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Just ten percent of adults in this country are claiming to be happy in their job. The vast majority of course will take no action. The fact that you’ve got this far at least means that you’re considering or may be ready for a change.

We’d politely request that in advance of taking a course of training, you run through some things with a mentor who can see the bigger picture and can make recommendations. Such a person will go through personality profiling with you and assist in finding the right role for you:

* Are you happier left to your own devices at work or is being in a team environment an essential criteria for you?

* What elements are you looking for from the industry your job is in? (Things do change – look at the building trade, or banks for example.)

* Do you want this to be the only time you’ll have to retrain?

* 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?

It’s important that you don’t overlook the IT industry – everyone knows that it’s getting bigger. It’s not all nerdy people looking at computer screens all day – it’s true some IT jobs demand that, but most jobs are carried out by people like you and me who are earning rather well.

Starting with the idea that it’s good to home-in on the market that sounds most inviting first and foremost, before we’re even able to contemplate which method of training ticks the right boxes, how can we choose the way that suits us?

Because in the absence of any commercial skills in IT, how could any of us be expected to understand what anyone doing a particular job actually does?

Getting to a well-informed resolution really only appears through a systematic analysis covering many different key points:

* Your personal interests and hobbies – as they can define what areas will give you the most reward.

* Is it your desire to reach a key dream – like working from home as quickly as possible?

* The income requirements you may have?

* Often, trainees don’t consider the amount of work required to get fully certified.

* Taking a proper look at the level of commitment, time and effort you can give.

Ultimately, the best way of checking this all out is via a meeting with a professional that knows the industry well enough to give you the information required.

An advisor that doesn’t ask many questions – it’s likely they’re just a salesperson. If they’re pushing towards a particular product before learning about your history and current experience level, then it’s definitely the case.

With a strong background, or even a touch of work-based experience (some industry qualifications maybe?) then it could be that your starting point will be quite dissimilar from someone who is just starting out.

Where this will be your first attempt at studying for an IT examination then you should consider whether to start out with some basic Microsoft package and Windows skills first.

How the program is actually delivered to you isn’t always given the appropriate level of importance. How many stages do they break the program into? What is the order and at what speed is it delivered?

Normally, you will join a program that takes between and 1 and 3 years and get posted one section at a time – from one exam to the next. This sounds logical on one level, until you consider this:

Many students find that their training company’s standard order of study isn’t as suitable as another. It’s often the case that a slightly different order suits them better. Could it cause problems if you don’t get everything done in the allotted time?

For future safety and flexibility, it’s not unusual for students to request that all their modules (now paid for) are couriered out in one package, all at the beginning. That means it’s down to you at what speed and in which order you’d like to work.

Some training providers supply a practical Job Placement Assistance service, to help you into your first commercial role. Sometimes, there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, as it’s really not that difficult for a well trained and motivated person to get work in the IT industry – because companies everywhere are seeking qualified personnel.

Get your CV updated straight-away though – look to your training company for advice on how to do this. Don’t put it off till you’ve finished your exams.

It’s possible that you won’t have even qualified when you will get your initial junior support role; yet this isn’t going to happen if interviewers don’t get sight of your CV.

The most efficient companies to help get you placed are usually local IT focused employment agencies. As they’re keen to place you to receive their commission, they’re perhaps more focused on results.

A regular grievance of many course providers is how hard people are focused on studying to become certified, but how un-prepared they are to work on getting the position they’re acquired skills for. Get out there and hustle – you might find it’s fun.

(C) 2009 Scott Edwards. Try it-training–uk.co.uk or CLICK HERE.