As you're considering studying to get an MCSE, you're probably in 1 of 2 situations. You could be about to get into the IT environment, and you've dis...
As you're considering studying to get an MCSE,
you're probably in 1 of 2 situations. You could be about to get into the IT environment, and you've discovered that the IT industry has lots of demand for those with appropriate certifications. Instead you might be someone with a certain amount of knowledge wanting to formalise your skills with an MCSE.
As you do your searches, you'll hit upon companies that short-change you by failing to provide the latest Microsoft version. Stay away from training companies like these as you'll experience challenges when it comes to exams. If you've been taught an old version, it could be impossible to pass. Training companies ought to be devoted to offering the correct route for aspiring trainees. Directing learning is as much concerned with guiding people on establishing where to go, as well as helping them get there.
A sneaky way that colleges make a lot more is through up-front charges for exams and then including an 'Exam Guarantee'. This looks like a great idea for the student, till you look at the facts:
They've allowed costings for it by some means. You can be assured it's not a freebie - they've simply charged more for the whole training package. People who enter their exams one by one, paying for them just before taking them are much better placed to get through first time. They're aware of the cost and revise more thoroughly to be up to the task.
Isn't it in your interests to go for the best offer at the appropriate time, not to pay any mark-up to a college, and to do it in a local testing office - instead of the remote centre that's convenient only to the trainer? Why tie up your cash (or borrow more than you need) for examination fees when there's absolutely nothing that says you have to? Big margins are secured by training companies getting paid upfront for exams - and then cashing in when they're not all taken. The majority of organisations will require you to do mock exams and not allow you to re-take an exam until you've completely proven that you're likely to pass - which makes an 'Exam Guarantee' frankly useless.
Splashing out often many hundreds of pounds extra on an 'Exam Guarantee' is naive - when consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will get you through.
Validated exam preparation and simulation materials are crucial - and should definitely be offered by your training provider. Don't go for training programs depending on non-official preparation materials for exams. The way they're phrased is often somewhat different - and this leads to huge confusion when it comes to taking the real exam. 'Mock' or practice exams will prove enormously valuable for confidence building - so that when you come to take the real thing, you will be much more relaxed.
Working on the cutting-edge of new technology is about as exciting as it can get. You become one of a team of people creating a future for us all. Technological changes and interaction on the internet is going to noticeably change our lifestyles over future years; to a vast degree.
Should lifestyle be way up on your wish list, you will welcome the news that the average salary for a typical IT worker is significantly better than salaries in the rest of the economy. Demand for certified IT specialists is guaranteed for the significant future, because of the constant increase in the technology industry and the massive skills gap that remains.
What is the reason why academic qualifications are being replaced by more commercially accredited qualifications? With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs climbing ever higher, alongside the industry's growing opinion that key company training is closer to the mark commercially, there has been a big surge in Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA authorised training paths that provide key skills to an employee for much less time and money. Higher education courses, for example, can often get caught up in a great deal of loosely associated study - and much too wide a syllabus. This prevents a student from getting enough specific knowledge about the core essentials.
It's a bit like the TV advert: 'It does what it says on the label'. The company just needs to know what they need doing, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. That way they can be sure they're interviewing applicants who can do the job.
