Choosing MCSE Courses – What To Look For 2009
March 29, 2009 by Jason Kendall
Filed under Online Colleges
Does an MCSE appeal to you? If the answer’s ‘yes’, there’s a good chance that it’s likely you’ll come into one of two categories: You are a knowledgeable person and you should formalise your skills with the MCSE qualification. Instead this might be your initial foray into the computer world, but it’s apparent to you that there’s a growing demand for people with the right qualifications.
During your research, you will discover training companies that lower their out-goings by not providing the latest Microsoft version. Don’t use training companies like these as you will face problems at exam time. If you’ve been taught an out-of-date syllabus, it is going to be hugely difficult to get qualified. Computer training companies must be completely focused on establishing the best direction for their clients. Directing study is equally concerned with helping people to work out where to go, as well as helping them get there.
Doing your bit in revolutionary new technology is as thrilling as it comes. Your actions are instrumental in defining the world to come. We’ve barely started to get an inclination of how technology will define our world. Computers and the web will significantly alter the way we view and interact with the rest of the world over the coming decades.
Let’s not forget that typical remuneration in the IT market throughout this country is a lot better than average salaries nationally, so in general you’ll more than likely earn considerably more in the IT sector, than you would in most typical jobs. Apparently there’s no end in sight for IT sector expansion in Great Britain as a whole. The industry is continuing to expand quickly, and we don’t have anywhere near enough qualified skilled IT professionals to fill current job vacancies, so it’s most unlikely that there’ll be any kind of easing off for years to come.
So if the computer industry offers some impressive job opportunities for us – what questions do we need to be raising and which factors are important to consider?
Looking at the myriad of choice out there, it’s not really surprising that the majority of students have no idea which career they will follow. Flicking through a list of odd-sounding and meaningless job titles is next to useless. Surely, most of us don’t even know what our next-door neighbours do at work each day – so what chance do we have in understanding the subtleties of a specific IT job. Achieving the right answer really only appears via a methodical analysis of several changing criteria:
* The kind of individual you are – the tasks that you really enjoy, and don’t forget – what makes you unhappy.
* What time-frame are you looking at for the training process?
* What priority do you place on salary vs the travel required?
* There are many different sectors to gain certifications for in computing – it’s wise to achieve a basic understanding of what differentiates them.
* You should also think long and hard about the amount of time and effort you’ll put into your training.
To bypass all the jargon and confusion, and find the best route for you, have an informal meeting with an industry-experienced advisor; an individual that appreciates and can explain the commercial realities as well as each qualification.
The old fashioned style of teaching, involving piles of reference textbooks, is usually pretty hard going. If this sounds like you, look for learning programmes which feature interactive and multimedia modules. Recent studies into the way we learn shows that we remember much more when all our senses are involved, and we put into practice what we’ve been studying.
You can now study via self-contained CD or DVD materials. Real-world classes from the instructors will mean you’ll absorb the modules, one by one, by way of the expert demonstrations. Knowledge can then be tested by using practice-lab’s. It’s very important to see courseware examples from any company that you may want to train through. Be sure that they contain full motion videos of instructors demonstrating the topic with lab’s to practice the skills in.
Select CD and DVD ROM based physical training media in all circumstances. You can then avoid all the difficulties of internet connection failure and issues with signal quality.
Proper support should never be taken lightly – locate a good company offering 24×7 direct access to instructors, as not opting for this kind of support could hold up your pace and restrict your intake. some companies only provide email support (slow), and phone support is often to a call-centre that will chat nicely with you for 5 minutes to ask what the issue is and then simply send an email to an instructor – who will then call back sometime over the next 24hrs, at a suitable time to them. This is no good if you’re sitting there confused over an issue and can only study at specific times.
The best trainers utilise several support facilities around the globe in several time-zones. Online access provides the interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together, any time of the day or night, help is at hand, avoiding all the delays and problems. Never compromise with the quality of your support. Most students who throw in the towel, just need the right support system.
We’re often asked why traditional academic studies are being replaced by more commercial certifications? With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs becoming a tall order for many, together with the IT sector’s recognition that vendor-based training is closer to the mark commercially, we’ve seen a large rise in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA based training programmes that provide key skills to an employee for much less time and money. Many degrees, as a example, often get bogged down in vast amounts of background study – with much too broad a syllabus. Students are then held back from getting enough specific knowledge about the core essentials.
The bottom line is: Accredited IT qualifications give employers exactly what they’re looking for – the title says it all: for example, I am a ‘Microsoft Certified Professional’ in ‘Windows XP Administration and Configuration’. Consequently companies can identify exactly what they need and what certifications will be suitable to deal with those needs.
A subtle way that training providers make a lot more is via an ‘exam inclusive’ package and then including an ‘Exam Guarantee’. This sounds impressive, but let’s just examine it more closely:
Everybody’s aware that they’re still paying for it – it’s obviously already been included in the gross price invoiced by the training provider. It’s definitely not free (it’s just marketing companies think we’ll fall for anything they say!) Should you seriously need to pass first time, then the most successful route is to pay for one exam at a time, focus on it intently and apply yourself as required.
Take your exams somewhere close to home and look for the very best offer you can at the time. Considerable numbers of questionable training companies secure huge profits because they’re getting in the money for examinations upfront and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. Don’t forget, with most ‘Exam Guarantees’ – you are not in control of when you can re-take the exam. You will have to demonstrate an excellent pass-rate before they’ll approve a re-take.
Due to typical VUE and Prometric tests coming in at around 112 pounds in the UK, it makes sense to pay as you go. It’s not in the student’s interests to fork out hundreds or thousands of pounds for exams when enrolling on a course. A commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.
The somewhat scary thought of landing your first IT job can be made easier by some companies, via a Job Placement Assistance facility. Because of the growing need for more IT skills in this country at the moment, there’s no need to place too much emphasis on this feature however. It isn’t so complicated as you might think to find a job once you’re properly qualified.
Get your CV updated straight-away though (advice and support for this should come from your course provider). Don’t delay until you’ve graduated or passed any exams. Being considered a ‘maybe’ is far better than not even being known about. Many junior jobs are bagged by students who are still at an early stage in their studies. If you’d like to keep travelling time and costs to a minimum, then you’ll probably find that a local (but specialised) recruitment consultancy could serve you better than a centralised service, for they’re far more likely to have insider knowledge of the jobs that are going locally.
Just be sure that you don’t put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, and then do nothing more and imagine someone else is miraculously going to secure your first position. Stop procrastinating and make your own enquiries. Put the same resource into securing a good job as you did to gain the skills.
“Just be sure that you don’t put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, and then do nothing more and imagine someone else is miraculously going to secure your first position”
- Very good advice!