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Certification advice from the trenches

March 20th, 2010

To certify is a huge step – it changes your identity (those capital letters at the end of your name), it proves to others that you’re qualified, and more than anything, it increases your probability of getting hired and getting paid more.

Passing your exams not only tests your knowledge, but also your perseverance and dedication. To succeed, you need to devote a good amount of resources, time and money to earning your cert. And the tricky part can be deciding what those resources are, how much time to invest, and how much money you will realistically spend.

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Top 10 Reasons to Get Microsoft Certified

February 23rd, 2010

A Microsoft technical certification can do a lot for your career, and for you personally. Here are the Top 10 reasons to obtain a credential.

Earn More Money

This should be fairly obvious. Certified individuals usually earn more money than their non-certified peers. For example, a recent survey by Redmond magazine showed that 43 percent of respondents reported getting a salary increase as a result of their certification.

Hiring Advantages Over Non-Certified Competitors

If you’re in competition with others for a job, having a certification can give you that needed boost. An employer can see that you’re serious about your career, and willing to put in extra time and money to get certified.

Strengthen Your Weaknesses

Going through certification training can a) Reinforce information you already know, like taking a refresher course, and b) Show you new stuff. All IT pros have their strong and weak areas of knowledge. Prepping for certification will likely bolster areas in which you’re not that strong.

Build a Community of Peers

Networking is an important part of your career. Through study groups, technical conferences with other certified folks, and classes, both live and online, you’ll be constantly meeting others with your areas of interest and specialization. This can come in handy if you’re laid off or unhappy with your current situation.

Help Your Company Increase Business

This is especially important in the government IT sector. Some contracts allow for only hiring companies with certified employees.


Consultants/Analysts Can Land More Jobs

If you’re self employed as an IT consultant or analyst, having certification to back up your work experience can be crucial in getting new clients. Those companies will know that you have a certain level of knowledge, and will look at your resume more favorably.

Boost Your Self-Esteem

It’s a great feeling to pass a test, and to eventually earn a certification feels even better. It can be a real confidence-builder to gain a credential; that confidence should translate into better job performance.

Gain Unique Access to Resources

Many companies, like certification heavy-hitters Microsoft and Cisco, offer special access to online forums and training materials to their certification holders. Not only will you be able to get answers to thorny troubleshooting issues, but you’ll continue to build your network of peers, as discussed in item No. 4.

You May Get it for Free

A number of companies will pay for technical certification training, because of the value it brings to their organization. Remember to ask before you start your training. What could be better than free?

You Can Hang it on Your Wall

Doctors and lawyers delight in hanging their advanced degrees on their walls, so why not you? You can do the same, showing the world that you’ve got special skills.

So Microsoft Certifications is a Must for all The IT Professionals


Posted By: R.v.KirubaKaran
Microsoft Certified Professional

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Navigating the Certification Maze

February 22nd, 2010

Certification can be a bit controversial. I’ve had people ask me if it’s worth the time and money to get certified. They have heard people say that employers don’t put much value on certifications because it just proves that someone can “take a test.” Unfortunately there may be some truth to this statement. However, I think it’s because the I.T. profession has become very confusing when it comes to credentials. Unlike more mature professions that have solidified a and certification standards, I.T. has become a maze of vendor and product driven certifications. Many of these are, indeed, just focused on passing exams about tools that will be outdated with the next release of software. Here’s my attempt to make sense of the different types of I.T. credentials and options:

Vendor Certifications
These are the certifications that are most often advertised in publications like Certification Magazine. They are the Microsoft MSCE, Oracle Developer, and other product- specific certifications. They are primarily exam-based and there are lots of companies trying to sell their study materials to help you pass the exams. The advantages of vendor certifications are that they are well known and publicized. If you will be working with these specific products, they are worth getting. They help to keep you up-to-date on the products, and demonstrate to employers that you care about keeping your skills sharp. However, the exams can get expensive, and your skills may be outdated quickly.

Certificates of Completion and Educational Programs

Another type of certificate is one that is granted by an accredited educational institution or a training company. The rigor and value of these certifications can vary depending on the granting institution and the program. For example, a may be given for simply completing a week-long seminar, with no actual assessment of your skills required. These are nice, but the only value to employers is that it proves you took the time to sit in the seminar. For some employers, these aren’t much more than a receipt for accounting purposes.

On the other hand, there are many accredited colleges who also grant certifications in a variety of I.T. related programs. These are typically 3 to 9 months or more to complete, and they have an instructional component with a required assessment, often given in the form of a grade or Pass/Fail option. Assessments may be exams, completion of projects, presentations or observation of work. The value to employers is a level of confidence that people who have attained these certifications have been trained and their skills assessed in a variety of different ways that are more relevant to the real-world work a person will be performing on the job. Of course, the quality of programs and assessments can vary, so it’s always a good idea to research this.

