Were it not for a constant influx of well educated network and PC support personnel, business in Great Britain (as elsewhere) would surely be drawn to a standstill. Consequently, there’s an ever growing requirement for technicians to support both the users themselves and their networks. The desire for the above mentioned members of the workforce is ever increasing, as everything becomes progressively more reliant on computers.

There are colossal changes coming via technology in the near future - and it becomes more and more thrilling each day.

There are people who believe that the revolution in technology that’s been a familiar part of our recent lives is lowering its pace. There is no truth in this at all. Terrific advances are ahead of us, and the internet particularly is going to dominate how we conduct our lives.

Let’s not forget that income in IT across the UK is noticeably more than remuneration packages in other industries, therefore you will be in a good position to receive noticeably more once qualified in IT, than you would in most typical jobs.

There is a great nationwide demand for certified IT specialists. Also, as growth in the industry shows little sign of contracting, it seems there’s going to be for years to come.

You should only consider learning programmes that’ll grow into commercially recognised exams. There’s an endless list of minor schools pushing unknown ‘in-house’ certificates that are essentially useless when it comes to finding a job.

If your certification doesn’t come from a company like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco or CompTIA, then you’ll probably find it will have been a waste of time - as it’ll be an unknown commodity.

Commencing with the idea that it’s good to choose the employment that excites us first and foremost, before we’re able to contemplate what development program meets that requirement, how are we supposed to find the way that suits us?

How can we possibly grasp the tasks faced daily in an IT career when it’s an alien environment to us? Most likely we don’t even know anybody who does that actual job anyway.

To work through this, a discussion is necessary, covering a number of core topics:

* What nature of individual you reckon you are - what kind of jobs you get enjoyment from, and conversely - what you definitely don’t enjoy.

* What length of time can you allocate for the training process?

* Have you thought about job satisfaction vs salary?

* Looking at the many markets that computing encapsulates, you’ll need to be able to see the differences.

* You need to appreciate the differences between each individual training area.

For most of us, sifting through these areas requires a good chat with a professional who knows what they’re talking about. Not only the certifications - but also the commercial requirements and expectations of the market as well.

So many training providers only concern themselves with gaining a certificate, and forget what you actually need - which will always be getting the job or career you want. Always begin with where you want to get to - don’t make the vehicle more important than the destination.

Don’t be one of those unfortunate students who set off on a track that seems ‘fun’ or ‘interesting’ - only to end up with a qualification for an unrewarding career path.

Spend some time thinking about how much you want to earn and whether you’re an ambitious person or not. This will influence what accreditations you will need and what industry will expect from you in return.

Your likely to need help from an advisor who can explain the industry you’re considering, and will be able to provide ‘A day in the life of’ outline for that career-path. These things are incredibly important because you need to know if this change is right for you.

Copyright 2010 Scott Edwards. Try Cisco Training or www.NewCareerOptions.co.uk/qncarop.html.