Nice article to read.
Rajeev Soni
LeapIt.com MCSE
Fast Track To: "MCSE Certification Fast Track"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> AT
<[EMAIL PROTECTED] np--internet@NPS_CCMAIL
eapit.com> AT cc: (bcc: Rajeev Soni/Contractor/NPS)
np--internet Subject: You Are Your Own Company
04/04/2001 02:04
PM MDT
MCSE Certification Fast Track --- Wednesday, April 04, 2001
Published by LeapIt.com -- Upgrade your Career Today
********************************************************************************
*****
SAVE BIG IN BUY IT!
"Mark Manasi's Windows 2000 Resource Kit"
Save over $18.00 off the list price when you buy today!
This 4 book box set is the ultimate reference source for Windows administrators
and
information services professionals. The included exclusive CD contains the full
text
of all four books in digital searchable format. With this incredible boxed set
you get:
*Mastering Windows 2000 Server 2nd edition
*Mastering Windows 2000 Professional
*Mastering Windows 2000 Registry
*Mastering Active Directory
Get yours TODAY!
<http://www.leapit.com/html/buy_it_index.html>
********************************************************************************
*****
***********************************************************
MCSE HIGHLIGHTS
I. Readers Respond
II. MCSE Onward into the Future
III. You Are Your Own Company
IV. The Other Side of the Story
V. In Chaos Comes Opportunity
*******************************************************
I. Readers Respond
*******************************************************
I've received several e-mails from readers that presented some interesting
ideas and points. I'd like to share some of the thoughts that have come
in. I encourage you to send me e-mails. I will try to respond to them
personally as well as address them here in this column.
>From England: A reader informed me that the free Certification Magazine
subscription was not available across the pond. Certification Magazine has
a complementary subscription agreement with LeapIt.com. This is a great
magazine that deals with certification in general. Unfortunately, this
complementary subscription is only available to US subscribers. I would
assume this has to do with postage rates, outside of the US. I have
forwarded this concern to Certification Magazine and hopefully they will be
able to work something out.
If you can't get it free, I still recommend this magazine. Sometimes the
better things in life aren't free.
Another reader from Florida was upset because he is just finishing his
Windows NT 4.0 certification and really resents having to retool for
Windows 2000. This is a pervasive issue in the industry and Microsoft
seems intractable in this position. My only recommendation if you are in
this situation is to face the fact that Windows NT 4.0 has been in the
market for several years. Many Windows NT 4.0 users are reluctant to
upgrade to Windows 2000 right now for numerous reasons. The training you
have received is still relevant and you can expect several more years of
Windows NT 4.0.
Another reader was trying to figure out how to finance his certification --
his company wasn't supporting his endeavor. Several sources of funding
exist for this type of training. Our learning centers use Sallie Mae as a
primary source of financing. Sallie Mae will loan up to $15,000 for this
type of training. These loans can be paid off over a 15 year period, and
provide very reasonable interest rates. Many banks also offer student
loans, as do many state and local governments.
You may also be able to work out an agreement with your employer to help
finance your tuition. Some employers that I have talked to about this
problem offer employment contracts that pro-rate the cost over a period of
time, say three or four years. These employers feel that they can't afford
the cost of the training if the employee leaves immediately after they
finish it. I encourage you to seek creative solutions to the funding
problem.
*******************************************************
II. MCSE Onward into the Future
*******************************************************
The reality of the situation is that Windows 2000 isn't going away and if
you want to keep your skill-set razor sharp you will have to keep going to
school. You will have to keep learning, regardless of how you do it.
Things change, technology changes, and if you want to stay out front, you
just have to bite the bullet and do it. In fact, I suggest you get in the
habit of always going back to school. You learn more than just about a new
technology, you learn that your limits are a lot farther out than you
think.
*******************************************************
III. You Are Your Own Company
*******************************************************
A few years ago (1980), I earned my Bachelors Degree in Business. I
finished, after almost 7 years of study. (No, I'm not that slow, I was
going to school part-time.) I'd hoped I was done. Fooled me! I have since
earned a Masters Degree and recently I started an MBA program. Since I am
trapped in the "American Dream", I continue to go to night school. I'll be
honest; it's a pain, however, I think it's worth it.
