There are colossal changes flooding technology as we approach the second decade of the 21st century - and the industry becomes more ground-breaking every year. Computer technology and communication via the internet will noticeably shape the direction of our lives in the future; remarkably so.

Should receiving a good salary be way up on your list of priorities, then you'll appreciate the fact that the average salary of IT employees in general is considerably greater than with most other jobs or industries. It's evident that we have a great UK-wide demand for certified IT specialists. Also, as growth in the industry shows little sign of contracting, it is likely this will be the case for years to come.

A proficient and specialised consultant (in contrast with a salesperson) will talk through your current situation. This is useful for working out your study start-point. Where you have a strong background, or sometimes a little live experience (maybe some existing accreditation?) then it could be that your starting level will be quite dissimilar from someone with no background whatsoever. For students commencing IT study as a new venture, you might like to start out slowly, beginning with some basic PC skills training first. Usually this is packaged with most training packages.

With all the options available, it's not really surprising that nearly all trainees balk at what job they will follow. How can most of us possibly understand what is involved in a particular job when it's an alien environment to us? We normally haven't met someone who is in that area at all. To attack this, a discussion is necessary, covering a variety of definitive areas:

- Your personality can play an important role - what gives you a 'kick', and what are the areas that get you down.

- For what reasons you're starting in the IT industry - it could be you're looking to triumph over some personal goal like working from home maybe.

- Any personal or home needs that are important to you?

- Learning what typical IT roles and markets are - plus how they're different to each other.

- The level of commitment and effort you'll have available to commit getting qualified.

In actuality, it's obvious that the only real way to gain help on these matters is through a chat with an advisor or professional who understands IT (as well as the commercial needs.)

A fatal Faux-Pas that potential students often succumb to is to concentrate on the course itself, instead of focusing on where they want to get to. Colleges are stacked to the hilt with unaware students who took a course because it seemed fun - in place of something that could gain them the job they want. It's not unheard of, for example, to get a great deal of enjoyment from a year of study and then spend 20 miserable years in a career that does nothing for you, simply because you did it without some quality research at the outset.

It's well worth a long chat to see what expectations industry may have of you. Which particular qualifications they'll want you to gain and how you'll go about getting some commercial experience. You should also spend a little time setting guidelines as to how far you wish to get as it may affect your choice of accreditations. Look for advice and guidance from an industry professional, even if you have to pay - it's much safer and cheaper to find out at the start if your choices are appropriate, instead of discovering following two years of study that you've picked the wrong track and have to start from the beginning again.

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