Day Two of Microsoft Partner Learning Series: Microsoft Certification (The Gift of Qualifications)
Today is the second day of the Microsoft Partner twelve days of Learning Series. On this day in the song the gift is two pink galahs, taking the two part out of the gift as I don’t think Wayne or I are galahs. I have invited a guest to give you today's gift of qualification. Over to you Wayne.
Wayne McGlinn from Brisbane who is a MCP, MCSE, MVP and a MCT for DDLS.
Sarah - “Hey Sarah, don't go away I think something’s wrong with the Datacentre!”
Sarah - “Hang on … Ok … hmmm … Let’s try this … I call upon the great powers of CERTIFICATION!”
Wayne - “Nope, didn’t work Sarah”
Sarah - “Um, well that’s all I remember from my course”
Wayne - “Sarah, you didn’t actually sit the exam, did you. You sat all those courses and didn’t get certified”
Sarah - “Well, I didn’t really think I needed to, and have not found the time, besides, it didn’t help, you just saw that!”
Wayne - Sarah’s right you know. Just sitting courses doesn’t mean you’re now ready to go and dazzle the world with your cutting edge trouble shooting skills. You won’t shock and awe prospective employers with those Certificates of Achievement from all your courses.
Still, we need to answer Sarah: she didn’t really think she needed to and priorities other stuff before completing the final step of taking courses and sitting an exam.
So, in the spirit of the 12 days of learning let’s look at 12 Reasons to Certify: number 13 is your take-away and action plan.
Certified IT Professionals earn more MONEY. Blunt, but true. And seriously, who wouldn’t like more in the pay packet each month?
Experience is valuable, and what great way to showcase this with your MCSA/MCSE Certification history
Renew and resit Certification exams, keep up to date and current with the latest solutions from Microsoft
Talking to your customers, or even your own company’s CEO/CFO/CIO, carries much more weight.
IT Professionals need industry standard Certifications, not generic.
Failure is not an option. You tried to certify once and failed, so that’s made you wary of trying again. Maybe you need to attend (warning: blatant plug coming) a training course at a CPLS – oh, say the biggest and most awarded CPLS in Australia, DDLS for example. Motivated and experienced MCTs will help you fill in those gaps in your knowledge, and teach you that failing an exam simply means you haven’t passed yet!
Indicate to your employer that you would like to validate the training courses you’ve attended, they may even pay for your Certification exams!
Certification = Credibility. To pass and become a Solutions Associate/Expert means you really do understand the whole solution, not just a product.
Achieve personal goals, and through those personal goals you’ll probably also achieve your company’s goals!
Take a look at Seek, or LinkedIn, and see how many IT positions do NOT ask for Certification
Increase confidence, both in you, and within you. Cynics will say “ah, just a piece of paper”. Well pffft to them. It’s my hard earned piece of paper that shows I passed a rigorous test of my understanding of solutions, and it DOES mean something to me. Seriously, even as a 21 year veteran of Certifications, from Novell to Lotus to Checkpoint to Microsoft, I still get a buzz and a feeling of “yes, I do know my stuff” whenever I achieve or renew my Certifications.
Origami.
Now grab your planning calendar for 2016 and mark that first exam down, then pace yourself from there. You’ll be a Solutions Associate, then a Solution Expert by the end of the year.
What? The 12th Reason doesn’t make sense? There’s a little lesson there. I honestly wonder just how many people read through each of those reasons, how many said TL;DR? Well, if you did read that far, then if nothing else, the paper your Certifications are printed on will make some really cool origami :)
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all, and I look forward to seeing you in the exam rooms! Back to you Sarah.
Thanks Wayne! If have questions about certification, head over to Yammer and post your questions.
More About Wayne is going to share with you the Gift of Qualification. Wayne is a 21-year veteran of Certification, from his first CNA (Certified Novell Administrator) in 1994 through to MCNE/MCNI, Checkpoint CCSE+, and a multitude of Microsoft Certifications; from MCP through MCITP to MCSE. He is also one of five MCT Regional Leads in Australia and is also an MVP - Windows. For the last 18 years he has worked for Dimension Data Learning Solutions (DDLS), Australia’s leading technology, best practice and professional development training company. DDLS is devoted to the quality experience providing personal instructor facilitated learning environments. Dimension Data Learning Solutions has been recognised both nationally and globally for its commitment to candidates, reflected by the fact it has been either a finalist or winner as a Microsoft APAC learning partner winner or finalist for the past six consecutive years. Please contact our Customer Care Centre on 1800 ULEARN (853 276) or email training@ddls.com.au how DDLS can help you succeed.