If it weren’t for a steady stream of knowledgeable network and PC support staff, commerce in Great Britain (and around the world) would inevitably be brought to its knees. There is a huge requirement for technicians to support systems and users alike. With the increasingly complex nature of technology, growing numbers of qualified workers are needed to run the smooth operation of functions we’ve become dependent on.

Sometimes, folks don’t catch on to what information technology can do for us. It is thrilling, changing, and puts you at the fore-front of developments in technology that will affect us all over the next generation.

Many people are of the opinion that the revolution in technology that’s been a familiar part of our recent lives is slowing down. This couldn’t be more wrong. We have yet to experience incredible advances, and the internet in particular will be the most effective tool in our lives.

And don’t forget that typical remuneration in the world of IT in Great Britain is considerably higher than the national average salary, so in general you’ll be in a good position to receive considerably more as an IT specialist, than you could reasonably hope to achieve elsewhere.

Demand for certified IT specialists is a fact of life for quite some time to come, thanks to the continuous growth in the marketplace and the very large deficiency that remains.

Ask a knowledgeable consultant and they’ll regale you with many horror stories of how students have been duped by salespeople. Ensure you only ever work with an industry professional that asks lots of questions to uncover the best thing for you – not for their bank-account! You need to find an ideal starting-point that fits you.

With some commercial experience or base qualifications, it may be that your starting point of study is very different to someone completely new.

Working through a foundation module first will sometimes be the most effective way to start into your IT programme, but really depends on your level of familiarity with computers.

Be watchful that any certifications that you’re considering are recognised by industry and are up-to-date. ‘In-house’ certificates are not normally useful in gaining employment.

From the viewpoint of an employer, only the top companies such as Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA (for instance) give enough bang for your buck. Nothing else makes the grade.

Always expect accredited simulation materials and an exam preparation system as part of your training package.

Confirm that the practice exams aren’t just asking you the right questions on the right subjects, but ask them in the way the real exams will structure them. It really messes up people if they’re faced with unrecognisable phrases and formats.

Clearly, it’s essential to ensure that you’ve thoroughly prepared for your commercial exam before taking it. Rehearsing simulated tests adds to your knowledge bank and will save a lot of money on wasted exam attempts.

(C) 2009 Scott Edwards. Visit learninglolly.com/CompTIA_Network_Certification.html or Networking Courses.

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It is by using natural resources such as tidal or wind energy – collectively known as ‘Green Energy’ – that we could meet our daily energy needs. They are considered ‘Green’ because they are environmentally friendly. The older energy skill sets have had value for years, especially when we think of wind power and windmills. Regardless of this, we are mainly talking about using modern techniques to offer planet friendly and eco-efficient solutions.

The range of renewable energy technologies utilised within the home environment includes both Solar Thermal, and Solar Water Heating Collectors. For electricity created through roof-installed panels, you would need Photovoltaic Panels or PV’s. Then there are Stoves that burn Bio-Pellets – which make up the subject commonly known as Biomass Energy. What shouldn’t be forgotten is the heat stored in the ground from the Sun – often simply referred to as Ground Source Heat Pumps. At the end there are two of the most mature forms of energy production in the UK – albeit renamed now to Wind Turbines and Hydropower.

Solar Thermal Energy – By using different technologies, Solar Energy is effectively made up of two types of solar panels. As a first strategy, we have Solar Water Heating Collectors – which basically creates hot water from solar energy. Added to this is the generation of electricity from solar radiation – known as Photovoltaism, or more commonly Solar Electrical panels. To get the best results these panels need to be south facing at an angle of around 30 degrees from horizontal, and away from blockages.

With Solar Power being so common within the UK, it’s Solar Water Power that is most often used. With the capacity to deliver 50 percent plus of a household’s hot water requirement annually, Solar Water heating systems are crucial to energy in the UK. There are two options to fit these items. The first is to get a professional fit and the second is a DIY system, the first will cost around 2-5k and the second between 500 and 1500 pounds.

