As you’re considering studying to get an MCSE, it’s probable that you fall into one of the following categories. You might be ready to enter the world of IT, and you’ve discovered that the industry has a huge demand for people with the right qualifications. Or you might be a knowledgeable person attempting to consolidate your skill-set with a qualification such as MCSE.
Always make sure you prove conclusively that the training company you use is supplying you with the latest level of Microsoft development. Many trainees have come unstuck when it turns out they have been studying for an outdated MCSE course which will have to be revised.
Don’t be pushed into a training program before you feel comfortable. Set your sights on finding a computer training company who will put effort into advising you on a well matched program for your requirements.
Typically, a new trainee will not know to ask about a painfully important area – how their company segments the courseware sections, and into how many bits.
Delivery by courier of each element piece by piece, according to your exam schedule is how things will normally arrive. While sounding logical, you should take these factors into account:
What would their reaction be if you find it difficult to do every module at the speed they required? And maybe you’ll find their order of completion won’t be as easy as some other order of studying might.
For maximum flexibility and safety, many trainees now want to have all their training materials (which they’ve now paid for) sent immediately, and not in a piecemeal fashion. You can then decide in which order and at what speed you’d like to take your exams.
So many training providers only look at the plaque to hang on your wall, and avoid focusing on the reasons for getting there – which is a commercial career or job. You should always begin with the end in mind – don’t get hung-up on the training vehicle.
Don’t let yourself become part of the group who select a program which looks like it could be fun – and get to the final hurdle of an accreditation for something they’ll never enjoy.
It’s a good idea to understand the expectations of your industry. What certifications you’ll be required to have and how you’ll go about getting some commercial experience. You should also spend a little time considering how far you’d like to get as often it can control your selection of exams.
You’d also need help from an advisor that knows the commercial realities of the market you’ve chosen, and who can offer ‘A typical day in the life of’ type of explanation for each job considered. This is incredibly important as you’ll need to know if you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Proper support should never be taken lightly – find a program that includes 24×7 access, as not obtaining this level of support will severely impede your ability to learn.
Email support is too slow, and telephone support is usually to a call-centre which will take the information and email an instructor – who will call back over the next day or so (assuming you’re there), when it’s convenient to them. This is all next to useless if you’re stuck and can’t continue and only have a specific time you can study.
Keep your eyes open for training programs that have multiple support offices across multiple time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to enable simple one-stop access and 24×7 access, when it’s convenient for you, with the minimum of hassle.
Don’t compromise with the quality of your support. The vast majority of students that drop-out or fail, are in that situation because of support (or the lack of).
Commercial certification is now, very visibly, beginning to replace the traditional routes into the IT sector – but why is this the case?
Key company training (to use industry-speak) is far more specialised and product-specific. The IT sector has acknowledged that specialisation is what’s needed to meet the requirements of a technologically complex commercial environment. Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe are the big boys in this field.
Patently, a necessary portion of background knowledge has to be learned, but essential specialised knowledge in the particular job function gives a vendor educated person a real head start.
What if you were an employer – and your company needed a person with some very particular skills. What is easier: Trawl through loads of academic qualifications from hopeful applicants, having to ask what each has covered and which trade skills they’ve acquired, or choose particular accreditations that precisely match your needs, and then select who you want to interview from that. Your interviews are then about personal suitability – rather than establishing whether they can do a specific task.
Copyright 2009 Scott Edwards. Hop over to MCSE 2008 or www.mcse-uk.co.uk.