With so many IT courses available, it can be difficult to know which ones best. Find one that's on a par with your personality and your level of ability, and that's in demand in the working environment. If you're thinking about upgrading your IT skill-set, maybe with some office user skills, or possibly becoming professionally qualified, you can choose from many training options.

There are now many user-friendly and sensibly priced options available that will give you all the tools you need.

Generally, the starting point for a complete novice, who just would like to get a basic idea of how to get more from their laptop or computer, is the ECDL. Nearly all home computer systems operate on a system known as "Windows", and your "ECDL" handles the way to work its standard basic elements. You'll discover how you can log on to the internet, and how to access and navigate web pages and handle email. This training program also outlines word processing, spreadsheets & databases.

Moving things a step further, you may be seeking more vocational training to boost your employment prospects. A specialist working expertise in Microsoft 'Office' would be the next obvious move. By far the most practical commercial qualifications covering Office are Microsoft Office Specialist & 'Microsoft Certification Application Specialist' (known recognised in industry as 'MOS' & 'MCAS'). Whilst the first emphasises the Microsoft 'Office' 2003 environment under Windows 'XP', the latter features 'Windows Vista' & Office 2007. XP remains the most used in industry, but 'Vista' might be more useful in the future. Each Microsoft 'Office' application is reviewed seperately with both certifications, specifically - "Word" ('word processing'), 'Excel' (spreadsheets), "Access" (databases) and "Powerpoint" (presentations.) Both are well respected exams & help make things effortless for companies to recognise your advanced capability with the applications.

If you wish to opt for the 1st phases of professional IT accreditation, then User & Systems-support would be a reasonable move. Typically, if you're going to deliver Software Support to others in the corporate environment, then the 'MCDST' ('Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician') may be appropriate. A course of this nature typically requires about one hundred hrs of study time.

We can all agree: There really is pretty much no individual job security available anymore; there's only market or sector security - a company will remove anyone when it meets the company's trade requirements. Of course, a sector experiencing fast growth, with a constant demand for staff (because of a massive shortfall of properly qualified people), enables the possibility of proper job security.

The Information Technology (IT) skills shortage throughout the UK clocks in at around twenty six percent, as noted by the latest e-Skills survey. Alternatively, you could say, this means that the country can only find 3 trained people for every four jobs in existence today. Highly trained and commercially accredited new professionals are thus at a resounding premium, and it seems it will continue to be so for a long time to come. In reality, seeking in-depth commercial IT training during the next few years is very likely the greatest choice of careers you could make.

Authorised exam preparation and simulation materials are a must - and absolutely ought to be sought from your course provider. Avoid relying on unofficial exam preparation questions. The type of questions asked can be quite different - and this could lead to potential problems when the proper exam time arrives. Practice exams are invaluable as a resource to you - so that when you come to take the real thing, you don't get uptight.

Each programme of learning should always lead to a nationally (or globally) recognised qualification at the end - and not some unimportant 'in-house' piece of paper. From the perspective of an employer, only the major heavyweights such as Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA (for instance) give enough bang for your buck. Nothing else hits the mark.