If you're seeking training tracks certified by Microsoft, it stands to reason you'll want training organisations to provide a good number of the finest training courses on the market today. Additionally you might like to get advice on the jobs available to you once you have passed your exams, and which personalities such positions could suit. Most students feel happier if they can be advised on what would suit them individually. Courses should be tailored to suit your ability level and skills. Hence, once you've decided on the best kind of work for you, you'll then need to look at what is the most suitable program that will equip you for the role.

The somewhat scary thought of getting your first IT job is often made easier by some training providers because they offer a Job Placement Assistance facility. Because of the massive demand for appropriately skilled people in Great Britain even when times are hard, it's not too important to make too much of this option though. It really won't be that difficult to find your first job once you're trained and certified.

Update your CV at the beginning of your training though (advice can be sought on this via your provider). Don't delay till the exams have actually been passed. It's not uncommon to find that junior support jobs have been offered to trainees who are still learning and haven't even passed a single exam yet. At the very least this will get you into the 'maybe' pile of CV's - rather than the 'No' pile. Generally, a specialist independent regional recruitment consultancy - who make their money when they've found you a job - will be more pro-active than a recruitment division from a training organisation. Also of course they should know local industry and the area better.

Please be sure that you don't put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, only to stop and expect somebody else to sort out your employment. Get off your backside and make your own enquiries. Invest the same time and energy into getting a good job as you did to get trained.

It would be wonderful to believe that our careers will remain secure and our future is protected, but the growing reality for the majority of jobs throughout the United Kingdom today seems to be that the marketplace is far from secure. In times of increasing skills shortages mixed with growing demand of course, we often locate a fresh type of security in the marketplace; as fuelled by a continual growth, companies just can't get the number of people required.

The most recent United Kingdom e-Skills analysis brought to light that over 26 percent of computing and IT jobs remain unfilled mainly due to a chronic shortage of properly qualified workers. Essentially, we can only fill three out of 4 positions in the computer industry. Fully skilled and commercially certified new professionals are consequently at an absolute premium, and in all likelihood it will stay that way for much longer. Surely, it really is a critical time to consider retraining into Information Technology (IT).

Including exams upfront and offering an 'Exam Guarantee' is popular with a number of training colleges. However, let's consider what's really going on:

You'll be charged for it ultimately. You can be assured it's not a freebie - it's just been rolled into the price of the whole package. Passing first time is everyone's goal. Entering examinations when it's appropriate and funding them as you go makes it far more likely you'll pass first time - you prepare appropriately and are mindful of the investment you've made.

Isn't it in your interests to not pay up-front, but when you take the exam, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance to the training company, and to do it locally - instead of the remote centre that's convenient only to the trainer? Considerable numbers of unscrupulous training course providers net a great deal of profit by asking for exam fees early then hoping you won't see them all through. Additionally, you should consider what an 'exam guarantee' really means. Many training companies will not pay again for an exam until you have demonstrated conclusively that you won't fail again.

The cost of exams was approximately 112 pounds last year via local VUE or Pro-metric centres throughout the country. Therefore, why splash out often many hundreds of pounds extra to have 'an Exam Guarantee', when it's obvious that what's really needed is consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software.

Now, why is it better to gain commercial certification rather than more traditional academic qualifications taught at schools and Further Education colleges? The IT sector now acknowledges that for mastery of skill sets for commercial use, official accreditation from companies such as Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA is far more effective and specialised - saving time and money. Obviously, a necessary degree of closely linked information needs to be learned, but essential specialisation in the particular job function gives a vendor trained student a massive advantage.

The bottom line is: Recognised IT certifications let employers know exactly what you're capable of - the title is a complete giveaway: as an example - I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Planning and Maintaining a Windows 2003 Infrastructure'. So employers can look at their needs and which qualifications will be suitable to deal with those needs.

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