Considering an MCSE? If the answer's 'yes', there's a good chance that you're probably in 1 of 2 situations: You could already be in IT and you should formalise your skills with the Microsoft qualification. Instead you could be completely new to commercial IT, but it's apparent to you there's lots of demand for certified networking professionals.

As you try to find out more, you'll come across companies that lower their out-goings by not upgrading their courses to the current Microsoft version. Stay away from training companies like these as you'll have problems with the present exams. If you're learning from the wrong version, it will make it very difficult to pass. A training provider's focus must be centred on the best thing for their clients, and they should be passionate about their results. Career study isn't just about passing exams - the procedure must also be geared towards helping you work out the most suitable route for you.

Getting into your first IT role is often made easier if you're supported with a Job Placement Assistance program. The honest truth is that it's not as difficult as you may be led to believe to get employment - once you're trained and certified; because there's still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.

Get your CV updated straight-away though - look to your training company for advice on how to do this. Don't put it off until you've qualified. It's not uncommon to find that junior support roles are offered to students who're still on their course and haven't got any qualifications yet. At least this will get you into the 'maybe' pile of CV's - rather than the 'No' pile. The best services to help you find a job are usually local IT focused employment agencies. Because they get paid commission to place you, they have more incentive to get on with it.

Do be sure that you don't invest a great deal of time on your training course, then call a halt and leave it in the hands of the gods to secure your first position. Get off your backside and get out there. Invest the same resource into landing your new role as you did to get trained.

Don't forget: the actual training or a certification is not what you're looking for; the career that you're getting the training for is. Many trainers unfortunately place too much importance on the piece of paper. Students often train for a single year but end up doing a job for a lifetime. Don't make the error of choosing what sounds like an 'interesting' course and then put 10-20 years into an unrewarding career!

You also need to know your leanings around career progression and earning potential, plus your level of ambition. You should understand what industry expects from you, which qualifications are needed and how you'll gain real-world experience. Always seek guidance and advice from an experienced industry advisor, even if there's a fee involved - it's considerably cheaper and safer to investigate at the start whether something is going to suit and interest you, rather than find out following two years of study that you're doing entirely the wrong thing and have wasted years of effort.

A study programme must provide a fully recognised major accreditation as an end-result - not some little 'in-house' diploma - fit only for filing away and forgetting. To an employer, only the major heavyweights like Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe (for instance) will get you into the interview seat. Nothing else makes the grade.

A lot of commercial training providers will only provide basic 9am till 6pm support (maybe a little earlier or later on certain days); It's rare to find someone who offers late evening or full weekend cover. Never purchase training courses that only support students with a message system outside of normal office hours. Training organisations will always try to hide the importance of this issue. The bottom line is - you want to be supported when you need the help - not when it suits them.

The best training colleges opt for an online round-the-clock service involving many support centres over many time-zones. You're offered an interface which switches seamlessly to the best choice of centres no matter what time of day it is: Support available as-and-when you want it. Unless you insist on direct-access round-the-clock support, you'll very quickly realise that you've made a mistake. You might not want to use the service during late nights, but you're bound to use weekends, late evenings or early mornings.

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