In these days of super efficiency, support workers who are able to solve problems with networks and PC's, plus give ongoing solutions to users, are hugely valuable in every part of industry. With the increasingly daunting complexities of technological advances, many more trained staff are needed to look after the various different areas we've come to rely on.

You have to make sure that all your certifications are what employers want - you're wasting your time with programs which provide certificates that are worthless because they're 'in-house'. Unless your qualification is issued by a major player like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA, then it's likely it won't be commercially viable - because it won't give an employer any directly-useable skills.

Being a part of the information technology industry is one of the most exciting and ground-breaking industries that you could be a part of. Being a member of a team working on breakthroughs in technology is to be a part of the massive changes that will affect us all over the next generation. There are people who believe that the technological advancement we've had over recent years is lowering its pace. All indicators point in the opposite direction. We have yet to experience incredible advances, and the internet significantly is going to dominate how we conduct our lives.

A average IT worker in Great Britain will also receive significantly more money than equivalent professionals in another industry. Typical incomes are some of the best to be had nationwide. It's no secret that there is a great country-wide demand for professionally qualified IT workers. Also, with the marketplace continuing to expand, it appears there will be for quite some time to come.

What is the reason why traditional academic studies are less in demand than the more commercial qualifications? With fees and living expenses for university students spiralling out of control, and the IT sector's growing opinion that accreditation-based training often has more relevance in the commercial field, there has been a large rise in Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA authorised training routes that educate students for considerably less. In a nutshell, students are simply taught the necessary specifics in depth. It isn't quite as lean as that might sound, but the principle remains that students need to focus on the exact skills required (alongside some required background) - without attempting to cover a bit about everything else (as degree courses are known to do).

Think about if you were the employer - and your company needed a person with some very particular skills. What should you do: Wade your way through loads of academic qualifications from various applicants, having to ask what each has covered and what trade skills they've mastered, or select a specialised number of commercial certifications that exactly fulfil your criteria, and make your short-list from that. You'll then be able to concentrate on getting a feel for the person at interview - instead of long discussions on technical suitability.

Remember: a actual training or a qualification is not the ultimate goal; a job that you want to end up in is. Too many training companies over-emphasise just the training course. Students often train for a single year but end up doing the job for 20 years. Don't make the error of taking what may be a very 'interesting' program and then spend decades in an unrewarding career!

It's a good idea to understand what expectations industry may have of you. Which qualifications they'll want you to gain and how to gain experience. Spend some time assessing how far you think you'll want to get as it will force you to choose a particular set of qualifications. Seek help from an experienced professional who has commercial knowledge of your chosen market-place, and is able to give you 'A typical day in the life of' understanding of what kinds of tasks you'll be undertaking during your working week. It's good sense to discover if this is the right course of action for you well before you commence your studies. After all, what is the point in kicking off your training and then find you've gone the wrong way entirely.