You should feel pleased that you're on the right track! Only one in ten folks enjoy their work and find it stimulating, but the majority just bitch about it and take no action. Because you've done research we have a hunch that you've a personal interest in re-training, so you've already stood out from the crowd. The next step is to find out more and then take action.

With regard to individual training courses, discuss your thoughts with an industry expert who can talk you through which area will be right for you. A person who will get a feel for your personality, and discover what job role you'll be most comfortable with:

* Is working with other people your thing? Are you better with new people or those you know well? Or are you better with things that you can get on with on your own?

* What criteria do you have with regard to the industry you're looking to get into?

* Is it important that this should be the last time you'll have to retrain?

* Do you think being qualified will give you the chance to find the work you're looking for, and be gainfully employed until you choose to stop?

The largest sector in Great Britain to tick all of the above boxes is the computer industry, particularly IT. There's a demand for more qualified workers in this sector, simply have a look at a local jobsite and you'll see for yourself. However, it's not only geeky nerds sitting in front ofscreens the whole time - there are many more roles than that. Most of the people in the computer industry are people of average intelligence, with well paid and stimulating jobs.

Many trainers supply a practical Job Placement Assistance program, to help you into your first commercial role. With the great demand for appropriately skilled people in this country even when times are hard, there's no need to make too much of this option though. It isn't so complicated as you might think to secure your first job once you're trained and certified.

Work on polishing up your CV right away however - look to your training company for advice on how to do this. Don't procrastinate and leave it till you've finished your exams. You may not have got to the stage where you've qualified when you land your first junior support position; although this isn't going to happen if your CV isn't in front of employers. The top companies to get you a new position are most often specialist locally based employment services. As they're keen to place you to receive their commission, they're perhaps more focused on results.

Fundamentally, if you put the same amount of effort into getting your first job as into training, you won't find it too challenging. A number of students strangely conscientiously work through their course materials and do nothing more once they've got certified and would appear to think that businesses will just discover them.

Frequently, the everyday student doesn't have a clue how they should get into Information Technology, or which market is worth considering for retraining. Scanning long lists of different and confusing job titles is just a waste of time. Most of us don't really appreciate what our next-door neighbours do at work each day - so what chance do we have in understanding the subtleties of any specific IT role. Usually, the way to come at this question correctly lies in a full discussion of some important points:

* Your personality type plus what interests you - the sort of working tasks please or frustrate you.

* What time-frame are you looking at for retraining?

* Have you thought about salary vs job satisfaction?

* Understanding what typical IT roles and sectors are - and what makes them different.

* The time and energy you're prepared to spend on your training.

To completely side-step all the jargon and confusion, and find the best route for you, have a good talk with an industry-experienced advisor; a person who appreciates and can explain the commercial realities whilst covering each qualification.

Be on the lookout that any accreditations you're studying for are commercially relevant and are bang up to date. The 'in-house' certifications provided by many companies are usually worthless. The main industry leaders such as Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA or Adobe have internationally acknowledged skills programs. These heavyweights can make sure you stand out at interview.

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