Microsoft Certifications Are the worth the money?

[zippy77 0]

Microsoft's educational division makes 1/9 of their yearly profits. This is what my instructor told me one day after class. So 1/9 of millions and millions of dollars. I paid $10000 for a MCSE (MicrosoftCertifiedSystemsEngineer) course that did nothing for me really. The certification is not nearly as good as a bachelor degree, and most people don't even consider it college education! So now I wonder.... where was the $50000-$100000 job that I am supposedly qualified for? See there are far to many people taking these courses and the private colleges are packin them in there as fast as they can. This makes it nearly impossible to find employment in the windows network admin field because it is quickly saturated. Tech jobs are easy to find with this cert but they certainly do not pay the $50-$100K I was told I could expect! Heck they even told me not to accept any less than that because it would hurt "the industry". More like hurt microsoft's profits! Ha!Have you had similar experiences? Or hopefully better ones?

[Inspiron 0]

I had microsoft people coming to my school to give talks about these qualifications..They said that these qualifications immediately raises salary.. I'm not sure about the future for these qualifications...

[odomike 0]

WOW. I thought that the MicroSoft Certification Exam is a one time exam that can skyrocket your career and salary. And I have been planning on taking the exam sooner than later but to tell you one very simple truth.....What you just said have really discouraged me a lot and I dont even know whether I still want to take the exam or not.Well, still considering....

[Wyllt 0]

Ah, the age old question, to certify or not to certify. Back in the "good old days" an MCSE meant something, now though it is only another peice of paper which may or may not be of use in getting a job. The problem is that there are just too many MCSE's out thier that have the piece of paper, but no practical experience, they read the books, and studied hard, but didn't bother to do any actual hands on stuff to practice, so thier knowledge is limited. Unfortunately because Micro$oft advertised thier certs so much they became the oh so important piece of paper to hold for techies, this is a problem because it ment that the market was flooded with MCSE's and the test was relatively easy if you studied, especially with all the MCSE test prep sites out thier, so this ment that the value of the cert dropped rapidly.

 

As for the MCSE meaning an instant raise, that is just pure nonsense, only in a very few select shops is this the case, and those jobs are fairly low paying to begin with so with the raise you would be making the average salary of a tech, not 50-100K, there is no such thing as a 50-100K Tech job, you have to get into IT Management to get those figures, but to get into IT Management you usually need business background and/or time in the trenches as a frontline tech. While getting a raise for having your MCSE is not realistic, having your employer pay for the cert is realisitic, one thing most tech jobs have going for them is that the employers want the tech employees to keep current so generally they will pay for education.

 

The certification industry will die down I think, with the sad fact that there are so many of these documents available, and the declining value of said documents, fewer and fewer techs will bother with them, so fewer and fewer companies will devise new certs. What I would like to see instead is M$ come up with a more intensive cert which requires time in the trenches, like an apprenticeship. This will guarantee that the ppl graduating with the cert have real life experience and not just book knowlege, because trust me on this, what M$ press says is the way to do things is not the way 99.9999999999% of the real world does them, and you learn more in the first year of a tech job then you would ever learn in a classroom.

 

As for having an MCSE in order to grab a job, there is no doubt that an MCSE will HELP you find a tech job, but this does not mean that you need one to get a job. I had the training necessary to take my MCSE back in 1995, and I was about to take the first of the exams when I landed my first real tech job, I didn't bother taking the exam, because my employer wasn't going to pay me more if I completed the exams. I kept saying that when I went looking for a new job I would take the exams, but I never bothered because I kept landing new and higher paying jobs. I do know several MCSE's, and none of them had any trouble finding jobs, and indeed two have found jobs easier than me (though one is in a city with WAY more IT jobs then the city I live in so I don't think she really counts) the others have had just as much trouble getting jobs as I have. The only problem is that several jobs I have seen that I wanted to get said MCSE was a requirement, however I still apply and guess what, I got one of the jobs that MCSE was a requirement dispite not having the cert. Job requirements are always flexible, if they can't get what they want they may end up bending the requirments to fit thier needs, mind you I have 7 years experience as a Network Admin/Tech Support person in Microsoft environments so I imagine that when I got the MCSE required jobs they figured I had enough experience to consider it an equivelent.

 

The only cert I think is still well worth the money is the CCNE (CISCO Certified Network Engineer), it is a seriously tough course, and it would be tough to pass without actually configuring a router or two. CNE (Certified Novell Engineer) was once a GREAT cert to have, however Novell is all but dead so the usefulness is quickly fading, and I would say that even if Novell is still offering it (which I am not sure of) it wouldn't really be worthwhile unless you had a job using novell and they offered a raise if you passed the course.

[no9t9 0]

CCNE, CNE, MSCE and whatever self study "certification" are not REAL engineers. If you want to make the 50-100k salary right out of school, you need to get a REAL engineering degree. A bachelor of engineering not an associate degree either... a REAL engineering degree. I know many people who were fresh graduates from bachelor of engineering programs who make anywere from a low of 40k to a high of 65k per year. Within, 5 years those salaries were up around 30-50%. Most of those people are now pulling at least 60k per year.Average engineering salary is probably around 50-55k for a fresh graduate. And the average goes up to around 65-75k for those with 5 years experience.University is the best way to go if you want a higher paying job. There are obviously other ways but those will be much more difficult (start your own business, get famous, etc.)

