Adobe Dreamweaver is the starting point of study for almost all web designers. It's reputed to be the most utilised web-development platform globally. The complete Adobe Web Creative Suite additionally should be understood in detail. This will mean you have knowledge of Action Script and Flash, (and more), and will prepare you for the Adobe Certified Professional or an Adobe Certified Expert accreditation.

Getting to grips with how to make a website just gets you started. Driving traffic, content maintenance and programming database-driven sites should come next. Look for training programmes that also contain modules to include these skills (such as PHP, HTML, MySQL etc.), in addition to search engine optimisation (SEO) and E-Commerce skills.

Consider only learning courses which progress to industry approved exams. There's a plethora of small companies promoting their own 'in-house' certificates which aren't worth the paper they're printed on in the real world. All the major commercial players such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco all have globally approved proficiency programs. These heavyweights will give some sparkle to your CV.

Proper support should never be taken lightly - find a program that includes 24x7 access, as not opting for this kind of support 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 1am on Sunday morning!) Ensure you get direct access to tutors, and not a call-centre that will take messages so you're parked in a queue of others waiting to be called back when it's convenient for them.

Be on the lookout for colleges that incorporate three or four individual support centres active in different time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to enable simple one-stop access and 24x7 access, when it suits you, with no hassle. Unless you insist on 24x7 support, you'll end up kicking yourself. It may be that you don't use it late in the night, but consider weekends, early mornings or even late evenings at some point.

Trainees looking at this market can be very practical by nature, and aren't really suited to the classroom environment, and struggling through thick study-volumes. If you're thinking this sounds like you, try the newer style of interactive study, where everything is presented via full motion video. Recent studies into the way we learn shows that we remember much more when we use all our senses, and we get physically involved with the study process.

Top of the range study programs now offer easy-to-use DVD or CD ROM's. Through instructor-led video classes you'll absorb the modules, one by one, by way of the demonstrations and explanations. Then you test your knowledge by utilising the practice lab's and modules. It's wise to view examples of the courseware provided before you sign the purchase order. The minimum you should expect would be instructor-led video demonstrations and interactive modules with audio-visual elements.

You should avoid purely online training. Always choose CD or DVD based study materials where obtainable, enabling them to be used at your convenience - you don't want to be reliant on a quality and continuous internet connection.

Usually, your average person doesn't know how they should get into Information Technology, or which area they should be considering getting trained in. Scanning lists of IT career possibilities is a complete waste of time. The vast majority of us have no idea what our next-door neighbours do at work each day - so we're in the dark as to the ins and outs of a particular IT career. To get through to the essence of this, we need to discuss a number of definitive areas:

* The type of personality you have as well as your interests - which working tasks please or frustrate you.

* What length of time can you allocate for retraining?

* Have you thought about travelling time and locality vs salary?

* When taking into account all that Information Technology encompasses, it's important to be able to see what is different.

* You should also think long and hard about any sacrifices you'll need to make, as well as what commitment and time that you will set aside for gaining your certifications.

In all honesty, the only way to seek advice on these issues tends to be through a good talk with an experienced advisor who understands computing (and specifically the commercial needs and requirements.)

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