MCDST cert is it worth it

[trueblue924]

Hi guys i am currently unemployed done various jobs in my time, i really wanted to get into it as a support technician fixing pcs and networks etc. I was looking at a MCDST course done through my local collage however it is full time and i dont think i would be able to support myself the wife and the kids while doing it so i was wondering if anyone had any advice on courses through the open university or other distance learning courses that i caould do to get the qualifcation or even a better qualifaction. I have a decent understanding of pcs so i think i should be ok to do the course.
On a side note is a MCDST a decent qualifaction to start with are there any better.

[copey123]

An MCDST should help you get into a Service Desk/Desktop Support role and put you ahead of the pack qualification wise as long as you can back it up with some examples of where you have done IT support before (Anything will do, helping family, friends, small local businesses, just exaggerate it in the interview if you are confident in your ability). When I was first starting out it definitely got me my first support job ahead of the other candidates around 6 year ago, as that is what the manager who hired me told me at the time.

I wouldn't waste my time doing a full time course for it in all honesty though as if you know how to use a computer and use one on a regular basis you will probably know 50% of the material already. Your best bet is to just download the course ebooks (I can sort you with these or just do a search for the course numbers on a site like 2shared.com) and self study before taking the exams (which was about 100 quid per exam the last time I did the 2003 MCSE->2008 upgrade). You can also download the case studies and go through the tutorials.

If you are really desperate there are sites out there such as (http://www.sadikhov.com/forum/index.php?act=idx) where you can find find links tosome of the most recent exam papers with answers, but obviously you would be wiser studying the actual material as you may look a bit of a tool when it comes down to a real life situation and you don't actually have a clue what to do lol

[trueblue924]

Would you be able to sort me out with the course ebooks i really dont like the thought of doing a full time course. I really would like to work while working towards it. I do use the computer a lot at home and have a general understanding of how they work so i am pretty sure i could do the self learning route.

[bt2k1]

I am currently studying and working towards a MCSE. I currently have 5 MCP's so at the moment I have an MCSA and two more exams away from getting a MCSE. It has taken me a little over 18 months to get the certifications I have at the moment and I have always been in full time employment whilst studying.

Since getting these certifications I got a promation with in our Organisation. I am currently a Senior IT Engineer but I am currently looking for a job more specialised with the cerifications I have. The certifications go along way as it shows you are committed to your career. Experience will only get you so far...

Good look in what ever path you choose.

[trueblue924]

I really dont know which is the best microsoft cert for what i want to do i thought that the mcdst was a good start then i am looking towards going to mcitp. Then i am going to look again. Does the fact they are microsoft certs help in getting a job in it as ms is so widely used by everyone. Are there any better alternatives.

[bt2k1]

.....Sorry also just to add, there are other certifications out there which may be best suited if you are starting off in IT. If you start reading through a Microsoft book and you are reading about Registry values, NTFS, VB Scripts ect it may go over your head and may make you give up.

You may want to look into doing the CompTIA A+ essentials exam first which is all hardware and tells you how to build a computer from scratch and how a Laser Jet printers prints out using positve and negitive charges, SATA Drives, BIOS and everything you need to know for having a career as a Desktop engineer.
Also there is a certification called CompTIA Network+ which tells you the foundation of networks and TCP/IP protocols, IPSEC ect

I have both A+ and Network+ certification and they were the most interesting exams I have done to date.
Microsoft exams seem to be a little dull and sometimes it takes alot of will power to stick to it.

Hope this helps

[Little John]

The only reason I would do the MCSE, MCP, MCSA, MC... is if the company I work for pays for me to do it. If they want the benefits of me being an MCSE then they can pay for it. When I did mine it was paid for.

OK your difference is you are unemployed so that isn't going to happen and it could help you get a job. But everyone else thinks the same way, back when I started in IT everyone wanted an MCSE/MCP you could earn £25k+ as an MCSE. Companies are now wanting MCSE qualified people for £15k jobs the world is over run with them and it has been devalued.

