Are you toying with the idea of doing an MCSE? If so, it’s probable that you’re probably in 1 of 2 situations: You could already be in IT and you want to enhance your CV with the MCSE qualification. In contrast this might be your initial foray into the IT environment, and you’ve discovered there’s a huge demand for men and women who are commercially qualified.
We’d recommend you see evidence that your provider is actually training you on the latest level of Microsoft development. A lot of students have come unstuck when they discover they’ve been educated in an out-of-date syllabus which now needs updating. Avoid the companies who are only trying to make a sale. Ask for comprehensive, personal guidance to ensure you’re registering on the correct course. Resist being forced into a one-size-fits-all course by a second-rate college.
You’ll come across courses which guarantee examination passes – inevitably that means paying for the exams before you’ve even made a start on the course. Before you get carried away with this so-called guarantee, be aware of the facts:
Obviously it isn’t free – you’re still being charged for it – it’s just been wrapped up in the price of the package. The honest truth is that if a student pays for each examination, at the time of taking them, they will be much more likely to pass first time – since they are conscious of what they’ve paid and therefore will put more effort into their preparation.
Find the best exam deal or offer available at the time, and hang on to your cash. You’ll also be able to choose where to take your exam – which means you can stay local. Big margins are made by a significant number of organisations that get money upfront for exam fees. Many students don’t take them for one reason or another but the company keeps the money. Astoundingly enough, there are training companies that actually rely on students not sitting all the exams – as that’s very profitable for them. Additionally, ‘Exam Guarantees’ often aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. Many training companies won’t pay for re-takes until you’ve completely satisfied them that you’re ready this time.
Exams taken at VUE and Prometric centres are approximately 112 pounds in the United Kingdom today. Students should be very wary of forking out hundreds of pounds extra in fees for ‘exam guarantees’ (often covertly rolled into the cost of the course) – when the best course materials, the right level of support and study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.
You have to be sure that all your certifications are commercially valid and current – don’t even consider studies which end up with a useless in-house certificate or plaque. Unless your qualification is issued by a big-hitter like Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco, then you’ll probably find it won’t be commercially viable – as it’ll be an unknown commodity.
Being at the forefront of the cutting-edge of new technology gives you the best job satisfaction ever. You become one of a team of people creating a future for us all. We’re only just starting to understand how all this change will affect us. The way we interact with the world will be significantly affected by computers and the internet.
Always remember that on average, the income of a person in the IT market over Britain as a whole is much higher than in the rest of the economy, therefore you will probably earn significantly more as an IT specialist, than you’d expect to earn elsewhere. Because the IT market sector is still growing nationally and internationally, it’s predictable that demand for certified IT professionals will remain buoyant for quite some time to come.
People attracted to this sort of work are usually quite practically-minded, and don’t really enjoy classrooms, and slogging through piles of books. If you identify with this, use multimedia, interactive learning, where everything is presented via full motion video. Our ability to remember is increased when we use multiple senses – this has been an accepted fact in expert circles for decades now.
Search for a course where you’re provided with an array of DVD-ROM’s – you’ll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, and be able to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills. It’s wise to view a small selection of training examples before you sign the purchase order. The minimum you should expect would be video tutorials, instructor demo’s and a variety of audio-visual and interactive sections.
Avoid training that is purely online. Ideally, you should opt for CD and DVD ROM courseware where offered, so that you have access at all times – and not be totally reliant on your broadband being ‘up’ 100 percent of the time.
Searching for your first position in IT is often made easier with a Job Placement Assistance program. Because of the huge shortage of skills in Britain at the moment, it’s not necessary to place too much emphasis on this feature however. It’s actually not as hard as some people make out to get your first job as long as you’re correctly trained and certified.
Help with your CV and interview techniques should be offered (if it isn’t, consult one of our sites). Ensure you polish up your CV immediately – not when you’re ready to start work! A good number of junior support roles are offered to people who are in the process of training and have yet to take their exams. This will at least get you into the ‘maybe’ pile of CV’s – rather than the ‘No’ pile. If it’s important to you to find work near your home, then you may well find that a specialist locally based employment agency may work much better for you than a national service, due to the fact that they’re going to know the jobs that are going locally.
Various men and women, apparently, are prepared to study their hearts out (for years sometimes), only to do nothing special when trying to get the right position. Promote yourself… Do everything you can to get in front of employers. Good jobs don’t just knock on your door.
(C) Jason Kendall. Hop over to LearningLolly.com for smart advice on MCSE 2003 and MCSE Course.
