Most training companies will only provide office hours or extended office hours support; not many go late into the evening (after 8-9pm) or cover weekends properly. You'll be waiting ages for an answer with email based support, and telephone support is usually to a call-centre which will just take down the issue and email it over to their technical team - who will attempt to call you within 24-48 hrs, at a suitable time to them. This is no use if you're stuck with a particular problem and can only study at specific times.

The best training colleges opt for an online access round-the-clock package utilising a variety of support centres across the globe. You will be provided with an easy to use environment which seamlessly accesses whichever office is appropriate irrespective of the time of day: Support on demand. Look for an educator that gives this level of learning support. Only proper round-the-clock 24x7 support delivers what is required.

CompTIA 'A+' & 'Network+' are by far and away the most commonly recognised of their certifications. Both of them, as a group, form the foundation for many current IT career tracks - and for good reason. Individuals get to grips with many essential PC concepts with 'A+' , including support, repair, maintenance security, installation and fault-finding. In addition, the A+ handles several relationship building skillsets to help you communicate much better with other people. 'Network+' takes the subject further, by building in a more in depth knowledge of how networks operate & communicate with one another. The very important issue of Security is introduced, & Wireless networks are discussed at an elementary level. Obtaining these two accreditations will give a solid platform for anybody thinking of getting into the systems area of the I.T. marketplace, along with a platform of knowledge for further accreditation.

Workshops can be portrayed as an important element by many certification companies. After talking to many computer industry trainees who have used them, you'll begin to see a common thread - they are viewed as a mistake because of many things:

- The amount of travel required - multiple trips and normally 100's of miles at a go.

- Monday to Friday accessibility for classes can be usual, and trying to take several days leave in a single chunk causes a lot of problems for most working students.

- Annual leave lost - a lot of employed people only get 4 weeks annual leave. If you give up at least half to your training workshops, that doesn't leave much holiday time left for the student.

- Classes usually get too big.

- Many students want to study at a different pace to others in the class. This can create classic classroom tension.

- Soaring travel costs - driving backwards and forwards to the training premises together with over-night bed and breakfast can really add up with each visit. If you only assumed 5-10 classes costing 35 pounds for an over-night room, plus 40 pounds petrol and food at 15.00, we find an extra four to nine hundred pounds of hidden costs that we now have to fund.

- Quite a lot of attendees want to keep their training private thus avoiding all questions in their job.

- Don't think it's unusual for trainees not to pose the question that's bugging them - simply due to the reason that they're with their peers.

- If you on occasion live or work away from home, imagine the increased difficulty in making the needed classes, when time-off becomes even harder to obtain.

Wouldn't it be better to watch on-screen and be trained by industry specialists one-on-one through pre-made modules, taking them at a time that's convenient for you and you alone. Think... If you've got a laptop you're able to study in the garden, a park, or just outside. And 24x7 support is only a web-browser click away when you get challenged. You can come back to any of the modules as often as you want to. And of course, you don't have to make notes because the class is available whenever you want it. The bottom line: Reduced hassle and stress, money saved, and you've got no travelling to do.

A knowledgeable and professional consultant (in direct contrast to a salesman) will ask questions and seek to comprehend your current experience level and abilities. This is useful for working out the starting point for your education. An important point to note is that, if you have some relevant previous certification, then it's not unreasonable to expect to begin at a different level to a student who's starting from scratch. Commencing with a foundation program first may be the ideal way to start into your IT program, depending on your skill level at the moment.

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