[bt2k1]

I wouldn't go so far to say that anybody with a MCSE would accept a 15k job. There are alot of people jumping on the IT bandwagon thinking they can walk into a 25k job because they are handy with the computer at home. Certifications are still he way to go if you want to go further than working on a IT Service Desk.
My company is paying for my Microsoft exams but even if I was unemployed I would still continue to do these exams because it will make you stand out head and shoulders above anyone else.
There is alot of material out there which gives you the answers to the exams but this will get you nowhere because when it comes to an interview for a job you will get caught out.
Alot of people have MCSE's and when it comes to asking them questions they do not have a clue, this is were I agree that the MCSE is becoming a common certification but you will still be invited to an interview and that is were you have prove you have the knowledge and experience for that job.
This goes for all certifications not just microsoft ones.

[Realist]

I did my MCSA and MCSE as well as the Comptia courses years ago.

Didnt use any of them and now catching dust.

I would say experience is the key and starting at the bottom and working your way up the ladder is the best way but the hard part is getting your foot in the door.

Start basic, get experience and then go for the expensive courses (mine was £8500 plus) and waisted.

Regards

[Sanj[UK]]

You need to know fuck all IT to get into most 1stline/Csc jobs. Good luck.

[funkyg]

I agree about the CompTIA A+ and Network+ exams, great if you are starting out. Just finished a week long Network+ and really enjoyed it. The MS ones could be a little hard core.

[Little John]

I wouldn't go so far to say that anybody with a MCSE would accept a 15k job.

I never said they would but I have been looking and I have seen way too many jobs paying poorly but wanting MCSE/MCP qualified people. They are taking the piss. I have also been to interviews with people qualified to the hilt but they will never get a job in the IT industry unless they take the help desk role because all they have ever done is study and set up server and networks etc for learning experience.

The last one in the school I went to I was the worst qualified there on paper, in fact I have lost the MCP certificate so never handed it over, never picked up my A level certs so all I had were my GCSE's. I have been doing the job for years 2 of the guys never got a look in due to serious lack of personality and the other guy got the job over me because he had previous experience of working in education. So experience counts in my book.

[Sanj[UK]]

Without the relevant experience your qualifications mean fuck all. Get a 1st line role and then start getting qualified to ur tits

[trueblue924]

Thanks for all the advice think i am gonna make a start on them probably the microsoft ones and see how i go while looking for a job in IT. I think it will help if i show i am willing to learn and also i would of thought that because they are microsoft that might make me look better especially if someone that aint very techy interviews me.
On a seperate note does anyone know of any good websites to look for IT positions. i know a few but they are all general ones.

[Sanj[UK]]

Thanks for all the advice think i am gonna make a start on them probably the microsoft ones and see how i go while looking for a job in IT. I think it will help if i show i am willing to learn and also i would of thought that because they are microsoft that might make me look better especially if someone that aint very techy interviews me.
On a seperate note does anyone know of any good websites to look for IT positions. i know a few but they are all general ones.

I used to use Reed and Jobsite

[copey123]

After looking through these posts, what I can see is that, yes, the qualifications do help..... but on top of this, at least 90% of it is your personality and experience.

I started off with only a couple of A-Levels and an interest in Computing. I went to Uni, fucked about for 5 years and got away with only a HND when I should have got a degree, but the lifestyle was too much. I then talked my way into my first IT job repairing PC's in my local town and answering the phones to small business calls every now and again on 14k. I got the job purely on the basis that I had a half decent basic IT knowledge, liked footy, a laugh and didn't come across as a complete geek, I was just a regular lad. I realised I wasn't going to get anywhere after 18 month so self studied the MCDST which I reckon I wouldn't have got where I am today without. When I had done this I started applying for jobs in the big cIty! (Leeds lol). The only thing that made me stand out from the others was the MS qual from the feedback i got. Once I got here, I came to the realisation that you could easily earn 20k doing an IT job answering the phones and resolving peoples IT queries (my mouse isn't working! the printer is broken! my screen has turned upside down! how can i convert this pdf into a word doc?!) which to be honest was even easier than my previous poorly paid job. From this I went on to voluntary overtime, and after excelling in this role (after realising that half the people i worked with were not at all bright when it came to computers, and knew nothing in depth about IT, whilst i was regularly building my own and troubleshooting my friends PC's and peoples on forums online with much more advanced problems) I was now pulling in 25k. WHilst here I also decided to self study my MCSA (which my employer said they would pay for the exams for, which most places almost always will if you ask)

