A lot of training companies only give support available from 9-6 (office hours) and sometimes later on specific days; very few go late in the evening or at weekends. Find a good quality service with help available at any time of the day or night (even if it's early hours on Sunday morning!) Ensure you get direct-access to qualified mentors and tutors, and not access to a call-in service which takes messages - so you're waiting for tutors to call you back - probably during office hours.

The most successful trainers incorporate three or four individual support centres active in different time-zones. They use an online interactive interface to join them all seamlessly, no matter what time you login, help is at hand, avoiding all the delays and problems. Don't ever make the mistake of taking second best when you're looking for the right support service. Many IT hopefuls who can't get going properly, are in that situation because of support (or the lack of).

Databases have got their very own language called 'SQL' (Structured Query Language) which is used to decipher information from a standardised Database. 'SQL' is relevant to how information is saved on a database and extracted out of it. Therefore knowledge of the 'language' is vital for anybody looking for a professional level Database position. Developers (DBDs) set-up & design 'databases' for Administrators ('DBA's') to manage, interrogate & create reports about the data. Many Developers are programmers as well, and are able to write software programs for 'databases' in either 'C#' or VB.

If you're like many of the students we talk to then you're quite practically minded - the 'hands-on' person. If you're like us, the painful task of reading endless manuals is something you'll force on yourself if you absolutely have to, but it's not ideal. Check out video-based multimedia instruction if you'd really rather not use books. Memory is vastly improved when multiple senses are involved - experts have been clear on this for years now.

Find a course where you'll get a host of CD or DVD ROM's - you'll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, and then have the opportunity to hone your abilities through virtual lab's. You must ensure that you see some example materials from your chosen company. They have to utilise video demo's and interactive elements such as practice lab's.

Purely on-line training should be avoided. Ideally, you should opt for CD and DVD ROM courseware where offered, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want - you don't want to be reliant on your broadband being 'up' 100 percent of the time.

If an advisor doesn't ask many questions - chances are they're just a salesperson. If they're pushing towards a particular product before getting to know your background and experience, then it's very likely to be the case. Where you have a strong background, or sometimes a little live experience (some industry qualifications maybe?) then it's more than likely the level you'll need to start at will be very different from someone with no background whatsoever. Where this will be your initial stab at studying for an IT examination then it may be wise to begin with some basic PC skills training first.

'Exam Guarantees' are often bundled with training offers - this always means you have to pay for the exams before you've even made a start on the course. But before you get taken in by a course with such a promise, why not look at the following:

You'll be charged for it one way or another. You can be assured it's not a freebie - they've simply charged more for the whole training package. It's well known in the industry that if a student pays for each examination, one at a time, the chances are they're going to pass first time - because they'll be conscious of their investment in themselves and therefore will put more effort into their preparation.

Shouldn't you be looking to go for the best offer when you take the exam, not to pay the fees marked up by a training course provider, and to do it in a local testing office - rather than possibly hours away from your area? A lot of so-called credible training providers make huge profits because they're charging for examinations upfront and hoping that you won't take them all. Most companies will require you to do mock exams and hold you back from re-takes until you have proved to them you have a good chance of passing - which actually leaves you with no guarantee at all.

VUE and Prometric examinations are in the region of 112 pounds in Great Britain. What's the point of paying huge charges for 'Exam Guarantees' (most often hidden in the package) - when a quality course, support and exam preparation systems and a dose of commitment and effort are what's required.

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