As you're looking to study to get an MCSE, it's probable that you fall into one of the following categories. You might be ready to get into the IT environment, and you've found the industry has a huge demand for qualified people. Alternatively you might be an IT professional looking to formalise your skill set with a qualification such as MCSE.

Take care to ensure you confirm that your provider is supplying you with the latest Microsoft level. Many students become very demoralised when they realise they've been learning from an outdated MCSE course which will require an up-date. Look out for training companies that are only trying to make a sale. Realise that buying an MCSE course is similar to buying a car. They're not all the same; some will be fantastic, whilst others will constantly let you down. A good company will spend time understanding your needs to be sure the course will work for you. If they're confident of their product, you'll be able to see a sample of what you're getting before buying anything.

Validated exam simulation and preparation software is a must - and must be supplied by your training provider. Avoid relying on unauthorised preparation materials for exams. Their phraseology is often somewhat different - and often this creates real issues once in the actual exam. Simulations and practice exams will prove invaluable as a tool for logging knowledge into your brain - so much so, that at the real deal, you don't get phased.

Far too many companies are all about the certification, and completely miss what you actually need - which is of course employment. Always start with the end in mind - too many people focus on the journey. You could be training for only a year and end up doing the job for 20 years. Don't make the error of opting for what may seem to be an 'interesting' training program and then put 10-20 years into an unrewarding career!

Stay focused on where you want to get to, and create a learning-plan from that - don't do it the other way round. Stay on target and ensure that you're training for an end-result you'll enjoy for years to come. It's good advice for all students to speak with an experienced advisor before deciding on their learning program. This gives some measure of assurance that it has the required elements for that career path.

The sometimes daunting task of securing your first role in IT is often relieved by some companies, via a Job Placement Assistance service. Often, too much is made of this feature, for it is actually not that hard for any motivated and trained individual to find work in the IT industry - as employers are keen to find appropriately trained staff.

Advice and support about getting interviews and your CV might be provided (alternatively, check out one of our sites for help). Ensure you polish up your CV immediately - not when you're ready to start work! Getting onto the 'maybe' pile of CV's is more than not being known. Many junior support jobs are offered to students (who've only just left first base.) If it's important to you to find work near your home, then it's quite likely that a specialist independent regional recruitment consultant or service may be of more use than a centralised service, due to the fact that they are much more inclined to know the local job scene.

In a nutshell, if you put as much hard work into securing your first IT position as into studying, you won't find it too challenging. A number of trainees curiously spend hundreds of hours on their training and studies and then just stop once they've got certified and would appear to think that businesses will just discover them.

Make sure that all your exams are what employers want - forget studies that only give in-house certificates. You'll find that only recognised accreditation from the likes of Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe and CompTIA will mean anything to employers.

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