Were it not for a regular deluge of trained network and PC support staff, industry throughout the country (along with most other places) would inevitably be brought to its knees. Therefore, there's a constantly increasing demand for technically able people to support systems and users alike. As we're all becoming massively more beholden to our PC's, we simultaneously emerge as increasingly dependent on the well trained network engineers, who ensure the systems function properly.

Throw out a salesman who offers any particular course without an in-depth conversation so as to understand your abilities and also your level of experience. Always check they have access to a wide-enough range of products so they're actually equipped to solve your training issues. If you've got a strong background, or perhaps a bit of real-world experience (some certifications gained previously perhaps?) then it could be that your starting level will vary from a student that is completely new to the industry. Consider starting with some basic user skills first. Starting there can make the transition to higher-level learning a less steep.

Some trainers will only provide support to you inside of office hours (typically 9am-6pm) and sometimes a little earlier or later; not many go late into the evening (after 8-9pm) or cover weekends properly. Look for training where you can access help at any time of the day or night (even if it's early hours on Sunday morning!) Make sure it's always 24x7 direct access to mentors and instructors, and not a call-centre that will take messages so you're consistently being held in a queue for a call-back when it's convenient for them.

We recommend that you search for colleges that use several support centres around the globe in several time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to offer a simple interface and also round-the-clock access, when it suits you, with no fuss. If you opt for less than direct-access round-the-clock support, you'll quickly find yourself regretting it. You may avoid using the support during late nights, but what about weekends, early mornings or even late evenings at some point.

Any program that you're going to undertake must provide a fully recognised major certification as an end-result - and not a worthless 'in-house' plaque for your wall. You'll discover that only industry recognised qualifications from the top companies like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco and CompTIA will be useful to a future employer.

Think about the facts below carefully if you think the marketing blurb about an 'Exam Guarantee' sounds great value:

We all know that we're still paying for it - it's quite obvious to see that it's already in the overall price charged by the training company. It's certainly not free - don't think these companies are so generous with their money! Should you seriously need to get a first time pass, evidence suggests you must avoid exam guarantees and pay when entering exams, give it the priority it deserves and be ready for the task.

Sit the exam somewhere close to home and hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take it. A surprising number of so-called credible training colleges net a great deal of profit by asking for exams at the start of the course and cashing in if they're not all taken. It's worth noting that exam re-takes through training companies who offer an 'Exam Guarantee' are tightly controlled. You will be required to do mock exams till you've proven conclusively that you can pass.

Average exam fees were about 112 pounds in the last 12 months when taken at local VUE or Pro-metric centres throughout the country. So don't be talked into shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds more for 'an Exam Guarantee', when common sense dictates that the most successful method is study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams.

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