Does an MCSE appeal to you? If the answer's 'yes', there's a good chance that you're probably in 1 of 2 situations: You're someone with a certain amount of knowledge and you want to enhance your CV with an MCSE certification. Instead you could be completely new to the computer workplace, and you've discovered that there's a growing demand for men and women who are commercially qualified.

We'd recommend you check that the training company you use is educating you on the latest level of Microsoft development. A number of trainees are left in a mess when they realise they've been learning from an out-of-date syllabus which will have to be revised. Computer training companies must be dedicated to offering the correct route for their clients. Mentoring education is equally concerned with guiding people on establishing which way to go, as much as giving them help to get there.

One interesting way that course providers make a lot more is by charging for exams up-front and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. It looks like a good deal, till you look at the facts:

Thankfully, today we are a tad more knowledgeable about sales gimmicks - and most of us realise that of course we're actually paying for it (it isn't free or out of the goodness of their hearts!) If it's important to you to pass first time, evidence suggests you must pay for one exam at a time, give it the priority it deserves and give the task sufficient application.

Hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the appropriate time, and avoid college mark-up fees. You also get more choice of where you do the examinations - so you can choose somewhere closer to home. Why borrow the money or pay in advance (plus interest of course) on exams when there was no need to? Big margins are netted by organisations charging all their exam fees up-front - and then cashing in when they're not all taken. Re-takes of any failed exams through training companies who offer an 'Exam Guarantee' are tightly controlled. They will insist that you take pre-tests first until you've demonstrated an excellent ability to pass.

With average Prometric and VUE exams costing in the region of 112 pounds in this country, by far the best option is to pay for them as you take them. Not to fork out thousands extra in up-front costs. Consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.

It's quite a normal occurrence for students not to check on a vitally important element - how their company segments the courseware, and into what particular chunks. Students often think it makes sense (when study may take one to three years to gain full certified status,) for a training company to release one section at a time, as you complete each part. Although: What would their reaction be if you find it difficult to do each and every module at the required speed? And maybe you'll find their order of completion won't fit you as well as an alternative path could be.

To be honest, the best solution is to obtain their recommendation on the best possible order of study, but to receive all the materials up-front. Everything is then in your possession if you don't manage to finish within their ideal time-table.

The perhaps intimidating chore of finding your first computer related job is often made easier by some training providers because they offer a Job Placement Assistance service. But don't place too much emphasis on it - it's easy for training companies to overplay it. The fact of the matter is, the need for well trained IT people in Great Britain is why employers will be interested in you.

Update your CV at the beginning of your training though (advice and support for this should come from your course provider). Don't procrastinate and leave it for when you're ready to start work. You may not have got to the stage where you've qualified when you will be offered your first junior support position; but this can't and won't happen if your CV isn't in front of employers. The top companies to help get you placed are generally local IT focused employment agencies. As they will get paid by the employer when they've placed you, they have the necessary incentive to try that bit harder.

A regular aggravation of a number of training providers is how hard people are prepared to study to pass exams, but how little effort that student will then put into getting the role they've trained for. Get out there and hustle - you might find it's fun.

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