Professional Certification
There is a growing interest in non-vendor specific professional certification in I.T., similar to that required by accounts (CPA) and other professions. PMI’s Project Management Professional (PMP) has certainly become well known in recent years, and other professional associations have begun to create similar certifications. This is the niche that the CDMP fills for Data Management professionals, and the ICCP has been granting CCP certification to computing professionals for over 20 years. The difference between this type of certification and the others is that it is focused on providing credentials and recognition to experienced professionals. Although exams are required to demonstrate knowledge in a particular domain, a documentation of work experience and/or education are also required, along with a signed code of ethics. These kinds of certifications also require periodic recertification by documenting proof of ongoing professional development or contribution to the profession. Professional certification also helps to build a community of practice around a particular discipline, as holders take pride in understanding and contributing to the .

All of these types of credentials have their value in different circumstances. Earning a certificate, regardless of its type, can set a job seeker apart from others because it shows commitment to personal development and learning. As our profession becomes more mature, employers and professionals will become more informed about the types of credentials. I believe that we are moving toward a level of maturity where more emphasis will be placed on professional certification, as it provides an umbrella credential that assures an individual understands the fundamental concepts and principles needed to be successful in a constantly changing workplace.

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Career in Personal Training

February 22nd, 2010

“Employment of personal fitness professionals is expected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations through 2014. An increasing number of people spend more time and money on fitness, and more businesses are recognizing the benefits of health and fitness programs and other services such as wellness programs for their employees.” - U.S. Department of Labor

Who hires Personal Fitness Trainers?

  • Private health clubs
  • Schools and colleges
  • Professional athletes
  • Actors
  • Dancers
  • Medical facilities
  • Nonprofit health programs
  • Police departments
  • Fire departments
  • Athletic teams
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    CSQA CBOK Skill Category 4. A-Management’s Quality Directives

    February 20th, 2010

    The manner in which quality objectives are established and managed will have an on the organization’s performance. The quality objectives will either drive strategic improvements throughout the organization, significantly elevating the importance of the quality management system, or they’ll simply become a meaningless exercise in data collection. It all depends on how the task is carried out.

    The basic requirements for quality objectives are quite simple:Business QualityObjectives CSQA CBOK Skill Category  4. A Management’s Quality Directives

    • %5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip image002 CSQA CBOK Skill Category  4. A Management’s Quality DirectivesEstablish quality objectives at relevant functions and levels.
    • %5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip image002 CSQA CBOK Skill Category  4. A Management’s Quality DirectivesMake sure they’re measurable.
    • %5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip image002 CSQA CBOK Skill Category  4. A Management’s Quality DirectivesInclude objectives needed to meet product requirements.
    • %5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip image002 CSQA CBOK Skill Category  4. A Management’s Quality DirectivesCommunicate to all personnel the meaning of the objectives and how each person helps to achieve them.

    %5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip image002 CSQA CBOK Skill Category  4. A Management’s Quality Directives During , evaluate the need for changes to quality objectives.

    There’s a right way and a wrong way to satisfy these requirements. The wrong way seems attractive to many organizations simply because it’s easy: Gather all of the in a staff meeting and tell them to select some measurable quality objectives by this time next week and have charts of their objectives ready for the next management review. The resulting objectives are a hodgepodge of pet projects and tactical issues that don’t have any relationship to the strategic direction of the organization. In other words, they’re a waste of time and money.

    The right way to select and manage quality objectives is not much more difficult than the wrong way, and the benefits will far outweigh the extra effort involved. Quality objectives should be attacked in four basic steps.

    1. Establish the foundation for objectives
    2. Select key measures
    3. Base quality objectives on key measures
    4. Analyze the data and manage the system

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    Three Quick Things – Jobs, Dynamics, Monopolies

    February 14th, 2010

    One: when I suffered through my first ranking experience, I was assigned a mentor to deal with my glowering funk. Strangely, the one bit of advice he provided me out of the blue was: “The best way to get a pay raise is to switch companies.” And a year later he called me up, needing to staff up at his new company. Sure enough, everytime I switched to a new company a new big fat wad of cash landed in my account.

    I bring this up given that if the job market is heating up so much that recruiters are hiring people to stand outside of Microsoft to hawk their openings, you can bet you can get a much better salary now. It’s all about surfing the economy’s inflection points. (Hint to recruiters: stand outside any entrances leading to Windows.)

    While we’re on that, have you left Microsoft during the past year or so? Are you in the process of leaving now? For various reasons, I’d like to hear more about it. Feel free to leave a comment here or drop me a note.