Biomass Energy and ‘Energy Crops’ – This is a ‘capture all’ phrase which includes all natural materials. e.g. Wood, straw and poultry litter – but nowadays also includes modern ‘Energy Crops’. It’s the ability of this power source to generate diverse forms of energy, such as heat and electricity, that makes this so adaptable. Indeed, within the European Markets, the UK has some of the leading levels of Biomass material at hand. It is the minimal C02 produced, alongside the actual energy production, that makes this attractive to the markets. As each tree felled, it is replaced by another. This helps to reduce the overall effect on C02.

Within this field is the need for the use of ‘Energy Crops’, such as fast growing trees, e.g. Willow and Poplar or other entities grown on a Short Rotation Coppice (SRC). Also producing high yields of dry matter are the perennial grasses. Other less known materials within this field are Agricultural and Municipal Waste. One natural offshoot of agricultural work is Agricultural Waste. Because it comes from food or wood, Municipal Waste is also considered a useful biomass product.

Geo-Thermal Energy Based Systems – Basically this is the warming of the Earth from the Sun – and is often used in the manufacture of warm water and electricity. By using the ground source temperature of approximately 12 degrees, we can either heat or cool buildings within the UK. Heat pumps are recognised as a very good form of power generation, generally giving back four units of energy for every one used. The energy generated by a heat source pump can in fact be considered 100 percent renewable, if the power to operate the pump comes from solar electrical panels or a wind turbine.

Wind Energy Systems: Wind Energy as a sustainable source of energy has been going on for millennia. However, in more recent times there’s been the option to recover the energy for its own sake – and deliver this either to a home unit or to the local power grid. The ability to utilise wind generation is considered to be greatest in the UK. Potentially, we can produce 10 percent of our annual energy needs through wind power, although at present within the UK we still only use 1 percent. Electricity can be produced from as little as 2p per kWh, but generally comes in somewhere between 2-10p per kWh. Recovery of the cost involved is somewhere between 6-9 months.

Finally, we have Hydropower; an area in which the UK does well within Europe. Just like a thousand years ago, we are utilising the energy from water. Interestingly enough, this type of energy production meets around 2 percent of the UK electrical total demand.

A hydropower system transforms the kinetic energy of the moving water into another type of energy by means of a turbine. By using a dam or a natural river drop, these turbines do not require water storage. It is by using the eroded national distribution systems, that allows for outdated sluices and dams to be used by techniques known as ‘Micro-Hydro’. Having said that, this process could still generate 200mW of the National Capacity. The capital cost of installing a micro-hydro system can run between 200 and 3000 pounds per kW of energy output.

It is the growing worldwide energy requirement that is causing the growth in ‘Green Energy’. The UK remains one of the main beneficiaries of this technology.

It is the drive for installations in the domestic sector that looks to favour jobs such as plumbers and electricians. It is the political view of this type of energy generation that results in grants and financial aid becoming ever-more prevalent. It is important to gain the correct qualifications to install these items. You could consider either plumbing or electrical training programs that highlight green installation.

Copyright 2009 Scott Edwards. Pop over to electricaltraininginfo.co.uk/SolarEnergyTraining.html or Solar Energy Courses.

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Due to the exciting choices available, the electrical industry offers jobs that many people choose. For simplicity’s sake we will use the phrase Electrical Industry to cover off the more accurate term of “Electro-Mechanical Engineering”. Also, due to a wide variety of qualifications and standards throughout the world, we’ll focus on those that fit the UK domestic and commercial market. Due to the huge list of opportunities available for a career in the electrical industry, we have to begin by focusing on the main areas and look at the ‘add-ons’ later on.

We consider that there are two ways to enter the electrical market. Initially there’s the more traditional apprenticeship approach, but equally there is now an alternative, suited to those who are keen to enter later in their life. To clarify, we’ll label each of them as the ‘Mature Entrants’ and the ‘Junior Entrants’.

People who do not want to pay any extra salaries, but want to enter the industry with the focus of being self employed are who we refer to as Mature Entrants. Alternatively, ‘Junior Entrants’ will pick up lots of their work place skills by working with an already reputable electrical company. During their first years in the working environment, a young apprentice, or junior entrant, will have a host of additional skills to learn.

