By: Jason Kendall

Are you toying with the idea of doing an MCSE? If the answer’s ‘yes’, there’s a good chance that you’ll fall into one of two camps: You could already be in IT and you’d like to gain accreditation with an MCSE. Alternatively this could be your first step into commercial IT, and you’ve discovered there’s lots of demand for people with the right qualifications.

When researching training companies, make it a policy to stay away from those who reduce their out-goings by failing to use the latest Microsoft version. This is no use to the trainee their knowledge will be of an out-of-date syllabus which doesn’t correspond to the present exams, so they’ll probably fail. Don’t use training companies that are just interested in your money. Advisors should be helping to ensure you’re on the right course for you. Resist being forced into a standard product by a second-rate college.

Consider the points below in detail if you’re inclined to think that old marketing ploy of examination guarantees seems like a good idea:

They’ve allowed costings for it by some means. One thing’s for sure – it isn’t free – it’s simply been shoe-horned into the price as a whole. If you want to get a first time pass, then you should pay for one exam at a time, prioritise it appropriately and apply yourself as required.

Doesn’t it make more sense to go for the best offer at the time, not to pay any mark-up to a training company, and to do it locally – instead of the remote centre that’s convenient only to the trainer? Big margins are secured by some training companies that incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. For various reasons, many students don’t take their exams but no refunds are given. Amazingly, there are training companies who depend on students not taking their exams – and that’s how they increase their profits. It’s worth noting that exam re-takes via training course providers who offer an ‘Exam Guarantee’ are monitored with tight restrictions. You’ll be required to sit pre-tests until you’ve demonstrated an excellent ability to pass.

Splashing out often many hundreds of pounds extra on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is foolish – when study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will get you through.

You should look for authorised exam simulation and preparation programs included in the package you choose. As most examination boards in IT are from the USA, you need to become familiar with their phraseology. It’s no use simply going through the right questions – it’s essential that you can cope with them in the proper exam format. Be sure to have some simulated exam questions so you can check your understanding at any point. Practice or ‘mock’ exams add to your knowledge bank – so you’re much more at ease with the real thing.

Many trainers provide a bunch of books and manuals. This isn’t very interesting and not a very good way of remembering. Memory is vastly improved when we use multiple senses – learning experts have been saying this for many years.

Learning is now available in the form of CD and DVD ROM’s, so you can study at your own computer. Using video-streaming, you can watch instructors demonstrating how something is done, with some practice time to follow – via the interactive virtual lab’s. Be sure to get a look at some courseware examples from any training college. The materials should incorporate expert-led demonstrations, slideshows and lab’s for you to practice your skills in.

You should avoid purely online training. Physical CD or DVD ROM materials are preferable where available, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want – you don’t want to be reliant on a good broadband connection all the time.

The market provides a plethora of jobs and positions available in Information Technology. Arriving at the correct choice for you often proves challenging. Reading a list of odd-sounding and meaningless job titles is no use whatsoever. The majority of us don’t really appreciate what the neighbours do for a living – so we’re in the dark as to the complexities of a new IT role. To attack this, there should be a discussion of a variety of unique issues:

• Your hobbies and interests – these can point towards what possibilities will give you the most reward.

• Are you driven to re-train for a specific raison d’etre – e.g. do you aim to work at home (maybe self-employment?)?

• Is your income higher on your priority-scale than anything else.

• With so many markets to choose from in computing – it’s wise to get a solid grounding on what differentiates them.

• Taking a cold, hard look at how much time and effort you can give.

For the average person, getting to the bottom of these areas will require meeting with a professional who can explain things properly. And not just the certifications – but also the commercial requirements also.

Author Resource:-> (C) Jason Kendall. Visit LearningLolly.com for quality career tips on MCSE Certification and MCSA MCSE.

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