Founded twenty eight years ago, the 'Computing Technology Industry Association' (or CompTIA in short) is a not for profit establishment. They have built through the years to become the number one in vendor neutral IT certification. So they can independently produce & be in control of a whole range of I.T. industry examinations and issue their own qualifications which don't apply to just one particular organisations' solutions. This is very good for IT students, because they can learn about different platforms & how they inter-connect and integrate with one another - a not unusual situation in industry today. CompTIA brings together various commercial & academic industry organisations when creating or upgrading an exam, to make sure that all sides are considered and the most industry related syllabuses are created.

Anybody looking to establish themselves in IT will benefit from programs & accreditations produced by 'CompTIA'. Trainees thinking about getting into networking and support, or security, systems & servers will most often begin with CompTIA, although its fair to say that CompTIA accreditations will boost just about any Resume geared for the IT market. There's also now a push within CompTIA to supply their beginner level STRATA products to those people who do not actually work within I.T., but would benefit from an awareness of basic IT and exactly how it impacts their job.

CompTIA A+ and the Network+ are certainly the most broadly recognised of their accreditations. Jointly they encompass the first step toward a good number of career-paths in IT, & consequently are frontrunners within their field. 'A+' training covers all of the fundamental basics of PC maintenance, fault finding and repair; including support, security & installation. To help you to become established in the I.T. marketplace, the 'A+' also covers a number of communication & personal skillsets. The Network+ takes things further, by building in a more in-depth knowledge of how networks operate and communicate with one another. The vital challenge of 'Security' is underlined, & Wireless networks are discussed at a basic level. The two qualifications go with each other well, & collectively form a very good start-up platform for other exam packages, or a strong career in I.T. support.

With all the options available, does it really shock us that most potential trainees don't really understand the best career path they will follow. Since without any commercial skills in computing, how can most of us be expected to know what anyone doing a particular job actually does? To get through to the essence of this, a discussion is necessary, covering several core topics:

* The kind of person you think yourself to be - what kind of jobs you enjoy, plus of course - what makes you unhappy.

* Why it seems right starting in the IT industry - maybe you want to achieve a long-held goal like being self-employed for example.

* The income needs that guide you?

* Always think in-depth about the amount of work demanded to gain all the necessary accreditation.

* You will need to understand what differentiates the myriad of training options.

The bottom line is, the best way of covering these is via a meeting with an advisor or professional who has enough background to provide solid advice.

A knowledgeable and practiced advisor (in direct contrast to a salesman) will ask questions and seek to comprehend your current level of ability and experience. This is vital for establishing the starting point for your education. It's worth remembering, if in the past you've acquired any qualifications that are related, then you can sometimes expect to pick-up at a different starting-point to a trainee with no history to speak of. For those students beginning IT exams and training anew, you might like to break yourself in gently, starting with a user-skills course first. This can easily be incorporated into most types of training.