[ramon 0]

I'm currently studying for an mcse certification. Although I do not expect a +50k salary. The market just isn't like it was in comparison to 6 years ago. But the requirements to get a job, often include a certification in mcse (and an age of 20 or lower and 4 years of expirience).

[Wyllt 0]

CCNE, CNE, MSCE and whatever self study "certification" are not REAL engineers.  If you want to make the 50-100k salary right out of school, you need to get a REAL engineering degree.  A bachelor of engineering not an associate degree either...  a REAL engineering degree.  I know many people who were fresh graduates from bachelor of engineering programs who make anywere from a  low of 40k to a high of 65k per year.    Within, 5 years those salaries were up around 30-50%.  Most of those people are now pulling at least 60k per year.

 

Average engineering salary is probably around 50-55k for a fresh graduate.  And the average goes up to around 65-75k for those with 5 years experience.

 

University is the best way to go if you want a higher paying job.  There are obviously other ways but those will be much more difficult (start your own business, get famous, etc.)

131485[/snapback]

I don't think anyone claimed that these certs make you a engineer in the manner your talking about, it is about the usefulness of those certs. There are alot of non-engineer jobs that pay 50-55K, even for fresh grads, granted engineers are the higher paying bracket, none of this is really relevent to the topic.

 

I'm currently studying for an mcse certification. Although I do not expect a +50k salary. The market just isn't like it was in comparison to 6 years ago.

But the requirements to get a job, often include a certification in mcse (and an age of 20 or lower and 4 years of expirience).

 

Ya it sucks, but the job market for IT Techs did have a massive downturn thanks mainly to a flooding of ppl with these certs. As for the requirments of MCSE under 20 AND 4 years experience, god I hope your kidding, that's nuts. How do they expect a 20yr old to have 4 yrs experience AND any useful education?

[no9t9 0]

I don't think anyone claimed that these certs make you a engineer in the manner your talking about, it is about the usefulness of those certs. There are alot of non-engineer jobs that pay 50-55K, even for fresh grads, granted engineers are the higher paying bracket, none of this is really relevent to the topic.

131835[/snapback]

How is it not relevant? This is exactly what the original poster had said.

The certification is not nearly as good as a bachelor degree, and most people don't even consider it college education!

I am confirming his suspicion that the certification is "not nearly as good as a bachelor degree". Also confirming that I DON'T consider it a college education (as do many other people). So, you tell me how it is off topic. Clearly confirming his statement will be useful and relevant.

 

Next, one of his criteria for doing the certification is the salary. So, combined with the fact that a bachelor is better, I suggested he do a bachelor of engineering to become a REAL engineer and he WILL make the kind of money he is expecting from the certification.

 

And, finally..I never said engineering jobs are the ONLY jobs that pay straight out of school. But, engineering jobs (specifically computer engineering) is the closest to the MCSE which will get the salaries he is looking for. You have to stay on the subject... Sure, I could have told him accountants make 50k a year out of school... but it should be something RELEVANT to the original post.

[Wyllt 0]

How is it not relevant?  This is exactly what the original poster had said.

 

I am confirming his suspicion that the certification is "not nearly as good as a bachelor degree".  Also confirming that I DON'T consider it a college education (as do many other people).  So, you tell me how it is off topic.  Clearly confirming his statement will be useful and relevant.

 

<<SNIP>>

 

131847[/snapback]

I must slap myself, your post is COMPLETELY RELEVANT to the comment about it not being considered college education. Some how I missed that comment, although I know I read it, for some reason it didn't sink in, I suppose because I didn't realize anyone actually considered it College education.

[iGuest 3]

Microsoft's educational division makes 1/9 of their yearly profits. This is what my instructor told me one day after class. So 1/9 of millions and millions of dollars. I paid $10000 for a MCSE (MicrosoftCertifiedSystemsEngineer) course that did nothing for me really. The certification is not nearly as good as a bachelor degree, and most people don't even consider it college education! So now I wonder.... where was the $50000-$100000 job that I am supposedly qualified for? See there are far to many people taking these courses and the private colleges are packin them in there as fast as they can. This makes it nearly impossible to find employment in the windows network admin field because it is quickly saturated. Tech jobs are easy to find with this cert but they certainly do not pay the $50-$100K I was told I could expect! Heck they even told me not to accept any less than that because it would hurt "the industry". More like hurt microsoft's profits! Ha!
Have you had similar experiences? Or hopefully better ones?

I think MS certiciations is the easiest way to get into IT fields. If you do it the right way. You can study by yourself and pass the exams. My daughter is 14, and she already has 20 Microsoft Certifictes. (should be 21 if you count her 2010 Word Expert Beta exam at 745/1000) and my son also became MCTS at age 11. All self study. Of course, they are still probably the most certified unemployeed profesionals. (although my daugher has 2 part time jobs). But you should not have hopes high if all you can offer is the certicates. You must stand out with other things.