A+ consists of two exams and sections to study, and you're expected to get your exams in each area to be considered A+ competent. Qualifying in CompTIA A+ in isolation will set you up to repair and fix stand alone Macs, computers and laptops; ones that are generally not connected to a network - which is for the most part the home market. If you would like to be someone who is a member of a large organisation - in network support, you'll need to add CompTIA Network+, or consider an MCSA or MCSE with Microsoft because it's necessary to have a better comprehension of how networks function.

Look at the points below and pay great regard to them if you've been persuaded that that old marketing ploy of 'guaranteeing' exams sounds like a benefit to the student:

You're paying for it by some means. You can be assured it's not a freebie - they've just worked it into the package price. Evidence shows that if a student pays for each examination, when they're ready to take them and not before, there's a much better chance they'll pass every time - since they are conscious of their investment in themselves and therefore will put more effort into their preparation.

Hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the time, and avoid college mark-up fees. You also get more choice of where you sit the exam - which means you can stay local. Including money in your training package for examinations (and if you're financing your study there'll be interest on that) is insane. Why fill a company's coffers with your hard-earned cash just to give them a good cash-flow! Some will be pinning their hopes on the fact that you don't even take them all - so they don't need to pay for them. Also, you should consider what an 'exam guarantee' really means. Many training companies will not pay for you to re-take until you can prove to them you're ready to pass.

With average Prometric and VUE tests coming in at approximately 112 pounds in Great Britain, it's common sense to fund them one by one. Why splash out often many hundreds of pounds extra at the beginning of your training? A commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.

With all the options available, is it any wonder that a large percentage of trainees balk at what job they will enjoy. Since having no commercial background in the IT industry, in what way could we know what someone in a particular job does? To attack this, there should be a discussion of many core topics:

* What hobbies you have and enjoy - these often define what areas will give you the most reward.

* Why you're looking at moving into the IT industry - it could be you're looking to conquer a particular goal such as working from home maybe.

* The income needs that guide you?

* Understanding what the main career types and sectors are - and what differentiates them.

* How much effort you will set aside for the training program.

In these situations, your only option to research these areas will be via a meeting with someone who has years of experience in IT (and more importantly the commercial needs.)

Without a doubt: There really is pretty much no personal job security now; there can only be industry and sector security - any company is likely to let anyone go if it meets their business requirements. Whereas a marketplace with high growth, with a constant demand for staff (through a massive shortfall of fully trained staff), opens the possibility of real job security.

The most recent British e-Skills study highlighted that 26 percent of computing and IT jobs haven't been filled because of an appallingly low number of trained staff. That means for every four jobs that are available in the computer industry, there are barely three qualified workers to fill that need. Highly trained and commercially grounded new staff are accordingly at a resounding premium, and it's estimated to remain so for a long time to come. Because the IT sector is developing at the speed it is, there really isn't any other area of industry worth taking into account for your new career.

Many trainers offer a Job Placement Assistance facility, to help you get your first job. Don't get overly impressed with this service - it isn't unusual for their marketing department to make too much of it. The fact of the matter is, the need for well trained IT people in this country is why employers will be interested in you.

However, don't procrastinate and wait until you have qualified before bringing your CV up to date. As soon as your training commences, enter details of your study programme and place it on jobsites! Quite often, you'll land your first job whilst you're still studying (even when you've just left first base). If you haven't updated your CV to say what you're studying (and it's not being looked at by employers) then you aren't even in the running! Generally, a local IT focused employment agency (who will get paid commission to place you) should get better results than any division of a training company. They should, of course, also know the area and local employers better.

In a nutshell, if you put as much hard work into securing a job as into training, you're not going to hit many challenges. Some men and women curiously conscientiously work through their course materials and then call a halt once certified and appear to be under the impression that jobs will come to them.

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