MCSE. Worth Getting? Strategy?

[poopaskoopa]

Originally posted by: dxkj
I was thinking of getting my MCSE for windows 2k. At my current job it isn't needed but it would be an added bonus. Unfortunately they don't pay for the tests.

I was thinking of just buying a few books and taking the test. Do many people do this or do most end up having to take a class to pass?


Im a programmer at heart, but kinda stuck in support/type jobs for a while I think. It takes 7 tests for a MCSE so I figure not everyone has them by now.

No one I know took classes for those things. All books and experience. If you support an AD environment, I'm sure you'll do fine with a little reading. And even if you don't, you'll do fine with a little reading. MCSE is a tie-breaker, but not a ticket to anything. I'm often contacted for positions which list MCSE as either a requirement or just one of desired skillsets, so I don't think my having it is a complete waste.

I've come across many a paper MCSEs(and I'm certainly no AD god), but no matter what the cool anti-MCSE people say to you, you don't get dumber by having it, and you don't lose any points in the eyes of recruiters and managers.

 

[muppet]

it depends on the person
NT4 and W2k MCSE i was lucky to get full courses and by end of it the company i was at i was helped roll out AD for them, which by having an MCSE and spent my spare time learning helped a great deal
2003 i had no courses, but read a book, did the questions, and in my own time passed. by doing the questions you can learn a great deal about how it works in the real world, and when i came accross something unsure about, researched into it.
now i am using it day in day out, and am very glad to have taken it, and i am often asked questions relating to AD from other people at work, and i can instantly answer. in that sense there aint nothing wrong with MCSE's, and i'd happily hire an MCSE and give them a chance to apply the skills they have learnt in the real world. it shows you spent some time to learn new things, unlike a majority of people who cant be bothered to learn anything new after they done there 1 course and exam.

if i was you, i would learn for the 2003, and setup a lab environment as you go along

 

[classy]

MCSE is a pretty high level cert. You can forget that braindump stuff, Microsoft consistently changes the test questions now. MCSE is one of only a 3-4 certs that I know of that can take the place of a college degree. There are very few jobs that won't take a MCSE. And 2003 is a much harder tract and there aren't many 2003 MCSEs out there. Your higher level certs from Cisco, CNE which is from Novell, your security based certs are very good as well. I bet 95% of the time a guy with an MCSE will get hired just as quick if not quicker than a college student, especially if he's got a couple years under his belt. It can't be that bad, it was voted the number 1 cert for 2004.

 

[PlatinumGold]

i've passed 6 of the 7 mcse exams. the one i can't seem to pass (took it 3 times) is the active directory one . what pisses me off is that's the one i thought i would do best one.

 

[classy]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
i've passed 6 of the 7 mcse exams. the one i can't seem to pass (took it 3 times) is the active directory one . what pisses me off is that's the one i thought i would do best one.

I am down to my last 2. I have been fortunate. Failed only once so far 70-293, but passed it the second time. 294 I am hoping to do in a month or so then wrap up with 298. Been at this now for 14 months. Good luck.

 

[muppet]

the hardest exam i have ever taken in my life was the 70-296 exam.
Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a MS Windows Server 2003 Environment for an MCSE certified on Windows 2000.

hadnt seen any questions before, very technical, used up most of the allocated time 2hr30mins, and had to really think hard. I thought i had failed it, due to the hardness of questions, but was so pleased when that Passed screen came up.

Plus once you got an MCSE qualification, it allows you to only need upgrade exams for the next MCSE.

 

[BoKingWen]

I totally agree that expereience is more important than the stupid cert. Most of the people in my compnay's network group don't have these certs. I work as a first level tech and wanted to move to group that do higher support and first thing the manger ask me is if I have any cert. I mean come on I have worked in the compnay for 4 years I know all the stuff inside out and now I have to go take all these exams......

by the way anyone have any other good briandump sites????

 

[dderidex]

Originally posted by: rudder
I switched careers from something totally inrelated to computers to IT. The only reason I got any Job was becasue I had MCSE on my resume. When operating in the real world, experience is more important than certs, but many HR people will throw your resume away if it does not say MCSE on there and they want an MCSE regardless of the actual talent (as in my case )

That's the REAL key, right there.

In MOST companies, the department manager actually filling a position does NOT get a 'first pass' look at the resumes.

HR does.

And HR doesn't know SH1T for IT concepts. They have a list of qualifications to look for, a set of acronyms to find on the resume, standards of quality, whatever - if not met, it goes into the "circular file" and the department manager never sees it.

SOO....while it's true that an MCSE won't effect whether you GET the job or not....the person in charge of filling the position may never even SEE your resume *without* one, so....it kinda does.