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.
As you discover more about computer training companies, ensure that you don’t use those that short-change you by not upgrading their courses to the latest version from Microsoft. Such institutions will hold back the trainee because they’ll have been studying an old version of MCSE which doesn’t match the existing exam programme, so it’s going to be hugely difficult for them to get qualified. Don’t be pushed into a course without the right advice. Find a computer training company that will ensure you are on the best course for your requirements.
A sneaky way that colleges make a lot more is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course then giving it ‘Exam Guarantee’ status. It looks like a good deal, but is it really:
In this day and age, we tend to be a little more ‘marketing-savvy’ – and usually we realise that of course it is something we’re paying for (it isn’t free or out of the goodness of their hearts!) Those who enter their exams one by one, funding them one at a time are much better placed to get through first time. They are thoughtful of the cost and prepare more appropriately to make sure they’re ready.
Don’t you think it’s more sensible to find the best exam deal or offer when you take the exam, instead of paying a premium to a training course provider, and also to sit exams more locally – rather than possibly hours away from your area? Why tie up your cash (or borrow more than you need) for examination fees when you didn’t need to? A great deal of money is made by companies getting paid upfront for exams – and then cashing in when they’re not all taken. The majority of organisations will insist that you take mock exams first and hold you back from re-takes until you’ve proven conclusively that you can pass – which actually leaves you with no guarantee at all.
With average Prometric and VUE exams coming in at around 112 pounds in the UK, it makes sense to pay as you go. Why splash out often many hundreds of pounds extra at the beginning of your training? Consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.
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.
Huge changes are washing over technology over the next generation – and this means greater innovations all the time. We’re in the very early stages of beginning to scrape the surface of how technology is going to shape our lives. The internet will profoundly revolutionise the way we see and interact with the world around us over the coming decades.
Incomes in IT are not a problem moreover – the usual income in the United Kingdom for an average IT worker is considerably better than average salaries nationally. Odds are that you’ll earn a much greater package than you could reasonably hope to get in other industries. The good news is there is no easing up for IT increases across Britain. The market is still growing enormously, and with the skills shortage of over 26 percent that we’re experiencing, it’s highly unlikely that this will change significantly for years 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.
Often, companies will only use training that is purely available online; while you can get away with this much of the time, think what will happen if you lose your internet access or you only get very a very slow connection sometimes. It is usually safer to have CD and DVD ROM materials that will not have these problems.
It can be a nerve-racking task, but getting your first IT job is often eased by training colleges, through a Job Placement Assistance facility. Often, people are too impressed with this facility, because it’s relatively easy for well qualified and focused men and women to secure a job in IT – as employers are keen to find appropriately well trained people.
Get your CV updated straight-away though – you should get plenty of help from your training provider on this. Don’t wait till you’ve finished your exams. It can happen that you haven’t even got to the exam time when you will get your initial junior support position; yet this can’t and won’t happen if interviewers don’t get sight of your CV. The top companies to help get you placed are most often specialist independent regional recruitment consultancies. Because they only get paid when they place you, they’ll work that much harder to get a result.
Certainly ensure you don’t invest a great deal of time on your training course, just to give up and leave it up to everyone else to sort out your employment. Stand up for yourself and get out there. Invest as much resource into finding a good job as you did to get trained.
(C) Jason Kendall. Look at LearningLolly.com for smart advice on MCSE 2008 and MCSE Certification.