As you're considering studying a course to qualify for an MCSE, you're probably in 1 of 2 situations. You might be ready to get into the IT environment, and your research tells you the IT industry has many opportunities for men and women who are commercially qualified. On the other hand you are perhaps an IT professional attempting to gain acknowledgement with the Microsoft qualification.
We'd recommend you confirm that the training company you use is actually training you on the latest Microsoft editions. A number of trainees become very demoralised when they find that they've been studying for an outdated MCSE course which inevitably will have to be up-dated. Stay away from organisations who are only trying to make a sale. You should be given detailed advice to ensure you're on the right course for you. Guard against being rushed into some generic product by an over-keen salesman.
Any program that you're going to undertake should always lead to a properly recognised qualification at the end - and not a worthless 'in-house' printed certificate to hang in your hallway. All the major commercial players like Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA or Adobe all have internationally acknowledged proficiency programs. Huge conglomerates such as these can make sure you stand out at interview.
An effective training package will also offer accredited exam simulation and preparation packages. As the majority of IT examining boards tend to be American, it's essential to understand how exam questions will be phrased and formatted. It isn't good enough simply answering any old technical questions - they need to be in the proper exam format. Always have some simulated exam questions that will allow you to check your knowledge at any point. Simulated or practice exams prepare you properly - then you're much more at ease with the real thing.
Many trainers provide a big box of books. Learning like this is dull and repetitive and not a very good way of taking things in. Years of research and study has repeatedly shown that becoming involved with our studies, to utilise all our senses, will more likely produce memories that are deeper and longer-lasting.
Interactive audio-visual materials utilising video demo's and practice lab's will turn you off book-based study for ever more. And you'll actually enjoy doing them. Be sure to get a study material demo' from the training company. You'll want to see demo's from instructors, slideshows and virtual practice lab's for your new skills.
You'll find that many companies will only provide just online versions of their training packages; and although this is okay the majority of the time, consider how you'll deal with it when you don't have access to the internet or you get intermittent problems and speed issues. It's much safer to rely on actual CD or DVD ROMs that will solve that problem.
The perhaps intimidating chore of securing your first role in IT can be eased by training colleges, through a Job Placement Assistance facility. Don't get overly impressed with this service - it's quite easy for training companies to make it sound harder than it is. The fact of the matter is, the still growing need for IT personnel in the UK is the reason you'll find a job.
However, don't procrastinate and wait until you have finished your training before polishing up your CV. The day you start training, mark down what you're doing and get it out there! Various junior support jobs have been offered to trainees who are still learning and haven't got any qualifications yet. At least this will get you on your way. The top companies to help get you placed are most often specialist locally based employment services. As they're keen to place you to receive their commission, they'll work that much harder to get a result.
A good number of people, it would appear, put a great deal of effort into their studies (sometimes for years), only to give up at the first hurdle when looking for a good job. Sell yourself... Do everything you can to get yourself known. A job isn't just going to bump into you.
A subtle way that course providers make more money is through up-front charges for exams then giving it 'Exam Guarantee' status. This looks like a great idea for the student, until you think it through:
Thankfully, today we tend to be a bit more aware of hype - and usually we cotton on to the fact that it is something we're paying for (it isn't free or out of the goodness of their hearts!) The honest truth is that if students pay for each examination, one after the other, they'll be in a better position to pass first time - as they'll think of their investment in themselves and so will prepare more thoroughly.
Do your exams at a local pro-metric testing centre and go for the best offer you can find when you're ready. Big margins are made by a significant number of organisations who take the exam money up-front. For quite legitimate reasons, a number of students don't get to do their exams and so the company is quids-in. Amazingly, there are providers that actually bank on it - as that's where a lot of their profit comes from. Re-takes of previously unsuccessful exams with training course providers with an 'Exam Guarantee' are always heavily controlled. You will be required to do mock exams till you've proven conclusively that you can pass.
Paying maybe a thousand pounds extra on 'Exam Guarantees' is foolish - when hard work, commitment and the right preparation via exam simulations is actually the key to your success.
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