One thing you must always insist on is proper direct-access 24x7 support from trained professional instructors and mentors. So many companies we come across only provide support to you inside of office hours (typically 9am-6pm) and sometimes a little earlier or later (but not weekends usually). Avoid those companies which use call-centres 'out-of-hours' - where you'll get called back during normal office hours. It's not a lot of help when you've got study issues and want support there and then.

The best training colleges opt for a web-based 24 hours-a-day facility pulling in several support offices across the globe. You'll have a single, easy-to-use environment that seamlessly accesses whichever office is appropriate irrespective of the time of day: Support on demand. Never compromise when it comes to your support. The majority of would-be IT professionals that throw in the towel, would have had a different experience if they'd got the right support package in the first place.

'In-Centre' days get touted as a great feature by many trainers. After chatting with many IT hopefuls who have partaken in a couple, you'll find they generally end up being seen as a major problem mainly due to the following:

- Constant travelling - hundreds of miles a lot of the time.

- Accessibility to workshops; often Monday to Friday and sometimes 2-3 days at a time. You then have the difficulty of the leave of absence.

- Lost holiday days - most IT hopefuls are given only twenty days of leave annually. If you give up at least half to your educational events, that isn't going to leave much vacation time for most student's families.

- 'In-Centre' workshop days often get fully subscribed quite quickly, meaning we have to accept a less-than-ideal slot.

- Many students want to study at a somewhat more suitable pace - rather than be dictated to by the rest of the class. This creates classic classroom tension.

- And let's not overlook the extra cost of driving or taking public transport or over-night bed and breakfast either. Often, this will cost 00's or even 000's extra. Do the maths yourself - you'll be (unpleasantly) surprised.

- All of us want some privacy. We don't want to risk throwing away any potential advancement due to us while we retrain.

- Who amongst us hasn't avoided asking a question, because we wanted to maintain the illusion that we did, in fact, understand?

- For students working away from home occasionally, you now have to deal with the fact that classes now become impossible to get to - unfortunately however, the money has already been paid.

Doesn't it make so much more sense to study when it suits you -- not the training company - and make use of instructor-led videos with interactive lab's. Study from home on your PC or use your laptop to enjoy the sun. Any questions that pop up, just use the provided 24x7 live support (that we hope you'll insist on with any technical courses.) There's no need to take notes - all the lessons and background info are laid out on a plate. Anything you want to do over, it's immediately available. Whilst this won't stop all study problems, it definitely reduces stress and eases things. Plus you've got less hassle, travel and costs.

If an advisor doesn't dig around with lots of question - the likelihood is they're just a salesperson. If they wade straight in with a specific product before getting to know your background and whether you have any commercial experience, then it's very likely to be the case. Don't forget, if in the past you've acquired any work-experience or certification, then it's not unreasonable to expect to commence studying further along than someone who is new to the field. It's wise to consider some basic user skills first. It can brush up on your current abilities and make the learning curve a a little easier.

It can be a nerve-racking task, but landing your first IT job is often made easier by some training providers because they offer a Job Placement Assistance service. In reality it's not as hard as some people make out to secure the right work - as long as you're correctly trained and certified; the growing UK skills shortage sees to that.

Work on polishing up your CV right away however (advice and support for this should come from your course provider). Don't delay till the exams have actually been passed. Getting onto the 'maybe' pile of CV's is more than not being regarded at all. A surprising amount of junior jobs are got by people in the early stages of their course. The most reliable organisations to help you find a job are normally specialist locally based employment services. As they're keen to place you to receive their commission, they have the necessary incentive to try that bit harder.

Do make sure you don't invest a great deal of time on your training course, just to give up and expect somebody else to find you a job. Stand up for yourself and get out there. Invest the same energy and enthusiasm into finding the right position as you did to get trained.

Even though they're often grouped together, the MCSA & 'MCSE' are in reality geared to fulfil two different functions. Instruction to be a Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) ideal for networking and senior-support careers & server administration. Anyone interested in technical-systems roles, administering the activities of a medium-sized or smaller office network would do well to opt for the 'MCSA'. The work is actually perfect for someone that likes dealing with technical-challenges, as there's a good deal of problem-solving in this profession. You can expect a very high amount of connection with fellow workers, (since a great deal of what you do will entail helping the users of the network,) and a variable working day.

In contrast, the MCSE ('Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer') function offers a career with greater responsibility, where the work centres more around planning, design & project management. This particular accreditation needs to be looked at carefully if you have ambitions to become a network manager, a project manager, a technical or senior administrator, or a senior I.T. security expert. Personal, creative & leadership abilities are also dealt with within this training program, as good MCSE experts often deal with an array of personnel and resource-management responsibilities.

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