There are a range of options in existence for people hoping to find a job in the computer industry. To help you decide on the right one for you, look at organisations that will help you find which career will match your characteristics, as well as explaining the details of the job, so you can be sure it's the right one for you. The courses range from Microsoft User Skills up to Web Design, Databases, Programming and Networking. There is a huge amount of choice and so the chances are you'll want to chat to an experienced advisor before you make your final decision: it would be awful to learn about a subject for an area that you don't enjoy!

Due to the vast number of sensibly priced, simple to follow training and support, it's easy to discover the right one that should take you to your destination.

There are colossal changes flooding technology over the next generation - and the industry becomes more ground-breaking every year. We're only just beginning to get to grips with how all this will mould and change our lives. How we correlate with the world as a whole will be inordinately affected by technology and the internet.

The money in IT isn't to be sniffed at either - the average salary in the United Kingdom for an average man or woman in IT is significantly better than the national average. It's likely that you'll receive a much greater package than you could reasonably hope to get in other industries. As the IT industry keeps growing at an unprecedented rate, one can predict that the search for appropriately qualified IT professionals will remain buoyant for a good while yet.

A fatal Faux-Pas that many potential students make is to look for the actual course to take, rather than starting with the end result they want to achieve. Training academies are brimming over with unaware students who took a course because it seemed fun - rather than what would get them the career they desired. You may train for one year and then end up doing the job for 20 years. Avoid the mistake of finding what seems like an 'interesting' course only to waste your life away with an unrewarding career!

You also need to know your feelings on career development, earning potential, and if you're ambitious or not. It's vital to know what (if any) sacrifices you'll need to make for a particular role, what exams will be required and in what way you can develop commercial experience. We'd recommend you take advice from an industry professional before you begin a particular training program, so there's no doubt that a program provides the skills for the job being sought.

A useful feature that many training companies provide is a programme of Job Placement assistance. The service is put in place to help you find your first job in the industry. Often, people are too impressed with this facility, because it is actually not that hard for any motivated and trained individual to secure a job in IT - as there is such a shortage of well trained people.

One important thing though, avoid waiting until you have completed your exams before bringing your CV up to date. Right at the beginning of your training, list what you're working on and get it out there! You may not have got to the stage where you've qualified when you will be offered your first junior support job; although this isn't going to happen if interviewers don't get sight of your CV. The top companies to help you land that job are most often local IT focused employment agencies. Because they make their money when they've found you a job, they have the necessary incentive to try that bit harder.

Certainly be sure that you don't put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, then call a halt and expect somebody else to sort out your employment. Stand up for yourself and make your own enquiries. Channel the same energy and enthusiasm into landing the right position as you did to gain the skills.

Looking at the myriad of choice out there, is it any wonder that the majority of trainees get stuck choosing the job they could be successful with. Since in the absence of any commercial skills in Information Technology, how can most of us understand what someone in a particular job does? Consideration of several factors is required when you want to get to the right answers:

* Your personality can play a significant role - what gives you a 'kick', and what are the activities that you really dislike.

* Is your focus to get qualified because of a certain reason - i.e. are you pushing to work from home (maybe self-employment?)?

* Does salary have a higher place on your priority-list than some other areas.

* Learning what the main career types and sectors are - including what sets them apart.

* What effort, commitment and time you're prepared to commit obtaining your certification.

When all is said and done, the best way of checking this all out is through a long chat with a professional that understands the market well enough to give you the information required.

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