For anyone interested in an MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) training course, pay attention to the fact that training varies from company to company; and you'll relate to some more than others. You'll come across a range of courses, both if you're new to network support, or an experienced technician ready to gain accredited qualifications. Each category will need a different training track, so make sure you've got the correct program in advance of investing your cash. Search for a training company that takes the time to understand what you're trying to achieve, and will give you direction on what you'll be doing, well before they start talking about courses.

Be careful that the accreditations you're working towards are recognised by industry and are up-to-date. 'In-house' certificates are usually worthless. All the major commercial players like Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe each have globally acknowledged skills courses. These heavyweights will give some sparkle to your CV.

Full support is of the utmost importance - locate a good company offering 24x7 direct access to instructors, as anything less will frustrate you and could hold up your pace and restrict your intake. Find a good quality service with help available at all hours of the day and night (even if it's early hours on Sunday morning!) Make sure it's always access directly to professional tutors, and not a message system as this will slow you down - parked in a queue of others waiting to be called back during office hours.

We recommend looking for colleges that have multiple support offices around the globe in several time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to give a single entry point as well as 24x7 access, when it's convenient for you, with the minimum of hassle. Don't under any circumstances take less than you need and deserve. Direct-access round-the-clock support is the only viable option for IT courses. Perhaps you don't intend to study during the evenings; but for the majority of us however, we're working at the time when most support is available.

A useful feature that several companies offer is a programme of Job Placement assistance. The service is put in place to help you find your first job in the industry. In reality it's not as difficult as you may be led to believe to find the right work - as long as you've got the necessary skills and qualifications; because there's still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.

CV and Interview advice and support should be offered (if it isn't, consult one of our sites). Make sure you polish up your CV immediately - not when you're ready to start work! Quite frequently, you'll land your initial position while you're still a student (even in the early stages). If your course details aren't on your CV (and it's not being looked at by employers) then you don't stand a chance! If it's important to you to find work near your home, then you'll often find that an independent and specialised local employment service might serve you better than a centralised service, for they're going to be familiar with what's available near you.

Certainly ensure you don't invest a great deal of time on your training course, and then do nothing more and leave it up to everyone else to secure your first position. Stand up for yourself and get out there. Channel as much resource into securing the right position as it took to get qualified.

Usually, trainers will provide a big box of books. Learning like this is dull and repetitive and isn't the best way to go about taking things in. Long-term memory is enhanced when multiple senses are involved - learning experts have been saying this for many years.

Courses are now available in disc format, where everything is taught on your PC. Using video-streaming, you are able to see your instructors showing you how to perform the required skill, followed by your chance to practice - with interactive lab sessions. It would be silly not to view some examples of the kind of training materials you'll be using before you sign the purchase order. What you want are video tutorials, instructor demo's and audio-visual elements backed up by interactive lab's.

Avoid training that is purely online. Physical CD or DVD ROM materials are preferable where available, so that you have access at all times - ISP quality varies, so you don't want to be totally reliant on your broadband being 'up' 100 percent of the time.