Microsoft Certification - Is it For You?

Do you feel more secure when a certified mechanic works on your car?

Do your taxes get done by a professional certified Accountant?

If you are sick or injured, do you visit a certified, qualified Doctor?

If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, its because you value service from someone you know is qualified and certified to do the job right. In the IT field that qualification comes in the form of Microsoft Certification. So if you want a qualified and certified professional giving you service in their field (Mechanic, Accountant, Doctor), would not an IT Company want to know that you are the best in your field and certified,qualified for the IT job/service. That is what Microsoft Certification does for you. It proves that you are among the "BEST" in your field and capable of doing the job or providing the service-competently.

You may think that Microsoft Certification is not important, and it is true. You can probably get a job anyway in the IT field without Certification, but when you do have Microsoft Certification, you have "PROOF" that you have the skills and the knowledge to work in the IT field on Microsoft Product/s. Today many IT Companies require Microsoft Certification as proof of your skills and competency. And in order to offer you a job they require you to be Microsoft Certified. Microsoft Certifications ensure that you are the first choice of IT Companies for jobs or the first choice for promotions if you are already employed.

What is Microsoft certification?

This is a recognition that Microsoft gives you which proves you have special skills to get the job done. Microsoft Certifications recognize and validate your real-world IT skills, and offer a life-long career path of IT skills development.

How do You Get Certified?

Actually Microsoft Certification is not that complicated, but it is tough. You have to learn / self-study for the required course through course books available at Bookstores / Online Bookstores, or join a Training Institute which provide Training and Certification Guidance courses. After the course is completed, you have to Register and appear for the Online Exam conducted by Prometric and VUE testing centres authorized by Microsoft to conduct the Exams. You need to prepare thoroughly for the Exam, because there is a fee for taking the Online Exam, and if you fail, well there goes your money.

Microsoft MCITP Certification and MCTS Certification assures your current/future employer or future clients that they have someone that really knows what they are doing, and it gives you self confidence in yourself and security - knowing that you are fully trained in Microsoft product/products.

Microsoft Vista Certification Exams Announced

Microsoft Vista Certification Exams Announced



Microsoft Vista certification is on the way, and Microsoft recently announced
the first Vista exams. In keeping with trends in certification, these particular
exams are designed for different job roles. These exams are scheduled to be
released in "early 2007", according to Microsoft's website:



MCITP Certification - Microsoft
Certified IT Professional - "Consumer Support Technician" and "Enterprise
Support Technician" certifications



MCTS Certification - Microsoft
Certified Technology Specialist - "Windows Vista, Configuration"



Unfortunately, there are no blueprints or details available right now detailing
the differences between the Consumer Support and Enterprise Support
certifications.



Those of you who were around when MS went to Server 2000 may remember that MS
announced what some considered a hasty end to the NT 4.0 certification. This
time around, Microsoft's website makes a point of saying that "although
progressive organizations will adopt Windows Vista immediately, Windows XP will
continue to be a driving force in IT for years to come". MS hasn't announced any
further information how Vista will affect XP or Server certifications, but I
suspect they won't be quite as fast to stop supporting earlier certifications.



Microsoft does make some recommendations to candidates currently working on
their MCDST certification. If you're working on that cert, visit the Microsoft
Learning website to read more.



Even if your organization is happy with their current network operating system,
you should still be making long-term plans to get certified in Microsoft Vista.
The first step in assuring yourself of a long career in IT is planning to meet
changes and challenges along the way. Nothing stays the same, especially in
networking!



Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of over
200 free certification exam tutorials, including CCNA certification training
articles. His exclusive CCNA study guide is also available!



Visit his blog and sign up for Cisco Certification Central, a daily newsletter
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Bryant Advantage! visit TestKingdom.com

Microsoft Certified Professional Free Online Training

Microsoft Certified Professional Free Online Training



The Microsoft Certified Professional MCP
certification is for professionals who have the skills to successfully
implement a Microsoft product or technology as part of a business solution in an
organization. Hands-on experience with a product is necessary to effectively
achieve certification. There are many Microsoft certifications that one may
acquire and many free online training centers that also have pay certification
tutoring, free study guides and free practice exam questions to help you pass
your IT certification exam.



The Microsoft Certified Professional has many different certifications that
represent specialized fields of information technology such as: Microsoft
Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) and Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)
credentials provide IT professionals with a simpler and more targeted structure
to display their technical and professional skills. The new Microsoft Certified
Technology Specialist (MCTS) credential highlights your skills using a precise
Microsoft technology. You can demonstrate your abilities as an IT professional
or developer with in-depth knowledge of the Microsoft technology that you use
today or are planning to deploy. The Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)
credential lets you highlight your field of expertise. Now you can distinguish
yourself as an IT professional with the current skills and proven job-role
capabilities to work efficiently with a comprehensive set of Microsoft
technologies.



Other Microsoft certifications include: Microsoft Certified Database
Administrator

Demonstrate that you have the skills to lead organizations in the successful
design, implementation, and administration of Microsoft SQL Server 2000
databases with the following Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA)
credential. The Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST)
credential proves that you have the skills to support users who run Windows XP.
It also proves that you can troubleshoot desktop environments that run on the
Windows XP operating system. The pay scale with this position ranges from
$35,000 to $55,000 per year. With all of these Microsoft certifications
excellent training is obtainable online or classroom. To some degree you will
find free Microsoft online certification training along with pay training.



There is also the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) certification
will advance your career by ensuring that you have the skills to successfully
manage and troubleshoot system environments that run on the Microsoft Windows
operating system. The MCSA: Messaging credential identifies systems
administrators who implement, manage, and maintain a messaging infrastructure by
using Microsoft Exchange Server. The MCSA: Security credential identifies
systems administrators who specialize in managing, maintaining, and implementing
security on the Windows operating system and as part of a secure computing
environment. Receive the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)
certification and prove your expertise in designing and implementing the
infrastructure for business solutions that are based on the Windows 2000
operating system and the Windows Server system. The MCSE: Messaging credential
identifies systems engineers who design, plan, implement, manage, and maintain a
messaging infrastructure by using Microsoft Exchange Server. The MCSE: Security
credential identifies systems engineers who specialize in managing, maintaining,
and implementing security on the Windows operating system and as part of a
secure computing environment. The pay scale on this job ranges from $50,000 to
$80,000 per year.



Free Microsoft certification online training is always limited in the amount of
study material that is given. In order for you to be adequately prepared for
your certification exam you will need to pay some for complete training so you
will be able to pass your information technology certification exam. Many online
training centers offer some free Microsoft certification training as a draw to
get you to purchase the more in-depth material that will fully prepare you for
your final certification exam. You will also need special training in test
taking to prepare you to pass your information technology certification exam.
All of this information is online ready for you to access. Visit
TestKingdom.com