From here my employer realised my ambition and got me a 6 month secondment into the packaging and deployment team (after much of my nagging) where I learnt a lot about the non support side of IT.
Whilst I was there I learnt from a few other friends in different departments that so much of IT was believing in your ability and basically blagging your way into better roles by bigging yourself up.

From here I moved into a 2nd line role at another place at which point I asked if they'd pay for my MCSA->MCSE upgrade (which they did) and another 18 months on I am now in a 3rd line role building servers, looking after 2 major datacentres and providing 24/7 support from home half of the time to one of the biggest lawfirms in the world and pulling in 3 times my salary of 6 years ago.

If you have the confidence and believe in yourself you can do whatever you want. Once you see that the people around you in the higher paid jobs don't know an awful lot more than you, then that definitely gives you the drive to go further.

[copey123]

BTW, plenty of stuff on newsgroups for MCDST

http://binsearch.info/?q=mcdst&max=1...ge=730&server=

If anyone sees anything they want I'll upload it to a more direct link if they want this weekend.

[TwoPlAnKs]

If you really want an interesting and well paid job, find out what the local industry needs and wants and get specific in something. As an example, here in Aberdeen there is a big industry in geo data and the processing thereof, for oil removal and carbon capture in the North Sea. This means somebody who knows unix (all the geo software is linux/unix) and large scale data storage (geo data is 4 dimensional bitmaps) can get £100,000 on a contract job with 5 years experience if they combine it with the ability to push through projects and get results.

Desktop Support is ten a penny anywhere, and without a speciality you are just going to be dealing with crappy user problems forever. You may enjoy reinstalling windows or imaging a PC now, but in the future?

I think a really good job that would use your existing skills a lot would be as the sole IT person in a small growing company. You'd need experience to get it, but once you were in you could do everything your own way and you'd get all the personal interaction and simple desktop stuff right up to fairly complicated server work and the job of expanding the IT to fit the company. Not very well paid though, probably a ceiling of £35k in a well paid area and lower elsewhere.

[tam9]

I don't do M$ but i do Cisco, when you decide to do something focus on that and nothing else. I'm 26 with 8 years experience in Unix and Cisco - no windows - the key is to focus on a core subject and don't deviate mate.

I've got a CCNP whilst working full time and now studying for the pinnacle of all certs the CCIE, i'm judging it will take me 2 years to do and that's only if i pass.

I would suggest you look for a 1st line job, get some experience and whilst in the job study like fuck - it worked for me and I'm a senior network engineer....but don't think certs will get you places it's your experience and people skills.

[TwoPlAnKs]

I don't do M$ but i do Cisco, when you decide to do something focus on that and nothing else. I'm 26 with 8 years experience in Unix and Cisco - no windows - the key is to focus on a core subject and don't deviate mate.

I've got a CCNP whilst working full time and now studying for the pinnacle of all certs the CCIE, i'm judging it will take me 2 years to do and that's only if i pass.

I would suggest you look for a 1st line job, get some experience and whilst in the job study like fuck - it worked for me and I'm a senior network engineer....but don't think certs will get you places it's your experience and people skills.

I agree exactly with this, specialise specialise specialise. I've never done windows either but I can still do windows desktop support piss easily because it's just not complicated or interesting and therefore the jobs market is swamped, salaries are low, and you are likely to spend half your time doing the same thing over and over.

Don't piss away your existing experience and knowledge though, find a way to use it. Find out what local companies look for and adapt. Learn something random like a widely used piece of backup software or another big application. If you live in a place with lots of manufacturing, find out what their computer controlled machinery uses and see about learning that. The windows platform stuff will then be hugely useful to you if they are running windows underneath, but you won't end up crawling under desks as much.