Many training providers are still using the rather old-fashioned idea of classroom attendance. Quite often pushed as a positive point, if you track down someone who's been through a few, you'll find them listing some or all of these:

- Constant visits to the training centre - usually quite a distance away.

- Requesting frequent time off work - many companies can only give weekday availability and link several days together. If you're working then this can be difficult, even more so if travelling time is added into the mix.

- Let's not forget lost vacation time. Often, we get four weeks vacation allowance. If over 50 percent is used in classes, then we aren't going to be doing much vacationing.

- Training classes sometimes are over-subscribed, meaning we have to accept the '2nd best' solution.

- There is often tension in many classes where students want to progress at their own pace.

- Rising travel prices - travelling to and from the training college plus bed and breakfast for the night can cost a lot with each visit. Assuming just five to ten centre-days at about thirty-five pounds for a single over-night room, plus 40 pounds petrol and food at 15.00, we find an extra 450-900 pounds of costs that we weren't expecting.

- Most attendees want study privacy to avoid any kind of repercussions whilst in their current job.

- Don't think it's unusual for trainees to keep a question to themselves - just because they're in front of other people.

- You should remember, days in-centre become simply impossible to attend, when you live away for some of the month.

The ultimate convenience rests with watching a ready-made, videoed lesson - giving you the opportunity of instructor-led coaching at a time that's convenient to you alone. Whenever you get stuck, make use of the 24x7 support (that should come with any technical program.) Bear in mind, if your PC is a notebook PC, study can take place anywhere. Lessons and modules can be repeated as often as you want - the more times you cover something - the more you'll remember. And you'll never have to write notes again - it's already laid on. Essentially: You save on money, time, hassle and steer clear of polluting the skies.

Only consider training courses that move onto industry accepted exams. There's a plethora of trainers offering their own 'in-house' certificates which are worthless in today's commercial market. Only properly recognised qualifications from the major players like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco and CompTIA will open the doors to employers.

To gain a particularly well rounded networking career path, you may choose to consider including the Microsoft 'MCSE' or 'MCSA' to your 'A+', 'Network+' & CCNA program. In either case, a conversation about your career-path & learning-style, with a seasoned industry expert or consultant, should be at the head of your list of priorities, to make sure that you get off to the best possible start and escape any frustrating mistakes.

A so-called advisor who doesn't ask many questions - the likelihood is they're really a salesperson. If someone pushes specific products before looking at your personality and whether you have any commercial experience, then you know it's true. With some work-based experience or certification, you may find that your starting point is now at a different level to a new student. It's wise to consider a user-skills course first. It can brush up on your current abilities and make the learning curve a much easier going.

A ridiculously large number of organisations only look at the plaque to hang on your wall, and forget what it's all actually about - which is a commercial career or job. You should always begin with the end goal - don't make the journey more important than where you want to get to. It's common, in many cases, to obtain tremendous satisfaction from a year of studying but end up spending 10 or 20 years in a job you hate, simply because you did it without some quality research when it was needed - at the start.

You need to keep your eye on where you want to go, and formulate your training based on that - don't do it back-to-front. Stay focused on the end-goal and begin studying for an end-result you'll enjoy for years to come. All students are advised to speak with a professional advisor before following a particular study path. This gives some measure of assurance that it has the required elements for the chosen career path.

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