Get rid of any salesman that recommends a training program without performing a 'fact-find' to gain understanding of your current abilities as well as level of experience. Make sure they can draw from a wide-enough choice of training products so they can give you an appropriate solution. With a little commercial experience or some accreditation, you may find that your starting point is different from a beginner. If this is your initial crack at studying for an IT examination then you might also want to start out with some basic Microsoft package and Windows skills first.

A subtle way that training companies make extra profits is through up-front charges for exams and offering an exam guarantee. This looks like a great idea for the student, but let's just examine it more closely:

You'll be charged for it one way or another. It's definitely not free - they've just worked it into the package price. The fact is that when students fund their relevant examinations, at the time of taking them, they will be much more likely to qualify each time - as they'll be conscious of what they've paid and will therefore apply themselves appropriately.

Why pay your training college early for examinations? Find the best deal you can at the appropriate time, instead of paying a premium - and take it closer to home - not at somewhere of their bidding. A surprising number of unscrupulous training colleges make a great deal of profit because they're asking for exam fees early then hoping either that you won't take them, or it will be a long time before you do. The majority of organisations will require you to sit pre-tests and with-hold subsequent exam entries from you until you have proved to them you have a good chance of passing - which actually leaves you with no guarantee at all.

The cost of exams was approximately 112 pounds in the last 12 months when taken at VUE or Pro-metric centres in the UK. So don't be talked into shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds more to have 'an Exam Guarantee', when any student knows that what's really needed is a regular, committed, study programme, with an accredited exam preparation system.

Many trainers offer a Job Placement Assistance facility, designed to steer you into your first job. The need for this feature can be bigged up out of proportion though - it's quite easy for eager sales people to overstate it's need. At the end of the day, the massive skills shortage in the UK is what will enable you to get a job.

Help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews should be offered (if it isn't, consult one of our sites). It's essential that you polish up your CV straight away - not when you're ready to start work! A good number of junior support roles have been offered to people who are in the process of training and have yet to take their exams. At least this will get you into the 'maybe' pile of CV's - rather than the 'No' pile. You'll normally experience better performance from a specialist locally based employment agency than you'll get from a training course provider's national service, because they'll know the area better.

A common frustration for many training course providers is how much trainees are prepared to work to become certified, but how un-prepared they are to work on getting the job they're qualified for. Don't falter at the last fence.

Always expect an accredited exam preparation programme included in the package you choose. Avoid depending on non-accredited exam papers and questions. The way they're phrased is sometimes startlingly different - and this leads to huge confusion once in the actual exam. 'Mock' or practice exams are very useful for confidence building - then when the time comes for you to take your actual exams, you will be much more relaxed.

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