.::.Easy Clairvoyance.::.

We all have a great number of demands on our time, and generally if we desire to improve our career prospects, getting educated outside of working hours is what we're faced with. Microsoft certified training could be the answer.

Maybe you'd like to talk to industry experts, who might give you help to sort out whereabouts in industry would work for you, and the kind of responsibilities that are suitable for someone with a personality like yours.

Make sure your training program is tailored to your ability level and skills. The best companies will always guarantee that the training is designed for the career you want to get into.

Some training providers have a handy Job Placement Assistance service, to help you into your first commercial role. The honest truth is that it isn't a complex operation to find the right work - assuming you're well trained and qualified; the shortage of IT personnel in Britain looks after that.

Whatever you do, avoid waiting until you have qualified before polishing up your CV. As soon as you start a course, enter details of your study programme and get promoting!

Getting your CV considered is better than being rejected. A decent number of junior positions are offered to people who are still at an early stage in their studies.

The most reliable organisations to get you a new position are generally local IT focused employment agencies. As they will get paid by the employer when they've placed you, they have more incentive to get on with it.

A good number of students, it would appear, invest a great deal of time on their training course (for years sometimes), and then just stop instead of looking for the right position. Promote yourself... Do everything you can to get yourself known. Don't expect a job to just fall into your lap.

Of all the important things to consider, one of the most essential is always full 24x7 support with dedicated instructors and mentors. Too many companies will only offer a basic 9am till 6pm support period (maybe later on certain days) with very little availability over the weekend.

Be wary of any training providers that use 'out-of-hours' messaging systems - with your call-back scheduled for normal office hours. It's not a lot of help when you've got study issues and could do with an answer during your scheduled study period.

The best training colleges tend to use an online access round-the-clock facility utilising a variety of support centres throughout multiple time-zones. You're offered a single, easy-to-use environment that seamlessly selects the best facility available any time of the day or night: Support when it's needed.

Don't accept second best where support is concerned. Most trainees who fall by the wayside, would have had a different experience if they'd got the right support package in the first place.

With all the options available, does it really shock us that a large majority of newcomers to the industry balk at what job they should even pursue.

I mean, if you don't have any know-how of IT in the workplace, how can you expect to know what someone in a particular field fills their day with? Let alone decide on what educational path would be most appropriate for ultimate success.

To get through to the essence of this, a discussion is necessary, covering many unique issues:

* Your hobbies and interests - these can highlight what things you'll get the most enjoyment out of.

* Are you hoping to re-train for a certain raison d'etre - for example, is it your goal to work based from home (being your own boss?)?

* How highly do you rate salary - is an increase your main motivator, or is day-to-day enjoyment higher up on your list of priorities?

* Learning what the normal IT areas and sectors are - and what makes them different.

* It makes sense to understand what differentiates the myriad of training options.

To cut through all the jargon and confusion, and discover the most viable option for your success, have an informal chat with an industry expert and advisor; an individual that understands the commercial reality whilst covering the certifications.

Beware of putting too much emphasis, as a lot of students can, on the training process. Your training isn't about getting a plaque on your wall; this is about gaining commercial employment. Begin and continue with the end in mind.

Don't let yourself become one of the unfortunate masses who choose a training program that seems 'fun' or 'interesting' - and end up with a certification for a job they hate.

It's a good idea to understand the expectations of your industry. What precise certifications they will want you to have and in what way you can gain some industry experience. It's definitely worth spending time setting guidelines as to how far you reckon you're going to want to go as often it can control your selection of exams.

All students are advised to chat with an industry professional before deciding on their training path. This gives some measure of assurance that it contains the commercially required skills for that career path.