It's really great that you're reading this article! A fraction of the population are happy and satisfied by their jobs, but most of us just bitch about it and take no action. As you've reached this page we have a hunch that you're at least considering retraining, so even now you're ahead of the game. What comes next is discover where you want to go and get going.

It's in your interests that in advance of taking any individual training program, you have a conversation with someone who is familiar with the working environment and can make recommendations. They can assess your personality and assist in finding the right role for you:

* Do you like to be around others at work? Are you better with new people or those you know well? Perhaps you prefer not to be disturbed and enjoy responsibilities that you can complete alone?

* Are you considering which market sector you could be employed in? (With the economic downturn, it's essential to be selective.)

* Is this the last time you want to study, and if it is, will your chosen career path give you scope to do that?

* Would you like your study to be in an industry where you believe your chances of gainful employment are high until your pension kicks in?

We would advise you to really explore the IT industry - there are more roles than people to do them, plus it's a rare career choice where the sector is on the grow. Despite the opinions of certain people, IT isn't all techie people gazing at their computer screens the whole day (some jobs are like that of course.) The majority of jobs are done by ordinary people who enjoy a very nice lifestyle due to better than average wages.

If an advisor doesn't question you thoroughly - it's more than likely they're just a salesperson. If they push a particular product before getting to know your background and experience, then you know it's true. If you have a strong background, or perhaps a bit of commercial experience (some certifications gained previously perhaps?) then obviously the point from which you begin your studies will be very different from a student that is completely new to the industry. For students commencing IT study for the first time, it can be useful to avoid jumping in at the deep-end, by working on some basic Microsoft package and Windows skills first. This can easily be incorporated into most types of training.

Only consider retraining paths that'll grow into industry recognised accreditations. There's an endless list of small colleges promoting their own 'in-house' certificates which aren't worth the paper they're printed on when it comes to finding a job. You'll find that only recognised examinations from the major players like Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA and Adobe will be useful to a future employer.

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