Only one in ten people in this country are pleased and contented with their working life. The vast majority of course will just stay there. The fact that you've got this far at a minimum indicates that you know it's time to make a change.

We'd strongly advise that before you start a training course, you run through some things with a mentor who knows the industry and can make recommendations. They can assess your personality and help you sort out a role to fit you:

* Would you like lots of contact with people? If so, do you want a team or are you hoping to meet new people? Alternatively, do you like to deal with your responsibilities alone?

* The building trade and the banking industry are facing difficulties today, so it's important to look very carefully at what sector would give you the most options?

* Once your training has been completed, would you like your skills to serve you till you retire?

* Do you expect your new knowledge base to make it easier to get a good job, and remain in employment until your retirement plans kick in?

A predominant industry in the United Kingdom that can satisfy a trainee's demands is Information Technology. There is a requirement for greater numbers of knowledgeable workers in the industry, just search any jobsite and you will find them yourself. However, it's not full of techie geeks gazing towards theirscreens all day long - there are many more roles than that. Large numbers of the people in the computer industry are people of average intelligence, with jobs they enjoy and better than average salaries.

A number of trainees assume that the school and FE college track is still the best way into IT. So why then is commercial certification slowly and steadily replacing it? Corporate based study (in industry terminology) is far more effective and specialised. Industry is aware that a specialist skill-set is essential to meet the requirements of a technologically complex marketplace. Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA are the big boys in this field. Vendor training works by honing in on the skill-sets required (together with a relevant amount of associated knowledge,) as opposed to spending months and years on the background non-specific minutiae that computer Science Degrees often do (because the syllabus is so wide).

When it comes down to the nitty-gritty: Accredited IT qualifications give employers exactly what they're looking for - the title is a complete giveaway: i.e. I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Planning and Maintaining a Windows 2003 Infrastructure'. Consequently an employer can identify just what their needs are and what certifications will be suitable to deal with those needs.

Those that are drawn to this type of work are often very practical, and aren't really suited to the classroom environment, and poring through books and manuals. If this could be you, opt for more involving, interactive learning materials, where you can learn everything on-screen. Learning psychology studies show that memory is aided when we involve as many senses as possible, and we get practically involved in what we're studying.

Find a course where you'll receive a library of CD and DVD based materials - you'll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, and be able to practice your skills in interactive lab's. It's imperative to see examples of the study materials provided by any company that you may want to train through. Be sure that they contain instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab's.

You should avoid purely online training. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where available, as you need to be able to use them whenever it's convenient for you - and not be totally reliant on your internet connection always being 'up' and available.

Lately, do you find yourself questioning your job security? For most of us, this issue only becomes a talking point when we experience a knock-back. However, the lesson often learned too late is that true job security is a thing of the past, for most of us. Where there are growing skills shortages mixed with increasing demand however, we always hit upon a new kind of market-security; where, fuelled by a continual growth, organisations just can't get enough staff.

The computing Industry skills shortfall around Great Britain currently stands at approx twenty six percent, according to the most recent e-Skills survey. That means for each four job positions that exist around IT, there are barely three qualified workers to fulfil that role. Gaining in-depth commercial computer qualification is consequently a 'Fast Track' to succeed in a long-term as well as worthwhile career. Surely, it really is the very best time to retrain into the IT industry.

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