Remember, you are in charge of your own career. You decide exactly how
much you earn. If you want to earn more, you have to do more. A
motivational speaker that I worked with a few years ago, Brian Tracy, loved
to ask people in his classes to stand up if they were self-employed. A few
people always stood up; those that ran a business. As he would talk, he
would ask this question again, a few more people would stand up.
Eventually, everyone in the room was standing up. His point was, and a
good one at that, is that we are all self-employed. We all decide what we
do for a living and how much we are paid for it.
Keeping your skills current in this industry are the same as any other.
You wouldn't go to a surgeon who hadn't kept his skills up, anymore than
you would go to a car mechanic who didn't know anything about fuel
injection, would you? When you get your MCSE on Windows 2000, you have
proven your skills are current.
*******************************************************
IV. The Other Side of the Story
*******************************************************
Recently I was having coffee with a strategic business analyst at a large
software company. We were discussing the situation and his feelings about
certification. He had some interesting things to say about it.
His company viewed certification as a critical strategic component of
supporting his product. This particular company is working very hard to
provide a mechanism to train internal and external support people on how
best to manage the product and deliver the full potential of the offerings.
On top of that they are actively promoting the value of the certification
to people that hire certified people. Think about the obvious advantage of
a large player promoting the value of your certification. Companies like
Microsoft spend millions of dollars every year telling the market how good
MCSEs are. This is valuable to you, as it makes the industry perception of
your certificate as a more positive (read more expensive) skill set.
Many of the problems that people were having with his products were well
documented and known. When a service call comes into a support center, it
is very expensive for them to respond effectively. He went on to add that
most of the solutions were readily available on the Web site as well as in
product documentation. By insisting on certification, he felt that
customers would be able to resolve problems faster and improve up time and
availability. Point well taken. The manufacturers of these products need
certified people who are competent in the product as badly as the people
who use those products.
*******************************************************
V. In Chaos Comes Opportunity
*******************************************************
The Chinese symbol for "danger" is also the same as "opportunity." Many
companies are undergoing great changes in the IT department. These
opportunities create the chance for computer professionals to gain valuable
experience and growth. This growth and experience, when coupled with
certification, provide a rich and rewarding career path that doesn't have
to be boring. You can always get off the train at any stop and wait for
the next one.
I'd advise that you stay on the train, pay the fare and enjoy the ride.
Drop me a line, let me know how you are doing, things that you have
discovered and your thoughts, I'm very interested in your thoughts on this
subject and the industry in general.
Until next time,
Mike
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
**********************************************************************
About the Author:
Michael Pastore is a Microsoft Certified Professional. He has been
involved in certification for the last 5 years. He has worked with a
number of companies on certification and technology related issues.
Michael is the President of LightPoint Learning Solutions, a Microsoft
Certified Technical Education Center.
He is also the President of IBID Publishing, one of the first providers of
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer study guides. You can reach him at
[EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit his website at www.ibidpub.com or
www.lightpointlearning.net.
**********************************************************************
---
You are currently subscribed to mcse-cft as [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To unsubscribe send a blank email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
*******************************************************
Special note: Has a friend forwarded this to you? Don't miss another issue,
Get your own Newsletter by sending a blank email message to:
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
*******************************************************
Copyright 2000 LeapIt.com, Inc., All Rights reserved.
http://www.leapit.com
Received: from listserv.leapit.com ([64.212.156.39]) by ccmail.itd.nps.gov
with
SMTP
(IMA Internet Exchange 3.13) id 009E02AD; Wed, 4 Apr 2001 12:54:36 -0500
From: LeapIt.com MCSE Fast Track <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "MCSE Certification Fast Track" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: You Are Your Own Company
Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 12:07:40 -0400
Message-ID:
<LYRIS-8195-42522-2001.04.04-12.07.49--Rajeev_Soni#[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
X-Priority: 3 (Normal)
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2911.0)
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.3018.1300
Importance: Normal
X-SLUIDL: 57361376-270B11D5-BCDA0090-27E3283E
List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: "MCSE Certification Fast Track" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
_________________________________
FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html
Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
