Any advisor who doesn't question you thoroughly - chances are they're just a salesperson. If they wade straight in with a specific product before looking at your personality and current experience level, then it's very likely to be the case. If you've got a strong background, or even a touch of work-based experience (maybe some existing accreditation?) then obviously the point from which you begin your studies will vary from someone with no background whatsoever. It's wise to consider some basic PC skills training first. Beginning there can make the transition to higher-level learning a much more gentle.

Searching for your first position in IT is often made easier if you're offered a Job Placement Assistance service. Because of the growing demand for appropriately skilled people in the UK today, there's no need to become overly impressed with this service however. It isn't such a complex operation to land employment as long as you've got the necessary skills and qualifications.

Advice and support about getting interviews and your CV might be provided (if it isn't, consult one of our sites). Ensure you bring your CV right up to date immediately - not when you're ready to start work! You'll often find that you will get your initial role while still studying (occasionally right at the beginning). If you haven't updated your CV to say what you're studying (and it isn't in the hands of someone with jobs to offer) then you're not even going to be known about! Generally, a specialist locally based employment service (who will get paid by the employer when they've placed you) will be more pro-active than a centralised training company's service. In addition, they will no doubt be familiar with the area and local employers better.

Many men and women, it seems, spend evenings and weekends on their training and studies (sometimes for years), only to give up at the first hurdle when trying to get their first job. Sell yourself... Do everything you can to get in front of employers. Don't expect a job to just fall into your lap.

It's quite a normal occurrence for students not to check on something that can make a profound difference to their results - how their company actually breaks down and delivers the physical training materials, and into how many separate packages. By and large, you'll join a programme staged over 2 or 3 years and receive one element at a time until graduation. It seems to make sense on one level, but consider these issues: What if for some reason you don't get to the end of all the sections or exams? Maybe the prescribed order won't suit you? Because of nothing that's your fault, you may not meet the required timescales and not receive all the modules you've paid for.

Put simply, the best solution is to obtain their recommendation on the best possible order of study, but get everything up-front. Everything is then in your possession if you don't manage to finish quite as quick as they'd want.

Some training companies are still maintaining a now out-dated method of training - classroom days. Very often portrayed as a huge benefit, following a chat with most students who've had to attend a couple, you'll find them listing some or all of these issues:

- Multiple round journeys - sometimes 100's of miles or more.

- For those of us that work, then Monday to Friday classes cause problems at work. Typically you are facing several days in a row too.

- If we get 4 weeks holiday each year, giving half of them to training events means we'll be hard-pushed to get a holiday with our families.

- Classes can 'sell out' fast and often end up larger than is ideal.

- You may prefer to move at a pace that is different to the other class members. This creates the tension often found in classrooms.

- Tot up the cost of all the fares or petrol, food, parking and accommodation and you'll be in for a big surprise. Attendees talk of increased costs of hundreds to thousands of pounds over time. Work it out - and see for yourself.

- Quite a lot of students want their training to remain private to avoid any kind of questions from their current employer.

- Asking questions in a class full of students can make us a little awkward. Surely, at some point, you've avoided asking a question just because you honestly thought you might seem thick?

- There are those of us who occasionally work elsewhere in the country for several days at a time, imagine the trouble involved in travelling to the requisite workshops, when time is at a premium.

For a far more flexible approach, employ videoed workshops at home, in comfort - and do it when it's convenient to you - not someone else. Whenever an ugly problem rears its head, logon to the 24x7 support facility (that you should have insisted on for any technical study.) Keep in mind, if you own a notebook PC, you can study wherever you want. Just watch and re-watch the elements as many times as you need to. There's also no need to make notes as the teaching is yours forever. The upshot: Less hassle and stress, more money in the bank, and no wasted travelling time.

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