A very small number of men and women in Great Britain are claiming to be happy in their job. The vast majority of course won't do a thing. The fact that you're reading this if nothing else suggests that you've realised change must come.

We suggest that you discuss your ideas first - find an industry expert; an advisor who can discover your ideal job, and analyse the courses you may be suited to:

* Is collaborating with others important to you? Would you prefer to work with a small team or with many new people? Perhaps working alone in a task-based situation could suit you better?

* Banking and building are facing difficulties today, so think carefully about the sector that will answer your needs?

* Once you've qualified, would you like this skill to see you to retirement age?

* Do you think being qualified will allow you to get a good job, and stay employable until your retirement plans kick in?

We would advise you to have a good look at the IT industry - there are greater numbers of positions than staff to fill them, plus it's a rare career choice where the sector is still growing. Contrary to the opinions of certain people, it isn't just geeks staring at their computers all day long (if you like the sound of that though, they do exist.) The vast majority of roles are filled by people like you and me who enjoy better than average salaries.

Those that are drawn to this type of work are usually quite practically-minded, and don't really enjoy classrooms, and slogging through piles of books. If you're thinking this sounds like you, opt for more involving, interactive learning materials, where you can learn everything on-screen. Studies have time and time again confirmed that an 'involved' approach to study, where we utilise all our senses, will more likely produce memories that are deeper and longer-lasting.

Search for a course where you'll receive a selection of CD and DVD ROM's - you'll begin by watching videos of instructors demonstrating the skills, and be able to use virtual lab's to practice your new skills. It would be silly not to view a small selection of training examples before you purchase a course. What you want are videoed instructor demonstrations and a variety of audio-visual and interactive sections.

You should avoid purely online training. Physical CD or DVD ROM materials are preferable where available, so that you have access at all times - it's not wise to be held hostage to your internet connection always being 'up' and available.

The right sort of training course package will undoubtedly incorporate fully authorised exam preparation packages. Steer clear of depending on unofficial preparation materials for exams. The type of questions asked is often somewhat different - and this could lead to potential problems in the actual examination. As you can imagine, it's very important to be confident that you're absolutely ready for the real exam before taking it. Revising mock-up exams adds to your knowledge bank and saves you time and money on wasted exam attempts.

Think about the following facts very carefully if you believe the marketing blurb about an 'Exam Guarantee' sounds great value:

You'll pay for it one way or another. You can be assured it's not a freebie - they've just worked it into the package price. For those who want to pass in one, evidence suggests you must pay for one exam at a time, give it the priority it deserves and apply yourself as required.

Look for the very best offer you can when you take the exam, and avoid college mark-up fees. In addition, it's then your choice where to sit the exam - which means you can stay local. Many current training companies make a great deal of profit because they're asking for all the exam fees up-front then hoping that you won't take them all. Re-takes of any failed exams via training course providers with an 'Exam Guarantee' are always heavily controlled. You will be required to do mock exams until you've demonstrated an excellent ability to pass.

With the average price of Pro-metric and VUE tests in the United Kingdom costing around 112 pounds, the most cost-effective way to cover the cost is by paying when you need them. There's no sense in throwing away maybe a thousand pounds extra at the start of your studies. Study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

For the most part, the normal IT hopeful doesn't have a clue in what direction to head in the IT industry, or which market is worth considering for retraining. Therefore, without any understanding of the IT industry, how are you equipped to know what any qualified IT worker fills their day with? And of course decide on which educational path is the most likely for success. To attack this, there should be a discussion of a number of definitive areas:

* Your individual personality plus what interests you - what work-related things please or frustrate you.

* Is it your desire to pull off a specific goal - for example, being your own boss sometime soon?

* How highly do you rate salary - is it very important, or does job satisfaction rate a lot higher on the priority-scale?

* Getting to grips with what typical Information technology areas and sectors are - plus how they're different to each other.

* What effort, commitment and time you will commit your training.

To bypass all the jargon and confusion, and discover what'll really work for you, have a good talk with an experienced professional; an individual who can impart the commercial reality as well as the certifications.

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