and hard about what kind of effort and commitment you’ll put into your education.

The best way to avoid all the jargon and confusion, and uncover the best path to success, have an in-depth discussion with an industry expert and advisor; a person who understands the commercial reality and of course each accreditation.

Those that are drawn to this type of work often have a very practical outlook on work, and don’t really enjoy classrooms, and slogging through piles of books. If this could be you, use multimedia, interactive learning, where you can learn everything on-screen. Research over recent years has always demonstrated that becoming involved with our studies, to utilise all our senses, is much more conducive to long-term memory.

You can now study via easy-to-use DVD or CD ROM’s. Real-world classes from the instructors will mean you’ll learn your subject through the expert demonstrations. Knowledge can then be tested by interacting with the software and practicing yourself. You must ensure that you see the type of training provided by each company you’re contemplating. You’ll want to see that they include video demo’s and interactive elements such as practice lab’s.

Avoid training that is purely online. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where available, enabling them to be used at your convenience – ISP quality varies, so you don’t want to be totally reliant on your internet connection always being ‘up’ and available.

The way a programme is physically sent to you is usually ignored by most students. How many stages do they break the program into? What is the specific order and do you have a say in when you’ll get each part? Delivery by courier of each element stage by stage, as you pass each exam is the usual method of releasing your program. This sounds logical, but you should take these factors into account: Maybe the order of study prescribed by the provider doesn’t suit you. And what if you don’t finish all the modules inside of their particular timetable?

For the perfect solution, you’d get ALL the training materials right at the beginning – enabling you to have them all to return to any point – at any time you choose. Variations can then be made to the order that you move through the program if you find another route more intuitive.

One thing you must always insist on is comprehensive 24×7 direct-access support through dedicated instructors and mentors. Too many companies will only offer a basic 9am till 6pm support period (maybe later on certain days) with very little availability over the weekend. Never purchase study programmes that only provide support to students via an out-sourced call-centre message system after office-staff have gone home. Training schools will try to talk you round from this line of reasoning. Essentially – support is required when it’s required – not when it’s convenient for them.

Be on the lookout for colleges that have multiple support offices from around the world. These should be integrated to provide a single interface and access round-the-clock, when you want it, with the minimum of hassle. Find a trainer that goes the extra mile. Only true 24×7 round-the-clock live support provides the necessary backup.

Accredited exam preparation and simulation materials are crucial – and must be obtained from your training company. Don’t fall foul of relying on non-accredited exam preparation questions. The type of questions asked can be quite different – and this could lead to potential problems once in the actual exam. Clearly, it’s very important to ensure that you’ve thoroughly prepared for the real exam prior to going for it. Practicing ‘mock’ exams adds to your knowledge bank and will avoid you getting frustrated with thwarted exam entries.

Many training companies will provide a useful Job Placement Assistance service, to help you into your first commercial role. Because of the growing need for more IT skills in the United Kingdom at the moment, there’s no need to make too much of this option though. It isn’t so complicated as you might think to secure a job once you’re trained and certified.

Advice and support about getting interviews and your CV may be available (if it isn’t, consult one of our sites). Make sure you polish up your CV immediately – not when you’re ready to start work! It’s not unusual to find that you’ll secure your first position whilst still on the course (even in the early stages). If you haven’t updated your CV to say what you’re studying (and it hasn’t been posted on jobsites) then you won’t even be considered! You can usually expect quicker results from a local IT focused recruitment consultant or service than any training company’s centralised service, because they’ll know the area better.

Just be sure that you don’t spend hundreds of hours on your training and studies, and then do nothing more and expect somebody else to land you a job. Stand up for yourself and get on with the job. Invest as much time and energy into securing your first job as it took to get qualified.

All of us are short of time, and inevitably if we want to learn a new profession, training outside of working hours is our best way forward. Microsoft certified training could offer a solution. You’ll want to discuss all the different permutations with an advisor who has knowledge of the commercial needs of the market, and can help you choose the best kind of work to match your character. Be assured that your course is personalised to your ability level and skill set. A quality company will ensure that the course is designed for the career you want to get into.

