Many different computer courses are around for people hoping to get into working with computers. To find one that will suit you, look at organisations with advisors who can find out which career will match your personal profile, and give you an understanding of the details of the job, to help you clearly understand whether you're going to enjoy it. There's a wide range of courses to choose from. Some people get started on User Skills from Microsoft, whilst others want to get their teeth into Programming, Web Design, Networking or Databases - and all can be catered for. However, don't pluck a course out of the air. We recommend you talk to a company who has knowledge of the IT industry, and will guide you to where you want to go.

All those at the very start of their computer literacy learning-curve should go for the ECDL. Most home PC's carry a system known as 'Windows', and your 'ECDL' goes over the way to run its basic elements. You will get to know more about the way to login to the internet, and the way to get on to and find your way around website pages and handle e-mail. A bit is also covered on how to use spreadsheets and do some word processing.

If you need to enhance your skill set for career related purposes, you might choose to have some more specialised training. A specialist working expertise in 'Microsoft Office' would be your next obvious step. The main qualifications are the Microsoft 'Office Specialist' ('MOS') or the Microsoft Certified Application Specialist ('MCAS'.) The 'MOS' emphasises the Microsoft Office 2003 environment in Windows XP (which is still essentially the most commonly used commercially), whereas the 'MCAS' emphasises Windows Vista and 'Office' 2007, so could be better suited for the future. There are different examinations for both that go into 'Excel' for 'spreadsheets', "Access" for data-bases, PowerPoint for 'presentations' & Word for word-processing. These accreditations will reveal to an employer how you're effectively trained to use these packages to their maximum level.

If professional IT work is your end ambition, then you might begin with instruction in I.T. support work. The Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST) is an excellent certification if you're aiming to provide technical help for commercial users. Allow for about 100 hours of training time for you to acquire this standard of qualification.

By utilising modern training techniques and keeping overheads low, there is a new type of training provider offering a finer level of teaching and assistance for very competitive prices.

Without a doubt: There's very little evidence of personal job security available anymore; there can only be market or business security - a company will let anyone go when it suits their business interests. Of course, a marketplace with high growth, with a constant demand for staff (because of a massive shortfall of trained professionals), creates the conditions for lasting job security.

Offering the computer market for instance, the last e-Skills survey demonstrated a skills gap throughout Great Britain of over 26 percent. Basically, we only have the national capacity to fill three out of 4 positions in the computer industry. Properly qualified and commercially grounded new employees are therefore at a complete premium, and it looks like they will be for a long time to come. It would be hard to imagine if a better time or market settings will exist for getting trained into this hugely increasing and developing business.

Ignore the typical salesperson who recommends a training program without a thorough investigation to gain understanding of your current abilities plus your level of experience. Make sure they can draw from a generous stable of training programs from which they could give you an appropriate solution. With a bit of live experience or certification, it may be that your starting point of study is not the same as someone new to the industry. Starting with a basic PC skills module first may be the ideal way to get into your IT studies, but really depends on your level of familiarity with computers.

It's essential to have an authorised exam preparation system included in your course. Sometimes people can find themselves confused by practising exam questions that don't come from authorised sources. Sometimes, the question formats and phraseology can be quite different and you need to be ready for this. Simulations and practice exams are enormously valuable in helping you build your confidence - so much so, that at your actual exams, you won't be worried.