Choosing The Right MCSE In The UK – Insights
Jason Kendall on Jul 6th 2009
Are you toying with the idea of doing an MCSE? If so, it’s probable that you’ll fall into one of the following categories: You’re currently an IT professional and you should formalise your skills with a qualification such as MCSE. In contrast you might be just about to enter commercial IT, but it’s apparent to you there’s a huge demand for those with appropriate certifications.
As you do your searches, you will discover training providers that short-change you by not providing the most up-to-date Microsoft version. Steer clear of training companies like these as you’ll experience challenges at exam time. If you are studying an out-of-date syllabus, it could be impossible to pass. Watch out for computer training companies who’re just interested in your money. Always remember that buying training to get an MCSE is like buying a car. They are not all equal; some are reliable and will get you there in comfort, whilst others will constantly let you down. A conscientious organisation will offer you plenty of help to make sure a course is right for you. With those who have confidence in their programs, they’ll show you examples of it prior to registering.
Your training program should always include the latest Microsoft (or relevant organisation’s) accredited exam simulation and preparation packages. Make sure that the practice exams haven’t just got questions from the right areas, but also asking them in the way that the actual final exam will formulate them. It really messes up trainees if they’re met with completely different formats and phraseologies. Always ask for testing modules in order to test your knowledge along the way. Practice exams help to build your confidence – then you won’t be quite so nervous at the actual exam.
A fatal Faux-Pas that students everywhere can make is to choose a career based on a course, rather than starting with where they want to get to. Training academies are brimming over with direction-less students that chose a program because it looked interesting – instead of what would yield the career they desired. Don’t let yourself become one of those unfortunate students who select a program that on the surface appears interesting – and end up with a plaque on the wall for a career they’ll never really get any satisfaction from.
Prioritise understanding the expectations of your industry. What particular certifications they’ll want you to gain and how you’ll go about getting some commercial experience. It’s definitely worth spending time considering how far you wish to build your skill-set as it will present a very specific set of exams. It’s good advice for all students to speak to an experienced industry advisor before they embark on a training course. This helps to ensure it contains the commercially required skills for that career path.
Watch out that all qualifications that you’re considering are commercially relevant and are up-to-date. The ‘in-house’ certifications provided by many companies are often meaningless. From an employer’s viewpoint, only the major heavyweights like Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA or Cisco (to give some examples) will open the right doors. Anything less won’t make the grade.
We need to make this very clear: You have to get round-the-clock 24×7 instructor support. We can tell you that you’ll strongly regret it if you don’t. You’ll be waiting ages for an answer with email based support, and telephone support is usually to a call-centre who will make some notes and then email an advisor – who will call back over the next day or so (assuming you’re there), at a time suitable for them. This is all next to useless if you’re sitting there confused over an issue and only have a specific time you can study.
Top training companies have many support offices across multiple time-zones. Online access provides the interactive interface to seamlessly link them all, no matter what time you login, help is just a click away, with no hassle or contact issues. Search out a company that is worth purchasing from. As only round-the-clock 24×7 support truly delivers for technical programs.
The way a programme is physically sent to you can often be overlooked. How is the courseware broken down? What is the specific order and at what speed is it delivered? Drop-shipping your training elements stage by stage, according to your own speed is the usual method of releasing your program. Of course, this sounds sensible, but you should take these factors into account: What could you expect if you didn’t actually complete each and every exam within the time limits imposed? Often the staged order doesn’t come as naturally as some other structure would for you.
The ideal circumstances are to get all the learning modules packed off to you immediately; the complete package! This prevents any future issues from rising that will affect your ability to finish.
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