Evidently, the UK computing sector shows marvellous possibilities. But, to fully investigate, what questions do we need to raise, and which elements are the most important?

Of course: the course itself or an accreditation is not what you’re looking for; the job or career that you’re getting the training for is. Too many training companies over-emphasise the actual accreditation. It’s a sad testimony to the sales skills of many companies, but the majority of trainees kick-off study that often sounds magnificent in the sales literature, but which delivers a career that doesn’t satisfy. Try talking to typical university students and you’ll see where we’re coming from.

Make sure you investigate your feelings on earning potential, career development, and if you’re ambitious or not. It makes sense to understand what the role will demand of you, which particular qualifications will be required and in what way you can develop commercial experience. Talk to an experienced industry advisor that understands the work you’re contemplating, and who’ll explain to you an in-depth explanation of what you’re going to be doing in that job. Researching these areas well before beginning a learning course makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?

Each programme of learning has to build towards a properly recognised certification as an end-result – and not some unimportant ‘in-house’ diploma – fit only for filing away and forgetting. To an employer, only top businesses like Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe (for example) give enough bang for your buck. Nothing else will cut the mustard.

Proper support should never be taken lightly – find a program that includes 24×7 access, as not obtaining this level of support will severely hold up your pace and restrict your intake. 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!) You want direct-access to qualified mentors and tutors, and not a message system as this will slow you down – consistently being held in a queue for a call-back at a convenient time for them.

Be on the lookout for providers that have multiple support offices across multiple time-zones. These should be integrated to provide a single interface together with round-the-clock access, when it’s convenient for you, with the minimum of hassle. Search out a trainer that offers this level of study support. Only proper live 24×7 round-the-clock support delivers what is required.

We can guess that you’re a practical sort of person – the ‘hands-on’ individual. Typically, the trial of reading reference books and manuals would be considered as a last resort, but it’s not ideal. You should use video and multimedia based materials if books just don’t do it for you. Where possible, if we can study while utilising as many senses as possible, then we often see hugely increased memory retention as a result.

Search for a course where you’ll receive a selection of CD and DVD based materials – you’ll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, with the facility to practice your skills in interactive lab’s. You really need to look at courseware examples from the company you’re considering. They have to utilise video demo’s and interactive elements such as practice lab’s.

It’s folly to select online only courseware. Connection quality and reliability varies hugely across the ISP (internet service provider) market, you should always obtain disc based courseware (On CD or DVD).

An important area that is sometimes not even considered by new students thinking about a course is the issue of ‘training segmentation’. Basically, this means the method used to break up the program for delivery to you, which vastly changes what you end up with. Many think it logical (when study may take one to three years to gain full certified status,) for a training company to release the courseware in stages, as you achieve each exam pass. But: With thought, many trainees understand that the company’s usual training route doesn’t suit. They might find varying the order of study will be far more suitable. And what if you don’t get to the end at the pace they expect?

The ideal circumstances are to get all your study materials delivered to your address right at the beginning; the whole caboodle! Thus avoiding any future problems that could impede the reaching of your goals.

Review the following points in detail if you believe the marketing blurb about an ‘Exam Guarantee’ sounds great value:

It’s become essential these days that we have to be a bit more aware of hype – and usually we grasp that it is something we’re paying for (it’s not a freebie because they like us so much!) The fact is that when trainees fund each progressive exam, at the time of taking them, they’ll be in a better position to qualify each time – because they’ll be conscious of the cost and so will prepare more thoroughly.

Shouldn’t you be looking to not pay up-front, but at the time, not to pay the fees marked up by a training company, and also to sit exams more locally – instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call? A lot of so-called credible training colleges net huge amounts of money because they’re getting in the money for exam fees early and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. Additionally, many exam guarantees are worthless. The majority of organisations will not pay again for an exam until you’re able to demonstrate an excellent mock pass rate.

