MCSE

Hey guys quick question.. I'm currently working on my MCSE. I have a college diploma. I also have a job so the question is not really about me. Its a friend...

He's not really doing alot and he's decided to do his MCSE and get certified. I know all the big shots I work with have thier MCSE and they make pretty big$$$$$$$. I'm assuming they all have school behind them tho.

I guess the question is.. in the workplace is not having a diploma a big deal? will having your MCSE and just knowing your stuff going to be good enough?

Also how valuable is your MCSE? Like I said all the big shots I work with that are making mega bucks.. they are all certified..

Thanks..

We're recruiting right now for two desktop/server support staff. The key things we've been using to sort through the CVs are 1) does he/she have the experience we need, and 2) do they have any professional qualification (MCSE etc) to back it up. Diploma etc doesn't matter as long as they are educated to a reasonable level and seem like the right sort of person. Experience is key though - a 'paper' MCSE without the practical ability to do the job and think on your feet is no good in a real job

Certifications are very useful.. but the MCSE lost a lot of weight because of the number of people who did it and knew nothing. Its also expensive and long..

I would suggest you hit the Cisco certs first, they mean much more today especially for networking. If you also want to specialise, pick up an RHCE or similar and wait to be snapped up.

Cheers,

RHCE--- what is this?

I've already bought the books to my MCSE so i will be doing it.. And to be honest I find for myself the MCSE besides being a professional cert on my resume, it is very with my day to day work.. I am a SA in the GOV.. I help run a QA lab there.. We've just went to server 2003 with a XP workstation.. So the MCSE is very useful in that way...

But I totally forgot what my original question was.. ahh yes.. So yeah I was wondering about my friend who has no diploma.. So you guys think as long as he has the experience/know how of things then he will be okay.. thats what I thought too...

As for the MCSE.. to be honest this is the first place I have heard anyone say that the MCSE isn't worth that much.. Like I said.. Everyone at my work who makes the big dollars has thier MCSE and that is what they say to get.... could it be worth more here then there? I wouldn't think that but I mean.. i just find it a bit weird..

P.S-- My signifigant other is from England.. London to be exact.. Were thinking about moving over there in a little while.. What is the IT sector like there? is it as big as it is here in N America?
P.P.S- sorry for the ignorance.. I'm cdn not american I should know a bit more.

The IT sector in England is okay at the moment. Most of the jobs are in and around London and along the 'M4 Corridor' to the east of London. But there are still jobs out in the rest of the country if you look for them. You'll earn the most in the London area but then again the living costs are highest there too. The jobs with lower rates in other regions may be worth considering because the housing etc there is cheaper so overall you make more

I live in the midlands out in the UK, working in education. the money is very poor compared to industry and it is very much obviously location location based. but there are some big companies around the midlands like oracle and surfcontrol. also the NHS has pretty good jobs. i plan to move on after completing my mcse upgrade exams, i find most employees request for them now just for you to get the interview. its then when u get the job that u have the chance to shine, the cert then at this point, practically goes out of the window.

If you also want to specialise, pick up an RHCE or similar and wait to be snapped up.

Sahirh, what is an RHCE?