by Jason Kendall
The Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator course is a recognised route for men and women looking to get into supporting networks. So if you’re just about to get going or have previous knowledge but want a professional course with a good qualification, you can find the right training. For a newcomer to IT, it may well be necessary to have some coaching ahead of attempting to go for your four Microsoft Certified Professional exams (MCP’s) required to achieve an MCSA. Identify a training company that can create a bespoke package to suit your needs - with industry experts who will work with you to make sure that your choices are good ones.
How are we supposed to make the right choice then? With so many opportunities, we have to know where we should look - and what it is we should be looking for.
Don’t get hung-up, as a lot of students can, on the accreditation program. Training for training’s sake is generally pointless; this is about gaining commercial employment. You need to remain focused on where you want to go. Never let yourself become one of the unfortunate masses who choose a training program that sounds really ‘interesting’ and ‘fun’ - and get to the final hurdle of an accreditation for a job they hate.
Prioritise understanding what expectations industry may have of you. What qualifications you’ll be required to have and how you’ll build your experience level. It’s definitely worth spending time thinking about how far you wish to build your skill-set as it will force you to choose a particular set of certifications. Seek help from a skilled advisor who understands the sector you wish to join, and who can give you ‘A day in the life of’ understanding of what you’ll actually be doing day-to-day. It’d be sensible to understand whether or not this is right for you long before you embark on your training program. There’s little point in beginning your training only to find you’ve gone the wrong way entirely.
Often, trainers provide a big box of books. This isn’t very interesting and not really conducive to remembering. Long-term memory is enhanced with an involvement of all our senses - learning experts have been saying this for decades now.
Locate a program where you’ll receive a library of CD and DVD based materials - you’ll be learning from instructor videos and demo’s, and be able to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills. You really need to look at courseware examples from your chosen company. Be sure that they contain video, demonstrations and various interactive elements.
Seek out actual CD or DVD ROM’s if possible. Thus avoiding all the issues associated with internet connection failure and issues with signal quality.
Training support for students is an absolute must - ensure you track down something that provides 24×7 direct access, as anything less will not satisfy and will also impede your ability to learn. Avoid, like the plague, any organisations which use ‘out-of-hours’ messaging systems - with the call-back coming in during office hours. It’s not a lot of help when you’ve got study issues and want support there and then.
Be on the lookout for training schools that utilise many support facilities around the globe in several time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to offer a simple interface and 24 hours-a-day access, when it’s convenient for you, with no fuss. Always pick a training provider that offers this level of study support. As only 24×7 round-the-clock live support delivers what is required.
If you’re considering a certification company who is still pushing ‘in-centre workshop days’ as a feature of their programme, then consider these hassles met by almost all students:
* Many back and forth visits - normally hundreds of miles at a time.
* If you work for a living, then weekday only workshops cause problems at work. More than likely you will be contending with several days in a row too.
* Annual leave lost - most students get just four weeks holiday each year. If half or more of that is used up by training events, you haven’t got a great deal of holiday time remaining for the family as a whole.
* Classes can ’sell out’ fast and can sometimes be too big - so they’re not personal enough.
* Workshop pace - centre-days can consist of students of varying abilities, so there is often tension between students that want a quicker pace to the ones who need a little longer.
* Don’t ignore the extra expense of driving or taking public transport or accommodation for the duration either. Don’t be surprised to find this become many hundreds of pounds more - sometimes thousands. Take some time to add it all up - you may be surprised.
* Training privacy will be of paramount importance to a lot of attendees. Why would you want to lose potential advancement, pay-rises or success at work while you’re training. If your work discovers you’re putting yourself through accreditation in another sector, what are they going to be thinking?
* How many of us have avoided asking a question, because we wanted to maintain the illusion that we did, in fact, understand?
* Working away from home - a minority of students need to live or work away for certain parts of the programme. Workshops become problematic to attend, but the money has already changed hands with your initial fees.
It would be better to just watch and study with industry specialists one-on-one via filmed lessons, doing them when it suits you - not somebody else. Training can take place wherever it suits you. If your PC is a laptop, take in a little sunshine in your garden as you work. Any problems and get onto the live 24×7 support. It’s never going to matter how regularly you would like to re-take a quiz or test, video instructors can never get frustrated with you! Plus, as an added bonus, there’s no need to take notes. Everything is already there for you. The result: Reduced stress and hassle, less cost, and absolutely no travelling.
Being at the forefront of the leading edge of new technology is as thrilling as it comes. You’re involved with shaping the next few decades. We’re only just starting to get to grips with what this change will mean to us. How we correlate with the world as a whole will be profoundly affected by technology and the internet.
And don’t forget that income in the world of IT throughout this country is a lot higher than in the rest of the economy, therefore you’ll most likely gain much more as a trained IT professional, than you’d get in most other industries. It seems there’s not a hint of a downturn for IT industry increases in Great Britain as a whole. The market continues to grow hugely, and as we have a significant shortage of skilled professionals, it’s most unlikely that there’ll be any kind of easing off for years to come.
About the Author:
With 2 Decades experience, author Jason Kendall, campaigns for low-cost, superior multimedia UK education. For advice on
MCSE 2003, visit LearningLolly
MCSA MCSE.