Total beginner to MCSE

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Can't say for definate. If you ask at the local Careers office, or job centre the should be able to give more info.

This site may help, but I haven't looked.

 

I'm a tad too old for that i'm afraid, being the ripe old age of 33.
Although i did contemplate doing something like that. Starting from the ground up.

I think my problem at the moment is that its been so long since i've had to use my noggin' it cramps up and screems for help everytime i try to study. That and the fact I'm a designer/artist and use a completely different part of the brain. The left bit I think.

Any tips out there on how to grey the old grey matter working properly in order to absorb all this technical speel.

 

this may not be the best way but i find it easy.

because i have a lot of time to play with and plan my career i've decided to pretend to myself i'm back in school.

ie, at school you do small chunks of different learning through the day so i'll read a+ for a bit, come on here try to give some help, if not then i'll read into others problems, maybe read an os book etc.

definately slower but i find it better.

thanks for the link si, i phoned them and the guy advised almost exactly what wagnerk said but he did mention that the gov. is looking into adult apprenticeships and learn direct would be a good place to ask.

so i'm going to enquire tomorrow.

 

Hi Mr Hanky

I am glad you took my posting in the way you did.

I started my certs at the ripe old age of 38, but had been working in IT for all my working life and I did find them hard.

At the moment I am about half way through an Open University degree and judge the work load of the MCSE against that of the second year as a full time student doing a degree!

Good luck with your studies - you can do it just get on with it.

 

You be jist a young purp. I was 49 when I started working on my certs. I can only wish I had started as early in life as you are. I had considered it at that age but had two young kids to raise at that time and didn't see how I could make it financially. Wish I had just plowed ahead with my desire then. I would have never come to be the situation I now find myself....

 

I started the MCSE track whan I was 46 (I am now 50), it was a challenge at first, but like a jigsaw puzzle it all starts to make sense after you have put in some serious ground work. You are never too old to learn, and I think the younger people would agree, that some of the most knowledgeable people in IT are a tad long in the tooth. That is often the case on other forums too. The notion that kids are the ones that know about computers does not necessarily hold water in this industry.

I personally got into IT because I was ahead of the game when businesses started to become computerised. I was working for an office equipment company as a service manager during the time they were implimenting their first network. Because I was the only person in the company that owned a PC, a 386 with Windows 3.11, I naturally fell into the role of supporting and helping others. I believe a lot of people got a foot in the door the same way. Things are different now as virtually all companies are now computerised. You have to find your own way in, the front door is closed, so look for another way in

 

I'll just have to stick with it i suppose, untill i can get my MCP cert.

Once employed with that cert I pressume the job will make things easier to digest. i.e being in the IT environment and having people around you that can help.

 

Hi, I'm new to these forums and I'm in a similar position to Mr Hanky.

I've just been made redundant from a job in the insurance industry. I now want to get into IT but at this stage I'm not even sure which qualification is best to pursue. I'm currently leaning towards MCSE becasue a lot a job advertisements stipulate it as a requirement and becasue I used to know someone who did it.

I've looked at a number of training providers and have basically ruled them out because their fees are exhorbitant. Some of them charge throsands of pounds just for providing online training which is taking the piss IMHO.

Can someone tell me whether it is possible (albeit difficult) to study for the MCSE exams by just using books? I've got a PC at home running XP connected to the internet but I can't really afford to set up my own network just to experiment on.

I do have quite a bit of computing expeience but it was a long time ago. I'm also comfortable with home study as I did some insurance exams about a year ago.

Are there any good books I can buy on the MCSE exam, not necessarily for training but to enable me to guage what I'm letting myself in for before I lay down any serious money?

Is it better to pass a lesser exam first before tackling the MCSE and if so which one?

Which is better Microsoft, Comptia, or Cisco?

Sorry for all the questions but at the moment I can't see the wood for the trees.

Thanks in advance.

 

Grasshopper, it might be better to start your own thread rather than attach your queries to Mr. Hanky's. You'll get more specific responses. Thanks.

 

Done.

Thanks for the tip.