Average exam fees were 112 pounds or thereabouts last year via local VUE or Pro-metric centres throughout the country. So what’s the point of paying maybe a thousand pounds extra to have ‘Exam Guarantees’, when it’s no secret that what’s really needed is a regular, committed, study programme, with an accredited exam preparation system.

Huge changes are flooding technology in the near future – and this means greater innovations all the time. It’s a common misapprehension that the increase in technology we’ve been going through is easing off. All indicators point in the opposite direction. There are huge changes to come, and the internet in particular will be the most effective tool in our lives.

Wages in the IT sector aren’t to be ignored either – the income on average across the UK for an average man or woman in IT is significantly higher than in the rest of the economy. It’s likely you’ll bring in a much better deal than you would in most other jobs. It seems there is no easing up for IT increases throughout this country. The market sector is continuing to expand enormously, and as we have a significant shortage of skilled professionals, it’s not likely that things will be any different for a good while yet.

If you’d like to become a web designer qualified appropriately for today’s employment market, the course you need is Adobe Dreamweaver. It’s also recommended that you learn all about the entire Adobe Web Creative Suite, which incorporates Flash and Action Script, to have the facility to use Dreamweaver as a commercial web-designer. Having such skills can result in you subsequently becoming an Adobe Certified Expert or Adobe Certified Professional (ACE or ACP).

Having knowledge of how to design a website just gets you started. Creating traffic, content maintenance and some programming skills should follow. Think about courses with bolt-ons to teach these subjects maybe PHP, HTML, and MySQL, in addition to E-Commerce and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) skills.

Technology and IT is amongst the most thrilling and changing industries that you could be a part of. Being a member of a team working on breakthroughs in technology is to be a part of the massive changes affecting everyone who lives in the 21st century. We’re barely beginning to get a handle on how all this change will affect us. How we interact with the world will be significantly affected by technology and the internet.

The money in IT isn’t to be sniffed at also – the usual income over this country as a whole for an average IT employee is considerably greater than the national average. Odds are that you’ll earn quite a bit more than you’d expect to earn doing other work. There is a substantial UK-wide requirement for trained and qualified IT technicians. It follows that as the industry constantly develops, it appears there’s going to be for a good while yet.

With the sheer volume of talk around Information Technology (IT) right now, how can we understand what in particular to look for?

A ridiculously large number of organisations only look at the plaque to hang on your wall, and avoid focusing on what you actually need – which will always be getting the job or career you want. Your focus should start with the end in mind – don’t make the journey more important than where you want to get to. Don’t be one of the unfortunate masses that choose a course that seems ‘fun’ or ‘interesting’ – and end up with a certification for a career they’ll never really get any satisfaction from.

Be honest with yourself about earning potential and whether you’re an ambitious person or not. Sometimes, this affects what particular certifications will be expected and what’ll be expected of you in your new role. Before you embark on a particular learning programme, it’s good advice to talk through specific market requirements with an industry professional, in order to be sure the training course covers all the bases.

A lot of training companies only give office hours or extended office hours support; It’s rare to find someone who offers late evening or full weekend cover. Avoid certification programs which can only support students via a message system when it’s outside of usual working hours. Training organisations will try to talk you round from this line of reasoning. Essentially – support is needed when it’s needed – not as-and-when it’s suitable for their staff.

As long as you look hard, you will find the top providers who recommend and use direct-access online support at all times – no matter what time of day it is. Don’t under any circumstances take less than this. Online 24×7 support is the only way to go when it comes to IT courses. Maybe burning the midnight-oil is not your thing; often though, we’re at work at the time when most support is available.

The classroom style of learning we remember from school, utilising reference manuals and books, is an up-hill struggle for the majority of us. If all this is ringing some familiar bells, check out study materials that are multimedia based. Research has repeatedly confirmed that getting into our studies physically, is much more conducive to long-term memory.

