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Job prospects for graduates of computer certification programs are
good. These programs are quite flexible, and are increasingly being considered
as alternatives to ‘traditional’ (semester-based) education. They are intensive and single-minded, and
are completed in less than one year.
The same exams are administered worldwide, so employers are assured of
uniform standards.
Please note that although only Microsoft certification is detailed
below, similar courses are offered by Novell, Sun, Cisco, Compaq, Intel,
etc. In addition, the brand names
listed below are by no means the only products and services available; shop
around first!
Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) training in Windows NT may be a
useful first step for those reluctant to make a large initial investment. Completion of the Windows NT 4.0 Server
course can itself lead to entry-level employment. However, the course material for NT Server also covers NT
Workstation, and both these subjects are core subjects required for Microsoft
Certified Systems Engineers (MCSE) certification. (The other two core courses are Networking Essentials and Server
in the Enterprise). Two electives are
also required. Although many electives
are available, TCP/IP, MS Exchange Server and SQL Server are well regarded by
industry.
Exams cost $155 each, and must be booked a few days in advance.
There is a huge range of products and services available. Please note that;
1) Interim Technology offers
full-time study comprising formal lectures, running for a few days at a time,
and hands-on self-paced study, with a tutor available for questions. Students are permitted to resume study after
a break of a maximum of six months (ie. they can fit in a short-term contract
position). The MCP and MCSE programs
cost $3440 and $8350, respectively, and include Microsoft Press course material
(see below) and one exam voucher per subject.
2) Local technical bookshops
(eg. Dymocks, Boffins (10% off for students)) sell the MS Press MCSE Core
Requirements Training Kit, which covers the four core subjects, for $650. Similar core requirement kits by Sybex and
New Riders cost only about $250. All kits
comprise books and CD-ROMs. However,
the books included in the MS Press kit are generally more complete (i.e. better for future reference) and
trial versions of Windows NT Server and Workstation are provided. The Sybex material tends to concentrate on
passing the exams, while the books included in the New Rider kit, though very well
regarded, are less comprehensive.
3) There are numerous mail
order firms on the selling similar products.
They commonly advertise in the print media (computer magazines and
newspapers, such as the Tuesday ‘Australian’).
One such firm, Harris Technology (http://www.ht.com.au) sell the same MS Press kit for $448, but
delivery can take up to a month. Other
vendors sell various combinations of books, interactive CD-ROMs (http://www.learnkey.com) and online
tutoring (http://www.scholars.com/scholars.asp).
4)
It is well worth searching for MCSE resources on the internet. There are free online (i.e. http://www.ittutor.com) and downloadable (http://www.mcseguide.com/tests.htm) practice exams, though the better ones (http://www.transcender.com/main.htm) are quite expensive. Many certification graduates run informal
sites with study guides, exams, links, advice, etc. (eg. http://www.spiritone.com/~jsprague/mcse/index1.html and so-called ‘brain dumps’, such as http://209.207.167.177/).
It is strongly advised that those
interested attend an upcoming seminar at 5:00 PM, September 28, at Interim
Technology (Level 6, 5 Mill Street, Perth), even if the course is beyond your
means. In the meantime, brief visits to
some bookshops and websites (i.e. http://www.microsoft.com/train_cert/) are recommended.
AGSEAN members interested in forming a
study group can leave a message for Anthony at certification@agsean.freeservers.com
or deutschm@odyssey.apana.org.au. There are many ways this group could be
organised; we could meet at specified times to trade notes and study material,
chat via ICQ, and perhaps even hire a tutor.
Suggestions are welcome.