Some training providers offer a Job Placement Assistance facility, to assist your search for your first position. Don't get caught up in this feature - it's easy for eager sales people to overplay it. At the end of the day, the huge shortage of staff in the UK is the reason you'll find a job.

However, what is relevant is to have help with your CV and interview techniques though; additionally, we would recommend everyone to update their CV as soon as training commences - don't wait until you've qualified. Quite frequently, you will be offered your initial position whilst still on the course (occasionally right at the beginning). If you haven't updated your CV to say what you're studying (and it's not being looked at by employers) then you're not even going to be known about! Normally you'll get quicker service from a specialist independent regional employment service than any course provider's national service, as they will understand the local industry and employment needs.

In a nutshell, if you put the same amount of effort into securing your first job as into training, you won't find it too challenging. Some people inexplicably invest a great deal of time on their learning program and just give up once they've passed their exams and appear to be under the impression that jobs will come to them.

Always expect the current Microsoft (or relevant organisation's) authorised exam preparation packages. Some students can get confused by practising exam questions that aren't from the authorised examining boards. Quite often, the question formats and phraseology can be quite different and it's important to prepare yourself for this. Why don't you test your knowledge through tests and practice in simulated exam environments before you take the actual exam.

Workshops can be portrayed as a great facet by many training schools. If you talk to most IT hopefuls who have partaken in a couple, you'll discover that they're really a mistake due to many reasons:

- A lot of driving back and forth from the centre - sometimes very long trips.

- If you work for a living, then weekday only workshops represent a difficulty in getting time off. More than likely you will be having to deal with two or three days together to make it worse.

- Let's not disregard the lost vacation days. Most of us have 4 weeks off each year. If half is given up to classes, then there's very little left over for us.

- Training classes can 'sell out' fast and often end up larger than is ideal.

- Some trainees lean towards a pace that is different to the other class members. Often this can bring about tension in the class.

- Add up the cost of all the petrol, fares, food, accommodation and parking and you'll be in for a big surprise. Trainees report costs of hundreds to thousands of pounds over time. Do the maths - and understand where they're coming from.

- You should never risk the chance of being overlooked for potential advancement or salary hikes because you're getting trained in a different area.

- Most of us avoid posing questions while sitting with other attendees - to avoid appearing stupid.

- Living away for part of your working week - many trainees have to work or live away for sections of their study. Days in-centre are therefore impossible at that point, unfortunately the money has already changed hands when you paid initially.

The best possible solution is by viewing a filmed lesson - having instructor-led teaching on hand whenever you wish. Do them at home on your desktop computer or if you have laptop, why not get outside if the weather's nice. Any questions that pop up, just logon to the 24x7 support facility (that should've been packaged with any technical type of training.) Any module can be repeated when you're preparing for exams - repetition aids memory. And you can forget taking notes - everything's provided. Could it get any simpler: No wasted time or money, travelling is avoided; plus you get a much more peaceful training atmosphere.

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