MCSE Course

Discussion in 'Training & Development' started by sammy h, Sep 10, 2009.

  1. sammy h

    sammy h New Member

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    Hi, came across this forum in the google search engine and thought i would join.

    I recently signed up to do the MCSE course with computrain, this consists of alot of hardwork and training, as i am sure you are all aware, it also consists of 8 exams, there is a testing centre near me, but only open Monday and Tuesday during the day.

    Within my current job it is almost impossible to get the time off to do these exams, so i could do with a centre that opens on the weekend. Computrain told me to go through prometric to find a testing centre, is this the only company that does these exams or can i go somewhere else?

    Living in the north of Lancashire i thought they're would be quite a few of them?

    Any help much appreciated, i would also like to hear if anyone else has done the MCSE course or finished it and how they have done, and whether they think it was worth it and are happy with any new job they may have achieved from it?

    Thanks Sam


    EDIT: SAM .... I say MCSE, it really consists of four sections:

    ECDL
    MCDST
    MCSA
    MCSE
     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2009
  2. BosonMichael
    Honorary Member Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Welcome to the forums. Are you currently in IT?
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  3. sammy h

    sammy h New Member

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    Thanks, nope currently in banking (insert joke here)

    Always enjoyed IT and currently doing my training now. Not expecting to jump straight into a 35k job or whatever they say, looking to work my way up the ladder as you do in most jobs.

    Thanks for the reply.
     
  4. Shinigami

    Shinigami Megabyte Poster

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    Yes, I did an MCSE course over 5 years ago... it was a full class deal, 5 days a week over 8 months. They of course do evening classes as well, and I was an assitant to an MCT over a period of 6 months, teaching half of the MCSE course to other IT professionals with day jobs.

    If you're fully employed, you might like to look into that as an alternative. Some offers provide 3 evenings a week of courses and you might like to keep your weekends for mental rest, rather than spending your week days working and weekend studying (especially as learning the ropes on MCSE can take 1 or 2 years depending on how you learn... you might get a burnout after a few months of doing this with no rest).

    If you go to Prometric.com, you can do a search for exam centers near your location. Many of those centers also offer courses. So call them up and see what they have to offer you. Don't forget that if you want to do an MCSE, it is advisable to already be working with server technologies, Active Directory and the like. In other words, this isn't a certification you should go for out of the blue as a beginner to the IT world.

    Alternatively, you can buy the course material and study at home. Get a lab going and do all the tests. This is the cheapest way and recommended way if your company isn't paying for the privilege of attending a paid course.
     
    Certifications: MCSE, MCITP, MCDST, MOS, CIW, Comptia
    WIP: Win7/Lync2010/MCM
  5. JonnyMX

    JonnyMX Petabyte Poster

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    It'll have to be Prometric unfortunately.
    Although different centres are open at different times, so you may need to travel further to find a centre that is open more often.
    Generally they open office hours, but I have known some to be open later, till 6.30, or even on a Saturday morning.

    Given that an exam only lasts a couple of hours, can't you get a bit of time off? Book an afternoon's holiday?
    You'll either need to make a personal sacrifice for your development, or your employer will need to consider the benefits of having someone certified on board.

    :biggrin
     
    Certifications: MCT, MCTS, i-Net+, CIW CI, Prince2, MSP, MCSD
  6. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Well, the problem is that the MCSE is unsuitable for someone with no IT experience. Microsoft's site even states that MCSE candidates should have at least 12 months of experience administering servers in a multi-site, multi-server environment. And not just 12 months in IT... 12 months administering servers. And that's not something you'll likely be doing in your first IT job. Thus, the MCSE won't really help you to get your first IT job. In fact, it can work against you, as you'll be overcertified for your experience level.

    But... CompuTrain wasn't going to tell you that... they simply wanted to sign you up for an expensive course. :(

    What you ought to have pursued is the A+, Network+, and MCDST. These certifications are absolutely relevant to entry-level tech work, and they'll make your CV more attractive to employers.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  7. free-advice

    free-advice Nibble Poster

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    I thought after SimonVs thread about cleaning up CF and helping people out this was going to stop.

    Obviously not..........

    Go easy on the guy. He has paid the money for the course whether this be cheap or expensive. Whether it is with a good TP or not. Whether the advice given was right or not.

    Lets support him and help him as much as we can.

    FA
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 2, 2015
  8. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Eh? :blink My advice IS intended to help and provide support. Had he not been told what I told him, he'd have gone out looking for a job with the MCSE on his resume and wondering why he isn't getting any bites. It's far crueler to allow that to happen than to give him GOOD information.

