If you're reading this there's a good chance that either you're considering a career change into IT and you've heard good things about MCSE's, or you're already in a networking related industry and it's apparent that you can't get any further without the Microsoft qualification.

When researching training companies, be sure to steer clear of those who reduce their out-goings by not providing the current Microsoft version. This is no use to the trainee their knowledge will be of the wrong MCSE version which doesn't correspond to the existing exam programme, so it could be impossible for them to pass. A training provider's focus must be centred on the most for their students, and they should be passionate about getting things right. Career study isn't just about the certification - the procedure must also be geared towards guiding you on the best action plan for your future.

A subtle way that training companies make more money is through up-front charges for exams and offering an exam guarantee. It looks like a good deal, until you think it through:

You'll be charged for it somehow. It certainly isn't free - it's simply been shoe-horned into the price as a whole. Qualifying on the first 'go' is what everyone wants to do. Taking your exams progressively in order and paying as you go makes it far more likely you'll pass first time - you put the effort in and think carefully about the costs.

Go for the best offer you can find at the appropriate time, and save having to find the money early. You also get more choice of where you do your exams - so you can find somewhere local. Big margins are netted by some training companies who incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. A number of students don't take them for various reasons but the company keeps the money. Surprising as it sounds, there are training companies who depend on students not taking their exams - as that's how they make a lot of their profit. It's also worth noting that you should consider what an 'exam guarantee' really means. The majority of organisations will not pay for you to re-take until you've completely satisfied them that you're ready this time.

Average exam fees were approximately 112 pounds in the last 12 months through VUE or Pro-metric centres in the UK. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra for 'Exam Guarantees', when common sense dictates that the best guarantee is consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software.

The sometimes daunting task of landing your first role in IT can be relieved by some companies, via a Job Placement Assistance facility. The honest truth is that it's not as difficult as you may be led to believe to land your first job - once you're trained and certified; the shortage of IT personnel in Britain looks after that.

Having said that, it's important to have help with your CV and interview techniques though; and we'd recommend any student to update their CV right at the beginning of their training - don't procrastinate and leave it until you've qualified. It's possible that you won't have even qualified when you land your first junior support position; but this can't and won't happen unless you've posted your CV on job sites. You can usually expect quicker service from an independent and specialised local recruitment consultancy than you'll experience from any course provider's centralised service, because they'll know the area better.

Certainly be sure that you don't conscientiously work through your course materials, only to stop and leave it up to everyone else to sort out your employment. Stop procrastinating and start looking for yourself. Invest the same energy and enthusiasm into securing the right position as it took to get qualified.

Does job security truly exist anywhere now? In the UK for example, where industry can change its mind at alarming speeds, we'd question whether it does. Whereas a marketplace with high growth, where staff are in constant demand (due to a growing shortfall of commercially certified workers), provides a market for lasting job security.

Recently, a United Kingdom e-Skills survey highlighted that twenty six percent of all available IT positions are unfilled as an upshot of a huge deficit of trained staff. Basically, we only have the national capacity to fill just 3 out of 4 positions in the computer industry. This distressing concept reveals an urgent requirement for more technically accredited computer professionals across the UK. Quite simply, seeking in-depth commercial IT training as you progress through the next year or two is probably the greatest career move you'll ever make.

Cisco Networking CBT PC Self-Study Certification Training >>