PC and network support workers are more and more sought after in the UK, as institutions become progressively more dependent on their technical advice and ability to fix and repair. Whilst our society becomes growingly dependent on technology, we also inevitably become increasingly more reliant upon the well trained IT networkers, who ensure the systems function properly.

An important area that is sometimes not even considered by those thinking about a course is 'training segmentation'. This basically means how the program is broken down into parts for delivery to you, which can make a dramatic difference to where you end up. Most companies will sell you some sort of program spread over 1-3 years, and drop-ship the materials to you piecemeal as you complete each section or exam. Sounds reasonable? Well consider these facts: Maybe the order of study pushed by the company's salespeople doesn't suit all of us. What if you find it hard to complete all the elements inside of their particular timetable?

Ideally, you'd ask for every single material to be delivered immediately - meaning you'll have all of them to come back to in the future - at any time you choose. This also allows you to vary the order in which you complete your exams if another more intuitive route presents itself.

Be alert that all exams that you're considering will be recognised by employers and are up-to-date. The 'in-house' certifications provided by many companies are usually worthless. Unless the accreditation comes from a conglomerate such as Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA, then it's likely it won't be commercially viable - as no-one will have heard of it.

You'll come across courses which guarantee examination passes - this always means you have to pay for the exams at the very beginning of your studies. However, prior to embracing this so-called guarantee, think about this:

Obviously it's not free - you're still coughing up for it - the cost has just been rolled into the whole training package. Evidence shows that if a student pays for their own exams, at the time of taking them, the chances are they're going to pass every time - because they'll be conscious of the cost and therefore will put more effort into their preparation.

Doesn't it make more sense to not pay up-front, but when you're ready, not to pay any mark-up to a college, and also to sit exams more locally - rather than in some remote centre? A lot of extra profit is netted by a number of companies who get money for exam fees in advance. Many students don't take them for one reason or another and so the company is quids-in. Believe it or not, there are providers that depend on students not taking their exams - and that's how they increase their profits. Most companies will insist that you take mock exams first and with-hold subsequent exam entries from you until you've completely proven that you're likely to pass - which actually leaves you with no guarantee at all.

With average Prometric and VUE examinations coming in at around 112 pounds in the UK, by far the best option is to pay for them as you take them. There's no sense in throwing away maybe a thousand pounds extra at the start of your studies. Consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.

Now, why might we choose commercial certification and not the usual academic qualifications taught at schools and Further Education colleges? With an ever-increasing technical demand on resources, industry has been required to move to specialist courses that can only be obtained from the actual vendors - namely companies like Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe. Often this saves time and money for the student. Essentially, the learning just focuses on what's actually required. It's not quite as straightforward as that, but principally the objective has to be to focus on the exact skills required (along with a certain amount of crucial background) - without overdoing the detail in everything else - in the way that academic establishments often do.

The crux of the matter is this: Accredited IT qualifications tell an employer precisely what skills you have - the title is a complete giveaway: as an example - I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2003'. So an employer can look at the particular needs they have and what certifications are required to perform the job.

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