In today's high speed society, support workers who are able to mend computers and networks, plus give constant assistance to users, are vital in every sector of the workplace. Our requirement for better qualified personnel is growing, as society becomes vastly more reliant on computers in the modern world.

One area often overlooked by new students considering a training program is that of 'training segmentation'. This is essentially how the program is broken down into parts to be delivered to you, which completely controls what you end up with. A release of your materials one stage at a time, according to your exam schedule is the typical way that your program will arrive. While sounding logical, you should take these factors into account: How would they react if you didn't complete each and every exam at the proposed pace? And maybe you'll find their order of completion won't fit you as well as some other structure would for you.

An ideal situation would be to have all your study materials delivered to you right at the start; the complete package! Thus avoiding any future problems that could impede your capacity to get everything done.

A useful feature that several companies offer is a programme of Job Placement assistance. It's intention is to assist your search for your first position. It can happen though that this feature is bigged up too much, for it's relatively easy for a well trained and motivated person to secure a job in IT - as there is such a shortage of well trained people.

Work on polishing up your CV right away however - look to your training company for advice on how to do this. Don't procrastinate and leave it for when you're ready to start work. You might not even have taken your exams when you will get your initial junior support role; although this won't be the case if interviewers don't get sight of your CV. The top companies to help you land that job are normally independent and specialised local recruitment services. Because they make their money when they've found you a job, they're perhaps more focused on results.

Not inconsiderable numbers of trainees, so it seems, conscientiously work through their course materials (for years sometimes), and then just stop instead of trying to get the right position. Market yourself... Do everything you can to get yourself known. A job isn't just going to bump into you.

A key training package will have accredited exam preparation systems. Avoid depending on unofficial preparation materials for exams. The type of questions asked is often somewhat different - and sometimes this can be a real headache when it comes to taking the real exam. Be sure to ask for exam preparation tools so you'll be able to check your understanding along the way. Practice or 'mock' exams add to your knowledge bank - so the actual exam is much easier.

Don't forget: the actual training program or a certification isn't what this is about; a job that you want to end up in is. A lot of colleges seem to over-emphasise the course or the qualification. It's a sad fact, but thousands of new students kick-off study that often sounds spectacular in the sales literature, but which delivers a career that doesn't satisfy. Talk to many university students for examples.

It's well worth a long chat to see what expectations industry may have of you. Which certifications you'll need and how you'll build your experience level. It's definitely worth spending time considering how far you'd like to build your skill-set as it will often force you to choose a particular set of exams. The best advice for students is to talk with highly experienced advisors before they embark on a learning program. This helps to ensure it contains the relevant skills for that career path.

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