Without a constant influx of qualified network and computer support personnel, industry in the UK (and indeed in most countries) could well run into problems. Therefore, there's an on-going demand for people to support both the users themselves and their networks. Whereupon we're all becoming more and more beholden to our PC's, we in turn become more dependent on the commercially qualified IT professionals, who maintain those systems.

Many companies only concern themselves with gaining a certificate, and completely miss the reasons for getting there - getting yourself a new job or career. Your focus should start with the final destination in mind - don't get hung-up on the training vehicle. It's a terrible situation, but a large percentage of students begin programs that seem marvellous from the syllabus guide, but which delivers a career that is of no interest. Just ask several college leavers for examples.

Prioritise understanding what industry will expect from you. What exams they'll want you to gain and how you'll build your experience level. Spend some time thinking about how far you'd like to get as it will often force you to choose a particular set of exams. Seek help from a professional advisor that understands the sector you wish to join, and who can offer 'A typical day in the life of' synopsis of what you'll actually be doing on a day-to-day basis. It'd be sensible to discover if this is the right course of action for you long before you embark on your training program. There's little point in starting to train and then discover you're on the wrong course.

It only makes sense to consider learning programs that move onto commercially recognised accreditations. There are far too many small companies proposing 'in-house' certificates which aren't worth the paper they're printed on when it comes to finding a job. If the accreditation doesn't feature a company like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco or CompTIA, then you may discover it will have been a waste of time - because no-one will recognise it.

Your training program should always include the very latest Microsoft (or relevant organisation's) authorised simulation materials and exam preparation packages. Sometimes people can get confused by practising exam questions that aren't recognised by official sources. Quite often, the question formats and phraseology can be quite different and it's vital that you know this. Be sure to ask for exam preparation tools so you'll be able to verify your knowledge along the way. Practice exams add to your knowledge bank - so you're much more at ease with the real thing.

So, why is it better to gain qualifications from the commercial sector as opposed to familiar academic qualifications gained through schools, colleges or universities? With a growing demand for specific technological expertise, the IT sector has of necessity moved to specific, honed-in training that the vendors themselves supply - for example companies such as Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA. This often comes in at a fraction of the cost and time. The training is effectively done by honing in on the actual skills required (together with a proportionate degree of related knowledge,) instead of trawling through all the background non-specific minutiae that degrees in computing can often find themselves doing (to fill up a syllabus or course).

In simple terms: Accredited IT qualifications let employers know exactly what you're capable of - everything they need to know is in the title: as an example - I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Designing Security for a Windows 2003 Network'. Therefore companies can look at the particular needs they have and which qualifications are required to fulfil that.

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