Working on progressive developments in new technology is about as exciting as it can get. Your actions are instrumental in creating a future for us all. Many people are of the opinion that the revolution in technology we've had over recent years is slowing down. Nothing could be further from the truth. Massive changes are on the horizon, and the internet in particular will be the most effective tool in our lives.

The regular IT technician in the UK is likely to get a lot more than his or her counterpart outside of IT. Standard IT wages are some of the best to be had nationwide. There is a considerable national need for qualified IT professionals. And with the marketplace continuing to expand, it appears there's going to be for years to come.

If Professional IT employment is the end objective, then you might start with training in I.T. Support work. Usually, if you're going to offer software support to users inside a corporate environment, then the MCDST ('Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician') could be suitable. You should generally need about one hundred hours of studying with this grade.

Next, we enter the realms of full Professional IT certification. A common starting point for hardware-support, networking & security jobs are the 'CompTIA A+' and Network+ certifications. Training courses will teach you about hardware and networking installation at a basic level, and also aspects of support, security and administration. Training time is often generally around 200 to 250 hours to cover both courses, which can be reasonably completed in six months on a part time study basis.

In amongst the top nominees for the biggest single let-down for IT trainees is usually having to turn up to 'In Centre' days or workshops. A lot of training academies harp on about the 'benefits' of going in to their classes, but most students end up finding them a thorn in your side due to many reasons:

- Masses of travelling to and from the centre - normally hundreds of miles.

- If you're working, then Mon-Fri workshops cause problems at work. Often you're contending with at least 2, if not 3 days in a row.

- Let us not disregard the lost holiday days. We typically get four weeks vacation allowance. If half is given up to classes, then we haven't got much left for ourselves.

- With the high costs involved, most trainers make the classes quite large - which is not ideal (and far less personal).

- There is often tension in classes where the right pace for one student is not the same as another.

- Add up the cost of all the travel, fares, parking, food and accommodation and you could find yourself astounded. Students mention extra costs of hundreds to thousands of pounds over time. Sit down and add it up - and you'll see how.

- Do you want to risk even a small chance of getting ignored for advancement or income boosts because of your studies.

- It's very common for students not to pose the question that's bugging them - purely because they're amongst other classmates.

- For those of us who need to sometimes live or work away from home, imagine the trouble involved in getting to the necessary events, when time-off becomes even harder to obtain.

The perfect situation comes from viewing a ready-made, videoed lesson - enabling you to learn at a time that's convenient to you alone. Ponder this... Using a notebook PC then you could study wherever you want. And 24x7 support is only a web-browser click away in case you get challenged. You'll never have to write notes again - all the lessons are prepared and laid out for you - ready to go. Anything you want to do over, just do it. The bottom line: Much less stress and hassle, money saved, and no wasted travelling time.

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