It’s really great that you’ve made it this far! Just ten percent of people are happy and satisfied by their jobs, but a huge number complain to each other and take no action. Because you’ve done research we can guess that you’re giving retraining some thought, so you’ve already stood out from the crowd. The next step is to research and follow-through.

We’d strongly advise that prior to beginning any study program, you run through some things with a mentor who is familiar with the working environment and can advise you. Such a person will go through personality profiling with you and assist in finding the right role for you:

* Is collaborating with others important to you? Would you prefer to work with a small team or with a lot of new people? Perhaps working alone in a task-based situation would be more your thing?

* Are you thinking carefully about which market sector you maybe could work in? (Post credit crunch, it’s even more crucial to get it right.)

* Is this the last time you envisage re-training, and if so, will this new career service that need?

* Would it be useful for the course you’re re-training in to be in an area where you believe your chances of gainful employment are high up to retirement age?

We would advise you to find out more about the IT industry – there are increasingly more jobs than workers to do them, and it’s one of the few choices of career where the market sector is on the grow. Despite what some people believe, IT isn’t all techie people gazing at their computer screens the whole day (though those jobs exist.) The vast majority of roles are done by people like you and me who want to earn a very good living.

Of all the important things to consider, one of the most essential is always 24×7 round-the-clock support with expert mentors and instructors. So many companies we come across will only offer a basic 9am till 6pm support period (maybe later on certain days) with very little availability over the weekend.

Don’t buy certification programs which can only support students with a call-centre messaging system outside of normal office hours. Training companies will give you every excuse in the book why you don’t need this. But, no matter how they put it – you need support when you need support – not as-and-when it’s suitable for their staff.

World-class organisations offer a web-based round-the-clock package pulling in several support offices over many time-zones. You’re offered an environment that accesses the most appropriate office no matter what time of day it is: Support on demand.

Don’t under any circumstances take less than you need and deserve. Support round-the-clock is the only kind that ever makes the grade with technical study. It’s possible you don’t intend to study late evenings; often though, we’re out at work at the time when most support is available.

Commercial certification is now, undoubtedly, beginning to replace the more academic tracks into IT – why then is this happening?

The IT sector is of the opinion that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, official accreditation supplied for example by Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA is far more effective and specialised – at a far reduced cost both money and time wise.

University courses, for example, often get bogged down in a great deal of loosely associated study – and a syllabus that’s too generalised. This prevents a student from getting enough specific knowledge about the core essentials.

In simple terms: Accredited IT qualifications give employers exactly what they’re looking for – it says what you do in the title: for example, I am a ‘Microsoft Certified Professional’ in ‘Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2003′. Consequently companies can look at their needs and which qualifications will be suitable to deal with those needs.

Always expect the current Microsoft (or Cisco, CompTIA etc.) authorised simulation materials and exam preparation packages.

Don’t go for training programs depending on non-official exam papers and questions. The way they’re phrased can be quite different – and sometimes this can be a real headache once in the actual exam.

Clearly, it is vital to know that you are completely prepared for your final certified exam prior to going for it. Rehearsing ‘mock’ exams helps build your confidence and will save a lot of money on failed exams.

Trainees eager to start an Information Technology career usually don’t know which path they should take, or which market to achieve their certification in.

I mean, without any experience in the IT market, how could you possibly know what someone in a particular field spends their day doing? Let alone arrive at what accreditation path will be most suitable for a successful result.

Consideration of these different factors is most definitely required when you want to discover the right answers:

* Your hobbies and interests – as they can highlight what possibilities you’ll get the most enjoyment out of.

* Why you want to consider stepping into Information Technology – is it to conquer some personal goal like self-employment for instance.

* What are your thoughts on job satisfaction vs salary?

* With so many different sectors to gain certifications for in computing – you will have to achieve some key facts on what separates them.

* You need to understand what differentiates each individual training area.

The best way to avoid all the jargon and confusion, and uncover the most viable option for your success, have a good talk with an advisor with years of experience; an individual that will cover the commercial realities and truth while explaining each certification.

(C) Jason Kendall. Look at LearningLolly.com for in-depth advice on CompTIA Training and Computer Training.