Both 'DBA's' and DB Developers are likely to be highly methodical & organised people, that have an impressive attention to detail, & enjoy working within small teams, or by themselves. Excellent communication skills can be an advantage, since there'll be frequent inter-action with senior managers. Handling an organisation's databases is quite a position of responsibility - & security is consistently getting to be a bigger subject in this field. Companies look for individuals with some integrity that they're able to rely on 100 percent, and some organisations will in fact expect you to have security clearance before giving you a job. Specialists from business & accountancy environments can become very good 'DBA's', and often the position is a stepping stone to a rather more senior placement within the organisation's hierarchy.

In first place for the most common difficulty for IT students is usually having to turn up to 'In Centre' days or workshops. Many training academies extol the virtues of the plus points of attending, but most students end up finding them a burden to be carried because of:

- Regular travelling - very long trips in more cases than not.

- If, like many of us, you work, then weekday only workshops cause problems at work. You're usually facing 2-3 days at a time as well.

- The majority of us think 20 days holiday per year is not really enough. Knock off a big chunk of this for educational events and see how much more difficult it makes things.

- Workshops can 'sell out' fast and can sometimes be too big - so they're not personal enough.

- Many trainees want to work as quickly as possible, while others are looking to take a more 'steady' pace and not be pushed beyond their comfort-zone. This causes difficulty and tension a lot of the time.

- Don't disregard the added expense of travelling or over-night accommodation either. This may well run to a lot of money - from hundreds to thousands. Work it out - you'll get a shock.

- Training privacy will be of paramount importance to most trainees. There's no need to lose potential advancement, income boosts or accomplishment at work while you're training. If your boss finds out that you're undertaking qualification in another sector, what are they going to be thinking?

- Don't think it's unusual for people not to put a question forward that they would like answered - purely because they're in front of other people.

- There are those of us who on occasion live away for part of the week, consider the added problems of getting to the necessary classes, as time is now more scarce than ever.

Wouldn't it be better to simply watch and gain knowledge from tutors one-on-one from videoed lessons, working on them at your convenience - not somebody else's. Any time you get a problem, use the provided 24x7 live support (that we hope you'll insist on with any technical courses.) Don't forget, if you've got a notebook PC, you can study just about anywhere. Lessons and modules can be repeated whenever it's convenient - doing something over will help you remember it. And note-taking becomes a thing of the past - everything is already done for you already. What could be simpler: No wasted time or money, travelling is avoided; and of course you've got a much more comfortable learning environment.

How the program is actually delivered to you is usually ignored by most students. How is the courseware broken down? And in what order and do you have a say in when you'll get each part? By and large, you'll enrol on a course taking 1-3 years and receive a module at a time. This sounds logical on one level, until you consider this: What if there are reasons why you can't finish each and every exam? What if you don't find their order of learning is ideal for you? Through no fault of your own, you may not meet the required timescales and therefore not end up with all the modules.

To avoid any potential future issues, many trainees now want to have all their training materials (which they've now paid for) posted to them in one go, with nothing held back. You can then decide at what speed and in which order you'd like to work.

It would be sensible if you're just starting out to begin your career path with training in software-support. Software support will give you some entry level certifications, to assist you to get your first IT job, and offer you an understanding of a further invaluable facet of the industry. Look into the 'Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician' ('MCDST'). A full package of MCDST, 'MCTS' & MCITP might be anticipated to be achieved in about five-hundred hours of part-time training, consequently making it manageable for one year's part-time study. Much like any career track though, we urge you to think carefully ahead of deciding on your options. You need to be sure that the teaching practices and the chosen profession will be good for you, so talk things through with a knowledgeable IT training advisor first. Just remember the object of certification should be to properly equip you for your chosen career - it is not an end in itself, and should always fulfil that aim at the right fee and in the best way .

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