Starting with the idea that it's good to find the area of most interest first, before we're able to weigh up which career development program meets that requirement, how can we choose the correct route? Since with no commercial background in IT, how can most of us understand what anyone doing a particular job actually does? Reflection on many points is required if you need to dig down the right answer for you:

- What hobbies you're involved with in your spare-time - these can highlight what things will provide a happy working life.

- What length of time can you allocate for retraining?

- Where do you stand on travelling time and locality vs salary?

- Looking at the many markets that the IT industry encompasses, it's a requirement that you can understand what is different.

- You'll also need to think hard about the level of commitment that you will set aside for your education.

The best way to avoid the industry jargon, and reveal what'll really work for you, have an informal meeting with an industry expert and advisor; a person who will cover the commercial realities and truth as well as each qualification.

A major candidate for the biggest issue to be got round in the IT training sector is often the 'in-centre' workshop requirement. A lot of certification companies extol the virtues of the 'benefits' of going in to their classes, it's almost certain though that you'll find them a thorn in your side due to many reasons:

- Constant long journeys - quite a distance away a lot of the time.

- Asking for time out of work - typical trainers only offer availability during weekdays - typically grouping 2 or 3 days together. This is generally difficult for those of us who work for a living, especially if travelling time is added into the mix.

- Holiday days lost - many students only have 20 days holiday. If you give up at least half to your training workshops, vacation time is going to be quite short for the family as a whole.

- Taking into account the costs associated with delivering a workshop, most training providers have to put on larger classes - which isn't ideal (and far less personal).

- The pace of the class - workshops can have students of different abilities, so there is often tension between those that want to go quickly as opposed to the ones who need a little longer.

- Many attendees talk of the high costs involved with travelling back and forth to the facility whilst paying for accommodation and food becomes prohibitively expensive.

- Many students want their studies to remain private so as to avoid any come-back in their work.

- Many of us avoid posing questions in a room full of our fellow trainees - to avoid appearing stupid.

- There are those of us who at times live or work away from home, think of the now-increased trouble of making the needed days in-centre, when time is at a premium.

It would be better to watch a video and be trained by instructors one-on-one via pre-filmed modules, taking them at your convenience - not somebody else's. Any time you get a problem, use the provided 24x7 live support (that should've been packaged with any technical type of training.) Don't forget, if your PC is a laptop, you can study wherever you want. Note-taking is a thing of the past - you have the lessons and accompanying information ready-made for you. If you want to re-do anything, it's there. The final upshot: Less hassle and stress, more money in the bank, and you've got no travelling to do.

The somewhat scary thought of finding your first computer related job is often made easier by some companies, via a Job Placement Assistance facility. Don't get caught up in this feature - it's easy for companies marketing departments to make it sound harder than it is. The fact of the matter is, the huge shortage of staff in the UK is what will make you attractive to employers.

Bring your CV up to date as soon as possible however - you should get plenty of help from your training provider on this. Don't put it off until you've graduated or passed any exams. Quite frequently, you'll secure your initial job whilst you're still studying (even in the early stages). If your course details aren't on your CV (and it isn't in the hands of someone with jobs to offer) then you won't even be considered! The top companies to help you land that job are usually local IT focused employment agencies. Because they make their money when they've found you a job, they'll work that much harder to get a result.

A regular frustration for some training providers is how much students are focused on studying to pass exams, but how un-prepared they are to work on getting the role they have qualified for. Have confidence - the IT industry needs YOU.

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