Modern training can now be done at home via interactive CD and DVD ROM’s. By watching and listening to instructors on video tutorials you’ll absorb the modules, one by one, through the expert demonstrations. You can then test yourself by interacting with the software and practicing yourself. It makes sense to see examples of the courseware provided before you hand over your cheque. You should expect video tutorials, instructor demo’s and interactive modules with audio-visual elements.

Often, companies will only use online training only; and although this is okay the majority of the time, consider how you’ll deal with it if you lose your internet access or you get a slow connection speed. It’s much safer to rely on physical CD or DVD discs that will not have these problems.

An area that’s often missed by potential students mulling over a new direction is the concept of ‘training segmentation’. This is essentially the way the course is divided up for drop-shipping to you, which makes a huge difference to where you end up. By and large, you will purchase a course staged over 2 or 3 years and get sent one module each time you pass an exam. While this may sound logical on one level, consider this: What if you don’t finish every single exam? And what if you find the order of the modules counter-intuitive? Without any fault on your part, you might take a little longer and consequently not get all your materials.

In an ideal situation, you want everything at the start – giving you them all to come back to in the future – irrespective of any schedule. You can also vary the order in which you complete each objective if you find another route more intuitive.

It’s essential to have authorised exam simulation and preparation programs as part of your training package. Due to the fact that many IT examining boards tend to be American, you’ll need to be used to the correct phraseology. It’s not sufficient simply answering any old technical questions – they have to be in the same format as the actual exams. It’s a good idea to ask for testing modules so you’ll be able to check your knowledge at all times. Practice exams will help to boost your attitude – then you’re much more at ease with the real thing.

The perhaps intimidating chore of getting your first job can be made easier by some training providers because they offer a Job Placement Assistance programme. Ultimately it isn’t so complicated as you might think to land your first job – as long as you’ve got the necessary skills and qualifications; the shortage of IT personnel in Britain looks after that.

Get your CV updated straight-away though (advice can be sought on this via your provider). Don’t put it off till you’ve finished your exams. You may not have got to the stage where you’ve qualified when you will be offered your first junior support job; but this is not possible unless your CV is with employers. If you’d like to keep travelling time and costs to a minimum, then you may well find that a local (but specialised) recruitment consultancy may serve you better than a national service, as they’re far more likely to know what’s available near you.

A common grievance for many course providers is how much students are prepared to work to pass exams, but how ill-prepared they are to market themselves for the role they’ve qualified for. Get out there and hustle – you might find it’s fun.

If you’d like to become a web designer qualified appropriately for today’s job market, you’ll need to study Adobe Dreamweaver. The full Adobe Web Creative Suite ought also to be studied in its entirety. This will mean you have knowledge of Flash and Action Script, amongst others, and will prepare you for the ACE (Adobe Certified Expert) or ACP (Adobe Certified Professional) qualification.

Creating a website is just the start of what’s needed – to create traffic, maintain its content, and work with dynamic database-driven sites, you will need other programming skills, namely ones like PHP, HTML, and MySQL. It would also be a good idea to develop a good understanding of E-Commerce and SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).

We’d all like to believe that our careers will remain safe and our work futures are protected, however, the truth for the majority of jobs throughout Great Britain right now seems to be that there is no security anymore. Security can now only exist via a fast increasing market, fuelled by a shortfall of trained staff. These circumstances create the appropriate background for a higher level of market-security – a more attractive situation all round.

A rather worrying British e-Skills study highlighted that more than 26 percent of IT jobs haven’t been filled due to an appallingly low number of trained staff. Accordingly, out of each 4 positions in existence throughout the computer industry, businesses can only locate properly accredited workers for 3 of the 4. This single idea alone clearly demonstrates why the UK requires many more new trainees to enter the IT sector. Without a doubt, now, more than ever, really is the very best time to train for Information Technology (IT).

Making the most suitable career choice is hard enough – so which areas should we be checking out and what are the questions we should be raising?

In most cases, a everyday trainee doesn’t know how they should get into the IT industry, let alone which area they should look at getting trained in. Reading a list of IT job-titles is just a waste of time. Surely, most of us have no concept what the neighbours do for a living – so we’re in the dark as to the intricacies of a specific IT job. Getting to the right choice only comes via a meticulous analysis of several varying factors:

* What nature of individual you reckon you are – which things you find interesting, and conversely – what don’t you like doing.