Entry has two separate approaches to teaching. NVQ’s are the key factor for all junior entrants. Whilst the core syllabus is relatively similar to non-NVQ commercial training, there is a particular requirement to attain the actual NVQ qualifications as part of the overall training program. ‘Junior Entrants’ will have to be in an apprenticeship of some sort in order to achieve the testing and course work required.

By opting to work on a freelance basis, many Mature Entrants appear to focus on those areas that provide profitable and practical solutions other than NVQ’s. Instead most of them aim for the techniques that will get them up and running as quickly as possible and give them the best return against the cost to train in the first place. This system does meet the purposes set out and therefore often provides a faster and more direct route into a trading position.

In terms of typical earnings, we have two clear routes – those relating to employment and those for self-employment. With self-employment a person may be working on a part-time or full time basis -to that end we will assume they are working full time. The aptitude and talent for getting things done can affect the levels of salary as well as any experience or knowledge gained.

With the right level of experience, ‘Junior Entrants’ salaries can rise considerably from twelve to thirty thousand pounds per annum. ‘Mature Entrants’ salaries though are often more difficult to work out, but can rise to 70.000 and above as reported in UK newspapers. Often costs such as tools, clothes and even transport need to be assessed and included in the business mix overall. Self employed people also have to allow for added expenses. Whilst there is lots of available work, a severe skills shortage means electricians are very much in demand. Working 7 days a week is totally achievable for most people if they want it. It should be noted that figures of 70-100k p.a. advertised are not necessarily easy to come by and would require some long working hours to obtain them.

It should be noted that the working week for most electricians differs between the Junior and Mature Entrant markets. Most ‘Junior Entrants’ do not work at the weekends. Whereas the Mature market can be more dependent on the domestic market for some – i.e. weekend and evening work, when their clients are available and back from work. This alters quite a bit, with lots of self employed electricians gaining much of their income from small office work, which is predominantly Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.

Once a career in electrical work has been chosen, a Junior Electrician is often at the mercy of their employer when it comes to learning new skills and expertise. Alternatively, the mature entrant can gain other training outside of their chosen field, such as gas and plumbing work. Within the domestic market this allows them to work under a range of headings without having to rely upon sub contract suppliers.

One fresh approach is that of the ‘Green Engineer’. The chance to win some big employment and business advantages within the governmental as well as the traditional growth sector means that this area could be attractive to both Junior and Mature Entrants alike.

(C) S. Edwards 2009. Try Click HERE or Electrical Certificates.

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For many people, a career within the electrical industry remains an interesting and varied choice. Within this document we will not use the full term of Electro-Mechanical Engineering but use the term Electrical Industry instead. Furthermore, we will focus on the UK market and the domestic and commercial elements rather than those from elsewhere around the world. Since there is such a wide list of choices in the electrical industry, we’ll start by looking at the main themes first and then come back to any ‘add-ons’ later.

Really there are two main ways to enter the electrical market. The first is for those wishing to train via a more traditional apprenticeship route, and the second is for people who are entering the field at a later stage in life. To begin with we have the ‘Junior Entrants’ and then we have the ‘Mature Entrants’.

Primarily, those who join the industry later on, (the Mature Entrants,) generally do so with the aim of becoming self-employed at some point, or to work on their own building projects etc. without having to pay wages to external electricians. On the other hand, to gain further credentials and experience ‘Junior Entrants’ tend to work for a recognised electrical firm. This could be a young apprentice’s first position since leaving school, so it will be necessary to pick up supplementary working skills.

Clearly these two options have both differing training styles and methods of entry. Junior entrants go through NVQ training in England and Wales, and SVQ training in Scotland. The training itself is similar to non NVQ training, but completion of the full programme means getting the actual qualifications. New employees gain the necessary course work and testing elements through an apprenticeship or some form of suitable work program.

Instead of seeking a work-based training environment, the Mature Entrant often seems to focus on working as a self employed person where different qualifications to NVQ’s are preferred. i.e. Those certifications that will get them up and running with the best financial return from their training investment. This system does meet the purposes set out and therefore often provides a faster and more direct route into a trading position.

