If we didn’t have a regular deluge of knowledgeable network and computer support workers, commerce in the UK (and around the world) would inevitably be drawn to a standstill. There is an on-going requirement for technically able people to support systems and users alike. Our requirement for better skilled and qualified individuals multiplies, as human beings become significantly more beholden to PC’s in these modern times.

How can we go about making a good decision then? With all this potential, we’ll need to know where to be looking – and what we should be searching for.

A ridiculously large number of organisations only look at the plaque to hang on your wall, and completely miss the reasons for getting there – getting yourself a new job or career. Your focus should start with the end goal – don’t get hung-up on the training vehicle. It’s a sad testimony to the sales skills of many companies, but the majority of trainees begin programs that seem spectacular in the marketing materials, but which deliver a career which doesn’t satisfy. Try talking to typical college students for a real eye-opener. It’s a good idea to understand the expectations of your industry. Which particular accreditations you’ll be required to have and how you’ll go about getting some commercial experience. It’s definitely worth spending time thinking about how far you think you’ll want to progress your career as it will often present a very specific set of exams. Always seek guidance and advice from a skilled advisor, even if you have to pay – it’s much safer and cheaper to find out at the start whether your choices are appropriate, instead of discovering following two years of study that you aren’t going to enjoy the job you’ve chosen and have to return to the start of another program.

You should only consider learning programmes that move onto industry approved qualifications. There are far too many trainers promoting unknown ‘in-house’ certificates that are essentially useless when you start your job-search. From an employer’s viewpoint, only top businesses such as Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA or Cisco (as an example) provide enough commercial weight. Anything less won’t make the grade.

Traditional teaching in classrooms, involving piles of reference textbooks, is usually pretty hard going. If this describes you, dig around for more practical courses which have a majority of interactive, multimedia parts. Where possible, if we can get all of our senses involved in our learning, then the results are usually dramatically better. Locate a program where you’ll receive a selection of DVD-ROM’s – you’ll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, and be able to practice your skills in interactive lab’s. All companies must be pushed to demo some samples of the type of training materials they provide. Make sure you encounter videos of instructor-led classes and many interactive sections. You’ll find that many companies will only provide online training only; while you can get away with this much of the time, consider how you’ll deal with it if your access to the internet is broken or you get intermittent problems and speed issues. It’s much safer to rely on physical CD or DVD discs that don’t suffer from these broadband issues.

There is no way of over emphasising this: You have to get round-the-clock 24×7 professional support from mentors and instructors. We can tell you that you’ll strongly regret it if you don’t follow this rule rigidly. Locate training schools where you can access help at all hours of the day and night (no matter if it’s in the middle of the night on a weekend!) You’ll need direct-access to qualified mentors and tutors and not a message system as this will slow you down – constantly waiting for a call-back during office hours. The best training colleges opt for an internet-based round-the-clock system involving many support centres from around the world. You’re offered a simple environment that accesses the most appropriate office irrespective of the time of day: Support available as-and-when you want it. Find an educator that is worth purchasing from. Only proper live 24×7 round-the-clock support delivers what is required.

Consider the points below very carefully if you think the sales ploy of examination guarantees seems like a good idea: Everyone knows they’re ultimately paying for it – it’s not so hard to see that it’s already been included in the overall figure from the course provider. Certainly, it’s not a freebie – don’t think these companies are so generous with their money! Students who go in for their examinations when it’s appropriate, paying for them just before taking them are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They are thoughtful of what they’ve paid and prepare more appropriately to be ready for the task. Don’t you think it’s more sensible to go for the best offer when you’re ready, not to pay any mark-up to a training course provider, and to take it closer to home – instead of the remote centre that’s convenient only to the trainer? A surprising number of questionable training companies secure a great deal of profit through charging for exams at the start of the course then cashing in if they’re not all taken. The majority of companies will require you to sit pre-tests and with-hold subsequent exam entries from you until you have proved to them you have a good chance of passing – making an ‘exam guarantee’ just about worthless. Exams taken at local centres are approximately 112 pounds in Great Britain. Why spend so much more on ‘Exam Guarantee’ costs (often covertly rolled into the cost of the course) – when good quality study materials, the proper support and commitment, effort and practice with quality exam preparation systems are the factors that really get you through.

