On 12 May 00, at 23:14, Brian L. Sanburn wrote:

> Although I think I would like to program I feel that would be
> quite a stretch for me at this time and so see myself more as, say,
> a Help Desk Technician or something like that.  And I think it
> would have to be within the Windows framework simply because I'm
> most comfortable with that.

  MCSE can be a good grounding for system/network administration.
You'd be a valuable asset to a help desk or internal support group,
with prospects of moving up from there.

  There may be a bit of a temptation to focus on "how to pass the
tests", especially if you are paying someone to teach you the
material.  Resist the temptation; it dilutes the value of the
certification for everyone.
  For instance, a few months ago I interviewed an MCSE for a Network
Engineer position I've been trying to fill.  (It's still open....)
He had to have passed the Network Essentials exam to become
certified.  He told me he was working at a military base, with a mix
of current and older network gear, using both Cat-5 and co-ax
Ethernet cabling.  (Although our work network is all Cat-5, I have
both at home, too.)  So I asked him a couple of questions about the
differences between the two -- and he couldn't tell me.
  As someone hiring people who might (preferably) be MCSEs, I'm
looking to hire knowledge and not pieces of paper.

  My favourite local used bookstore has a fair selection of study
guides for MCSE and various other certifications.  While some of them
won't be current, and you might need more help than books can
provide, this can be a pretty inexpensive way to tell what it's about
and how interested you are before laying out money for courses.

David G
A+
MCSE (NT 4.0)
working on CCNA when I find time

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