Microsoft Certs

[WalksWithChrist]

So I'm back on the cert track again!

I've got an A+ circa 2001. I'm in the middle of studying for the Network+. After that, I either want to pursue a Security+, or some sort of Microsoft cert. Probably an MCSA.

MCSA: The foundation for your career in IT

What I've noticed is that Microsoft has completely revamped their certs. MCSAs are now broken up instead of being on cert you get, then go to work with it. You can get an MCSA for Windows 7 and a completely different one for Windows Server and so forth.

It appears that their new cert tracks are really new. I'm not finding out a whole lot about training materials (like how I was easily able to choose between Network+ study guides on Amazon) or the like. All I'm really seeing is in-person training courses, which I don't have the time or $$ for right now.

Any thoughts or knowledge on how I should proceed if I am looking at getting a Microsoft cert?

 

[Tomyris]

I'm not sure you're not doing this backwards....

Talk to the places you want to work at and see if they care about the certs. Some places care deeply. Some just do an eval in the interview and ignore certs completely. You could go and do a whole lot of hard work for nothing, in other words. Also check out Comptea (sp?) because with some folks those certs carry way more weight than MS certs. Not to mention the MS cert exams can be almost impossible to pass unless you have EXACTLY the right experience.

-Tomyris

 

[EphesiaNZ]

So I'm back on the cert track again!

I've got an A+ circa 2001. I'm in the middle of studying for the Network+. After that, I either want to pursue a Security+, or some sort of Microsoft cert. Probably an MCSA.

I think today, variety is the spice of life!

There are so many platforms out there now and its getting almost impossible to get experience/certification in all of them so either know what your target field is or, go for a mix of popular platforms/areas of interest.

My choice would be in the following,

Microsoft - Windows 7/8 desktop cert and maybe 2012 Server Administration

Linux - LPIC Level 1 or Redhat RHCSA

Apple - Apple Certified Technician

Network+ will be valuable as will Security+

Now the down side or, reality bytes...

You are 40 and so are at your expendable life as an IT person in reality so make sure what you want to study for gives you clout with your current or future employer. I am 50, out of work for 2 years with 15 years experience, Microsoft certs galore and also Cisco. What is going against me? - age, simple as that but it won't stop me

Having said this, my friend emailed this article to me this morning - time for a rethink?

 

[BelieverX]

I've been out of the cert arena since 1998. I got my A+ then and was considering the MCSE, but I got hired by a telecommunications company and the desire for the cert faded. Since I started my own business I've been thinking about it again. I would do it more or less for fun then out of need.

God bless you on your efforts.

 

[EphesiaNZ]

I would do it more or less for fun then out of need.

Then don't waste your time/effort/money as the cert arena is just a money maker for the industry. Having said that, the recruiters are sadly putting too much emphasis on them and above a candidates experience in quite a few cases which goes to show that those recruiters actually need some training about real life!

 

[WalksWithChrist]

I'm not sure you're not doing this backwards....

Talk to the places you want to work at and see if they care about the certs. Some places care deeply. Some just do an eval in the interview and ignore certs completely. You could go and do a whole lot of hard work for nothing, in other words. Also check out Comptea (sp?) because with some folks those certs carry way more weight than MS certs. Not to mention the MS cert exams can be almost impossible to pass unless you have EXACTLY the right experience.

-Tomyris

Some jobs I've applied for recently have listed Microsoft certs as requirements. That's why I stopped in the middle of working on the Network + for information on them.

I think today, variety is the spice of life!

There are so many platforms out there now and its getting almost impossible to get experience/certification in all of them so either know what your target field is or, go for a mix of popular platforms/areas of interest.

My choice would be in the following,

Microsoft - Windows 7/8 desktop cert and maybe 2012 Server Administration

Linux - LPIC Level 1 or Redhat RHCSA

Apple - Apple Certified Technician

Network+ will be valuable as will Security+

Now the down side or, reality bytes...

You are 40 and so are at your expendable life as an IT person in reality so make sure what you want to study for gives you clout with your current or future employer. I am 50, out of work for 2 years with 15 years experience, Microsoft certs galore and also Cisco. What is going against me? - age, simple as that but it won't stop me

Having said this, my friend emailed this article to me this morning - time for a rethink?

That article says we have a shelf life of 15 years. Well, I have one year left! I've been doing this stuff since '98. So I think my time is about up.

I've been out of the cert arena since 1998. I got my A+ then and was considering the MCSE, but I got hired by a telecommunications company and the desire for the cert faded. Since I started my own business I've been thinking about it again. I would do it more or less for fun then out of need.

God bless you on your efforts.

Thanks!!




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All these responses were good, but didn't hit on what I was asking about. I need to know if there are any training materials out there for these new certs. So far I'm not finding any.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Yep, Microsoft revamped their certs a couple years ago. I had the one for the software development path (MCSD) which recently got replaced by a series of certs that lead up to the MCTS. I have the J2SE cert for Java (also outdated lol), and 2 certs issued by Interactive Intelligence for 2 of their API's.

If you're looking to get employed with a new company, by all means check out their policy on certifications and see if it'll actually be beneficial to get them. When the MCSD got replaced, I asked my boss if I should get the replacement for it and his response was, "I guess if you want to you can", but it's not really important.

As another poster mentioned, some companies require certs to get in the door, but once you're in the door, I think the most important thing is just keeping your tangible skillset current with whatever technology your company uses.

From my personal experience, certs are kind of like college degrees, they make new IT hires feel like superman when they get hired in, but they quickly realize that knowledge of your company's business is far more valuable than a piece of paper that says that you can efficiently write WCF services. (at least in terms of future promotions and earnings)

However, if you're looking for training materials and info about the cert paths, here are some good places to start.

Microsoft Certifications Path and FAQ | Microsoft Learning
Learn

 

[WalksWithChrist]

Yep, Microsoft revamped their certs a couple years ago. I had the one for the software development path (MCSD) which recently got replaced by a series of certs that lead up to the MCTS. I have the J2SE cert for Java (also outdated lol), and 2 certs issued by Interactive Intelligence for 2 of their API's.

If you're looking to get employed with a new company, by all means check out their policy on certifications and see if it'll actually be beneficial to get them. When the MCSD got replaced, I asked my boss if I should get the replacement for it and his response was, "I guess if you want to you can", but it's not really important.

As another poster mentioned, some companies require certs to get in the door, but once you're in the door, I think the most important thing is just keeping your tangible skillset current with whatever technology your company uses.

From my personal experience, certs are kind of like college degrees, they make new IT hires feel like superman when they get hired in, but they quickly realize that knowledge of your company's business is far more valuable than a piece of paper that says that you can efficiently write WCF services. (at least in terms of future promotions and earnings)

However, if you're looking for training materials and info about the cert paths, here are some good places to start.

Microsoft Certifications Path and FAQ | Microsoft Learning
Learn

Thanks. Here's what I got from the FAQ:

Q. When will the certifications for each solution area be available?

A.
New certifications will release for each solution area when Microsoft launches a new version of related products. The first certifications being released are SQL Server 2012 and Private Cloud.

That's really all I was wanting to know...that I have to wait.

Makes it easy!