The sometimes daunting task of landing your first IT job is often eased by training colleges, through a Job Placement Assistance service. Because of the great need for more IT skills in Great Britain at the moment, there isn't a great need to become overly impressed with this service however. It's not as difficult as you may be led to believe to secure your first job once you're well trained and qualified.

CV and Interview advice and support should be offered (if it isn't, consult one of our sites). Be sure to you work on your old CV straight away - don't leave it till you pass the exams! It's not unusual to find that you'll secure your first position whilst still on the course (even when you've just left first base). If you haven't updated your CV to say what you're studying - or it's not getting in front of interviewers, then you won't even be considered! If you don't want to travel too far to work, then you'll probably find that a specialist independent regional recruitment consultant or service can generally work much better for you than the trainer's recruitment division, because they're going to have insider knowledge of what's available near you.

A common frustration of some training providers is how much trainees are prepared to work to get qualified, but how ill-prepared they are to market themselves for the position they've qualified for. Don't falter at the last fence.

How long has it been since you considered the security of your job? For most of us, this issue only becomes a talking point when something goes wrong. Unfortunately, the painful truth is that job security is a thing of the past, for the vast majority of people. We can however locate market-level security, by looking for areas of high demand, tied with shortages of trained staff.

The computer industry skills-gap in the country clocks in at around twenty six percent, as reported by the latest e-Skills survey. To explain it in a different way, this reveals that the UK is only able to source 3 trained people for every 4 jobs in existence currently. Achieving proper commercial computing qualification is thus a quick route to a continuing and enjoyable career. For sure, it really is a fabulous time for retraining into the IT industry.

Every program under consideration really needs to work up to a commercially valid qualification at the end - not a useless 'in-house' diploma - fit only for filing away and forgetting. The main industry leaders like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco or CompTIA all have widely acknowledged proficiency programs. Huge conglomerates such as these will give some sparkle to your CV.

Generally there are a number of specific career categories for I.T. experts: The first is Networking & Support (including Security), second is Programming and Software Development, the third is Databases and last is Web-Design. Every I.T. group has it's own set of skill specifications, along with related accreditations at a number of different proficiency levels. The choice can seem a bit mind-boggling to anyone who's new to IT. Some parts suit certain individuals more than others, and distinct instruction methods may benefit certain individuals too. Each of these items can be clarified by an industry advisor.

Review the points below in detail if you think the sales ploy of an 'Exam Guarantee' sounds great value:

They've allowed costings for it somehow. It certainly isn't free - they've simply charged more for the whole training package. The honest truth is that when students fund each progressive exam, at the time of taking them, the chances are they're going to qualify each time - as they'll think of their payment and will therefore apply themselves appropriately.

Isn't it in your interests to find the best exam deal or offer at the time, not to pay the fees marked up by the training course provider, and to do it locally - instead of miles away at the college's beck and call? Paying upfront for exams (plus interest - if you're financing your study) is madness. Don't line companies bank accounts with extra money of yours only to please their Bank Manager! There are those who hope that you don't even take them all - so they don't need to pay for them. It's worth noting that exam re-takes through organisations with an 'Exam Guarantee' are tightly controlled. You'll be required to sit pre-tests until you've proven that you're likely to pass.

With average Prometric and VUE examinations coming in at approximately 112 pounds in Great Britain, it's common sense to fund them one by one. There's no sense in throwing away maybe a thousand pounds extra at the start of your studies. Study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

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