If we didn't have a constant influx of trained computer and network support staff, commercial enterprise in Great Britain (as elsewhere) could well run into problems. There is a huge demand for technicians to support systems and users alike. With the increasingly daunting complexities of technological advances, many more trained staff are being sought to look after the various different areas we need to be sure will work effectively.

It can be a nerve-racking task, but securing your first role in IT is often relieved by some companies, via a Job Placement Assistance service. Ultimately it's not as hard as some people make out to secure a job - as long as you're correctly trained and certified; because there's still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.

Help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews is sometimes offered (if it isn't, consult one of our sites). Be sure to you polish up your CV right away - don't wait until you've finished your exams! It can happen that you haven't even taken your exams when you will get your initial junior support job; although this is not possible unless you've posted your CV on job sites. If you'd like to get employment in your home town, then it's quite likely that an independent and specialised local employment service can generally serve you better than some national concern, for they're going to be familiar with the jobs that are going locally.

Do ensure you don't invest a great deal of time on your training course, just to give up and leave it in the hands of the gods to find you a job. Stand up for yourself and get on with the job. Invest the same energy and enthusiasm into getting your new role as it took to pass the exams.

A ridiculously large number of organisations focus completely on the certification process, and completely avoid why you're doing this - which will always be getting the job or career you want. Always start with the end in mind - don't make the vehicle more important than the destination. Imagine training for just one year and then end up doing the job for 20 years. Don't make the error of taking what may be a program of interest to you and then put 10-20 years into a job you hate!

You'll want to understand the exact expectations industry will have. What particular exams you'll be required to have and in what way you can gain some industry experience. It's definitely worth spending time considering how far you reckon you're going to want to build your skill-set as often it can affect your choice of certifications. We'd recommend you always seek guidance and advice from a skilled professional before embarking on a learning path, so there's no doubt that the content of a learning package provides the appropriate skill-set.

One thing you must always insist on is 24x7 round-the-clock support via dedicated instructors and mentors. Too many companies only seem to want to help while they're in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends. Email support is too slow, and so-called telephone support is normally just routed to a call-centre which will take the information and email an instructor - who'll call back sometime over the next 1-3 days, when it's convenient to them. This is not a lot of use if you're stuck and can't continue and only have certain times available in which to do your studies.

Keep your eyes open for study programmes that have multiple support offices from around the world. Each one should be integrated to enable simple one-stop access as well as 24x7 access, when you need it, with no fuss. Don't compromise when you're looking for the right support service. Most would-be IT professionals who fall by the wayside, are in that situation because they didn't get the support necessary for them.

Ignore a salesman that just tells you what course you should do without a decent chat to better understand your current abilities and experience level. Make sure they can draw from a generous range of products so they can give you a program that suits you.. Of course, if you have some relevant accreditation or direct-experience, then you can sometimes expect to pick-up at a different starting-point to a trainee with no history to speak of. If this is your opening stab at an IT exam then you should consider whether to start with user-skills and software training first.

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