As you've arrived here there's a good chance that you're about to make a move into the great world of IT and you've heard good things about MCSE's, or you're currently an IT professional and you've realised that you can't get any further without the Microsoft qualification.

When researching training providers, avoid any who reduce their costs by failing to provide the latest Microsoft level. Ultimately, this will frustrate and cost the student a great deal more as they will have been studying an out-of-date syllabus which inevitably will have to be up-dated to suit the working environment. A computer training organisation's attention must be based upon doing the most for their students, and they should care greatly about getting things right. Working towards an MCSE isn't simply about qualifications - the procedure must also be geared towards guiding you on the most valid way forward for you.

Only consider study programs that'll grow into industry approved exams. There's an endless list of small colleges proposing minor 'in-house' certificates which aren't worth the paper they're printed on in today's commercial market. Only fully recognised accreditation from the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA and Cisco will have any meaning to employers.

The somewhat scary thought of finding your first IT job can be made easier by some training providers because they offer a Job Placement Assistance programme. In reality it isn't so complicated as you might think to find your first job - assuming you're well trained and qualified; because there's still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.

CV and Interview advice and support might be provided (if it isn't, consult one of our sites). Make sure you polish up your CV immediately - not after you've qualified! A good number of junior support roles have been offered to students who're still on their course and have yet to take their exams. This will at the very least get you into the 'maybe' pile of CV's - rather than the 'No' pile. Generally, an independent and specialised local employment service (who will get paid by the employer when they've placed you) will perform better than any sector of a centralised training facility. In addition, they will no doubt be familiar with local industry and the area better.

Many students, it seems, put a great deal of effort into their studies (sometimes for years), only to give up at the first hurdle when looking for the right position. Market yourself... Work hard to let employers know about you. Don't expect a job to just fall into your lap.

For the most part, a average IT hopeful doesn't know what way to go about starting in the IT industry, or even what area they should be considering getting trained in. Scanning a list of IT job-titles is next to useless. The vast majority of us have no idea what the neighbours do for a living - so we're in the dark as to the subtleties of a particular IT career. Often, the key to unlocking this dilemma properly stems from a deep conversation around a variety of topics:

* The sort of person you reckon you are - which things you enjoy doing, and on the other side of the coin - what you definitely don't enjoy.

* Are you looking to reach a closely held dream - like being your own boss sometime soon?

* How important is salary to you - is it of prime importance, or is enjoying your job a lot higher on your priority-list?

* There are many ways to train in computing - there's a need to get a basic understanding of what differentiates them.

* Taking a serious look into the effort, commitment and time that you can put aside.

To bypass all the jargon and confusion, and reveal the most viable option for your success, have an informal meeting with an industry-experienced advisor; someone that will cover the commercial realities and truth whilst covering the certifications.