MCSE 1

[lisabennett]

lisabennett (IS/IT--Manageme) Jan 20, 2003
I am really intrested in moving forward in my career.
I have been a systems administrator in a company for 2 years... I have 2 Servers and 46 networked computers...
It's fairly small and I had no experience when I started, I've learned everything that I know in the past 2 years from hands on and a few courses...
- Introducion to LAN
- Introduction to WAN
- TCPIP
- Administering NT
- Implementing Windows 2000,


But i have no certs... I have been told that I won't make much more than about $22\hour....at this company. I really want to be in a company where the Administrator has more resposibility... and in bigger company and if I'm going to pay to be certified I think that I should be worth more than that ... I know this company will not recognize a cert as something that should get me a higher wage.
But I am going to be taking my MCSE starting Feb 17th...
I feel like the oppertunity for advancement and a better job will be easier to reach if I have this.. Anyone have any advice on this...
Anyone have there MCSE and should this cert really help me move forward... I know that a cert will never hurt me but it's $10, 000. Also.. I live in Windsor, Canada.. Across the river from Detroit and there are alot of IT jobs in the Detroit area..
Any Advice?
Lisa

 

[dogbert2]

Well, at $22 an hour, that's 45K a year, plus any benefits
you might get. The current job market for tech is just
plain awful, so re-locating to the US may NOT be in your
best interest.

All that aside, any additional skills that you learn or
get certification for are a plus, no matter what the
field is. The key is to be a life long learner if you
want to make a career of information technology.

 

[MattWray]

With the expereince you have, you should self-study for your MCSE. I am paying $7,000 to a tech school that turned out, I know just as much, if not more than their "teachers". Oh well, life lesson. Anyway I have been pretty much self-studying for my MCSE for about a year and am 1 test away. I would highly recommend the Sybex books, and good luck! Thanks,

Matt Wray

http://www.netcomtec.com

http://www.total-tec.com

 

[algernonsidney]

If you are making $22 per hour, then you have nothing to complain about.

I have five years of experience with MCSE and A+. I am making about $15.

I didn't know that there were "a lot of IT jobs" anywhere. But considering that so many people want to get out of Michigan, that might be the case with Detroit.

Chris

 

[CharlieJax]

Wait... is that 22 CND or US? As there is a HUGE diffrence.

Besides, if you want more, then improving yourself is the way to go.

Yes, the MCSE can help you, and I wouldn't drop $10,000 on a course to learn the few skills you might be missing, there are plenty of books and free resources that can assist you to your target if you wish.

Minasi has a set of books called Mastering Windows 2000 (they come in a box called the Windows 2000 Resouce Kit) and may cost about $150 US.

These books are EXCELENT and along with your experence, picking up the Trenscender practice tests, and I always recommend the Exam Cram books, you should be able to pass the required tests with out much difficulty.

I have a bit more experence than you but using the above tools I gained my MCSE and MCSA for under $2000 (including test costs) and I am one test away from my MCDBA. More importantly I gained a lot of knowledge into the way Windows works and how to trobleshoot issues, which is a thousand times more valuable to me than the ugly peice of paper Microsoft sends you.

I must admit I have a much more "rose colored" view of the IS world than most but I do belive there are a lot of jobs out there (There are just more people looking for those jobs as well and that finding a position is not all that challenging if you are qualifed.

Weighing your options for certification can be important to your future in IS. You can of course find a job with out it, and perhaps it won't hurt to have it, but it always comes down to one simple question.

Do you feel that the knowledge you will learn from training for the tests will benifit you in the future and will those benifits outweigh the costs (your time, your effort, your money) that have to be put into the certification?

Answer that question with a yes and I'd say get the cert. If you say no, then don't sweat it.

The posts above are correct in one aspect that you are already making $45,000.00 (US or CDN) is quite respectable given the state of the market, and that being in a rush to change your job might not be a good focus point for you at the moment.

I would suggest picking up Mark Minasi's books (which are: Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professonal, Active Directory, and Windows 2000 Registry) and after you finish those you will have no problems with 70-210 and 70-215, take those two tests and see where it takes you. At that point you will be only out a few hundered insted of $10,000.

Unless you are brand spanking new to IS I'd never recommend a boot camp or other training as most people find that they are not very usefull in the long run. CJ

Don't drink and post, save that for driving home!

 

[MadJac]

FWIW. My economics professor (more years ago than I care to remember) said go into whatever is jammed full right now. Logic was the salaries will stagnate or even go down slightly, human beings of average intelligence will bail thus creating a huge demand for the trade. I offer the glut of teachers in the late 70's and early 80's as an example. More current....Pharmacists.

Don't position yourself for tomorrow, position yourself for 6 to 10 years from now. If your plan works....fine. If your plan has detours thrown at it.....fine. At least you had a plan.

I am 48 and about to start training for my first cert.

 

[darcy1]

Hello

I my experience employer's love the certification trail..
I am MCSE NT.4 & Win2000 are my current employer is very encouraging. Purchase any of the IDG books which are great and setup several test terminals at work or home. I had tuition with my NT4.0 exams and it was a joke. The teacher basically read from the text-very little practical.
Hope this helps

 

[buddafish]

i just completed my mcse/mcse w2k. it took me 1.5 years of self study, on-the-job experience, and out of pocket expense. i too considered paying money for training and testing and i am soo glad i did NOT. the exams are getting tougher, real experience really paid off and i LEARNED the material, not just memorized. i too learned everything i know about networking on this job. i was hired as a programmer and am now the network admin.

I agree with CharlieJax on all points. Minasi is reading.

and to appoligize for all the "i's" in this post....

scottie

 

[algernonsidney]

I can't recommend any Microsoft certs. But I can recommend the Transcender tests. Those are better than any boot camp. The benefit of practice tests is also that you always have them available and can probably re-sell them when you are done (haven't tried this).

Chris

 

[jtb]

can't resell the transcenders _legally_... but it the most cost-effective study guide -- no matter how much I dislike Spike's ugly mug on those adverts...

JTB
Solutions Architect
MCSE-NT4, MCP+I, MCP-W2K, CCNA, CCDA,
CTE, MCIWD, i-Net+, Network+
(MCSA, MCSE-W2K, MCIWA, SCSA, SCNA in progress)