Through the years, it has to be said, MS have introduced more and more professional certifications - which means that other players in the industry have been required to improve their programs. This means that professional level MS certification is very well thought of through-out the world of IT & I.T. leadership.

Every program under consideration should always lead to a nationally accepted qualification at the end - not a useless 'in-house' printed certificate to hang in your hallway. If your certification doesn't come from a big-hitter like Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe, then chances are it will be commercially useless - because no-one will recognise it.

Don't accept anything less than the most up to date Microsoft (or any other key organisation's) authorised exam preparation packages. Don't fall foul of relying on unofficial preparation materials for exams. The terminology of their questions is often somewhat different - and often this creates real issues when the proper exam time arrives. A way to build self-confidence is if you test your knowledge by doing tests and practice in simulated exam environments to prepare you for taking the actual exam.

Far too many companies are all about the certification, and avoid focusing on what you actually need - which is of course employment. Always begin with where you want to get to - don't make the journey more important than where you want to get to. Imagine training for just one year and then end up doing a job for a lifetime. Ensure you avoid the fatal error of taking what may be an 'interesting' course only to spend 20 years doing a job you hate!

Take time to understand your feelings on career progression and earning potential, and if you're ambitious or not. You should understand what will be expected of you, what particular qualifications are required and where you'll pick-up experience from. Long before starting a study programme, it's good advice to talk through the exact career requirements with an experienced advisor, to make sure the study course covers all that is required.

A number of students assume that the school and FE college route is still the most effective. Why then are commercially accredited qualifications becoming more in demand? Accreditation-based training (in industry terminology) is far more effective and specialised. The IT sector is aware that such specialised knowledge is vital to cope with a technically advancing marketplace. Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA are the big boys in this field. Patently, a certain amount of closely linked detail must be covered, but core specifics in the particular job function gives a vendor trained person a distinct advantage.

Just like the advert used to say: 'It does what it says on the label'. The company just needs to know where they have gaps, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. Then they're assured that a potential employee can do exactly what's required.

CompTIA PC Support Commercial Self-Study Multimedia Courses >>