Training support for students is an absolute must - ensure you track down something that includes 24x7 access, as anything less will frustrate you and could hamper your progress. Beware of institutions which use call-centres 'out-of-hours' - with your call-back scheduled for office hours. This is useless when you're stuck and need help now.

World-class organisations utilise an online access 24 hours-a-day system involving many support centres from around the world. You're offered a simple interface which switches seamlessly to the best choice of centres no matter what time of day it is: Support when it's needed. If you accept anything less than 24x7 support, you'll very quickly realise that you've made a mistake. It may be that you don't use it in the middle of the night, but you're bound to use weekends, early mornings or late evenings.

To most people checking out getting into I.T. as a career, basic-networking is the starting-point. Before you're confident about exactly how a PC functions and communicates with other PCs, anything more is simply nonsense. Assuming you possess proficient user skills, you will find the 'CompTIA' A+ and CompTIA Network+ training programs are excellent to get you started. We feature specifics of these programs on the pages dedicated to CompTIA.

What you choose to do next will depend mainly upon whether you intend to specialise in 'hardware' or 'software'. For hardware, you are looking at Cisco (CCNA or CCNP), and for 'software' you will need MS (MCSA or MCSE). Nevertheless, an in depth knowledge of Microsoft's operating-systems is very valuable as they are such a vital aspect of the majority of networking environments. You can find additional accreditation details on this site from the dedicated Microsoft and 'Cisco' pages.

Of course you might want to fine tune your Wi-Fi (wire-less) skillsets by taking qualifications such as the CWNA and CWNP, or continue down the 'CompTIA' path with Linux+, Security+ or Server+ .

A sneaky way that colleges make extra profits is via an 'exam inclusive' package and offering an exam guarantee. This looks like a great idea for the student, until you think it through:

You're paying for it somehow. It certainly isn't free - they've simply charged more for the whole training package. Students who enter their exams one by one, paying as they go are far more likely to pass first time. They're aware of the cost and take the necessary steps to be up to the task.

Shouldn't you be looking to go for the best offer when you're ready, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance to a training college, and also to sit exams more locally - instead of miles away at the college's beck and call? A surprising number of so-called credible training companies net big margins because they're charging for examinations upfront and hoping you won't see them all through. Most companies will require you to do mock exams and with-hold subsequent exam entries from you until you have proved to them you have a good chance of passing - which makes an 'Exam Guarantee' frankly useless.

Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on an 'Exam Guarantee' is naive - when study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

Far too many companies only concern themselves with gaining a certificate, and avoid focusing on the reasons for getting there - which is a commercial career or job. Always begin with the end in mind - don't make the journey more important than where you want to get to. It's an awful thing, but a great many students kick-off study that often sounds spectacular in the syllabus guide, but which delivers a career that doesn't fulfil at all. Just ask several college students to see what we mean.

Be honest with yourself about the income level you aspire to and what level of ambition fits you. Often, this changes which precise exams will be required and how much effort you'll have to give in return. Seek help from an experienced industry advisor that 'gets' the commercial realities of the area you're interested in, and will be able to provide 'A typical day in the life of' outline of what you'll actually be doing with each working day. It makes good sense to discover if this is the right course of action for you before the training program is started. After all, what is the point in kicking off your training only to find you've gone the wrong way entirely.

If you're especially interested in Messaging or Security, then MS have speciality MCSE's on offer to address these areas. It might be the 'CompTIA' Security+ meets your needs, so that you can move onto the 'CISSP' - Certified Information Systems Security Professional. Before opting for this path though you ought to be conscious of the level of professional experience necessary for the CISSP. Talking things through with one of our it training experts will clarify everything for you personally.

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