In terms of typical earnings, we have two clear routes – those relating to employment and those for self-employment. The question remains as to how much work per week a self-employed person puts in – for the sake of this review we assume that it is full time. It is recognised that competence and qualifications add to income levels as well as experience and information gained.

With the right level of experience, ‘Junior Entrants’ salaries can rise considerably from twelve to thirty thousand pounds per annum. On the other hand experienced self-employed electricians have been known to earn around 70 thousand or more within the UK. Irrespective of this salary level many self-employed people also need to manage extra business costs such as tools, clothes and vans. Allocations for personal/professional insurance will also have to be catered for. With the current skills shortage in the UK, there is a high work load demand available. Therefore, working seven days a week (if a student wanted) is a possibility for most. To be fair, high salaries bounded about by the press do require long working hours or help to achieve them.

Firstly, it is worth pointing out that the working week between the Junior and Mature electricians can vary enormously. Most of the work for Junior Entrant electricians will be on a simple 9-5, Monday to Friday basis. To be fair, if the Mature electrician is focused on the domestic market then they often find themselves working out of hours, especially to support their clients when they get home. And yet, a huge number of self-employed electricians operate during the main part of the working week by focusing on office and small business systems.

Once a career in electrical work has been chosen, a Junior Electrician is often at the mercy of their employer when it comes to learning new skills and expertise. Then again, the mature entrant can even go outside of the electrical field to gas work or plumbing work for example. They can take on larger jobs and do all the work themselves then – which is a particularly great benefit to domestic clients.

An area that is relatively new to the industry overall, yet requires new expertise is that of ‘Green Engineering’. The curiosity of both Junior and Mature Electricians to this new industry is well founded especially when considering the power of the UK and the EEC markets in areas of growth and governmental projects.

Written by Scott Edwards. Pop over to Part P Courses or www.CareerChangeHelp.co.uk/qcch.html.

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It’s notable that a career within the electrical industry, with its attractive options, remains a choice for lots of people. Whilst the original term is ‘Electro-Mechanical Engineering’ we will simply refer to the subject as the Electrical Industry. Equally we’ll focus on those credentials that fit the UK domestic and commercial sector rather than those from around the world. Due to the huge list of opportunities available for a career in the electrical industry, we have to begin by focusing on the main areas and look at the ‘add-ons’ later on.

Basically there are two clear ways to gain admission into the electrical market. To being with we have the older apprentice course and then secondly we have the option for those who wish to make a career change to join the industry. To begin with we have the ‘Junior Entrants’ and then we have the ‘Mature Entrants’.

Primarily, those who join the industry later on, (the Mature Entrants,) generally do so with the aim of becoming self-employed at some point, or to work on their own building projects etc. without having to pay wages to external electricians. On the other hand, to gain further credentials and experience ‘Junior Entrants’ tend to work for a recognised electrical firm. To be fair, young apprentices leaving school will have a lot of supplementary skills to learn during their early years as a working adult.

These two distinct types of entry have two separate modes of training: NVQ’s are the key factor for all junior entrants. The core syllabus is similar to non NVQ commercial training, but the certification is compulsory. As a result students often have to find their own work programmes to give them the relevant testing and course work covered by most apprenticeships.

By working independently and without the need for NVQ assessments, many Mature Entrants can concentrate on those areas that provide the biggest profit and offer the largest practical solutions for themselves. Having said that, the mature student does aim to gain the necessary skills to do the job, whilst at the same time reducing their training costs at all times. This system, although appearing to reduce the attributes laid out, does allow for a faster and more solid entry into the domestic market.

So we have two defined routes laid out – one being for general employment and the other centred on self-employment. For the sake of this document we will assume that everyone involved in electrical employment is working full-time. Certainly, whilst salary levels can be affected by knowledge and qualifications, they can also be affected by competence and aptitude.

