Were it not for a regular deluge of well educated computer and network support personnel, industry throughout the country (along with most other places) would inevitably grind to a halt. There is an ever growing demand for people to support both users and the systems they work with. As we're all becoming growingly dependent on our PC's, we in turn inevitably become more reliant on the well trained IT networkers, who ensure the systems function properly.

Beginning with the understanding that we have to locate the area of most interest first, before we can even mull over what training course ticks the right boxes, how can we choose the right direction? Therefore, if you've got no know-how of IT in the workplace, how are you equipped to know what a particular IT employee actually does day-to-day? Let alone decide on what training route will be most suitable for you to get there. Ultimately, the right decision will only come through a detailed examination across many different key points:

* What hobbies you have and enjoy - these often show the areas will give you the most reward.

* Why it seems right starting in Information Technology - maybe you'd like to triumph over a particular goal like working from home for example.

* What salary and timescale needs that are important to you?

* When taking into account all that Information Technology covers, you really need to be able to take in the differences.

* Our advice is to think deeply about the level of commitment you'll put into your training.

For the average person, dissecting each of these concepts will require meeting with someone who knows what they're talking about. And not just the accreditations - you also need to understand the commercial needs and expectations of the market as well.

Training support for students is an absolute must - ensure you track down something offering 24x7 direct access to instructors, as anything less will not satisfy and will also put a damper on the speed you move through things. Email support is too slow, and phone support is often to a call-centre which will chat nicely with you for 5 minutes to ask what the issue is and then simply send an email to an instructor - who'll call back sometime over the next 1-3 days, at a suitable time to them. This is not a lot of use if you're sitting there confused over an issue and can only study at specific times.

The very best training providers use multiple support centres across multiple time-zones. They use an online interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together, at any time you choose, help is just seconds away, with no hassle or contact issues. You can't afford to accept less than you need and deserve. 24x7 support is the only kind to make the grade for technical courses. It's possible you don't intend to study late evenings; often though, we're out at work at the time when most support is available.

A number of trainees think that the state educational system is the right way even now. So why then are qualifications from the commercial sector becoming more in demand? With an ever-increasing technical demand on resources, the IT sector has had to move to specialist courses that the vendors themselves supply - that is companies like Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA. This usually turns out to involve less time and financial outlay. They do this through honing in on the skills that are really needed (together with a relevant amount of background knowledge,) rather than spending months and years on the background 'padding' that degree courses are prone to get tied up in (to fill up a syllabus or course).

It's rather like the advert: 'It does what it says on the tin'. Employers simply need to know where they have gaps, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. They'll know then that all applicants can do what they need.

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