What kind of things do you expect the top of the range Microsoft certified training providers to offer a student in the United Kingdom at present? Undoubtedly, the ultimate in training tracks certified by Microsoft, presenting a range of options to take you towards various areas of industry. You may wish to review all your options with an advisor who has knowledge of the requirements in the workplace, and is able to show you the most fruitful career to suit your personality. Having selected the career track for you, your next search is for an appropriate course personalised to your needs. The quality of training ought to be of an excellent standard.

Typically, a new trainee will not know to ask about a painfully important area - the way the company segments the courseware sections, and into how many parts. By and large, you'll join a programme staged over 2 or 3 years and receive one element at a time until graduation. While this may sound logical on one level, consider this: What happens when you don't complete all the sections or exams? And what if you find the order of the modules counter-intuitive? Without any fault on your part, you mightn't complete everything fast enough and therefore not end up with all the modules.

Ideally, you'd get ALL the training materials right at the beginning - giving you them all to return to any point - irrespective of any schedule. This allows a variation in the order that you move through the program where a more intuitive path can be found.

Considering the amount of options that are available, is it any wonder that nearly all trainees have no idea which career they could be successful with. I mean, if you have no experience in the IT sector, how can you expect to know what someone in a particular field fills their day with? Let alone decide on what training route will be most suitable for a successful result. To get through to the essence of this, there should be a discussion of a variety of unique issues:

• What nature of individual you consider yourself to be - which things you enjoy doing, and conversely - what you definitely don't enjoy.

• Are you aiming to reach a specific dream - for example, being your own boss in the near future?

• How highly do you rate salary - is it of prime importance, or do you place job satisfaction higher up on the priority-scale?

• Considering the huge variation that the IT industry encompasses, you'll need to be able to understand what is different.

• Our advice is to think deeply about the amount of time and effort that you will set aside for gaining your certifications.

The bottom line is, the best way of understanding everything necessary is from a good talk with someone who has enough background to lead you to the correct decision.

How can job security truly exist anywhere now? In the UK for instance, where industry can change its mind on a day-to-day basis, we'd question whether it does. Security only exists now via a fast rising marketplace, driven forward by a shortfall of trained staff. It's this shortage that creates the right environment for market-security - definitely a more pleasing situation.

Looking at the computer industry, the recent e-Skills investigation highlighted a twenty six percent skills deficit. Showing that for every four jobs existing throughout Information Technology (IT), there are barely three qualified workers to do them. Well taught and commercially accredited new employees are therefore at a total premium, and it's estimated to remain so for many years to come. In reality, gaining new qualifications in IT throughout the years to come is probably the safest career move you'll ever make.

An effective package of training will also include accredited exam preparation systems. Steer clear of depending on non-accredited exam preparation questions. The way they're phrased is sometimes startlingly different - and this could lead to potential problems when it comes to taking the real exam. For many reasons, it is vital to know that you're absolutely ready for your actual certification exam prior to going for it. Revising 'mock' tests adds to your knowledge bank and helps to avoid unsuccessful attempts at exams.