Anybody thinking about training for the computer industry will notice the huge amount of choices in existence. Before starting a training program, look for a training company with a career advice department, so you can get information on the career your training program is designed for. It's possible you'll learn about employment opportunities you weren't aware of. There's a wide range of courses to choose from. Certain students simply want Microsoft user skills, some want training for careers in Programming, Web Design, Networking or Databases - and all can be catered for. However, with so many to choose from, you don't have to decide alone. We recommend you share your ideas with an advisor who has knowledge of the IT industry, and can help you arrive at the right destination.

With a great variety of sensibly priced, simple to follow training programs and help, it's easy to get to something that should take you to your destination.

It's likely that you probably enjoy fairly practical work - the 'hands-on' individual. Typically, the trial of reading reference books and manuals is something you'll force on yourself if you absolutely have to, but it's not really your thing. You should use video and multimedia based materials if learning from books is not your thing. Research into the way we learn shows that memory is aided when we involve as many senses as possible, and we take action to use what we've learned.

The latest audio-visual interactive programs with demonstrations and practice sessions will turn you off book-based study for ever more. And they're far more fun. All companies should be able to show you some samples of their training materials. You're looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and many interactive sections.

Some companies only have access to training that is purely available online; sometimes you can get away with this - but, consider how you'll deal with it if your access to the internet is broken or you get slow speeds and down-time etc. It is usually safer to have actual CD or DVD ROMs which removes the issue entirely.

Frequently, the everyday trainee really has no clue what way to go about starting in IT, let alone what sector is worth considering for retraining. After all, if you've got no background in the IT market, how are you equipped to know what someone in a particular field spends their day doing? And of course decide on which certification program provides the best chances for ultimate success. Achieving a well-informed answer really only appears through a thorough investigation covering many different key points:

* Our personalities play an important role - what things get your juices flowing, and what are the areas that really turn you off.

* Why it seems right getting involved with IT - maybe you'd like to triumph over a particular goal such as working for yourself maybe.

* Your earning requirements you have?

* Often, trainees don't consider the level of commitment needed to attain their desired level.

* You need to understand what differentiates all the training areas.

To bypass the industry jargon, and find the best route for you, have a good talk with an advisor with years of experience; an individual that understands the commercial reality while explaining each certification.

Getting your first commercial position is often made easier if you're supported with a Job Placement Assistance facility. In reality it's not as difficult as you may be led to believe to get a job - as long as you're correctly trained and certified; because there's still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.

Work on polishing up your CV right away however (advice and support for this should come from your course provider). Don't procrastinate and leave it for when you're ready to start work. Getting your CV considered is better than being rejected. A surprising amount of junior jobs are got by trainees in the early stages of their course. You can usually expect better performance from a specialist independent regional employment service than you'll get from a training course provider's centralised service, as they'll know the local area and commercial needs better.

Essentially, as long as you focus the same level of energy into securing a job as into training, you won't have any problems. A number of people bizarrely spend hundreds of hours on their training and studies and then just stop once certified and seem to expect employers to find them.

A lot of trainers only give basic 9am till 6pm support (maybe a little earlier or later on certain days); most won't answer after 8-9pm at the latest and frequently never at the weekends. Be wary of any training providers which use call-centres 'out-of-hours' - with the call-back coming in during the next 'working' day. This is no use if you're stuck and need an answer now.

The very best training providers use multiple support centres around the globe in several time-zones. An online system provides an interactive interface to provide a seamless experience, no matter what time you login, help is just seconds away, avoiding all the delays and problems. Don't compromise when it comes to your support. Most would-be IT professionals who throw in the towel, just need the right support system.