going from MCDST to MCSA

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my question is, would a MCSA look odd on a CV with no experiance? I know its abit more advanced than a A+ / N+ but the microsoft site says its for people from 1 month to 1 year - i dont ahve 1 month of professional experaicne but what can you honnestly learn in 1 month that you cant learn from study?

 

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Yes! because generally certification is used to prove what you already know, experience comes before certification.

An employer wouldn't recognise the MCSA without the relevant "real world" experience on your CV (anyone can pass an exam). It may, as suggested many times, even have a negative effect when applying for jobs, even ones that are more entry level.

Personally i would suggest you look at the MCDST and get a entry level helpdesk job asap .

 

I couldnt see anyone employing you as a network administrator without having any expierence.

Edit: I forgot to add, the MCSA isnt one exam you sit and you have got it, you have to have other electives to go towards you MCSA before you can sit them exams.

 

yea i know - i have the MCDST so i onyl need the other 2 exams to get teh MCSA, and i wouldnt be applying for admin jobs, only helpdesk ones Im just trying to find something to inhance my CV because Im just not getting ANY replys to my applications for basic no experiance nessiery 1st line jobs and other than professional experaince (which I cant get) Im scrounging for something else that would make it more appealing and i wasnt sure if the MCSA was a step too far or not :P

 

Hi,

First of all I think the MCSA from MCDST is 3 more exam i.e.:
70-290, 70-291, 70-270. and the MCDST would be the elective.

If you really want to enhance your CV than do some voluntary work.
This is my suggestion at your level.
It worked for me...

T

 

that is correct

 

This is good advice and I have often taken on volunteers in the past to give them experience.

 

Oh... you learn stuff in a real job that you won't learn through study.

 

If you have done the MCDST recently then it's worth looking at the 70-270 because it's still working on Windows XP but at a higher level and is easier than the 290 & 291 which you could take in the future when you have more experience.

 

I agree with the comment above, as this is what I'm doing at the moment, and it gives you basic server knowledge.

Dave

 

I am sure Microsoft recommends 18 months experiance with in a multi server environment before takeing the 70290 and 70-291.

 

I'm currently studying for the MCSA and whilst I respect what these guys saying I think you should never be "ashamed" of a qualifcation as I think any employer with abit of common sense would recognise the amount of hardwork that goes in to studying for these certifications. I'm studying 70-291 at the moment which me and the rest of my class mates at the MS IT Academy in stirling call "The Beast" as some of the stuff with Subnet Mathematics is crazy hard if your not good with numbers. If I was in a position where I was an employer and seeing that on their CV then I would respect them. But i'm not going to hand them to the keys to the server room either. You have to be willing to learn and be humble for a while and demonstrate your worth: MCSA or not.

I know when I complete my MCSA at the end of next month I'm not going to walk into a system admins position - I have to earn that- just like you don't walk in an be the manager of any place! I look at my MCSA as just like when you study to join any profession. Its your proof you know the basics not proof you know everything. Your journey of life long learning in IT is just beginning and if you can't commit to that journey and that process then probably this isn't the field for you. But it has provided me with a rock solid basis to be be able to support networks, desktops and infrastructure in addition to my other certs. That despite the fact that I don't have any "commercial experience."

Whats most important in all of this? : Passion.
I'm sure the senior members of this forum would agree with me on this. You can spot a paper MCSA or MCSE a mile off and the biggest clues? They have very little grasp of the concepts and are only motivated by money and these things I would imagine would be very apparant in a job interview. So if you can prove that you've done this because you love the industry, computers and technology and your willingness to learn and genuinely know your stuff then nothing can hold you back. If you are determined as I am to obtain a career in IT no matter what it takes then you will.

 

As someone who has reviewed resumes for job openings, I would say that yes, it would look odd.

If you don't have 6 months of server administration experience, the MCSA won't help you get an MCSA-level job... not because you can't pass the exams... but because companies don't hire people to administer servers with a certification but no experience.

 

The problem is this - the MCSA or MCSE doesn't have anything to do with entry-level tech work. If I were reviewing CVs for an entry-level position and I saw that certification, I'd pass them over.

So, while the "senior members" might agree that you can spot a paper MCSE a mile away, most WON'T agree that those certifications are appropriate for an entry-level job.