Be gentle...

Discussion in 'New Members Introduction' started by judoblo, Aug 5, 2010.

  1. judoblo

    judoblo New Member

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    Hi guys/gals.

    I stumbled across this site while looking for some reviews of some IT training providers. I'm hoping you kind folk will be able to point me in the right direction.

    A little about me - I'm 25 and am currently employed as an "IT Manager" providing support for upwards of seven offices (around 45 users). The majority of users are using either Windows Vista/7, but we are looking to move towards a Windows Server (2008?) set-up in the future. I also maintain/develop a bespoke program written in Visual Fox Pro. I've not had any IT training apart from and IT AS-level course in school (which I had to drop) and so all my skills are self-taught. I consider myself to be pretty good at picking things up and also quick to learn.

    I'm feeling the need to gain some qualifications and to learn some new skills. Fortunately, my employer is willing to support (financially) my development and has asked me to go looking...

    Now, I've found a number of "Home Learning" providers that are willing to "guarantee" me a "fantastic" salary and "excellent" job opportunities, for anywhere between £1500 and £7000. I'm wondering if there would be a cheaper way of doing some courses/getting some training - so 1. I can convince my employers to part with their £££ and 2. I can do multiple courses/exams.

    I have been looking at the CompTIA selection and also some Microsoft ones (MCDST, MCSA, MCSE) but to be honest, I'm drowning in a sea of acronyms!!

    I'd appreciate any advice you can give.

    Thanks

    judoblo
     
  2. BosonMichael
    Honorary Member Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    If you are taking those quoted words with the huge grain of salt it sounds like you're taking them with, then you're on the right track. There certainly is a cheaper way to learn and get certified: through self-study methods, such as study guides, computer-based training, and practice exams.

    Most of the members of this forum typically recommend starting with the A+, Network+, and MCDST certifications. That said, this advice is typically given to people who don't have much (or any) IT experience. If you've been doing IT administration for a while, it may not be worth doing these exams. However, consider: certification isn't designed so you can learn new technologies or to show an employer what you want to be doing... certification is designed to show an employer what you can already do.

    If you've been doing server administration for about 6 months, the MCSA may be a worthwhile certification to pursue. If you've done more than a year of server administration in a multi-site, multi-server domain environment, you're a good candidate to continue through the MCSA to the MCSE certification. If you're about to start administering Cisco gear, the CCENT and CCNA certifications are worth pursuing... but not until then.

    Hope this helps! Welcome to the forums!
     
    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!

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