Good for you! As you're reading this article you're probably toying with the idea of getting re-qualified for a new job - that means you've already taken one more step than the majority. Very few of us are happy and fulfilled in our work, but it's rare anyone does more than moan. You could be a member of the few who decide to make the change.

Before you make decisions on specific training programs, seek out someone who can help you sort out what to look for. Someone who has the ability to ask questions about your likes and dislikes, and discover what job role you'll be most comfortable with:

* Are you happier left to your own devices at work or perhaps being around others is vital for your sanity?

* Are you thinking carefully about which industry you maybe could work in? (With the economic downturn, it's vital to get it right.)

* Is this the last time you want to study, and based on that, will your chosen career path allow you to do that?

* Do you have niggles about your possibilities of finding new employment, and being in demand in the employment market right up to retirement?

It would be an idea for you to have a good look at Information Technology - there are greater numbers of jobs than people to do them, plus it's a rare career choice where the sector is on the grow. In contrast to the opinions of certain people, IT is not full of nerdy individuals lost in their PC's the whole time (though naturally some jobs are like that.) Most positions are taken by ordinary men and women who enjoy a very nice lifestyle due to better than average wages.

Always expect the latest Microsoft (or Cisco, CompTIA etc.) authorised exam preparation packages. Be sure that the simulated exams are not only asking questions on the correct subjects, but also asking them in the way that the actual final exam will pose them. This completely unsettles people if the phraseology and format is completely different. Be sure to ask for exam preparation tools in order to test your knowledge at any point. Practice or 'mock' exams will help to boost your attitude - then the actual exam is much easier.

Talk to any knowledgeable consultant and they'll entertain you with many awful tales of students who've been sold completely the wrong course for them. Ensure you only ever work with a skilled professional who asks some in-depth questions to uncover the best thing for you - not for their pay-packet! You must establish the very best place to start for you. With a bit of real-world experience or certification, your starting-point of learning is very different to someone completely new. Where this will be your opening stab at studying for an IT examination then you may want to start out with some basic user skills first.

Wouldn't it be great to know for sure that our jobs will always be secure and the future is protected, but the likely scenario for most sectors throughout England at the moment is that the marketplace is far from secure. Of course, a quickly growing market-place, where there just aren't enough staff to go round (due to a massive shortfall of commercially certified workers), opens the possibility of proper job security.

The computer industry skills-gap across Great Britain is standing at just over 26 percent, according to a recent e-Skills survey. Alternatively, you could say, this means that the country is only able to source 3 certified professionals for each 4 job positions available currently. Acquiring full commercial computer exams is accordingly a fast-track to succeed in a continuing as well as pleasing line of work. No better time or market state of affairs is ever likely to exist for getting certified in this swiftly expanding and evolving business.

With so much choice, there's no surprise that a large majority of career changers get stuck choosing the job they will follow. How likely is it for us to understand the many facets of a particular career when we haven't done that before? Maybe we don't know someone who is in that area at all. Getting to an informed conclusion can only grow through a careful analysis covering many shifting criteria:

* Your personal interests and hobbies - these can show the possibilities will satisfy you.

* Are you looking to realise a closely held aspiration - for instance, becoming self-employed in the near future?

* Where is the salary on a scale of importance - is it of prime importance, or is job satisfaction higher up on the priority-scale?

* Looking at the many markets that Information Technology covers, you really need to be able to take in what's different.

* You'll also need to think hard about what kind of effort and commitment that you will set aside for gaining your certifications.

The best way to avoid the industry jargon, and find the most viable option for your success, have an informal meeting with an industry expert and advisor; someone that understands the commercial reality as well as the certifications.

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