Although starting wages for ‘Junior Entrants’ are around 13k p.a. they can rise above 30k p.a. but this does depend on their level of experience. However, with incomes of 70,000 or more a year, a ‘Mature Entrants’ salary can often be more difficult to judge. It should be remembered however that a self employed person must often bear additional costs for items such as vehicles, tools and clothing. Furthermore, professional items such as accountancy, tax and insurance need to be considered to make the business work properly. However, the driving force remains the UK skills shortage and this means that there’s a load of work available. Therefore, working seven days a week (if a student wanted) is a possibility for most. It should be noted that figures of 70-100k p.a. advertised are not necessarily easy to come by and would require some long working hours to obtain them.

In light of the above, it is often understood that there is wild variance between the working expectations of Junior and Mature Entrants. Electricians who are ‘Junior Entrants’ would work a simple 40 hour working week. To be fair, if the Mature electrician is focused on the domestic market then they often find themselves working out of hours, especially to support their clients when they get home. With many self-employed electricians the core of their income comes from items such as business testing and installation and as such operates during the main part of the week.

Once a career in electrical work has been chosen, a Junior Electrician is often at the mercy of their employer when it comes to learning new skills and expertise. The mature entrant, on the other hand, may seek training outside of their core electrical field, possibly including plumbing and gas work. This gives them the chance to complete work for domestic clients without having to sub contract jobs out every time.

One new, fast growing area – one that invokes a wide array of skills sets and is new to the industry overall – is that of the ‘Green Engineer’. The curiosity of both Junior and Mature Electricians to this new industry is well founded especially when considering the power of the UK and the EEC markets in areas of growth and governmental projects.

(C) 2009 Scott Edwards. Look at Electrician Qualifications or 2392 Courses.

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If it weren’t for a constant influx of knowledgeable network and PC support personnel, business in the UK (and around the world) would surely grind to a halt. There is an ever growing requirement for people to support both the systems and the users themselves. Because we become massively more dependent on advanced technology, we simultaneously find ourselves increasingly dependent on the skilled and qualified networking professionals, who keep the systems going.

A lot of training providers will only provide basic 9am till 6pm support (maybe a little earlier or later on certain days); not many go late into the evening (after 8-9pm) or cover weekends properly.

You’ll be waiting ages for an answer with email based support, and phone support is often to a call-centre which will just take down the issue and email it over to their technical team – who’ll call back sometime over the next 1-3 days, when it suits them. This is not a lot of use if you’re stuck with a particular problem and have a one hour time-slot in which to study.

If you look properly, you’ll find the top providers which provide their students direct-access support 24×7 – even in the middle of the night.

If you accept anything less than support round-the-clock, you’ll end up kicking yourself. It may be that you don’t use it late at night, but you’re bound to use weekends, late evenings or early mornings.

An all too common mistake that we encounter all too often is to focus entirely on getting a qualification, and take their eye off where they want to get to. Colleges are brimming over with unaware students who took a course because it seemed fun – rather than what would get them an enjoyable career or job.

It’s possible, in some situations, to get a great deal of enjoyment from a year of study and then find yourself trapped for decades in a tiresome job role, as a consequence of not performing the correct research at the beginning.

It’s essential to keep your focus on where you want to get to, and create a learning-plan from that – not the other way round. Stay focused on the end-goal – making sure you’re training for something you’ll still be enjoying many years from now.

Talk to an experienced industry professional who knows about the sector you’re looking at, and could provide a detailed run-down of what you actually do in that role. Contemplating this long before commencement of any retraining course will prevent a lot of wasted time and effort.

Let’s face it: There really is pretty much no individual job security anywhere now; there’s only industry or business security – companies can just drop any single member of staff if it suits their business interests.

In actuality, security now only emerges in a fast rising market, driven by a lack of trained workers. It’s this shortage that creates the right conditions for a secure marketplace – definitely a more pleasing situation.

The IT skills-gap in the United Kingdom is standing at approximately twenty six percent, according to the most recent e-Skills survey. That means for each four job positions existing across computing, we have only 3 certified professionals to fulfil that role.

Accomplishing proper commercial computing certification is consequently a fast-track to achieve a life-long and rewarding living.

In reality, acquiring professional IT skills as you progress through the next year or two is probably the greatest career choice you could ever make.

