The key MS certification tracks were brought up to date some years ago, when they moved from the earlier MCAD/MCSD ('Microsoft Certified Application/Solutions Developer') to the newer MCTS ('Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist') & MCPD (Microsoft Certified Professional Developer) exams. Normally, there are two 'MCTS' pre-requisite examinations prior to moving on to the full 'MCPD' examination. If you are new at all to the industry and have not programmed before, (even though the very first unit from MS is classed a foundation unit,) we'd say it's smart to do a programming introductory course first. It's also normally a good idea to gain a support qualification prior to each of these, so a reliable idea of software-environments & software-support can be acquired. A support qualification will help you to acquire your 1st IT role. Normal study periods would probably be around 600 - 700 hrs to do a complete career track, and therefore you would generally program for 12 to 18m of part time training.

One feature that many training companies provide is a Job Placement Assistance program. This is designed to steer you into your first IT role. However sometimes people are too impressed with this facility, for it's really not that difficult for well qualified and focused men and women to find work in the IT industry - as employers are keen to find appropriately well trained people.

Bring your CV up to date as soon as possible however (advice and support for this should come from your course provider). Don't procrastinate and leave it until you've graduated or passed any exams. Having the possibility of an interview is more than not being known. Many junior support roles are given to people (sometimes when they've only just got going.) If you'd like to keep travelling time and costs to a minimum, then you may well find that a local (but specialised) recruitment consultancy can generally be more appropriate than some national concern, due to the fact that they're going to have insider knowledge of the jobs that are going locally.

Essentially, if you put the same amount of effort into landing your first job as into studying, you're not likely to experience problems. Some people bizarrely put hundreds of hours into their learning program and just give up once they've got certified and seem to suppose that interviewers know they're there.

Incorporating examinations as an inclusive element of the package price and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams is a popular marketing tool with many companies. But let's examine why they really do it:

In this day and age, we're a bit more aware of hype - and the majority of us ought to grasp that it is actually an additional cost to us (it's not a freebie because they like us so much!) It's everybody's ambition to qualify on the first attempt. Taking your exams progressively one at a time and funding them one at a time makes it far more likely you'll pass first time - you put the effort in and are mindful of the investment you've made.

Don't you think it's more sensible to find the best exam deal or offer at the time, not to pay the fees marked up by a college, and to take it closer to home - instead of the remote centre that's convenient only to the trainer? Buying a course that includes payments for exams (and if you're financing your study there'll be interest on that) is madness. Resist being talked into filling the training company's account with additional funds just to give them a good cash-flow! A lot bank on the fact that you won't get to do them all - but they won't refund the cash. Additionally, you should consider what an 'exam guarantee' really means. Most companies won't pay for you to re-take until you can prove to them you're ready to pass.

Average exam fees were around the 112 pounds mark in the last 12 months through UK VUE or Prometric centres. Therefore, why splash out often many hundreds of pounds extra for 'an Exam Guarantee', when it's no secret that the responsible approach is study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams.

In its most basic format, a program will make use of a specific 'language' to tell a piece of electronics how to carry out a function. As you might imagine, that dramatically over simplifies the task. At the level of a Windows desktop computer, there are probably around a hundred individual programs which are running in the background, all maintaining the system and allowing you to actually do anything. PC's effectively run on two different levels of software - the operating system is low level, and the applications run by the system are higher level. 'Windows' from MS is most likely the operating-system many of us are familiar with. Windows is an extremely complex number of programs, all inter-acting together to run everything - the space on your desk-top, how you inter-act with it, your network and internet access, all of the storage mediums and all the connecting-devices.

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