* Are you aiming to reach a specific objective – like working from home as quickly as possible?

* How important is salary to you – is it of prime importance, or do you place job satisfaction further up on your priority-list?

* Considering all that the IT industry encompasses, you really need to be able to see the differences.

* Our advice is to think deeply about the level of commitment you’re going to invest in your training.

To cut through the barrage of jargon, and find the best route for you, have an in-depth discussion with an advisor with years of experience; someone that will cover the commercial realities and truth whilst covering each certification.

There is no way of over emphasising this: It’s essential to obtain proper 24×7 round-the-clock instructor support. You will have so many problems later if you don’t heed this. Always avoid study programmes that only provide support to trainees via an out-sourced call-centre message system when it’s outside of usual working hours. Trainers will defend this with all kinds of excuses. The bottom line is – you want support at the appropriate time – not when it suits them.

We recommend looking for training schools that have multiple support offices across multiple time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to give a single entry point together with access round-the-clock, when you need it, with the minimum of hassle. Always choose a training provider that offers this level of study support. Only proper live 24×7 round-the-clock support provides the necessary backup.

Most trainers typically provide piles of reference manuals and workbooks. This can be very boring and not really conducive to remembering. If we’re able to study while utilising as many senses as possible, then we often see hugely increased memory retention as a result.

Locate a program where you’ll receive a selection of CD and DVD ROM’s – you’ll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, and then have the opportunity to fine-tune your skills in fully interactive practice sessions. Be sure to get a look at some courseware examples from the training company. The package should contain expert-led demonstrations, slideshows and fully interactive skills-lab’s.

Some companies only have access to just online versions of their training packages; sometimes you can get away with this – but, 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 that don’t suffer from these broadband issues.

Commercial certification is now, very visibly, starting to replace the traditional routes into the IT industry – so why is this the case? With the costs of academic degree’s climbing ever higher, alongside the industry’s general opinion that accreditation-based training often has more relevance in the commercial field, there has been a great increase in Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe accredited training paths that create knowledgeable employees for considerably less. Typically, students are simply taught the necessary specifics in depth. It’s slightly more broad than that, but the principle objective is to cover the precise skills needed (with some necessary background) – without overdoing the detail in every other area – in the way that academic establishments often do.

Just like the advert used to say: ‘It does what it says on the label’. Companies need only to know what areas need to be serviced, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. Then they’re assured that a potential employee can do exactly what’s required.

A successful training package should also include fully authorised exam preparation packages. Be sure that the exams you practice are not only asking questions on the correct subjects, but are also posing them in the exact format that the real exams will phrase them. This completely unsettles people if the questions are phrased in unfamiliar formats. Simulated exams will prove invaluable for confidence building – so when it comes to taking the real thing, you don’t get phased.

Many trainers supply a practical Job Placement Assistance service, to help you into your first commercial role. However sometimes there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, for it is genuinely quite straightforward for any focused and well taught person to find work in the IT environment – because companies everywhere are seeking qualified personnel.

CV and Interview advice and support may be available (if it isn’t, consult one of our sites). Be sure to you update that dusty old CV straight away – don’t leave it till you pass the exams! Quite frequently, you’ll secure your first role whilst you’re still studying (sometimes when you’ve only just got going). If your CV doesn’t say what you’re learning (and it hasn’t been posted on jobsites) then you’re not even going to be known about! If you’d like to get employment in your home town, then it’s quite likely that a local (but specialised) recruitment consultancy might serve you better than a national service, due to the fact that they’re far more likely to be familiar with the local job scene.

To bottom line it, as long as you focus the same level of energy into securing your first IT position as into studying, you won’t find it too challenging. A number of men and women inexplicably spend hundreds of hours on their learning program and then just stop once they’ve passed their exams and would appear to think that businesses will just discover them.