Just ten percent of adults in the United Kingdom are pleased and contented with their working life. Of course, most will just stay there. The fact that you've got this far at a minimum means that change is beckoning.

It's in your interests that before you start any study program, you discuss your plans with a person who is familiar with the working environment and can advise you. They can assess your personality and help you find your ideal job to train for:

* Would you like to work with others? If so, do you like working with the same people or are you more comfortable dealing with strangers? Maybe you'd rather be left alone to get on with things?

* What ideas do you have regarding the industry you'll be employed in?

* Is it important that this should be the last time you will need more qualifications?

* Would you like your study to be in a market sector where as far as you can see your chances of gainful employment are high up to retirement age?

Consider Information Technology, that will be time well spent - unusually, it's one of the sectors of industry still growing in this country and overseas. And the salaries are much higher than most.

It's likely that you probably enjoy fairly practical work - the 'hands-on' individual. If you're anything like us, the painful task of reading endless manuals would be considered as a last resort, but you'd hate it. Check out video-based multimedia instruction if you'd really rather not use books. Where we can utilise all of our senses into our learning, then we often see hugely increased memory retention as a result.

Search for a course where you're provided with an array of CD and DVD based materials - you'll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, with the facility to fine-tune your skills in fully interactive practice sessions. Every company that you look at must be able to demonstrate samples of the materials provided for study. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and a variety of interactive modules.

You'll find that many companies will only provide training that is purely available online; and although this is okay the majority of the time, consider what happens if your access to the internet is broken or you get a slow connection speed. It is usually safer to have physical CD or DVD discs that will solve that problem.

One useful service that several companies offer is a Job Placement Assistance program. This is designed to assist your search for your first position. Don't get overly impressed with this service - it's quite easy for companies marketing departments to make it sound harder than it is. Ultimately, the massive skills shortage in Britain is why employers will be interested in you.

Ideally you should have help with your CV and interview techniques though; also we would encourage any student to get their CV updated the day they start training - don't delay for when you're ready to start work. Getting your CV considered is more than not being known. Many junior jobs are bagged by trainees who are still at an early stage in their studies. Most often, a specialist independent regional recruitment consultant or service (who will get paid by the employer when they've placed you) should get better results than any sector of a centralised training facility. Also of course they should know the local area and commercial needs.

Do make sure you don't spend hundreds of hours on your training and studies, and then do nothing more and expect somebody else to secure your first position. Take responsibility for yourself and start looking for yourself. Invest the same time and energy into finding a good job as it took to get qualified.