Finding your first job in the industry is often made easier with the help of a Job Placement Assistance facility. Ultimately it isn't so complicated as you might think to secure employment - assuming you're well trained and qualified; the growing UK skills shortage sees to that.

However, don't leave it until you've finished your training before updating your CV. The day you start training, mark down what you're doing and place it on jobsites! A good number of junior support jobs are offered to students who are still studying and have still to get qualified. This will at least get your CV into the 'possible' pile and not the 'no' pile. The most efficient companies to help get you placed are generally local IT focused employment agencies. As they're keen to place you to receive their commission, they have more incentive to get on with it.

Various people, it would appear, are prepared to study their hearts out (sometimes for years), only to do nothing special when looking for the right position. Market yourself... Do your best to let employers know about you. Don't expect a job to just fall into your lap.

Looking at the myriad of choice out there, does it really shock us that nearly all career changers get stuck choosing the job they could be successful with. Because having no commercial skills in IT, how should we possibly be expected to understand what someone in a particular job does? Ultimately, a well-informed decision can only grow from a thorough examination across many altering key points:

- Your personal interests and hobbies - often these define what possibilities will give you the most reward.

- What time-frame are you looking at for the training process?

- What are your thoughts on job satisfaction vs salary?

- With so many areas to train for in the IT industry - there's a need to gain some background information on what differentiates them.

- Having a good look at what commitment and time that you can put aside.

For most people, sifting through all these ideas tends to require the help of an experienced pro who has direct industry experience. And we're not only talking about the accreditations - but the commercial requirements and expectations also.

If you're beginning in this business, it could be wise to preface your database study with some software-support training. Software support will give you some lower level certifications, to help you get your first foot-on-the-ladder, and also provide you with an insight into a different useful aspect of the business. Have a look at the 'Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician' ('MCDST'). The entire professional training track of 'MCDST', 'MCTS' and MCITP could possibly be finished in roughly around one year if you are studying in your spare time outside of employment. Never become pressurised to make all of the right decisions on the best career track on your own though. You need to be sure that the training methods & the actual selected vocation will be good for you, so talk things through with an established I.T. training consultant first. Keep in mind the reason for certification should be to successfully instruct you to do your preferred career - it is not a result in itself, & should always complete that objective at the right price tag & in a fitting manner .

Don't put too much store, like so many people do, on the training process. Training for training's sake is generally pointless; this is about gaining commercial employment. Stay focused on what it is you want to achieve. It's an awful thing, but a large percentage of students begin programs that seem wonderful from the syllabus guide, but which delivers a career that is of no interest at all. Try talking to typical college leavers to see what we mean.

You also need to know your feelings on career progression and earning potential, plus your level of ambition. It's vital to know what (if any) sacrifices you'll need to make for a particular role, which particular exams are needed and how to develop your experience. Seek out help from an industry professional who has commercial knowledge of your chosen market-place, and who can offer 'A typical day in the life of' understanding of what duties you'll be performing with each working day. It makes good sense to understand whether or not this is right for you before you start on any retraining programme. After all, what is the point in kicking off your training only to realise you've made a huge mistake.

When did you last consider the security of your job? For the majority of us, this isn't an issue until something dramatic happens to shake us. However, the reality is that job security simply doesn't exist anymore, for all but the most lucky of us. Where there are rising skills shortages and areas of high demand however, we almost always discover a newly emerging type of security in the marketplace; where, fuelled by the constant growth conditions, employers just can't get the staff required.

Looking at the IT sector, the recent e-Skills investigation demonstrated an over 26 percent shortage in trained professionals. Essentially, we only have the national capacity to fill just three out of each four job positions in IT. This one fact alone highlights why the United Kingdom needs so many more workers to get trained and become part of the IT industry. With the market expanding at such a rate, is there any other sector worth taking into account for retraining.