Beginning from the viewpoint that it's necessary to locate the market that sounds most inviting first and foremost, before we can contemplate which training program fulfils our needs, how can we choose the right path? What chances do most of us have of understanding what is involved in a particular job when we haven't done that before? We normally have never met anyone who is in that area at all. Deliberation over several factors is imperative if you need to reveal a solution that suits you:

- Your individual personality and what you're interested in - the sort of working tasks you enjoy or dislike.

- Do you want to get qualified due to a particular raison d'etre - e.g. do you aim to work based from home (being your own boss?)?

- Is salary further up on your list of priorities than anything else.

- Many students don't properly consider the amount of work demanded to achieve their goals.

- It makes sense to take in what is different for all the training areas.

To cut through the barrage of jargon, and reveal the best route for you, have an informal chat with an industry expert and advisor; someone that will cover the commercial realities and truth and of course the certifications.

An all too common mistake that many potential students make is to focus entirely on getting a qualification, rather than starting with the desired end-result. Training academies are brimming over with unaware students that chose an 'interesting' course - rather than what would get them the job they want. Students often train for a single year but end up doing the job for 20 years. Don't make the error of taking what may be an 'interesting' course and then spend decades in an unrewarding career!

Stay tuned-in to where you want to get to, and create a learning-plan from that - avoid getting them back-to-front. Keep on track - making sure you're training for a career that will keep you happy for many years. It's worth seeking help from a professional who can best explain the market you're hoping to qualify in, and will be able to provide 'A day in the life of' synopsis for that career-path. This really is of paramount importance as you'll need to fully understand if this change is right for you.

In 2009 both programmes under-went upgrades, and new exams are actually available for each of them. Worldwide the 2006/2007 editions of 'A+' (those with examination prefix number 600) will disappear within the next twelve months. At the end of Aug 2010, the examinations will be retired in Great Britain. Because both these, & the new '700' exams are currently available to sit in 'prometric' & 'Vue' test-centres, it's sensible to study the 700 examinations now, and avoid having to certify again later on. CompTIA A+ Essentials & 'CompTIA' 'A+' Practical Application are the new exam titles (220/701 and 220-702 respectively). The four earlier exams have been stream-lined in to two new exams, and some further updated material has been included. Initially, the A+ was split into four exams: 1 essential & 3 'elective' specialisations. But as the market has moved on, the know-how from all 4 examinations is now regarded as crucial, & consequently has been fine-tuned into two compulsory exams. CompTIA have also introduced the BR/003 'up-grade' test, for trainees accredited in the 600 examinations who need to up-date to the current '700' examinations. Successfully passing the upgrade exam will normally demand additional study, although this ought not to be especially much of a challenge for people who initially studied all 4. Enough training time really should be allowed for the new aspects however.

These qualifications & job-roles are in many cases taken on the way to a advanced IT placement. Before you decide to go for a training course, think about where you plan for your career destination to be. The best way to optimise your career path fully is to take advice from an industry advisor before starting with your training course. Many companies offer 'packaged' career tracks which include these qualifications, and so investing in a career bundle can provide significant financial savings.

Many training companies have a handy Job Placement Assistance service, to help you into your first commercial role. Because of the massive demand for appropriately skilled people in the United Kingdom right now, there isn't a great need to make too much of this option though. It's not as difficult as you may be led to believe to find the right work as long as you're correctly trained and certified.

Advice and support about getting interviews and your CV is sometimes offered (if not, see one of our sites for help). It's essential that you work on your old CV immediately - not after you've qualified! Many junior support jobs are offered to students who are still learning and have yet to take their exams. At least this will get you on your way. The most reliable organisations to help you find a job are usually local IT focused employment agencies. Because they get paid commission to place you, they're perhaps more focused on results.

Various people, it seems, put a great deal of effort into their studies (sometimes for years), and then just stop instead of finding their first job. Promote yourself... Do your best to let employers know about you. Don't expect a job to just fall into your lap.

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