    Had I wanted to blast him, I would have called him a moron for going with a training provider before doing his research. But I didn't... firstly because I *don't* think he's a moron, and secondly because everyone makes mistakes. I'd much rather be told my mistakes than to be allowed to continue to make them. Others prefer to have people tell them that every decision they make is a good one; personally, I don't think that's wise.

    If he believes my advice is solid, he'll try to take my advice and pursue the A+, Network+, and MCDST certifications. If he thinks I'm full of crap, he can make the choice to continue through the MCSE course and try to get an entry-level job with it. But I've been in IT a long time, and I'm here to tell ya, it's not a good idea.

    If you have a problem with my post, there's a little ! up there you can press. But I'm not gonna let him make a mistake without giving him good advice regardless of what you think about it.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 2, 2015
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  9. zebulebu

    zebulebu Terabyte Poster

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    WTF? Where is there anything in BM's post that could be construed as some sort of an attack on the OP? All he's doing is giving him solid, sound advice.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 2, 2015
    Certifications: A few
    WIP: None - f*** 'em
  10. skulkerboyo

    skulkerboyo Megabyte Poster

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    I have to echo BM's sentiments here.

    It is simply the truth. I see your statement as either antagonistic or ignorant.
     
    Certifications: MCITP:SA, MCSA 03, MCSA 08, MCTS(680+648),A+,N+,ITILV3 Foundation, ITIL Intermediate: Operational Support and Analysis
    WIP: 70-417
  11. JonnyMX

    JonnyMX Petabyte Poster

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    Computrain not one of yours then? 8):biggrin
     
    Certifications: MCT, MCTS, i-Net+, CIW CI, Prince2, MSP, MCSD
  12. free-advice

    free-advice Nibble Poster

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    No not one of mine :D
     
  13. sammy h

    sammy h New Member

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    Ahh, this isn't what i was expecting to hear, not sure if some of you understood me correct in the first few posts there, i don't have a job in IT at the moment and my current employer doesn't know anything and isn't funding the course i am currently on.

    Computrain advertised it and in a way, lured me in, and by the sound of it scammed me? It's my fault really i should have looked into it more, there is alot of useful info on thos forum BTW.

    Aslong as i get the qualifications then i can start looking to get into the employment? Am i right there?

    At the minute i am doing all my training online, which has come to a halt as i try and find somewhere to do my first exam, i try and get around 10-12 hours in a week and have Friday and Saturday off which i can cope with pretty well.

    Should i try and get a job in IT then whilst i am doing the training?

    Thanks again for all the advice and information. Really interesting and helpful to listen too, also by the above posts im guessing alot of people come on here asking this so sorry if it is abit of a repeat, don't be arguing over me though, i'm not that bad:biggrin
     
  14. Waria Ahmed

    Waria Ahmed Byte Poster

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    To be honest its not impossible to complete an MCSE without 12 months experience, but you'll have to work very hard.

    However, I agree with the rest that it wouldn't look good on your application to have 0 experience and an MCSE, so if you do pass, I'd hide it till you've got some experience and then add it onto your CV to make yourself a better prospect :)

    Hope that helps
     
    Certifications: See Signature
    WIP: MCITP: Enterprise Administrator
  15. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Yep, understood it exactly as that. The MCSE without experience won't help you get into IT, because the MCSE doesn't have anything to do with entry-level tech work. The MCSE is designed for people already well into their IT careers... not for people who aren't yet in IT.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  16. sammy h

    sammy h New Member

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    Once again thanks everyone for their thoughts and advice.

    I have managed to book my first exam on Tuesday 29th, after ringing prometric the only Saturday opening centre is in London, which doesn't help me too much living in Morecambe.

    Judging by your comments, it seems i should start to pursue an IT job now, even before i have any qualifications or experience. Which could seem a good idea as getting daytime hours off in my current job is virtually impossible, just another question if i may, what type of job title should i be looking to apply for, bearing in mine i have virtually nothing IT to my name as of yet?

    Once again thanks for the help guys.
     
  17. pmidds

    pmidds Bit Poster

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    Sammy, you're probably going to find it difficult to get anything other than a 1st line / call logging position without any IT experience. I got my initial IT assistant job via a placement through doing a NVQ. I've since been doing desktop support for over 10 years, and I'm still finding it difficult to get a new job.
     
    Certifications: MCP 70-210; 70-290; ITIL Foundation v.3
    WIP: MCSE? or CCNA?

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