MCSE Providers

Katie_Bell

Sorry if this is the wrong board, but I didn't think I'd be able to get the answers I need of the job board.

My husband is looking to do his MCSE however he doesn't know who to do it with. There's a lot of companies providing the training, however I don't know if they are dodgy or not.

I'd really appreciate any help with this. Thanks

Katie_Bell

Can anyone help at all? Thanks guys

electron_3

The best thing to do is contact IT departments at local colleges and Unis and
ask there for details, dont go with the like of Computeach as they are pants.

Also stay away from ICSLondon any company like this just want to rip you off.

VickyA_2

It just depends whether he wants to do it all in one go. OH is doing it "self study" at the moment in the evenings. I think he paid £90 for the books and is hoping to get the exams paid for by his work. We will see as they are notoriously tight.

If your husband was to go on a course, I think that OH was looking at something like £6k. I'll get him to post later though, once he gets in from work.

Katie_Bell

Thanks guys. I appreciate your help. None of the colleges in Worcester seem to do it, so I guess I'll have to look further afield.

Dilbert_2

As VickA mentioned I'm do my MCSE by "self study". I looked at going on courses but the 7 exams = 7 courses. It works out extremely expensive:shocked:

Like you I looked in to alternative providers but I either didn't trust them or had heard nightmare stories about them.

If your husband works in IT he could see if the company would pay a comtribution ie a couple of courses to get started. I'm putting the exams on the bosses credit card, he doesn't know it yet:D . I hope to persuade them to pay for a course or two later on the trickier exams.

Whilst doing my CCNA last year I bought some trial questions from a website (I think it was www.testking.com). They were very useful in the build up to the exam. Couple of the questions even appeared in the exam!;)

Sorry I don't have a silver bullet answer for you.

Good Luck

amosworks

MCSE = Minesweeper Consultant, Solitaire Expert?
:rotfl:

Murtle

I started doing MCSE thorugh home study. It wasn't too bad as working in IT I had numerous people around to help if I got stuck. I did it with a friend who had to renew theirs, so at least I had company. I can't remember who I did the exam through, maybe prometric or something?!

Good luck with them though, and remember it's life long learning everytime they get updated!!

x x

Katie_Bell

Dilbert wrote:

As VickA mentioned I'm do my MCSE by "self study". I looked at going on courses but the 7 exams = 7 courses. It works out extremely expensive:shocked:

Like you I looked in to alternative providers but I either didn't trust them or had heard nightmare stories about them.

If your husband works in IT he could see if the company would pay a comtribution ie a couple of courses to get started. I'm putting the exams on the bosses credit card, he doesn't know it yet:D . I hope to persuade them to pay for a course or two later on the trickier exams.

Whilst doing my CCNA last year I bought some trial questions from a website (I think it was www.testking.com). They were very useful in the build up to the exam. Couple of the questions even appeared in the exam!;)

Sorry I don't have a silver bullet answer for you.

Good Luck

Thanks for all your help. I'm going to show him this. Unfortunately he doesn't work in IT, he would like to get into it. He's been repairing and providing support in his spare time for the past 10 years, he just doesn't have any proper commercial experience or qualifications.

I'm an IT recruitment consultant, but don't recruit locally so cannot ask my candidates. I do know that if I recieved his CV even for a trainee role, it would unfortunately get rejected, no matter how good we made it.

Katie_Bell

Murtle wrote:

I started doing MCSE thorugh home study. It wasn't too bad as working in IT I had numerous people around to help if I got stuck. I did it with a friend who had to renew theirs, so at least I had company. I can't remember who I did the exam through, maybe prometric or something?!

Good luck with them though, and remember it's life long learning everytime they get updated!!

x x

I think the fact that it gets outdated is in some respects a good thing. I think continous development is a good thing. Thanks for your help

NastyMatt

I would speak to companies/recruitment companies and see if MCSE is worth it. Might be worth getting into a small IT company and getting a years experience under his belt before getting the qualification.

I have worked in IT for 17 years. I have interviewed and employed in the past and in all honesty I never looked at qualifications. I'll look at the last two years experience and achievements.

Some one with no experience but has the qualifications is only ever seen as having a "paper qualification". Add to that the MCSE qualification is purely theory and rarely equates to real life scenarios it is not that highly regarded.

If he is aiming for a pure techie role he'll be given a technical grilling at the interview anyways!

Sorry to be doom and gloom but you'd be better saving your money (and use it in a years time for the qualification) and try and get interviews based on his enthusiasm and willing to learn, impressing the bosses once in the role.

Good luck.

Matt