Just ten percent of adults in Great Britain are happy with what they do for a living. Inevitably, huge numbers won't do a thing. You've reached this paragraph, which surely indicates that you're considering or may be ready for a change.

We'd politely request that in advance of taking a course of training, you chat with an expert who has knowledge of the industry and can point you in the right direction. They can assess your personality and give you guidance on 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? Maybe you like to deal with tasks that you can get on with on your own?

* What's important that you get from the industry your job is in? (Things do change - look at the building trade, or banks for example.)

* And how many years do you want to get out of your retraining, and will the market sector offer you that opportunity?

* Are you confident that your chosen retraining is commercially viable, and will have the ability to allow you to work up to retirement age?

It would be an idea for you to consider Information Technology - there are greater numbers of positions than employees, because it's one of the few choices of career where the industry is expanding. In contrast to what some people believe, IT is not full of nerdy individuals looking at screens every day (if you like the sound of that though, they do exist.) The vast majority of roles are filled by ordinary people who like receiving larger than average salaries.

Any advisor who doesn't question you thoroughly - chances are they're really a salesperson. If someone pushes specific products before learning about your history and whether you have any commercial experience, then you know you're being sold to. Where you have a strong background, or sometimes a little work-based experience (some certifications gained previously perhaps?) then it could be that your starting level will be quite dissimilar from a trainee who has no experience. Starting with a foundation module first will sometimes be the most effective way to commence your computer program, depending on your current skill level.

Many training companies supply a practical Job Placement Assistance facility, designed to steer you into your first job. The need for this feature can be bigged up out of proportion though - it isn't unusual for their marketing department to overstate it's need. In reality, the still growing need for IT personnel in this country is the reason you'll find a job.

However, don't wait till you have completed your exams before bringing your CV up to date. The day you start training, mark down what you're doing and tell people about it! A good number of junior support roles have been bagged by people who are still studying and have still to get qualified. At least this will get you on your way. Generally, a specialist independent regional employment agency (who will get paid by the employer when they've placed you) will be more pro-active than a centralised training company's service. They should, of course, also be familiar with local industry and the area better.

Many men and women, it seems, spend evenings and weekends on their training and studies (for years sometimes), only to give up at the first hurdle when trying to get a job. Promote yourself... Work hard to let employers know about you. Good jobs don't just knock on your door.

Often, folks don't catch on to what IT is all about. It's electrifying, revolutionary, and means you're a part of the huge progress of technology that will impact the whole world for generations to come. We've only just begun to scrape the surface of how technology is going to shape our lives. The internet will massively transform how we regard and interact with the rest of the world over the coming years.

If money is high on your goal sheet, you'll be pleasantly surprised to hear that the income on average for IT employees in general is considerably higher than salaries in the rest of the economy. As the IT industry keeps developing year on year, one can predict that the need for certified IT professionals will remain buoyant for the significant future.

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