    Two: regarding the whole “Dynamics” thing, I think this comment says it best:

    I work in MBS. This “Microsoft Dynamics” business is such a joke. The division has such serious problems, beginning with the complete lack of leadership from the executives. Solution: waste a bunch of time and money on rebranding. Great. Nothing solved. Customers more confused than ever.

    [...]

    I think the next “ in our evolution” is firing the grossly incompetent executives and actually trying to have a strategy to *make money*.

    Anyone who thinks the MBS executives are not complete idiots needs to ask any MBS person about Doug Burgum’s rambling, incoherent speech at the MBS Open House a few weeks ago. This is the guy that’s leading us.

    … Time to get out of that division while the getting’s good.

    Still no timeline to bringing in a profit? And still no accountability?

    Three: Microsoft Bagholder’s latest posting glowers, too. Basically it’s concerned that if Ballmer’s chair throwing tantrums are true, we’re just going down the same path of destroying a competitive company at all costs and setting ourselves up for yet another anti-trust proceeding. I’ve had more than one conversation about that little chair story (usually accompanied by the soundtrack of foreheads being “D’oh!” slapped). Maybe we’ll shoot our foot so well this time that the Feds will really break us up this time.

    Maybe that will be the best medicine possible.

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    Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: A Specialist

    February 8th, 2010

    Systems Engineer is a person who passed the examination about the Microsoft Windows and Operating system. They are those individuals who implement the infrastructure for business solutions based on Microsoft Windows. MCSE are also IT professionals who examine and investigate company needs and design to install, configure, and troubleshoot networking systems.

    Unlimited lifetime access Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: A Specialist

    If you passed the examination for MCSE, you’ll have the chance to gain the MCSE certification which is a great help for you to land a job easily. Having such certification, shows the employer of your capabilities and skills in terms of being a technical support engineers, a system analyst, and a network consultants and as technical consultants. In other words you are expert in your chosen fields. Before an MCSE become certified, he or she must and is required to pass seven examinations or the equivalent of five Core exams while learning Microsoft Windows 2000.

    MCSE being a specialist in his or her field, must be equipped technically to successfully prepare, maintain, execute and be able to support . One must be patient in order to pass the examination and become certified. Effort, time and money are needed just to pursue the said career. MCSE training is very intensive. It needs time to understand all its applications. For those who really aspire to become a certified MCSE, they go to the last option, and that is to be enrolled in the local training centers. Being certified gives you the chance to be hired in well-known and leading companies nationwide because all they need to have are those IT professionals who are certified, specifically as Systems Engineer.

    Company owners always ensure that what they hired is really capable and expert enough in such field. Be determined enough in passing the seven examinations for MCSE, and make way for the benefits that awaits you in the business industry being a certified Systems Engineer.

    MCSE Training

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    Tips for Preparing for MCSE Certification Exams

    February 8th, 2010

    It’s a Engineer’s job to design and create business platforms on Windows server systems. Certified professionals working with have access to an assortment of online tools, ranging from official logos to transcripts. Most importantly, they can have access to their very own landing page hosted by Microsoft. In order to get started with this rewarding occupation, however, they’ll have to study a good MCSE training course.

    Unlimited lifetime access Tips for Preparing for MCSE Certification Exams

    This is because this type of work isn’t easy. As such, a number of exams are given out to potentials hoping to becoming a Certified professional with Microsoft. Most of the exams test the students on the core requirements, and the other exams are elective.

    A good MCSE CBT course can help students prepare before examination time. The exams, especially the core ones, consist of questions about Windows, operating systems, networking, and so forth. The total examination, needless to say, can be quite long. As such, students need to prepare a great deal before taking the examination. They can do by taking a MCSE training course.

    Fortunately, while long, the test really isn’t that hard, just as long as the students familiarize themselves with . There are also free MCSE practice tests, tips, resources, notes, and more—online. These free resources along with MCSE CBT courses give students all the knowledge they need for passing the examination and receiving their MCSE certifications.

    Networking and interacting with one another as well as professionals is a great way for students to receive help and advice. The internet is filled with forums and blogs for which beginners can ask for advice from Microsoft Certified professionals. Beginners need to ask for recommendations in the first place before selecting MCSE training course.

    Some of the courses are a waste of time and money, since students don’t learn a thing with them and end up failing the examination. Some MCSE CBT courses and online classes, however, are well worthwhile and very comprehensive. They don’t have to be expensive, either. In fact, some companies will even pay for their employee’s computer based training and certification. The ones who don’t have that luxury, though, need to make sure they find a course that is affordable, but not cheap. They can then get started on the MCSE training course and, if all goes well, pass the examination that will make them a Microsoft Certified System’s Engineer!

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