Were it not for a steady stream of well educated PC and network support staff, commerce in the UK (and indeed in most countries) would inevitably be drawn to a standstill. There is an on-going requirement for technicians to support both the users themselves and their networks. The world's need for such qualified and commercially astute members of the workforce is constantly growing, as industry becomes progressively more reliant on computers.

IT has become one of the most stimulating and innovative industries to be involved in today. To be dealing with leading-edge technology is to do your bit in the gigantic changes affecting everyone who lives in the 21st century. We've barely started to get a feel for how technology will define our world. The internet will profoundly alter the way we view and interact with the world as a whole over the coming decades.

The regular IT man or woman over this country as a whole will also get considerably more than his or her counterpart in much of the rest of the economy. Standard IT salaries are amongst the highest in the country. As the IT industry keeps increasing at an unprecedented rate, it's predictable that the requirement for appropriately qualified IT professionals will flourish for decades to come.

Adding in the cost of examinations as an inclusive element of the package price and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams is a popular marketing tool with many training course providers. But let's examine why they really do it:

It's become essential these days that we're a bit more aware of hype - and the majority of us ought to know that for sure we are actually being charged for it - it's not because they're so generous they want to give something away! Qualifying on the first 'go' is what everyone wants to do. Entering examinations one at a time and paying as you go sees you much better placed to get through first time - you put the effort in and think carefully about the costs.

Do the examinations somewhere close to home and don't pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you when you're ready. Paying upfront for examination fees (and if you're financing your study there'll be interest on that) is a false economy. It's not your job to boost the training company's account with additional funds just to give them more interest! Many will hope you will never make it to exams - but they won't refund the cash. The majority of companies will insist that you take mock exams first and with-hold subsequent exam entries from you until you've completely proven that you're likely to pass - which actually leaves you with no guarantee at all.

Exam fees averaged around the 112 pounds mark in the last 12 months when taken at UK VUE or Prometric centres. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra for 'Exam Guarantees', when any student knows that the responsible approach is a regular, committed, study programme, with an accredited exam preparation system.

So many training providers only look at the plaque to hang on your wall, and completely miss what you actually need - getting yourself a new job or career. Your focus should start with the end goal - too many people focus on the journey. You could be training for only a year and end up doing the actual job for 10-20 years. Avoid the mistake of taking what may be an 'interesting' course and then spend decades in an unrewarding career!

Set targets for earning potential and whether you're an ambitious person or not. Sometimes, this affects what certifications you will need and what you can expect to give industry in return. We recommend that students always seek guidance and advice from a professional advisor before you begin a particular learning program, so you're sure from the outset that the chosen route will give you the skill-set required for your career choice.

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