And time for the exams...

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Hello everyone,

I have been preparing for the MCDST exams for about a month, using materials such as MS press books, CBT videos, TrainSignal videos. I strongly believe that I am ready for the exams. But I dont want to rush and then be dissapointed. Currently, I am overgoing through network parts from MS books again and also solving lots of tests.

I am planning on booking the 271 exam for next week and then after I pass it, I will book for 272 in the same week. I have applied for a second shot voucher and received an email with the details. I will apply the exam online with prometics. But I have heard something like vouchers are not accepted if you pay online, hope someone can enlighten me about it.

My other quesiton is, would it be possible for me to get a job in IT industry after this certificate. Although I am planning on continuing my IT career towars project management it would be really good to get a job after MCDST certificate. According to MS book once you get your MCDST certificate you qualify to be a DST. Any tips about finding a job with this certificate?


Thanks to all of you for your time and support.

Regards.

 

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Sorry but the target audience for this cert are people with 6 - 12 months of experience, if you have none then you are devaluing this certification for those people who do have the experience.

I would suggest the A+ and N+ as a starting point rather than a cert that actually requires that you have dealt with users in a production environment.

 

I am sorry for offending you and/or anyone who has spent their time in this career. I am afraid I didnt mention about my experiences in IT industry. Last year I worked as support technician in an internatioanl company and before that in a small company.

Regards.

 

But that doesn't tally with

Which is what you wrote on your first post here. That alludes to the fact that you aren't\haven't been in the IT Industry prior to the certification.

 

Relax, he's doing an mcdst and working hard on it, not an mcse.

But I agree that the A+ and N+ be your next step.

 

No, I dont have any IT certificate(except IGCSE and A levels) that I could use in order to get a job. But I did get 2 jobs in those two companies, mainly because they have heard about me.
Now, here in London, I didnt find a company that would let me work for a temporary time to prove myself. So I thought I would get certificates to have written knowledge proof.
And that was the reason why I have asked whether they can help me to get a job in IT industry here.

Regards

 

Thank you both for your advices. I was thinking about going in the following scheme;

Summer, 2010: Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) - Consumer Support Technician
Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) – 70-270
April, 2010: Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) - Enterprise Support Technician
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Vista – Configuration
March, 2010: Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST)
Certificates.


If you would like to add sth or give your opinion, it will be appreciated.
Thanks..

 

Way too much, way too soon. Learn to walk before you can run, gain the experience and work up from there, gaining too many certs can and will cause you issues if you don't have the commercial experience to back them up, it also makes the certs pretty much worthless for other people.

 

With all the respect, if one has the knowledge to pass an exam and does so, that would surely mean that he got the experience necessary to qualify as that. If I am wrong, please correct me. I understand what you are saying by making the certs worthless for others, but I dont see why one shouldnt take the exam that he can pass.


comments really appreciated. I will do my best to gain the qualifications and will post here the results..
regards..

 

Unfortunately no. In the real world there are so, so many variables that doing a course and passing an exam cannot teach. The only way to gain this experience is by acquiring skills in a commercial environment. Passing these exam does not mean you can do the job, but I do admire your ambition nevertheless.

Certifications coupled with the right level of experience is the way to go in my opinion. You also have to remember there are plenty of IT professionals in very good jobs that do not have any certifications because they're not required. Experience is key, and certifications are the icing on the cake so to speak.

D

 

Simon, I'm one of the loudest "experience before certification" guy you'll ever find around here... but the MCDST is a relatively entry-level exam. I'd recommend it even for someone without experience... but only after getting the A+ and Network+.

 

Vista? ... i would do that one now whilst you can

 

And I know the perfect book to buy for it!

 

If i was in your position, i'd go the route of getting the 70-620 and the 70-623 to get the consumer support technician, you can state in an interview that you support your friends, family and neighbours Vista home networks and that that experience helped you towards the CST and do the A+ and N+ as well. Getting into the territory of the MCITP:EST, a good interviewer will start asking about your level of experience with Active Directory, Group Policy and supporting Vista in a large 250+ machine enviroment.

So plan should be, in my opinion, get your MCDST, A+, N+ and the MCITP: CST and then fingers crossed by the time you finished these, you'll be in a 1st line support role and can start branching into the exams like the EST.

 

Thank you all very much. I have learnt more about the exams and different paths that I can follow.

I will become MCTS later because once you are MCDST you can upgrade to MCITP: ES with just one exam 621(which can be used as 620 if you already have MCDST). So while I get my MCITP ES, I will also be MCTS Vista: C.

Regards

 

I think it makes sense. Thank you for your opinion. I will try to follow it. Seems like, lots of places also require certificates from comptia as well, so might be better for me to have basic comptia certs.

 

I was more talking about him doing two MCITP exams within the space of less than 6 months than the MCDST.