As you're in the process of finding out about courses for MCSE, the chances are you're in one of these categories: Maybe you're thinking of a dynamic move to the field of computers, and you've found a huge demand for men and women who are commercially qualified. Instead you're someone with a certain amount of IT knowledge - and you should formalise your skills with a qualification such as MCSE.

When researching training colleges, don't use those who cut costs by not upgrading their courses to the latest Microsoft level. In the long-run, this will frustrate and cost the student a great deal more as they will have been learning from an outdated MCSE program which will require an up-date very quickly. Stay away from organisations who are only trying to make a sale. You should be given detailed advice to verify that you are registering on the correct course. Resist being forced into their standard course by some pushy sales person.

Starting from the viewpoint that we need to choose the market that sounds most inviting first, before we're able to chew over which training course meets that requirement, how do we know the way that suits us? Flicking through long lists of different and confusing job titles is no use whatsoever. The vast majority of us have no concept what the neighbours do for a living - so what chance do we have in understanding the ins and outs of any specific IT role. Arriving at the right decision only comes via a detailed study of several different factors:

* What hobbies you have and enjoy - these often highlight what areas you'll get the most enjoyment out of.

* What sort of time-frame do you want for the training process?

* What are your thoughts on salary vs job satisfaction?

* With everything that IT covers, you really need to be able to see how they differ.

* Our advice is to think deeply about the level of commitment that you will set aside for gaining your certifications.

At the end of the day, your only chance of covering these is by means of a long chat with an experienced advisor that understands the market well enough to be able to guide you.

An all too common mistake that we encounter all too often is to concentrate on the course itself, and take their eye off the desired end-result. Universities are stacked to the hilt with direction-less students that chose a program because it looked interesting - instead of the program that would surely get them the job they want. Don't be part of that group who select a program that seems 'fun' or 'interesting' - and end up with a certification for an unrewarding career path.

You must also consider how you feel about career progression and earning potential, and whether you intend to be quite ambitious. You should understand what industry expects from you, what particular qualifications they want you to have and where you'll pick-up experience from. Seek help from an experienced professional who 'gets' the commercial realities of the area you're interested in, and will be able to provide 'A day in the life of' understanding of what kinds of tasks you'll be undertaking during your working week. It's good sense to discover if this is the right course of action for you well before you start on any retraining programme. There's little point in kicking off your training only to realise you've made a huge mistake.

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