To succeed in business you need many things; vision, drive, organisation and leadership are all fine components. Yet they are also difficult to pin down when fighting for a lucrative campaign or trying to secure that vital promotion. They are luxury qualities, frequently subjective and tricky to categorically prove, but many people obsess over them to the point of excluding or ignoring more fundamental skills.

In today's fiercely competitive business world, strong IT skills are no luxury. They are an absolute, iron clad necessity. If you have inspired vision but lack the wherewithal to communicate it to clients across the world then you have fallen at the first hurdle. A touchstone of organisation in the twenty first century is the ability to master and utilise various forms of mass media and computing technology.

This is why more and more professionals are enrolling on training courses that teach them how to get the most out of Microsoft products and other valuable software. Whether you are a complete novice or just looking to hone your skills in a particular area there will be a course tailored to your specific needs. Any advantage that you can gain in the fast paced corporate environment is surely to be grabbed with both hands.

But what should you look for in a training course? One of the most important factors is accreditation from a respected and authoritative body. If a course is accredited by the Institute of IT Training (IITT) then it is safe to assume that it will be of high quality and professionally run. IITT is the leading Learning and Development institute with 400 organisations accredited to it. The Institute's commitment to improving standards of learning and development means that it will only endorse the most progressive and innovative companies.

Another important thing to consider is class size. Much as with school classrooms the more select the number of students, the more individual focus and attention the tutor is able to provide. A class size of between 6 and 10 is the ideal number for a Microsoft training course and any courses which exceed this amount should be viewed with caution as it is likely that you will not receive adequate personal tuition.

The corporate world is fast paced and constantly changing and it may be that your circumstances alter between the time of booking a course and taking it. Flexibility is key here and a good training company will be able to recognise this fact and accommodate it. On a similar note you should be wary of companies with a high level of course cancellation and opt for a training provider which rarely if ever cancels courses due to lack of demand.

These are merely a few of the tips for selecting a reliable and effective training provider in Microsoft products. Choosing the right course can provide you with the tools to radically enhance your career prospects and equip you with the practical skills to best display your own individual qualities.