Thinking of taking an MCSE? If the answer’s ‘yes’, there’s a good chance that you’re probably in 1 of 2 situations: You’re someone with a certain amount of knowledge and you’d like to consolidate your skill-set with the MCSE qualification. In contrast you could be completely new to the computer workplace, but it’s apparent to you there’s a huge demand for certified networking professionals.
As you do your searches, you’ll come across training companies that reduce their costs by failing to use the most up-to-date Microsoft version. Steer clear of such training providers as it will create challenges for you at exam time. If you are studying an old version, it will make it very difficult to pass. The focus of a training company should primarily be on the absolute best they can for their trainees, and the whole company should care about what they do. Career study isn’t just about passing exams - the procedure must also be geared towards guiding you on the most valid way forward for you.
Your training program should always include the latest Microsoft (or relevant organisation’s) authorised exam preparation packages. Don’t go for training programs depending on non-accredited exam preparation systems. Their phraseology can be completely unlike authorised versions - and this leads to huge confusion when it comes to taking the real exam. ‘Mock’ or practice exams are very useful for confidence building - so that when you come to take the proper exam, you won’t be worried.
So many training providers are all about the certification, and completely avoid what it’s all actually about - which will always be getting the job or career you want. Always start with the end in mind - don’t make the vehicle more important than the destination. It’s not unheard of, in many cases, to thoroughly enjoy one year of training but end up spending 10 or 20 years in something completely unrewarding, entirely because you stumbled into it without the correct level of soul-searching when it was needed - at the start.
It’s a good idea to understand what expectations industry may have of you. Which particular certifications you’ll be required to have and how you’ll build your experience level. It’s also worth spending time considering how far you’d like to get as it may force you to choose a particular set of certifications. It’s worth seeking guidance from a professional that can best explain the industry you’re hoping to qualify in, and who can offer ‘A typical day in the life of’ type of explanation of the job being considered. All of these things are very important as you’ll need to fully understand if you’re barking up the wrong tree.
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.
A lot of training companies only give basic 9am till 6pm support (maybe a little earlier or later on certain days); not many go late into the evening (after 8-9pm) or cover weekends properly. Try and find training with help available at any time you choose (even if it’s early hours on Sunday morning!) You’ll need direct access to tutors, and not simply some messaging service that means you’re consistently being held in a queue for a call-back at a convenient time for them.
We recommend that you search for study programmes that have multiple support offices across multiple time-zones. Each one should be integrated to enable simple one-stop access and also 24×7 access, when it’s convenient for you, without any problems. Always choose a training provider that offers this level of study support. As only true round-the-clock 24×7 support truly delivers for technical programs.
It’s usual for students to get confused with a single training area which doesn’t even occur to them: How the training is broken down and delivered to your home. Training companies will normally offer a 2 or 3 year study programme, and deliver each piece one-by-one as you finish each section. If you think this sound logical, then consider this: Maybe the order of study offered by the provider doesn’t suit. It may be difficult to get through every element within their timetable?
To be straight, the best solution is to have a copy of their prescribed order of study, but get all the study materials at the start. You’re then in possession of everything if you don’t manage to finish within their ideal time-table.