Should you be wanting to study a course to qualify for an MCSE, you're probably in 1 of 2 situations. You could be about to come into the computer world, and you've found the IT industry has lots of demand for people with the right qualifications. Alternatively you possibly are already a professional ready to gain accreditation with the MCSE qualification.
We'd recommend you check that the training provider you're using is actually training you on the most up-to-date Microsoft version. Many trainees become very demoralised when it turns out they have been studying for an outdated MCSE course which now needs updating.
Look out for training colleges who are simply out to sell something. Understand that buying a course for an MCSE is like buying a car. They are not all equal; some are reliable and will get you there in comfort, whilst some will be a big disappointment. A conscientious organisation will spend time understanding your needs to check you've got the correct course. If they're confident of their product, you'll be shown samples of it prior to the sale.
A service that several companies offer is a programme of Job Placement assistance. This is designed to help you get your first commercial position. Sometimes, people are too impressed with this facility, as it's relatively easy for any motivated and trained individual to land work in the IT industry - as employers are keen to find appropriately skilled employees.
However, avoid waiting until you have passed your final exams before getting your CV updated. As soon as you start a course, enter details of your study programme and get promoting!
Various junior support jobs are offered to people who are in the process of training and haven't got any qualifications yet. This will at least get your CV into the 'possible' pile and not the 'no' pile.
If you'd like to get employment in your home town, then you'll probably find that an independent and specialised local employment service could serve you better than a national service, as they're far more likely to be familiar with what's available near you.
A constant frustration of some course providers is how hard trainees are focused on studying to become certified, but how un-prepared that student is to get the job they've studied for. Get out there and hustle - you might find it's fun.
So, why might we choose commercial qualifications as opposed to more traditional academic qualifications obtained from schools and Further Education colleges?
With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs becoming a tall order for many, along with the IT sector's growing opinion that accreditation-based training is closer to the mark commercially, there has been a big surge in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA certified training routes that provide key skills to an employee at a fraction of the cost and time involved.
They do this through honing in on the skills that are really needed (alongside an appropriate level of associated knowledge,) instead of going into the heightened depths of background non-specific minutiae that academic courses can get bogged down in - to pad out the syllabus.
The crux of the matter is this: Accredited IT qualifications let employers know exactly what you're capable of - everything they need to know is in the title: for example, I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2003'. So employers can look at the particular needs they have and which qualifications are needed for the job.
One area often overlooked by potential students weighing up a particular programme is the concept of 'training segmentation'. Essentially, this is the method used to break up the program for delivery to you, which can make a dramatic difference to where you end up.
Training companies will normally offer some sort of program spread over 1-3 years, and courier the materials in pieces as you finish each section. Sounds reasonable? Well consider these facts:
What happens when you don't complete each and every exam? And what if the order provided doesn't meet your requirements? Because of nothing that's your fault, you may go a little slower and not receive all the modules you've paid for.
For the perfect solution, you want everything at the start - so you'll have them all to come back to at any time in the future - irrespective of any schedule. This also allows you to vary the order in which you move through the program if you find another route more intuitive.
The classroom style of learning we remember from school, utilising reference manuals and books, is an up-hill struggle for the majority of us. If you're nodding as you read this, check out study materials which have a majority of interactive, multimedia parts.
If we're able to study while utilising as many senses as possible, then we often see hugely increased memory retention as a result.
Find a course where you'll get a host of CD or DVD ROM's - you'll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, and then have the opportunity to hone your abilities through virtual lab's.
It's imperative to see some example materials from each company you're contemplating. You'll want to see that they include instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab's.
Many companies provide training that is purely available online; sometimes you can get away with this - but, consider what happens if you lose your internet access or you get slow speeds and down-time etc. It is usually safer to have DVD or CD discs that removes the issue entirely. - 30202
We'd recommend you check that the training provider you're using is actually training you on the most up-to-date Microsoft version. Many trainees become very demoralised when it turns out they have been studying for an outdated MCSE course which now needs updating.
Look out for training colleges who are simply out to sell something. Understand that buying a course for an MCSE is like buying a car. They are not all equal; some are reliable and will get you there in comfort, whilst some will be a big disappointment. A conscientious organisation will spend time understanding your needs to check you've got the correct course. If they're confident of their product, you'll be shown samples of it prior to the sale.
A service that several companies offer is a programme of Job Placement assistance. This is designed to help you get your first commercial position. Sometimes, people are too impressed with this facility, as it's relatively easy for any motivated and trained individual to land work in the IT industry - as employers are keen to find appropriately skilled employees.
However, avoid waiting until you have passed your final exams before getting your CV updated. As soon as you start a course, enter details of your study programme and get promoting!
Various junior support jobs are offered to people who are in the process of training and haven't got any qualifications yet. This will at least get your CV into the 'possible' pile and not the 'no' pile.
If you'd like to get employment in your home town, then you'll probably find that an independent and specialised local employment service could serve you better than a national service, as they're far more likely to be familiar with what's available near you.
A constant frustration of some course providers is how hard trainees are focused on studying to become certified, but how un-prepared that student is to get the job they've studied for. Get out there and hustle - you might find it's fun.
So, why might we choose commercial qualifications as opposed to more traditional academic qualifications obtained from schools and Further Education colleges?
With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs becoming a tall order for many, along with the IT sector's growing opinion that accreditation-based training is closer to the mark commercially, there has been a big surge in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA certified training routes that provide key skills to an employee at a fraction of the cost and time involved.
They do this through honing in on the skills that are really needed (alongside an appropriate level of associated knowledge,) instead of going into the heightened depths of background non-specific minutiae that academic courses can get bogged down in - to pad out the syllabus.
The crux of the matter is this: Accredited IT qualifications let employers know exactly what you're capable of - everything they need to know is in the title: for example, I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2003'. So employers can look at the particular needs they have and which qualifications are needed for the job.
One area often overlooked by potential students weighing up a particular programme is the concept of 'training segmentation'. Essentially, this is the method used to break up the program for delivery to you, which can make a dramatic difference to where you end up.
Training companies will normally offer some sort of program spread over 1-3 years, and courier the materials in pieces as you finish each section. Sounds reasonable? Well consider these facts:
What happens when you don't complete each and every exam? And what if the order provided doesn't meet your requirements? Because of nothing that's your fault, you may go a little slower and not receive all the modules you've paid for.
For the perfect solution, you want everything at the start - so you'll have them all to come back to at any time in the future - irrespective of any schedule. This also allows you to vary the order in which you move through the program if you find another route more intuitive.
The classroom style of learning we remember from school, utilising reference manuals and books, is an up-hill struggle for the majority of us. If you're nodding as you read this, check out study materials which have a majority of interactive, multimedia parts.
If we're able to study while utilising as many senses as possible, then we often see hugely increased memory retention as a result.
Find a course where you'll get a host of CD or DVD ROM's - you'll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, and then have the opportunity to hone your abilities through virtual lab's.
It's imperative to see some example materials from each company you're contemplating. You'll want to see that they include instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab's.
Many companies provide training that is purely available online; sometimes you can get away with this - but, consider what happens if you lose your internet access or you get slow speeds and down-time etc. It is usually safer to have DVD or CD discs that removes the issue entirely. - 30202
About the Author:
(C) Jason Kendall. Pop over to LearningLolly.com for in-depth career advice on MCSE 2008 Certification and MCSE 2008 Training.
