Computer and network support technicians are constantly sought after in Great Britain, as organisations are becoming more reliant upon their knowledge and skills. Whereupon our society becomes growingly beholden to our PC’s, we simultaneously inevitably become more reliant on the commercially qualified network engineers, who maintain those systems.

Proper support is incredibly important – ensure you track down something that provides 24×7 direct access, as anything less will frustrate you and could hold up your pace and restrict your intake.

Avoid, like the plague, any organisations who use ‘out-of-hours’ call-centres – with your call-back scheduled for 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.

Top training companies use multiple support centres from around the world. They use an online interactive interface to join them all seamlessly, irrespective of the time you login, there is always help at hand, avoiding all the delays and problems.

Always pick a trainer that cares. Only true live 24×7 support provides the necessary backup.

It’s likely that you’ve always enjoyed practical work – the ‘hands-on’ individual. Usually, the world of book-reading and classrooms is something you’ll make yourself do if you have to, but it’s not ideal. Check out video-based multimedia instruction if learning from books is not your thing.

Our ability to remember is increased with an involvement of all our senses – educational experts have expounded on this for decades now.

The latest home-based training features self-contained CD or DVD materials. By watching and listening to instructors on video tutorials you’ll learn your subject via the expert demonstrations. Knowledge can then be tested by utilising the practice lab’s and modules.

Every company that you look at must be able to demonstrate some simple examples of their training materials. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and many interactive sections.

Avoiding training that is delivered purely online is generally a good idea. Always choose CD or DVD based study materials where offered, as you need to be able to use them whenever it’s convenient for you – it’s not wise to be held hostage to your internet connection always being ‘up’ and available.

An advisor that doesn’t ask many questions – it’s more than likely they’re just a salesperson. If someone pushes specific products before looking at your personality and experience, then it’s definitely the case.

Don’t forget, if in the past you’ve acquired any previous certification, then you will often be able to pick-up at a different starting-point to someone new to the industry.

For students starting IT studies and exams as a new venture, it can be helpful to start out slowly, kicking off with some basic PC skills training first. This can be built into most training packages.

Only consider study programs that lead to commercially acknowledged accreditations. There’s a plethora of small companies promoting unknown ‘in-house’ certificates which will prove unusable when it comes to finding a job.

From an employer’s viewpoint, only the major heavyweights like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA (as an example) will open the right doors. Anything less won’t make the grade.