It's crucial that you know what objectives you're trying to accomplish if you are planning to embark on an IT training program. Do you have a job in mind that demands particular I.T. user skills, or is it that you merely wish to know the way to surf the web more widely? On the other hand, you may be thinking of a full change of career into the IT industry.

Where you would like to end up must be the first consideration. Once you are sure about the reason you would like to get trained, you will make an educated choice about most suitable kind for you. This valuable technique will also save you time and money, and means you're not using up effort on the wrong thing.

Should you purely want to have a good knowledge of how to use your laptop or computer for basic operations, the ECDL is the right course for you. It will teach you how to operate the basic components of "Windows" (the system which 'runs' most personal computers.) You'll also discover how to log on to the internet, and how to get on to and find your way around website pages and handle email. You'll also cover the basic principles of word processing and a bit about what spreadsheets & databases can be used for.

The next level is to do a bit more formal training to further improve your Resume or get you prepared for other functions at work. By far the most popular of these is more in-depth teaching in 'Microsoft Office'. Two industry accepted accreditation courses are 'MOS' (Microsoft Office Specialist) and 'MCAS' (Microsoft Certified Application Specialist). The 'MOS' features the 'Microsoft Office' 2003 environment under Windows 'XP' (still probably the most popular in business), whereas the MCAS is based around 'Windows Vista' & Office 2007, and so could be better suited for the future. You will find different exams for both that cover "Word", 'Excel', "Powerpoint" and Access - for 'word processing', spread-sheets, 'presentations' and databases. Both are well respected exams & make it effortless for recruiters to recognise your in-depth capability with the packages.

You'll get the opportunity to learn more about the many IT careers and training paths from dedicated web-pages on this web site. On the other hand, you could ask for our complimentary e-book 'Lollypedia' and then ring to talk to one of our expert advisors.

Careers in I.T. tend to be divided into several main groups: First is Networking and Support (including Security), second is Programming (& Software Development), the third is Databases (Administration & Development) and the last is Web-Design. Inside each area there are specific skill sets to master, and certifications to achieve. Each sector offers an array of accreditation levels to build upon. The large volume of accreditations available in these fields may be a little off-putting to a new trainee, but this is where a sensible careers discussion with an advisor can explain what is appropriate for your personality-type, objectives and learning-style.

Considering how a program is 'delivered' to you is usually ignored by most students. In what way are your training elements sectioned? What is the specific order and at what speed is it delivered? You may think that it makes sense (with a typical time scale of 1-3 years to achieve full certification,) for many training providers to send out the courseware in stages, until you've passed all the exams. Although: What if there are reasons why you can't finish every exam? What if you don't find their order of learning is ideal for you? Through no fault of your own, you might take a little longer and not receive all the modules you've paid for.

The ideal solution is to have all the training materials sent to your home before you even start; the entire package! Thus avoiding any future problems that could impede the reaching of your goals.

An all too common mistake that many potential students make is to concentrate on the course itself, instead of focusing on where they want to get to. Training academies are full of direction-less students who took a course because it seemed fun - rather than what would get them the job they want. It's a testament to the marketing skills of the big companies, but the majority of trainees start out on programs that sound amazing from the syllabus guide, but which provides the end-result of a job that doesn't satisfy. Try talking to typical college leavers and you'll see where we're coming from.

Set targets for how much you want to earn and whether you're an ambitious person or not. Sometimes, this affects what accreditations you will need and what you can expect to give industry in return. Seek help from an experienced professional that has commercial knowledge of your chosen market-place, and is able to give you 'A day in the life of' synopsis of what you'll actually be doing during your working week. It makes good sense to discover if this is the right course of action for you well before you start on any retraining programme. There's really no point in starting your training and then find you've taken the wrong route.