The primary Windows software development environment is called MS Visual Studio. C#.Net and VB.Net are generally the preferred 'languages' to learn. Each of them are discussed on the Programming and Development pages on this website. Essentially the most extensively accepted certifications are now the 'Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist' & the 'Microsoft Certified Professional Developer'.

It's not uncommon for companies to offer inclusive exam guarantees - they always involve paying for the exam fees up-front, before you've even made a start on the course. Before you jump at a course with such a promise, why not consider this:

Everyone knows they're still paying for it - obviously it has already been included in the overall figure from the training company. Certainly, it's not a freebie - and it's insulting that we're supposed to think it is! We all want to pass first time. Going for exams one by one and funding them as you go has a marked effect on pass-rates - you revise thoroughly and think carefully about the costs.

Why pay the training college in advance for exams? Go for the best offer at the appropriate time, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance - and do it locally - rather than possibly hours away from your area. Many so-called credible training colleges net big margins because they're getting in the money for examinations upfront and banking on the fact that many won't be taken. Also, 'Exam Guarantees' often aren't worth the paper they're written on. Many training companies will not pay for you to re-take until you can prove to them you're ready to pass.

Exam fees averaged about 112 pounds in the last 12 months via Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So don't be talked into shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds more for 'an Exam Guarantee', when any student knows that the responsible approach is a regular, committed, study programme, with an accredited exam preparation system.

Workshop days get touted as a strong aspect by a lot of trainers. If you talk to most computer industry trainees who have partaken in a couple, you'll find they generally end up being seen as a major problem mainly due to the following:

- Constant long journeys - quite a distance away a lot of the time.

- Availability of classes; normally Monday to Friday and sometimes two to three days together. This can be difficult to get the work-leave.

- If we've got 4 weeks off each year, spending half on educational workshops leaves us with very few opportunities for days off.

- Classes can 'sell out' fast and will likely end up bigger than you'd hoped.

- The 'pace' - workshops invariably feature trainees of varied aptitude, consequently tension can be created between students that want a quicker pace to those with less experience.

- Soaring travel costs - driving to and from the training premises together with several days accommodation can cost a lot each time you attend. If we just assume an average of 5 to 10 centre-days at a cost of 35 pounds for a single over-night room, plus forty pounds for petrol and 15 pounds for food, that becomes a minimum of four to nine hundred pounds of hidden costs on top.

- Many trainees want to keep their training private and therefore avoiding all management questions in their job.

- Surely, all of us at some time have avoided posing that question we were dying to ask, just because we wanted to look smarter?

- More often than not, days in-centre are simply unreachable, when you work or live away for days at a time.

Why not just watch and study with tutors one-to-one via videoed modules, taking them when it's convenient for you, not someone else. Any time you get a problem, make use of the 24x7 support (that should've been packaged with any technical type of training.) You should remember, if you've got a notebook PC, you can study just about anywhere. It's never going to matter how often you want to re-do a section, video teachers won't ever lose patience! And remember, because of this, there's no need to take notes. Everything is there for you to use. Even though this can't completely avoid any normal learning difficulties, it definitely removes stress and makes things simpler. Plus you've got less hassle, travel and costs.

One of the most important things to insist on has to be full 24x7 support through expert mentors and instructors. So many companies we come across will only offer a basic 9am till 6pm support period (maybe later on certain days) with very little availability over the weekend. Never accept training that only supports trainees with an out-sourced call-centre message system outside of normal office hours. Training schools will defend this with all kinds of excuses. The bottom line is - you want support at the appropriate time - not when it suits them.

Keep your eyes open for training programs that have multiple support offices across multiple time-zones. Each one should be integrated to provide a single interface as well as 24 hours-a-day access, when it suits you, with no hassle. Don't compromise where support is concerned. Most IT hopefuls who drop-out or fail, would have had a different experience if they'd got the right support package in the first place.

One feature that several companies offer is job placement assistance. The service is put in place to assist your search for your first position. In reality it's not as difficult as you may be led to believe to get employment - as long as you're correctly trained and certified; the shortage of IT personnel in Britain looks after that.

Nevertheless, don't wait till you've qualified before polishing up your CV. Right at the beginning of your training, mark down what you're doing and tell people about it! Being considered a 'maybe' is far better than not even being known about. A decent number of junior support roles are given to people (sometimes when they've only just got going.) The best services to help get you placed are most often independent and specialised local recruitment services. As they're keen to place you to receive their commission, they'll work that much harder to get a result.

In a nutshell, if you put as much hard work into getting a job as into studying, you won't have any problems. A number of students strangely spend hundreds of hours on their course materials and then call a halt once they've got certified and appear to be under the impression that jobs will come to them.

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