Should you be doing a search for Microsoft authorised training, it stands to reason you'll want training companies to supply a good number of the finest training courses on the market today. Perhaps you'd like to look for a person who's got industry experience, who could help you sort out whereabouts in industry would suit you most, and the kind of tasks that are a good match for somebody with your character and ability. Training courses should be put together to reflect your ability level and skill set. Therefore, once you've decided on the right IT job for you, your next focus is the most suitable program that will equip you for the role.

A number of students are under the impression that the traditional school, college or university track is still the most effective. So why is commercial certification slowly and steadily replacing it? With fees and living expenses for university students increasing year on year, together with the industry's general opinion that accreditation-based training often has more relevance in the commercial field, we've seen a large rise in Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe authorised training programmes that create knowledgeable employees at a much reduced cost in terms of money and time. Typically, only required knowledge is taught. It's not quite as straightforward as that, but the most important function is always to master the precisely demanded skill-sets (with some necessary background) - without attempting to cover a bit about every other area (as universities often do).

It's a bit like the TV advert: 'It does what it says on the label'. Companies need only to know where they have gaps, and then match up the appropriate exam numbers as a requirement. Then they're assured that a potential employee can do exactly what's required.

Commencing with the understanding that it makes sense to home-in on the job we want to do first, before we're even able to weigh up which career training fulfils our needs, how do we decide on the right direction? What is our likelihood of grasping the tasks faced daily in an IT career when it's an alien environment to us? Maybe we don't even know anybody who works in that sector anyway. To attack this, there should be a discussion of several definitive areas:

* What nature of person you are - which things you find interesting, and don't forget - what you definitely don't enjoy.

* What is the time-frame for the retraining?

* Where do you stand on salary vs job satisfaction?

* When taking into account all that the IT industry covers, it's a requirement that you can absorb the differences.

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

In these situations, the only way to seek advice on these areas is via a conversation with an advisor that has experience of IT (and chiefly the commercial needs and requirements.)

It's important to understand: a actual training or a certification isn't what this is about; the career that you're getting the training for is. Too many training companies completely prioritise the actual accreditation. It's an awful thing, but thousands of new students commence training that sounds magnificent in the marketing materials, but which provides the end-result of a job that doesn't satisfy. Try talking to typical university students for examples.

Stay focused on what you want to achieve, and then build your training requirements around that - not the other way round. Keep your eyes on your goals - making sure you're training for something that will keep you happy for many years. Prior to embarking on a training program, trainees are advised to discuss specific job needs with an experienced industry advisor, to make sure the retraining program covers all the bases.

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