Finding your first job in the industry can feel more straightforward if you're supported with a Job Placement Assistance facility. Don't get caught up in this feature - it isn't unusual for companies marketing departments to make it sound harder than it is. Ultimately, the need for well trained IT people in this country is the reason you'll find a job.

Nevertheless, don't procrastinate and wait until you have completed your exams before polishing up your CV. As soon as you start a course, mark down what you're doing and place it on jobsites! It's not unusual to find that you will be offered your first position while still studying (even in the early stages). If you haven't updated your CV to say what you're studying (and it hasn't been posted on jobsites) then you don't stand a chance! Normally you'll get better results from a specialist independent regional employment service than any training company's centralised service, as they will be more familiar with the area and local employers.

A big grievance for various training providers is how much people are prepared to work to become certified, but how un-prepared that student is to get the position they've acquired skills for. Don't give up when the best is yet to come.

A major candidate for the biggest single let-down in IT training is often the 'in-centre' workshop requirement. Many training academies wax lyrical on the so-called 'benefits' of these classes, but most students end up finding them a growing difficulty due to:

- Loads of visits to the centre - usually very long trips.

- Availability of classes; often Mon-Fri and sometimes two to three days together. You then have the difficulty of the leave of absence.

- Annual leave lost - a lot of workers are given only twenty days of leave annually. If you give up at least half to your study workshops, you haven't got a great deal of holiday time remaining for the student.

- Training events can 'sell out' fast and will likely end up bigger than you'd hoped.

- The 'pace' - workshops invariably feature trainees of varied abilities, therefore tension develops between students with more background knowledge and the ones who need a little longer.

- The cost of travel - driving to the training centre together with several days accommodation can start to get expensive every time you have to go. If you only assumed a basic 5-10 workshops costing 35 pounds for a single over-night room, plus forty pounds for petrol and 15 pounds for food, that equates to 450-900 pounds of add-on cost.

- The majority of attendees want their training to remain private and therefore avoiding all repercussions in their job.

- Raising questions in a class full of students sometimes makes any one of us feel nervous. Would you admit that you've occasionally avoided posing a question as you honestly thought you might seem thick?

- Often, events become simply impossible to attend, when you live away for part of your week or month.

Why don't you watch on-screen and be trained by teachers one-on-one from pre-filmed lessons, studying them when it's convenient for you, not someone else. Think... Using a laptop then you could work in any location you choose. And 24x7 support is just a web-browser away at times of difficulty. Forget taking notes - all the lessons and background info are laid out on a plate. Anything you want to do over, you've got it all. While this won't take away each and every issue, it surely vastly reduces stress and simplifies things. And you've reduced travel, costs and hassle.

A dedicated language has been formulated for working with & interrogating 'Databases', known as SQL, or 'Structured Query Language'. Knowledge of this specific 'language' is extremely important for anyone considering getting into databases, because it determines exactly how information is filed and extracted. DBA's (Database Administrators) effectively take care of Database information and reporting, whilst 'DB Developers' set-up & design Databases. Database Developers normally also have programming skills to enable them to create database software - this requires a different certification in Visual Basic or C#.

Incorporating exam fees upfront and offering an 'Exam Guarantee' is common for many companies. However, let's consider what's really going on:

Everyone knows they're still being charged for it - it's not so hard to see that it's been added into the full cost of the package supplied by the training provider. It's absolutely not free - don't think these companies are so generous with their money! Trainees who go in for their examinations when it's appropriate, paying for them just before taking them are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They are mindful of their spending and prepare more appropriately to ensure they are ready.

Don't you think it's more sensible to not pay up-front, but at the time, instead of paying a premium to the training course provider, and to do it locally - instead of miles away at the college's beck and call? A lot of extra profit is made by a significant number of organisations who get money for exam fees in advance. A number of students don't take them for various reasons but no refunds are given. Believe it or not, there are companies around who actually rely on students not sitting all the exams - as that's where a lot of their profit comes from. It's also worth noting that exam guarantees often have very little value. The majority of organisations will not pay again for an exam until you've completely satisfied them that you're ready this time.

Prometric and VUE exams are in the region of 112 pounds in this country. Students should be very wary of forking out hundreds of pounds extra in 'Exam Guarantee' fees (usually wrapped up in the course package price) - when good quality study materials, the proper support and exam preparation systems and a dose of commitment and effort are what's required.

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