A question; why ought we to be looking at commercial qualifications rather than the usual academic qualifications gained through schools and Further Education colleges? With a growing demand for specific technological expertise, the IT sector has moved to the specialised core-skills learning that the vendors themselves supply - namely companies like Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe. This often comes in at a fraction of the cost and time. Obviously, a necessary degree of relevant additional detail has to be learned, but core specifics in the areas needed gives a vendor trained student a distinct advantage.

The bottom line is: Recognised IT certifications provide exactly what an employer needs - the title is a complete giveaway: i.e. I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Windows XP Administration and Configuration'. Consequently companies can identify just what their needs are and which qualifications are required to perform the job.

It can be a nerve-racking task, but securing your first job can be made easier by training colleges, through a Job Placement Assistance facility. But don't place too much emphasis on it - it's quite easy for companies marketing departments to make it sound harder than it is. In reality, the huge shortage of staff in the UK is what will enable you to get a job.

However, don't leave it until you have finished your training before getting your CV updated. The day you start training, enter details of your study programme and get promoting! It can happen that you haven't even passed your first exam when you land your first junior support position; however this isn't going to happen unless your CV is with employers. Most often, a local IT focused employment agency - who make their money when they've found you a job - will be more pro-active than a sector of a centralised training facility. They should, of course, also be familiar with the area and local employers better.

Many trainees, it seems, spend evenings and weekends on their training and studies (sometimes for years), only to do nothing special when looking for a job. Introduce yourself... Make an effort to get yourself known. A job isn't just going to bump into you.

Commencing from the viewpoint that it's good to find the job we want to do first, before we can even chew over what method of training meets that requirement, how can we choose the right path? How can we possibly grasp the day-to-day realities of any IT job when we haven't done that before? We normally don't know someone who performs the role either. To attack this, a discussion is necessary, covering a number of unique issues:

- Which type of individual you consider yourself to be - which things you find interesting, and conversely - what don't you like doing.

- Do you hope to accomplish a closely held aim - like being your own boss someday?

- How highly do you rate salary - is it very important, or does job satisfaction rate higher up on your priority-list?

- There are many areas to train for in IT - it's wise to gain some key facts on what separates them.

- Taking a cold, hard look at the level of commitment, time and effort that you can put aside.

To bypass the confusing industry jargon, and find the best path to success, have an in-depth discussion with an advisor with years of experience; someone that appreciates and can explain the commercial realities while explaining all the qualifications.

Including exam fees as an inclusive element of the package price and offering an 'Exam Guarantee' is popular with a good many training companies. Consider the facts:

You'll be charged for it one way or another. It certainly isn't free - they've simply charged more for the whole training package. Evidence shows that if students pay for each progressive exam, one at a time, they'll be in a better position to pass every time - because they'll think of the cost and therefore will put more effort into their preparation.

Find the best exam deal or offer available at the appropriate time, and keep hold of your own money. You also get more choice of where you take your exam - which means you can stay local. Huge profits are netted by a significant number of organisations that get money for exam fees in advance. Many students don't take them for one reason or another and so they pocket the rest. Surprising as it sounds, there are companies around that depend on students not taking their exams - and that's how they increase their profits. It's also worth noting that you should consider what an 'exam guarantee' really means. Most companies won't be prepared to pay for you to re-take until you've completely satisfied them that you're ready this time.

The cost of exams was around the 112 pounds mark twelve months or so ago through VUE or Pro-metric centres in the UK. So what's the point of paying maybe a thousand pounds extra for 'Exam Guarantees', when it's no secret that the best guarantee is a regular, committed, study programme, with an accredited exam preparation system.

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