If you're taking a look at some sort of computer training, the first thing to think about is what your actual objective is. Are you thinking of basically developing your ability to work on your PC in your own home, or are you searching for extra in depth training for your Resume or career? And then of course, you might be trying to re-define your career altogether and get into the IT sector itself.

Deciding on what you want to achieve out of your training course should always be your first priority. And then, when you know where you are going, you're able to make appropriate informed decisions on which kind of program will fit your needs. Beginning with the destination in your mind might furthermore keep you from incurring any expensive mistakes.

When you look around the pages of this web-site you'll discover specific pages featuring each of these areas - plus the certification tracks that are needed - so you can check things out a bit more. On the other hand, our free Information pack will give you in-depth advice, and information on how to contact our training professionals.

We are able to separate I.T. career tracks down into a range of different categories - The first is Networking and Support (including Security), second is Programming, third is Databases and the fourth is Web-Design. Each area of expertise requires it's own distinct skill sets and certifications, with an array of qualifications from starter to highly advanced. The large volume of accreditations on offer in these fields may be a little off-putting to a brand new trainee, but this is why a practical careers discussion with an industry advisor can explain what's right for your personality-type, goals and learning-style.

If professional IT work is your ultimate goal, then you might begin with training in I.T. support work. To support employees using computers in the office, you're going to have to have a technical certification like the Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician. You should normally be looking at approximately one hundred hrs of studying at this level.

Next, we get into the realms of full Professional I.T. accreditation. CompTIA offer the most widely accepted entry to industry exams (namely 'A+' and N+) for networking, hardware support and security. Training courses will teach you about hardware and network installation at a basic level, plus aspects of support, security & administration. A program covering both of them should take roughly 200 - 250 hours to complete. This suggests someone learning part-time around a job could be at the accreditation stage in six months' time.

Many people switch into I.T. from very different professions. This can indicate very different starting points, subject to past experience and software-skill expertise. For more advanced courses its advisable to talk your plans through with an advisor who has IT knowledge. But virtually any complete job change plans should be talked over ahead of getting started - its a logical step to ensure the training you select is fit for purpose. Students who do not arrange where they're going from the start often end up throwing away a lot of time and money - which could have been prevented with a very simple 30 minute discussion.

Those who simply would like to have a good knowledge of how to run your laptop or computer for basic operations, the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) is the right program for you. The 'ECDL' will educate you on how to use the standard basic features connected with 'Microsoft Windows', which is the actual Operating System for virtually all PCs. Also it covers getting on to the net, to enable you to utilise email to send & receive messages, and search the whole of the web. You'll also cover the basic principles of word-processing and a little about what databases & spreadsheets can be used for.

Taking things on a stage further, you may perhaps be looking for more professional training to further improve your career prospects. A competent working expertise in Microsoft 'Office' would be your next obvious step. The most practical commercial accreditations teaching Office are Microsoft Office Specialist and 'Microsoft Certification Application Specialist' (known respectively as 'MOS' & 'MCAS'). MOS has been in use for several years and features 'Office' 2003 & 'XP', which is still well used in business. 'MCAS' is based around Office 2007 and Vista, so inevitably offers greater longevity. Each Ms 'Office' application is reviewed seperately with both accreditations, specifically - "Word", 'Excel', 'Powerpoint' & Access - for 'word processing', spread-sheets, presentations & databases. The advantage of acquiring these accreditations is that they prove your in depth skill level at using these applications.

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