Training for Microsoft certification can mean quite a few different things. At 1 end of the scales, you could be looking for some training on 'Word' or 'Excel', at the other you might be interested in gaining several 'MCPs' in order to become certified in IT at a professional level. When you are thinking about any type of training program it is a good idea to first look at exactly what you would like to get from it - for instance why did you start looking for training to begin with? We always advise that should you decide to pursue I.T. as a profession, you have a proper careers conversation with an expert advisor, to make sure you do not waste either your money or time.

If you'd enjoy being a competent user to help you with your job, or train for a specialist job in a supporting position, there are a number of training packages to get you there. The MOS ('Microsoft Office Specialist') & 'MCAS' ('Microsoft Certified Application Specialist') programs cover the Office Suite in-depth. A degree up from 'MOS' & MCAS is MCDST - Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician, which provides you with the skill set to support others in an office environment.

You might equally be contemplating a more technical job in the I.T. sector, that would require rather more in-depth & specialised Microsoft accreditation training. Microsoft have just lately re-vamped their accreditation structure, and whilst you will still find quite a number of routes based on the 'MCP' accreditations, we are increasingly witnessing the change to 'MCITP' ('Microsoft Certified IT Professional') and MCTS (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) programs. People on the MCITP programs usually work up through 'MCTS' training-paths.

The push towards increased professional level acknowledgement and competency for I.T. employees has been led by MS for a couple of decades now. As a result, professional MS accreditations are held in particularly high regard by both IT leaders and global industry.

The main fields that MS offers certification paths for are generally related to their core systems. They are namely Networking (& Server Operating Systems), Databases (which encompasses Administration & Development) & Programming (and Software Development in 'Windows'). There are particular & different accreditation groupings regarding each of these routes; refer to the relevant pages on this website for additional information.

'Structured Query Language' or SQL is a specific 'language' for interrogating Databases. Understanding this specific language is paramount for everyone thinking about moving into databases, as it determines exactly how data is filed and extracted. 'Developers' ('DBD's') set up and design databases for Administrators ('DBAs') to manage, interpret and produce reports about the data. Often, a Database Developer may also obtain programming certifications (in either 'VB' or 'C#',) in order to hold the full skill set required to create Database software, as well as design the storage-structures.

Microsoft Networking & Server Operating-Systems dominate the business environment. The operating platform for at least eight to nine out of every ten business networks is predicted to be 'Windows Server'. This software has been through various updates now, beginning with NT Server, after that becoming 'Server 2000', Server 2003 & currently 'Server 2008'. A substantial amount of organisations still utilise 'Server 2003' as their standard operating platform, & do not plan to switch. Generally, it's the previous installations that will upgrade ('NT' Server or Server 2000) - effectively missing a generation or two. Further discussion regarding 'Server 2003' and 2008 can be found on our specific MCSE and 'MCSA' training web-pages, where you'll likewise find out more about Microsoft Network and Server Operating Systems.

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