Well done! Discovering this piece means you're likely to be wondering about where you're going, and if you're considering retraining you've even now progressed more than most others. It's a frightening thought that just one in ten of us describe ourselves as fulfilled and satisfied with our jobs - but most won't do a thing about it. Why not break free and make a start - think about how you could enjoy Monday mornings.

We'd strongly advise that prior to beginning a training course, you run through some things with a mentor who can see the bigger picture and can point you in the right direction. They can look at aspects of your personality and give you guidance on the right role for you:

* Would you like lots of contact with people? If so, do you like working with the same people or do you want to meet lots of new people? Maybe you'd rather be left alone to get on with things?

* The building trade and the banking industry are not coping well today, so which sector will be best for you?

* Having completed your retraining, are you hoping your new skills will give you the ability to see you to retirement age?

* Do you expect your new knowledge base to allow you to find new work easily, and be gainfully employed until your retirement plans kick in?

Look at Information Technology, it will be well worth your time - unusually, it's one of the market sectors still on the grow in the UK and Europe. And the salaries are much higher than most.

Exam 'guarantees' are sometimes offered as part of a training package - inevitably that means paying for the exams when you pay for the rest of your course. However, prior to embracing a course with such a promise, why not consider this:

They've allowed costings for it one way or another. You can be assured it's not a freebie - it's just been rolled into the price of the whole package. Students who enter their exams one by one, funding them one at a time are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They are mindful of the cost and prepare more appropriately to ensure they are ready.

Isn't it in your interests to hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take the exam, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance to the training company, and also to sit exams more locally - rather than in some remote centre? Big margins are netted by a number of companies that incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. Many students don't take them for one reason or another and so the company is quids-in. Believe it or not, there are providers who rely on that fact - as that's how they make a lot of their profit. Pay heed to the fact that, with most 'Exam Guarantees' - they control when and how often you can re-take the exam. They'll only allow a re-take once completely satisfied.

Due to typical VUE and Prometric exams coming in at approximately 112 pounds in Great Britain, the most cost-effective way to cover the cost is by paying when you need them. Why splash out often many hundreds of pounds extra at the beginning of your training? Study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

Throw out a salesman who just tells you what course you should do without performing a 'fact-find' so as to understand your abilities plus your experience level. They should be able to select from a large product range so they're actually equipped to give you an appropriate solution. Don't forget, if in the past you've acquired any qualifications that are related, then it's not unreasonable to expect to start at a different point than a student who's starting from scratch. It's usual to start with some basic PC skills training first. This can often make your learning curve a little less steep.

Massive developments are coming via technology as we approach the second decade of the 21st century - and this means greater innovations all the time. We're only just beginning to comprehend what this change will mean to us. How we communicate and interact with everyone around us will be inordinately affected by computers and the internet.

If earning a good living is high on your list of priorities, then you'll appreciate the fact that the average salary for most men and women in IT is much better than with the rest of the economy. The requirement for professionally qualified and skilled IT workers is guaranteed for the significant future, thanks to the ongoing development in this sector and the vast shortage still in existence.

The perhaps intimidating chore of finding your first job is often made easier by training colleges, through a Job Placement Assistance programme. The honest truth is that it's not as difficult as you may be led to believe to find a job - once you're trained and certified; employers in this country need your skills.

One important thing though, avoid waiting until you've passed your final exams before getting your CV updated. The day you start training, list what you're working on and tell people about it! It's possible that you won't have even taken your exams when you will be offered your first junior support role; but this isn't going to happen if your CV isn't in front of employers. Generally, you'll receive quicker service from a specialist locally based employment agency than you'll get from a training company's national service, as they'll know the area better.

In a nutshell, as long as you focus the same level of energy into securing a position as into studying, you're not going to hit many challenges. A number of people inexplicably conscientiously work through their training course and do nothing more once they've passed their exams and would appear to think that businesses will just discover them.

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