Commercial certification is now, very visibly, taking over from the more academic tracks into IT – why then has this come about?

With university education costs spiralling out of control, along with the industry’s growing opinion that vendor-based training often has more relevance in the commercial field, there has been a great increase in Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA accredited training programmes that educate students at a much reduced cost in terms of money and time.

Academic courses, for example, become confusing because of a great deal of loosely associated study – with much too broad a syllabus. Students are then held back from understanding the specific essentials in enough depth.

Think about if you were the employer – and your company needed a person with some very particular skills. What’s the simplest way to find the right person: Wade your way through loads of academic qualifications from various applicants, struggling to grasp what they’ve learned and which workplace skills they have, or choose particular accreditations that exactly fulfil your criteria, and make your short-list from that. You can then focus on how someone will fit into the team at interview – rather than establishing whether they can do a specific task.

Author: Scott Edwards. Browse around Flash Training or Which-Career.co.uk/wcark.html.

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If your dream is to become a great web designer and have the most recognised qualification for today’s employment market, you’ll need to study Adobe Dreamweaver.

For applications in the commercial world you’ll be expected to have an in-depth understanding of the entire Adobe Web Creative Suite. This will include (but is by no means restricted to) Action Script and Flash. If you wish to become an Adobe Certified Professional or an Adobe Certified Expert you’ll find these skills are vital.

In order to develop into a professional web-designer however, there is much more to consider. You will need to learn certain programming skills like HTML, PHP and MySQL. A good understanding of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and E-Commerce will also improve your CV and employability.

What is the reason why qualifications from colleges and universities are less in demand than the more qualifications from the commercial sector?

With a growing demand for specific technological expertise, the IT sector has of necessity moved to specific, honed-in training that can only come from the vendors – for example companies like Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA. This usually turns out to involve less time and financial outlay.

The training is effectively done by honing in on the skills that are really needed (along with a relevant amount of background knowledge,) instead of trawling through all the background non-specific minutiae that degrees in computing are prone to get tied up in (because the syllabus is so wide).

It’s rather like the advert: ‘It does what it says on the tin’. Companies need only to know what they need doing, and then request applicants with the correct exam numbers. That way they can be sure they’re interviewing applicants who can do the job.

In amongst the top nominees for the top potential problem for IT trainees is usually having to turn up to ‘In Centre’ days or workshops. A lot of training schools harp on about the ‘benefits’ of going in to their classes, usually though, they end up as a thorn in your side due to many reasons:

* Regular travelling – very long trips usually.

* Getting constant holidays or time off – typical trainers only offer class availability from Monday to Friday and group several days in a chunk. This is generally difficult for those of us who work for a living, especially when you add the travel time on.

* Usually, we think twenty days annual leave is not really enough. Sacrifice at least half of this for training workshops and see your problems doubled.

* Workshop days usually become over full.

* The ‘pace’ – centre-days often consist of trainees of different aptitude, consequently tension can be created between those that want to go quickly as opposed to those who prefer a more relaxed pace.

* Count the cost of all the travel, fares, accommodation, parking and food and you could be in for a major shock. Trainees talk of increased costs of hundreds to thousands of pounds over time. Take some time to add it all up – then you’ll know.

* Do you really want even a small chance of letting yourself be side-stepped for a possible promotion or wage increases while you’re training.

* It’s quite usual for attendees to hide the fact that they want to raise a question – just due to the reason that they’re with their peers.

* Working away from home – a fair few attendees find they have to work or live away for part of their study. Events are therefore hard to get to, unfortunately the money has already changed hands in your initial payment.

An altogether more elegant solution is watching a filmed workshop – having instructor-led teaching on hand whenever you wish.

Just imagine… Utilising a notebook PC you can learn absolutely anywhere you want (within reason!) And live 24×7 support is only a web-browser click away in case of difficulty.

You don’t have to worry about any note-taking – all the lessons and background info are laid out on a plate. Anything you want to do over, it’s there.

The upshot: Reduced stress, more money in the bank, and absolutely no travelling.

Author: Scott Edwards. Navigate to Microsoft Access Courses or MS Access Training.