A question; why might we choose qualifications from the commercial sector instead of familiar academic qualifications taught at schools, colleges or universities? With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs climbing ever higher, alongside the industry’s increasing awareness that vendor-based training is often far more commercially relevant, we have seen a great increase in Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe based training programmes that provide key skills to an employee at a far reduced cost both money and time wise. Academic courses, as a example, clog up the training with vast amounts of loosely associated study – with a syllabus that’s far too wide. This prevents a student from learning the core essentials in sufficient depth. Just as the old advertisement said: ‘It does what it says on the tin’. The company just needs to know where they have gaps and then match up the appropriate exam numbers as a requirement. Then they’re assured that a potential employee can do exactly what’s required.

Massive developments are coming via technology over the next few decades – and the industry becomes more ground-breaking every year. It’s a common misapprehension that the increase in technology we’ve been going through is cooling down. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are huge changes to come, and the internet in particular will become an increasingly dominant part of our lives. Should lifestyle be around the top on your goal sheet, then you’ll welcome the news that the regular income of a typical IT worker is much higher than salaries in other market sectors. Experts agree that there’s a great UK-wide search for certified IT specialists. In addition as the industry constantly develops, it is likely this pattern will continue for a good while yet.

No great accomplishment has ever been achieved without planning. When Sir Edmund Hillary conquered Mount Everest, he wasn’t out for a stroll and all of a sudden found himself at the summit! To make a change to your life you have to plan to make the change or it won’t happen.

The most successful students on any study programme are those who set themselves realistic, achievable goals to get them from A to B. Goals, or targets that stretch you somewhat are vital for consistent effort. Even if the end result falls short of the planned criteria, it’s a likely bet that you’ll be much closer to success than you’d have been without them.

Make a personal contract based on the following 5 D’s to immerse yourself in the positive outcome of your studies. This contract should be written down, and signed.

DEFINE exactly what you expect to get from your efforts, in terms of possessions, income, lifestyle etc. Make a collage of pictures that reflects these things, and look at them regularly (e.g. before your study sessions). The more specifically you define what you want, the better.

DESIRE. Explore your emotions for this one, and dig deep to discover why your studies are important. Is it to prove to yourself or others that you are an achiever, and that you deserve better things? Perhaps you want more control in your life, or maybe it’s a personal challenge.

DEDICATION (the commitment) How much time will you spend studying each week and when? Put it on a calendar, in a diary, or on the fridge! You’ve made an appointment with yourself to fulfil your future, so keep it; it’s really important to put specific time aside to study. Let the people in your life know when that is, so they won’t expect you to do other things at that time (just as they don’t when you go to your job). Psychologically you’ll also find it much easier on yourself if you do this. It means when you’re relaxing you won’t be feeling guilty that you’re not studying, and when you’re studying you won’t be feeling you’re missing out on some other activity.

DETERMINATION. Having a contract with yourself will make you more determined to stick with the programme. You’re the one who will lose out most if you give up on yourself.

DISCIPLINE (to overcome the hard times) – The resolve to work around challenges and not allow them to stop you achieving your goals.

Your contract is a working document designed to assist and strengthen you through the change in your life. Keep it close by, and take time to look at it regularly. Add inspiring thoughts and ideas to it that will keep you on track and spur you on. The more emotionally involved you get with the results of completing your course, the sooner you’ll get through it. Expectation of good things, along with planning and goal-setting, have proven time after time to bring the desired results to fruition.

Our first discussion on deciding if self-improvement was worth the effort or not, left many a bit discouraged. Using Bob Proctor’s Six Minutes to Success as a starting point, we will continue our discussion.

Our discussion centered on if the self improvement industry actually helps people become successful or would they end up successful on there own anyway. I want to believe by using self improvement we can indeed increase are odds of becoming successful.

Yet again I ask, why do only a few make it, while the vast majority who try never accomplish much. I guess if anyone really new the answer, everyone could become successful. The Secret Movie claimed to have the answer, yet how many millions viewed the movie, with no positive results?

Maybe a better answer might relate to individual needs and traits. That their is no one real path to success, no one secret to open your door to wealth or what ever you may be seeking. This allows for individual hope that self improvement is a viable course of action.

For many life is awesome and this is where I believe Six Minutes To Success comes in. While most self Improvement programs, book, audios and DVDs claim they know the way, not Bob Proctors Six Minutes to Success. His videos let you know there is a path, not this is the way and you must follow it.

Certainly the material Bob Proctor offers is similar to many other programs, books and DVDs available, the method is far from the same old techniques. By sending you daily videos, he opens your mind and causes you to think and do what you need to do, not what someone else is telling you will work.

Am I saying Bob Proctor has the key to success? Heck no. Same old – Same old, most of those who try his program will get no results. Yet if you even want to have a chance you have to be able to focus. Focus on the program, Focus on improving, Focus on Consistency and Focus on yourself.

