To most PC users, the word Windows comes up when they think about 'Microsoft'. The word 'Office' may equally come to mind as many men and women associate the applications-system with the company itself. The most well known application is MS Word, which is a program for word-processing. Whilst 'Excel' is the most widely used spread-sheet & 'Access' supplies database abilities to numerous companies. The final one of the main four software programs in Office is 'PowerPoint', which is widely used for giving presentations. In reality Microsoft have developed their Office portfolio much further - for example with Outlook for messaging, diary formatting & e-mailing.

'Exam Guarantees' are often bundled with training offers - this always means exams have to be paid for upfront, at the start of your training. But before you get taken in by the chance of a guarantee, be aware of the facts:

Patently it's not free - you're still paying for it - it's just been wrapped up in the price of the package. It's well known in the industry that when students fund each progressive exam, one by one, they will be much more likely to qualify each time - since they're aware of their investment in themselves and so will prepare more thoroughly.

Don't pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you at the appropriate time, and hang on to your cash. You'll then be able to select where you sit the exam - so you can choose somewhere closer to home. Paying in advance for examinations (which also includes interest if you've taken out a loan) is bad financial management. Don't line companies bank accounts with additional funds just to give them a good cash-flow! Some will be pinning their hopes on the fact that you don't even take them all - then they'll keep the extra money. The majority of companies will insist that you take mock exams first and with-hold subsequent exam entries from you until you've proven conclusively that you can pass - which makes an 'Exam Guarantee' frankly useless.

With average prices for VUE and Pro-metric examinations coming in at around 112 pounds in the UK, the most cost-effective way to cover the cost is by paying when you need them. Why splash out often many hundreds of pounds extra at the beginning of your training? Consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.

With so much choice, is it any wonder that nearly all trainees balk at what job they will enjoy. Because in the absence of any commercial background in IT, in what way could we understand what any job actually involves? To get to the bottom of this, a discussion is necessary, covering many different aspects:

- The type of personality you have and what you're interested in - which work-centred jobs please or frustrate you.

- Why it seems right stepping into computing - maybe you want to achieve a particular goal such as being self-employed for instance.

- The income requirements that are important to you?

- Learning what the main job roles and sectors are - and what makes them different.

- What effort, commitment and time you're prepared to commit your training.

For most of us, sifting through all these ideas needs a long talk with a professional who can explain things properly. Not only the accreditations - but also the commercial expectations and needs also.

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