The 'MCSA' and 'MCSE' fulfil fundamentally different functions, in spite of the fact that they're regularly discussed alongside one another. The MCSA ('Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator') is a certification designed for people who want to build a career in server-administration, networking & senior support careers. Predominantly this certification is an excellent basis for a Technical Systems Administrator, who will deal with all the issues of running a fairly small to medium company network. You will really enjoy this work if you are a highly organised problem-solver who looks forward to a strong technical-challenge. You have lots of variance in the working day, and because the role necessitates supplying support to the network users, there is also a great deal of interaction with colleagues.

The MCSE, alternatively, is centred on planning, design & project-management; i.e. a rather more senior amount of responsibility. If senior-administration, network management, Senior security employment or technical/project management is your ultimate objective, then this is definitely the course you should consider taking. A number of less obvious features associated with a successful 'MCSE' would be good leadership and creative expertise, because the role can often involve large scale problem-solving and personnel together with resource-management.

Workshops are often sold as a big positive benefit by a lot of training companies. After a good chat with the majority of IT hopefuls who have used them, you'll begin to see a common thread - they are viewed as a waste of time mainly due to the following:

- Frequent centre visits - quite often 100's of miles.

- Asking for time off work - a lot of colleges provide weekday availability and often group days together in a clump. This can be hard for a lot of working people, especially when travel time is included.

- With only 4 weeks annual leave, giving half of them to training days leaves very little time for holidays.

- Training workshops often end up over subscribed.

- Tension is sometimes created in the classroom because different students want to work at different paces.

- Let's not ignore the extra cost of travelling and bed and breakfast either. This may well run to many hundreds of pounds more - sometimes thousands. Work it out - you may be surprised.

- We all enjoy our privacy. We shouldn't risk throwing away any possible promotion that could awarded to us just because we're retraining.

- Don't think it's unusual for attendees to not ask questions they want answered - just because they're in front of other people.

- Working away from home - a minority of attendees find they have to work or live away for part of the programme. Workshops are impossible at that point, but you've already coughed up the readies as part of your fees.

A more flexible training route is to utilise videoed classes in the comfort of your own chosen environment - studying at your own pace, when it suits you - not anybody else. You can study anywhere you want. If you have a laptop, why not take in a little fresh air in your garden at the same time. If you have any difficulties then utilise the 24x7 Support. Classes and lessons can be repeated if you need to - the more times you cover something - the more you'll remember. And there's no need to take notes - everything is prepared ready. Whilst there's no way this can avoid every single problem, it undoubtedly vastly reduces stress and simplifies things. And you've reduced hassle, costs and travel.

Have a conversation with any knowledgeable consultant and they'll regale you with many awful tales of salespeople ripping-off unsuspecting students. Make sure you deal with a skilled professional that asks some in-depth questions to find out what's right for you - not for their wallet! It's very important to locate an ideal starting-point that fits you. Don't forget, if you have some relevant previous certification, then you can sometimes expect to pick-up at a different starting-point to a trainee with no history to speak of. If this is your first attempt at IT study then you may want to start with some basic PC skills training first.

So, why might we choose commercial certification and not traditional academic qualifications taught at schools and Further Education colleges? With a growing demand for specific technological expertise, the IT sector has of necessity moved to the specialised core-skills learning only available through the vendors themselves - that is companies such as CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA. This usually turns out to involve less time and financial outlay. Obviously, a certain amount of background knowledge has to be taught, but core specifics in the required areas gives a commercially trained person a huge edge.

It's rather like the advert: 'It does what it says on the label'. Employers simply need to know what they're looking for, and then match up the appropriate exam numbers as a requirement. That way they can be sure they're interviewing applicants who can do the job.

Your training program should always include the latest Microsoft (or relevant organisation's) authorised simulation materials and exam preparation packages. Due to the fact that most examination boards in IT are from the USA, you must be prepared for the way exams are phrased. It's not sufficient simply answering any old technical questions - they must be in an exam format that exactly replicates the real thing. You should make sure you test your knowledge by doing quizzes and practice in simulated exam environments to prepare you for taking the proper exam.

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