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The CCNA certification is where it all starts for Cisco training. This allows you to operate on maintaining and installing switches and routers. Fundamentally, the internet is based upon huge numbers of routers, and large companies that have various regional departments use them to connect their computer networks.

Because routers are linked to networks, it’s important to have prior knowledge of the operation of networks, or you’ll struggle with the training and be unable to follow the work. Find a training programme that covers networking fundamentals (for example CompTIA) prior to starting your CCNA.

If you haven’t yet had any experience of routers, then qualifying up to the CCNA level is the right level to aim for – you’re not yet ready for your CCNP. Once you’ve worked for a few years, you will know if CCNP is something you want to do.

Your training program should always include the most up to date Microsoft (or any other key organisation’s) authorised exam preparation packages.

As the majority of examining boards for IT are from the USA, it’s essential to understand how exam questions will be phrased and formatted. It isn’t good enough simply understanding random questions – they have to be in the same format as the actual exams.

Be sure to request some practice exams so you can test your knowledge at all times. Simulations of exams add to your knowledge bank – then the actual exam is much easier.

The world of information technology is one of the most exciting and ground-breaking industries you could be involved with. Being up close and personal with technology puts you at the fore-front of developments affecting everyone who lives in the 21st century.

We’re only just starting to comprehend how this will truly impact our way of life. How we correlate with the world as a whole will be inordinately affected by computers and the internet.

And don’t forget salaries moreover – the income on average in the UK for a typical man or woman in IT is a lot higher than the national average. Odds are you’ll make a whole lot more than you’d expect to earn doing other work.

It would appear there’s no easing up for IT sector development across Britain. The sector is still growing quickly, and as we have a skills gap that means we only typically have three IT workers for every four jobs it’s not likely that it will even slow down for quite some time to come.

Searching for your first position in IT is often made easier if you’re offered a Job Placement Assistance facility. The need for this feature can be bigged up out of proportion though – it isn’t unusual for training companies to make too much of it. At the end of the day, the massive skills shortage in Great Britain is why employers will be interested in you.

Ideally you should have help with your CV and interview techniques though; and we’d recommend everyone to bring their CV up to date as soon as they start a course – don’t delay until you’ve qualified.

Various junior support jobs have been bagged by people who are still studying and haven’t got any qualifications yet. At least this will get your CV into the ‘possible’ pile and not the ‘no’ pile.

Normally you’ll get better performance from a specialist independent regional employment service than you will through a training course provider’s centralised service, as they will be more familiar with the area and local employers.

A good number of trainees, so it seems, invest a great deal of time on their training course (for years sometimes), and then just stop instead of trying to get a job. Introduce yourself… Make an effort to let employers know about you. Don’t think a job’s just going to jump out in front of you.

Think about the following facts and pay great regard to them if you’re inclined to think the sales ploy of an ‘Exam Guarantee’ sounds great value:

Everybody’s aware that they’re ultimately paying for it – it’s not so hard to see that it’s already in the overall figure from the training provider. It’s definitely not free (it’s just marketing companies think we’ll fall for anything they say!)

Qualifying on the first ‘go’ is what everyone wants to do. Going for exams one by one and paying as you go has a marked effect on pass-rates – you take it seriously and are mindful of the investment you’ve made.

Find the best exam deal or offer available when you take the exam, and avoid college mark-up fees. In addition, it’s then your choice where to take your exam – so you can choose somewhere closer to home.

What’s the point in paying early for exams when there’s absolutely nothing that says you have to? A great deal of money is made because training colleges are charging upfront for all their exams – and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken.

Additionally, you should consider what an ‘exam guarantee’ really means. Many training companies won’t be prepared to pay for re-takes until you can prove to them you’re ready to pass.

Exams taken at VUE and Prometric centres are approximately 112 pounds in Great Britain. Students should be very wary of forking out hundreds of pounds extra in fees for ‘exam guarantees’ (most often hidden in the package) – when a quality course, support and consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.

(C) Scott Edwards 2009. Hop over to CareerChangeCourses.co.uk/scachco.html or Web Designer Courses.

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