You will get a chance to find out more about the various IT careers and different training paths from specialised pages on this website. In addition, our free E-book 'Lollypedia' offers you further advice, as well as information on how to contact our team of training experts.

A subtle way that training providers make a lot more is via an 'exam inclusive' package and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. It looks impressive, until you think it through:

Everybody's aware that they're still being charged for it - obviously it has been inserted into the full cost of the package supplied by the training company. It's definitely not free - and it's insulting that we're supposed to think it is! Students who take exams one at a time, funding them as they go are much better placed to get through first time. They're conscious of their investment and take the necessary steps to ensure they are ready.

Do the examinations somewhere close to home and find the best exam deal or offer available then. Considerable numbers of current training companies net big margins because they're getting paid for exams at the start of the course and hoping that you won't take them all. Remember, with most 'Exam Guarantees' - they control when and how often you are allowed to do a re-take. You will have to demonstrate an excellent pass-rate before they'll approve a re-take.

Prometric and VUE exams are currently clocking in at an average of 112 pounds in Great Britain. What's the point of paying huge 'Exam Guarantee' fees (most often hidden in the package) - when good quality study materials, the proper support and consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.

A fatal Faux-Pas that potential students often succumb to is to concentrate on the course itself, and not focus on where they want to get to. Schools have thousands of students that chose an 'interesting' course - in place of something that could gain them the job they want. It's not unheard of, in some situations, to get a great deal of enjoyment from a year of study and then spend 20 miserable years in a job you hate, simply because you did it without some decent due-diligence when you should've - at the outset.

Never let your focus stray from where you want to get to, and formulate your training based on that - don't do it back-to-front. Stay on target and ensure that you're training for a career you'll enjoy for years to come. Speak to an experienced industry professional that has a commercial understanding of the realities faced in the industry, and who can give you an in-depth explanation of what tasks are going to make up a typical day for you. Contemplating this well before commencement of any learning programme has obvious benefits.

One feature provided by many trainers is a Job Placement Assistance program. This is to help you find your first job in the industry. The honest truth is that it isn't a complex operation to get your first job - once you're trained and certified; employers in this country need your skills.

CV and Interview advice and support might be provided (if it isn't, consult one of our sites). It's essential that you update that dusty old CV today - not when you're ready to start work! Many junior support roles are offered to trainees who are still learning and have yet to take their exams. This will at least get you into the 'maybe' pile of CV's - rather than the 'No' pile. You can usually expect quicker results from a specialised and independent local recruitment service than you'll experience from any training provider's national service, as they'll know the local area and commercial needs better.

A constant frustration for various course providers is how much men and women are focused on studying to pass exams, but how un-prepared they are to work on getting the role they have trained for. Have confidence - the IT industry needs YOU.

A lot of training companies are still offering the slightly musty old method of in-centre classes. Often sold as a benefit, if you talk to a student who has had to attend a few, you'll hear a common theme of many or most of these:

- Frequent centre visits - normally hundreds of miles at a time.

- Taking constant holidays or time off - typical colleges can only give Monday to Friday workshop availability and link several days together. This isn't ideal for most people who work, and this is made worse if you include the travel time on top.

- Most of us discover 20 days holiday per year is not really enough. Knock off at least half of this for study classes and watch how much harder things become.

- Training events usually end up way too big.

- Class pace - centre-days can have trainees of varied talent, consequently tension develops between students that want a quicker pace to those who want to go a little slower.

- Let us not ignore the extra cost of driving or taking public transport and accommodation either. This can run to many hundreds of pounds more - sometimes thousands. Work it out - you may be surprised.

- Keeping your training private from your employer is often very important to many attendees. Why would you want to lose any possible promotions, pay-rises or success at your current job while you're training. If your employer knows you're putting yourself through training in a completely different market, what will they think?

- Raising questions in front of other class-mates can make any one of us a little nervous. Would you admit that you've occasionally avoided posing a question because you didn't want to appear stupid?

- Living away for part of your working week - many students have to work or live somewhere else for sections of the programme. Days in-centre are therefore problematic to attend, yet the money has already changed hands with your initial fees.

Why not just watch and be taught by teachers one-to-one through filmed lessons, working on them when it suits you - not somebody else. Any time you get a problem, use the provided 24x7 live support (that should come with any technical program.) Remember, if you have a notebook PC, you can study wherever you want. It really doesn't matter how often you feel you need to repeat something, video-based tutors can never get frustrated with you! Also, as an added bonus, note-taking is gone forever. It's all there for you when you need it. Though there's no way this can take away every little difficulty, it undeniably removes stress and makes things simpler. And you've reduced costs, travel and hassle.