Finding the right training course to match industries needs is crucially important in our turbulent times. But it's also just as relevant to select a course that you'll enjoy, that fits your character and ability level. There's a massive choice when it comes to training - right from office user skills up to courses for web designers, networkers programmers etc. Take some counsel prior to committing yourself - discuss your options with somebody who has knowledge of the industry. Someone who can help you choose the right direction for you - that's both relevant to industry and leads to a job you'll love.

By minimising their overheads, training companies now exist with the latest courses that have great quality training and assistance for considerably less money than is asked for by traditional establishments.

Throw out a salesperson who offers any particular course without an in-depth conversation so as to understand your abilities and level of experience. Make sure they can draw from a large stable of training programs from which they could solve your training issues. With a bit of real-world experience or base qualifications, your starting-point of learning is now at a different level to a new student. Starting with a foundation course first is often the best way to get up and running on your IT studies, depending on your skill level at the moment.

Student support is absolutely essential - ensure you track down something offering 24x7 direct access to instructors, as anything else will annoy you and definitely hamper your progress. Look for training where you can access help at any time of day or night (even 1am on Sunday morning!) You want access directly to professional tutors, and not a message system as this will slow you down - consistently being held in a queue for a call-back at a convenient time for them.

The very best training providers use multiple support centres across multiple time-zones. Online access provides the interactive interface to link them all seamlessly, no matter what time you login, help is just a click away, without any contact issues or hassle. Always pick a trainer that offers this level of study support. As only round-the-clock 24x7 support gives you the confidence to make it.

Be watchful that any certifications you're working towards are commercially relevant and are bang up to date. 'In-house' exams and the certificates they come with are not normally useful in gaining employment. Unless the accreditation comes from a major player like Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA or Adobe, then you may discover it will have been a waste of time - because no-one will recognise it.

In most cases, your average student doesn't know how they should get into IT, or even which market they should be considering getting trained in. How can we possibly grasp the many facets of a particular career if we've never been there? Most likely we don't know someone who is in that area at all. Often, the key to unlocking this question appropriately stems from a deep chat, covering a number of areas:

* The sort of person you consider yourself to be - what kind of jobs you get enjoyment from, and conversely - what you definitely don't enjoy.

* What is the time-frame for retraining?

* Have you thought about job satisfaction vs salary?

* There are many ways to train in computing - it's wise to get some background information on what makes them different.

* Taking a cold, hard look at what commitment and time you'll make available.

At the end of the day, your only chance of covering these is through an in-depth discussion with an advisor that knows the industry well enough to lead you to the correct decision.

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