By Jason Kendall

If you’re reading this there’s a good chance that you’re about to make a move into the great world of IT and you’ve heard good things about MCSE’s, or you’re someone with a certain amount of knowledge and it’s apparent that your career is blocked until your get an MCSE.

We’d recommend you prove conclusively that your provider is actually training you on the latest level of Microsoft development. Many students are left in a mess when they discover they’ve been educated in an old version of MCSE which will have to be revised. A company’s mission statement should primarily be on the best thing for their clients, and the whole company should care about their results. Working towards an MCSE isn’t simply about qualifications – it should initially look at helping you to decide on the most valid way forward for you.

Don’t listen to any salesperson who pushes one particular program without a thorough investigation to assess your abilities as well as level of experience. Always check they have access to a expansive choice of training products so they can give you an appropriate solution. If you have a strong background, or maybe some real-world experience (some industry qualifications maybe?) then it’s more than likely the level you’ll need to start at will be different from a student that is completely new to the industry. If you’re a new trainee beginning IT exams and training as a new venture, it can be helpful to break yourself in gently, beginning with some basic user skills first. This can be built into most accreditation programs.

Many commercial training providers only give support to you inside of office hours (typically 9am-6pm) and sometimes a little earlier or later; very few go late in the evening or at weekends. You’ll be waiting ages for an answer with email based support, and phone support is often to a call-centre that will take the information and email an instructor – who’ll call back sometime over the next 1-3 days, at a suitable time to them. This isn’t a lot of good if you’re stuck and can’t continue and only have a specific time you can study.

We recommend looking for colleges that utilise many support facilities across multiple time-zones. Each one should be integrated to provide a single interface together with 24×7 access, when it’s convenient for you, without any problems. Never settle for less than you need and deserve. Online 24×7 support is the only kind to make the grade when it comes to technical study. Maybe burning the midnight-oil is not your thing; usually though, we’re working when traditional support if offered.

One interesting way that training companies make a lot more is via an ‘exam inclusive’ package and offering an exam guarantee. This sounds impressive, but is it really:

Everyone knows they’re still footing the bill for it – it’s obviously been added into the full cost of the package supplied by the course provider. It’s definitely not free (it’s just marketing companies think we’ll fall for anything they say!) For those who want to pass first time, then the most successful route is to fund each exam as you take it, give it the necessary attention and apply yourself as required.

Don’t you think it’s more sensible to not pay up-front, but when you take the exam, not to pay any mark-up to a training college, and to do it locally – instead of the remote centre that’s convenient only to the trainer? Considerable numbers of so-called credible training course providers make a great deal of profit because they’re getting paid for exam fees early then banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. Many training companies will insist on pre-tests and not allow you to re-take an exam until you’ve demonstrated an excellent ability to pass – which makes an ‘Exam Guarantee’ frankly useless.

With average prices for VUE and Pro-metric exams coming in at around 112 pounds in the UK, the most cost-effective way to cover the cost is by paying when you need them. 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.

Now, why is it better to gain commercial qualifications as opposed to more traditional academic qualifications obtained from tech’ colleges and universities? With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs becoming a tall order for many, plus the industry’s recognition that corporate based study often has more relevance in the commercial field, we have seen a great increase in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA authorised training paths that educate students for considerably less. In a nutshell, only required knowledge is taught. Actually, it’s not quite as pared down as that, but the most important function is always to concentrate on the fundamentally important skill-sets (alongside some required background) – without going into too much detail in everything else (as degree courses are known to do).

The crux of the matter is this: Commercial IT certifications give employers exactly what they’re looking for – everything they need to know is in the title: i.e. I am a ‘Microsoft Certified Professional’ in ‘Designing Security for a Windows 2003 Network’. Consequently an employer can identify just what their needs are and which qualifications will be suitable to deal with those needs.

(C) Jason Kendall. Visit http://LearningLolly.com for smart career tips on MCSE Training Course and MCSA MCSE.

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