Only one in ten people in the UK today are claiming to be happy in their job. Of course, most will do nothing about it. The fact that you're reading this at least suggests that you're considering or may be ready for a change.

We recommend you seek advice first - talk to a knowledgeable person; an advisor who can discover your ideal job, and then show you the learning programs which will get you there:

* Would you like to work with others? 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?

* Banking and building are not coping well right now, so think carefully about the sector that would suit you best?

* Once your training has been completed, are you hoping your new skills will give you the ability to get you jobs for the rest of your working life?

* Are you concerned about your chances of getting new work, and staying employable until you plan to retire?

Think about the IT sector, that's our best advice - it's one of the few market sectors still on the grow in the UK and Europe. Another benefit is that remuneration packages are much better than most.

Looking at the myriad of choice out there, there's no surprise that nearly all students don't really understand the best career path they could be successful with. Working through lists of IT career possibilities is a complete waste of time. The majority of us don't even know what our own family members do for a living - so we're in the dark as to the intricacies of a specific IT job. Contemplation on many factors is vital if you want to discover the right answer for you:

* Our personalities play an important part - what gets you 'up and running', and what are the areas that ruin your day.

* Is your focus to obtain training due to a specific reason - i.e. are you looking at working from home (self-employment?)?

* Is the money you make further up on your list of priorities than anything else.

* Considering all that computing encapsulates, you really need to be able to understand what's different.

* You'll also need to think hard about the level of commitment you're going to give to your education.

At the end of the day, the most intelligent way of investigating all this is from a good talk with an advisor that knows the industry well enough to be able to guide you.

The way a programme is physically sent to you isn't always given the appropriate level of importance. How many stages do they break the program into? And in what sequence and how fast does each element come? The majority of training companies will set up a program typically taking 1-3 years, and drop-ship the materials to you piecemeal as you pass each exam. Sounds reasonable? Well consider these facts: What if for some reason you don't get to the end of every section? And what if the order provided doesn't meet your requirements? Due to no fault of yours, you might take a little longer and not receive all the modules you've paid for.

To be honest, the perfect answer is to get an idea of what they recommend as an ideal study order, but to receive all the materials up-front. It's then all yours in the event you don't complete everything within their ideal time-table.

One useful service provided by many trainers is a programme of Job Placement assistance. The service is put in place to help you get your first commercial position. In reality it isn't a complex operation to secure the right work - as long as you've got the necessary skills and qualifications; the shortage of IT personnel in Britain looks after that.

One important thing though, don't leave it until you've passed your final exams before updating your CV. As soon as you start studying, list what you're working on and place it on jobsites! It's not unusual to find that you'll secure your initial job while still studying (even when you've just left first base). If you haven't updated your CV to say what you're studying (and it hasn't been posted on jobsites) then you're not even going to be known about! If you'd like to keep travelling time and costs to a minimum, then you'll probably find that a local IT focused recruitment consultancy can generally be more appropriate than a national service, due to the fact that they're going to know what's available near you.

Fundamentally, as long as you focus the same level of energy into landing a job as into training, you're not going to hit many challenges. Some men and women strangely invest a great deal of time on their learning program and then just stop once certified and seem to suppose that interviewers know they're there.

There is a tidal wave of change flooding technology as we approach the second decade of the 21st century - and the industry becomes more ground-breaking every year. Computing technology and communication on the web is going to noticeably alter our lives in the near future; profoundly so.

The average IT professional in the UK will also receive noticeably more money than equivalent professionals outside of IT. Average salaries are hard to beat nationally. Demand for certified IT specialists is certain for a good while yet, thanks to the substantial growth in the marketplace and the huge skills gap that we still have.