Were it not for a continuous flood of qualified network and PC support staff, commercial enterprise in the UK (as elsewhere) would inevitably run into problems. Consequently, there’s a huge requirement for men and women with technical ability to support systems and users alike. Our desire for those people is consistently on the grow, as industry becomes progressively more computer dependent.

One of the most important things to insist on has to be 24×7 round-the-clock support with trained professional instructors and mentors. Too many companies only provide support to you inside of office hours (typically 9am-6pm) and sometimes a little earlier or later (but not weekends usually).

Look for training with help available at any time you choose (no matter if it’s in the middle of the night on a weekend!) Ensure you get direct access to tutors, and not access to a call-in service which takes messages – so you’re waiting for tutors to call you back when it’s convenient for them.

The best training colleges offer an internet-based 24 hours-a-day service utilising a variety of support centres from around the world. You get an easy to use interface which seamlessly selects the best facility available at any time of day or night: Support when it’s needed.

If you fail to get yourself direct-access 24×7 support, you’ll regret it. You may not need it late at night, but you’re bound to use weekends, evenings and early mornings at some point.

Quite often, students have issues with one area of their training usually not even thought about: The method used to ’segment’ the courseware before being packaged off through the post.

You may think that it makes sense (with most training taking 1-3 years to achieve full certification,) for many training providers to send out one section at a time, as you complete each part. But:

How would they react if you didn’t complete everything within the time limits imposed? Often the prescribed exam order doesn’t come as naturally as another different route may.

An ideal situation would be to have all your study materials packed off to you right at the start; the complete package! This prevents any future issues from rising that will affect your ability to finish.

Searching for your first position in IT is often made easier with a Job Placement Assistance service. However sometimes this feature is bigged up too much, as it’s really not that difficult for a well trained and motivated person to get work in the IT environment – as employers are keen to find appropriately qualified personnel.

Having said that, it’s important to have advice and support about your CV and interviews though; and we’d recommend everybody to bring their CV up to date right at the beginning of their training – don’t put it off till you’ve finished your exams.

You may not have got to the stage where you’ve got to the exam time when you will get your initial junior support role; however this isn’t going to happen unless you’ve posted your CV on job sites.

The most efficient companies to help get you placed are normally specialist independent regional recruitment consultancies. As they’re keen to place you to receive their commission, they have more incentive to get on with it.

A big aggravation for a number of course providers is how much people are prepared to work to become certified, but how ill-prepared they are to market themselves for the position they have qualified for. Don’t give up when the best is yet to come.

A capable and professional consultant (as opposed to a salesman) will ask questions and seek to comprehend your current experience level and abilities. This is vital for working out the starting point for your education.

With a strong background, or perhaps a bit of live experience (maybe some existing accreditation?) then it’s more than likely the point from which you begin your studies will be very different from a trainee who has no experience.

It’s usual to start with some basic Microsoft package and Windows skills first. Starting there can make the transition to higher-level learning a little less steep.

(C) 2009. Go to LearningLolly.com for in-depth ideas on MCSE or MCSA and Web Designer Courses.

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