MCSE 2003 Training

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 the following categories: You’re someone with a certain amount of knowledge and you need to formalise your skill set with the Microsoft qualification. Alternatively you might be just about to enter commercial IT, and you’ve found there’s a huge demand for people with the right qualifications.

As you discover more about training providers, avoid those that short-change you by failing to use the latest Microsoft level. Over time, this will cost the student a great deal more because they’ve been taught from an outdated MCSE course which will have to be revised very quickly. Stay away from organisations that are just interested in your money. You deserve time, expertise and advice to ensure you are on the right course for you. Don’t allow yourself to be sold some generic product by an over-keen salesman.

The area most overlooked by potential students weighing up a particular programme is the issue of ‘training segmentation’. This basically means the way the course is divided up for drop-shipping to you, which makes a huge difference to where you end up. Many companies enrol you into a 2 or 3 year study programme, and drop-ship the materials to you piecemeal as you pass each exam. Sounds reasonable? Well consider these facts: What could you expect if you didn’t actually complete each and every exam within the time limits imposed? And maybe you’ll find their order of completion doesn’t come as naturally as some other order of studying might.

Put simply, the perfect answer is to obtain their recommendation on the best possible order of study, but make sure you have all of your learning modules right from the beginning. You then have everything if you don’t manage to finish at their required pace.

A lot of trainers only give office hours or extended office hours support; most won’t answer after 8-9pm at the latest and frequently never at the weekends. Be wary of any training providers who use ‘out-of-hours’ call-centres - with the call-back coming in during office hours. This is useless when you’re stuck and want support there and then.

We recommend that you search for colleges that utilise many support facilities active in different time-zones. All of them should be combined to enable simple one-stop access and also 24 hours-a-day access, when you need it, without any problems. Never compromise where support is concerned. The majority of IT hopefuls that fall by the wayside, would have had a different experience if they’d got the right support package in the first place.

Don’t put too much store, as a lot of students can, on the training process. Training is not an end in itself; you should be geared towards the actual job at the end of it. Begin and continue with the end in mind. Never let yourself become one of the unfortunate masses that choose a course that sounds really ‘interesting’ and ‘fun’ - only to end up with a qualification for an unrewarding career path.

Never let your focus stray from where you want to go, and build your study action-plan from that - don’t do it back-to-front. Stay on target and begin studying for something that will keep you happy for many years. Sense dictates that you always seek guidance and advice from an experienced professional before embarking on some particular learning path, so there’s little doubt that the specific package will give the skills necessary.

Many trainers will provide a useful Job Placement Assistance program, to help you get your first job. With the great shortage of skills in the United Kingdom today, there’s no need to become overly impressed with this service however. It really won’t be that difficult to secure your first job as long as you’re correctly trained and certified.

Help with your CV and interview techniques may be available (alternatively, check out one of our sites for help). Ensure you update that dusty old CV straight away - not after you’ve qualified! You might not even have passed your first exam when you will get your initial junior support role; yet this can’t and won’t happen unless your CV is with employers. Most often, an independent and specialised local employment service (who will get paid by the employer when they’ve placed you) is going to give you a better service than a division of a training company. It also stands to reason that they’ll be familiar with the local industry and employment needs.

Not inconsiderable numbers of people, apparently, put a great deal of effort into their studies (for years sometimes), and just give up when it comes to attempting to secure a job. Sell yourself… Do everything you can to get yourself known. Don’t expect a job to just fall into your lap.

Usually, trainers will provide a shelf full of reference manuals. This isn’t very interesting and not really conducive to achieving retention. Learning psychology studies show that long term memory is improved when all our senses are involved, and we get practically involved in what we’re studying.

Search for a course where you’ll get a host of CD and DVD based materials - you’ll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, and be able to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills. Be sure to get a study material demo’ from any training college. The package should contain expert-led demonstrations, slideshows and lab’s for you to practice your skills in.

You’ll find that many companies will only provide training that is purely available online; and although this is okay the majority of the time, imagine the problems if you lose your internet access or you get a slow connection speed. It’s preferable to have CD and DVD ROM materials which removes the issue entirely.