This leads us to the first question, is self improvement worth the effort. I don’t know, only you can answer that. But with a bit of hope and focus, maybe yes.

One factor that I believe is helpful is a mastermind group. Thus in order to help myself and others interested I have started a weekly podcast in which the listeners are able to participate. If this is something you may be interested in, you can out more information at my website 30 wasted years. Six minutes to success is not required to participate.

How many times do frustrated parents correct their kids, only to be told ‘I know that’ by their half-listening offspring? Every mum and dad in that position knows the message hasn’t got through; the child obviously neither knows nor cares, and nothing of value has been learned.

To really get to grips with a subject, it’s vital to always be receptive and open-minded. It’s a common observation that the more you learn, the more you realise how much you don’t know – it’s a sobering thought that every single person in the world knows more about something than you do! This isn’t said to make you feel small, but simply to encourage a thirst for knowledge, rather than being a closed book.

Mentally assuming ‘I know’ is a directive to our inner consciousness that all is well, and there is nothing more to be learned about a subject. Adopting such an ‘ignorance is bliss’ type attitude is hardly conducive to learning and study, as our depth of understanding will always remain shallow.

Going through lessons just to say we’ve done them will achieve nothing if we’re convinced that we know it all. Mentally, the gate is locked, and so new material will go straight over our heads, as if it wasn’t actually there at all. A closed mind won’t even recognise knowledge when it’s presented.

Some people learn new things every year, whereas others just experience the same thing year after year. To get more out of life (and learning), adopt a child-like, inquisitive attitude. That way you’ll see things that others miss, and add more depth and breadth to your personality.

There’s no shame in repeating a topic several times to really get to grips with a subject. Every time you open-mindedly look again at something you already know, you’ll find new titbits of discovery. Think about a film you’ve enjoyed. When you watch it for the second time, you notice more sub-plots, and you pick up on key pieces of dialogue that have more meaning now.

It’s possible that what we thought we knew, wasn’t actually correct in the first place! Only by having an open mind can we look objectively at information, and assess whether we need to re-adjust our thinking to gain true understanding. This takes considerable mental flexibility.

We’ve evolved as a race by being open to new ideas – remember there was a time when people ‘knew’ the world was flat! Steadfastly sticking to an ‘I know’ attitude means we’re at the peak of our ability to learn. Open the floodgates, and there’s no telling how clever we could become…

Years ago, music education was respected as a required course in the public schools starting at elementary and running through middle school levels. Nowadays, music is not considered as important as science, mathematics, English, History, and other classes. Since music is not considered important by many schools, it is considered an outside activity where students can study privately with teachers by paying a fee for the lessons.

However, evidence suggests that children who are allowed to get at least a basic education in the arts, including music, have higher self-esteem, better memory, increased ability to express oneself, a greater ability to work with others and an understanding of teamwork, and even better academic performance. More than that, though, this type of “education” benefits adults, too, even if they don’t start until later in life. Music education is comprised of any musically related class or lesson.

You may for example, decide that you want to learn how to play an instrument and take private lessons. Or if your child is in school, part of his or her education at the elementary level may include taking a general music last two or three days a week and learning the basics of rhythm, singing, and maybe even picking up a musical instrument. As music education progresses, the skills involved to become more complex and specialized.

Nonetheless, what should not be lost is that learning music can be fun. It can even give you the ability to learn more effectively and pick up new skills in other areas of your life, whether you’re a grown-up or a child. Let’s look a little closer just how music can help children and people of all ages, tap into abilities they may not have known they had including emotional and social benefits such as greater self-esteem and self-discipline.

Everyone has a unique learning style when it comes to music, so some may learn faster than others. It is still satisfying to learn an instrument or take voice lessons because you will notice progress in time. You mental process gets a good workout and it helps with reasoning and cognition with adults or young children.

When music students practice and develop the violin or piano skills, they begin with easy melodies and progress into more difficult ones, which subsequently leads to increased self confidence. As a result, they have a sense of achievement and pride in performing well. Learning music then helps build self confidence which leads to belief in oneself in life.

Performing music is a creative means to express oneself. Because music is an art, people can bring out various emotions or feelings through the melody and harmony through a pianist performing, or through the song lyrics through a singer singing. Having music around families, friends or groups help bring people together gives everyone mostly a positive feeling.

If people meet together for a common interest, such as music and take part in a musical activity, they will find that there are a great deal of benefits. People who meet together routinely will find more social connections and have longer lives. Working together with other people helps in reaching some purpose that can be deeply satisfying.