As you're looking to study for the MCSE certificate, it's likely you'll come into one of two categories. You might be ready to enter the computer sector, and you've discovered that this commercial sector has lots of demand for men and women who are commercially qualified. Alternatively you could be someone with a certain amount of knowledge attempting to consolidate your skill-set with the MCSE qualification.

Always make sure you check that your provider is definitely teaching with the latest Microsoft version. A number of trainees become very demoralised when they discover they've been educated in an outdated MCSE course which will require an up-date. Training providers should be committed to finding the right path for their clients. Educational direction is equally concerned with helping people to work out which direction to go in, as it is giving them help to reach their destination.

How do we go about making an informed decision then? With such prospects, it's important to know where to investigate - and what we should be digging for.

Frequently, the average student has no idea how they should get into the IT industry, let alone what sector to focus their retraining program on. Flicking through a list of odd-sounding and meaningless job titles is a complete waste of time. The majority of us don't really appreciate what the neighbours do for a living - so what chance do we have in understanding the subtleties of any specific IT role. To come through this, we need to discuss a number of different aspects:

* Your hobbies and interests - as they can point towards what possibilities will satisfy you.

* For what reasons you're starting in the IT industry - maybe you want to achieve a long-held goal like working for yourself for example.

* Is salary further up on your wish list than other requirements.

* Getting to grips with what the normal IT roles and markets are - plus how they're different to each other.

* What effort, commitment and time you'll put into your training.

For most people, dissecting so much data tends to require the help of an advisor who can investigate each area with you. And we're not only talking about the accreditations - you also need to understand the commercial needs and expectations of industry too.

We can't make a big enough deal out of this point: Always get full 24x7 support from professional instructors. You'll definitely experience problems if you don't adhere to this. Avoid those companies who use call-centres 'out-of-hours' - where you'll get called back during normal office hours. It's not a lot of help when you've got study issues and need help now.

The very best programs tend to use an online 24x7 facility pulling in several support offices across the globe. You will have a simple interface which accesses the most appropriate office at any time of day or night: Support on demand. Don't under any circumstances take less than you need and deserve. Online 24x7 support is the only viable option with technical courses. It's possible you don't intend to study late evenings; but for most of us, we're at work while the support is live.

Usually, trainers will provide mainly work-books and reference manuals. This isn't very interesting and not a very good way of studying effectively. If we're able to get all of our senses involved in our learning, our results will often be quite spectacular.

Locate a program where you'll receive a library of CD and DVD ROM's - you'll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, with the facility to use virtual lab's to practice your new skills. It would be silly not to view some examples of the kind of training materials you'll be using before you make your decision. You should expect videoed instructor demonstrations and audio-visual elements backed up by interactive lab's.

You should avoid purely online training. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where offered, so that you have access at all times - it's not wise to be held hostage to your internet connection always being 'up' and available.

How the program is actually delivered to you isn't always given the appropriate level of importance. How is the courseware broken down? And in what order and do you have a say in when you'll get each part? By and large, you'll join a programme taking 1-3 years and receive one element at a time until graduation. While this may sound logical on one level, consider this: How would they react if you didn't complete everything at the speed they required? And maybe you'll find their order of completion won't be as easy as some other structure would for you.

To provide the maximum security and flexibility, many trainees now want to insist that all study materials are sent immediately, and not in a piecemeal fashion. You can then decide in what order and how fast or slow you want to work.

Consider the following facts very carefully if you think the sales ploy of examination guarantees seems like a good idea:

Clearly it isn't free - you're still being charged for it - it's just been wrapped up in the price of the package. The fact is that when students fund each progressive exam, when they're ready to take them and not before, the chances are they're going to qualify each time - since they are conscious of the cost and their application will be greater.

Why should you pay the training company early for examinations? Go for the best offer when you're ready, instead of paying any mark-up - and do it locally - not at somewhere of their bidding. Huge profits are secured by some training companies who incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. Many students don't take them for one reason or another but the company keeps the money. Astoundingly enough, there are companies around that rely on that fact - as that's how they make a lot of their profit. Re-takes of any failed exams with training companies who offer an 'Exam Guarantee' are monitored with tight restrictions. They will insist that you take pre-tests first until you've demonstrated an excellent ability to pass.

With average prices for VUE and Pro-metric tests in the United Kingdom costing around 112 pounds, it makes sense to pay as you go. Not to fork out thousands extra in up-front costs. Consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.

A service that many training companies provide is a programme of Job Placement assistance. This is designed to help you get your first commercial position. Don't get overly impressed with this service - it's quite easy for their marketing department to overstate it's need. At the end of the day, the need for well trained IT people in Britain is what will make you attractive to employers.

Having said that, it's important to have CV and Interview advice and support though; also we would encourage any student to get their CV updated as soon as training commences - don't procrastinate and leave it until you've qualified. You may not have got to the stage where you've qualified when you land your first junior support position; but this can't and won't happen if your CV isn't in front of employers. Most often, a specialist independent regional recruitment consultancy - who make their money when they've found you a job - will be more pro-active than a recruitment division from a training organisation. They should, of course, also be familiar with the local area and commercial needs.

In a nutshell, if you put as much hard work into finding your first IT position as into training, you're not going to hit many challenges. Some men and women curiously invest a great deal of time on their training course and just give up once qualified and would appear to think that businesses will just discover them.

Being at the forefront of revolutionary new technology is as thrilling as it comes. Your actions are instrumental in shaping the next few decades. We're at the dawn of starting to understand how this will truly impact our way of life. The way we interact with the world will be inordinately affected by technology and the web.

A typical IT employee over this country as a whole is likely to get significantly more than employees on a par in another industry. Mean average salaries are around the top of national league tables. Excitingly, there is not a hint of a downturn for IT industry growth throughout this country. The sector continues to grow hugely, and as we have a skills gap that means we only typically have three IT workers for every four jobs it's not showing any signs that it will even slow down for quite some time to come.