Northern I T Training and Consulting

We would like to apologize for not replying to your questions sooner, but we have all been very occupied lately... You all now have our undivided attention.

Reminder: NITTC Registration started on 28 January 2016. Come and register for your course before places run out. Remember, places are limited!!!

Super Mario (aka The Brain) - with Ms Silka

Ms Silka inspecting hardware components

What Are the Benefits of Earning a MCSE Certification?
MCSE stands for Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert, a certification option available to IT professionals who work with Microsoft servers. Keep reading to learn about the educational and professional benefits available to certification candidates with the knowledge and expertise to pass MCSE certification exams.

Benefits of MCSE Certification

The Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) designation is for IT professionals interested in updating their skills and demonstrating their knowledge to employers. There are a number of benefits associated with this credential, which requires passing scores on five certification exams.

Keeping Skills Up to Date
Information technology changes rapidly, and professionals working in this field need to keep up with the latest developments. Whether you're seeking certification for the first time or updating a retired certification, earning the MCSE designation can get you acquainted with the most recent version of Microsoft servers and operating systems. Earning an MCSE credential can also serve as a stepping stone to additional certifications.

Remaining Competitive
MCSE certification can help you find a job or advance your career in areas including computer user or network support, network management, database design and computer systems administration. According to Microsoft, employers often use MCSE certification to identify applicants who have relevant skills and expertise for an IT position. Holding one of these credentials can also lead to higher pay.

Participating in the Microsoft Certification Community
Successful certification candidates can network with other Microsoft certified professionals and potential employers through listings in the MCP membership directory, a resource that can be used to connect with potential employers. As an MCSE, you'll also receive invitations to training sessions, conferences and special events that help further develop your skills.

Earning College Credit
In some cases, passing scores on Microsoft certification exams can be used to earn college credit through the ACE College Credit Recommendation Service. Completing introductory exams can even prove useful when applying to college.

Are you thinking about earning a Microsoft Certification, but aren’t sure if it’s worth the effort? We spoke with two of our expert Microsoft Certification trainers, Mark Long and John Savill, and found out what they consider to be the top 3 benefits of earning a Microsoft Certification.

1. It objectively shows employers your level of knowledge.

The first benefit to earning a Microsoft Certification is that it shows potential employers/hiring managers that you have the necessary requirements and skills to be the perfect candidate for the job. “A certification solves perhaps the biggest challenge in getting hired: the risk that the person hiring you takes by hiring you,” said Long. Having a certification represents a third party validation that you are, in fact, an excellent choice for the position you’re interviewing for.

“It shows that you have reached a certain level of competence with Microsoft technologies, but also have made the commitment to learn and take the exams,” said Savill. Certifications can also be considered a pre-requisite for many jobs or employers, so the fact that you already earned the certification could put you ahead of the competition.

In fact, statistics on the Microsoft Certification website indicate that 91% of hiring managers consider certification as part of their hiring criteria, and 64% of IT hiring managers rate certifications as having extremely high value in validating the skills and expertise of job candidates.

2. You get a professional advantage with regard to new technologies.

The second benefit to earning a certification is that it provides you with an advantage in the workplace. For example, if you have a Microsoft SQL Server 2012 certification, you will have a broader, clearer understanding of the new functionalities and how they work together than many “seasoned” individuals who have been working with SQL for a long period of time. Why is that? They often don’t have the time to fully understand and implement the new technologies.

“Being the person on the team with the inside track on the newest functionalities will naturally create momentum and confidence in you,” said Long. Long also notes that this could work for those “seasoned” Microsoft vets who want to pursue a certification in order to better understand the new, improved features of a product (and to also keep them ahead in the game).

3. More skills lead to more money.

IT professionals holding Microsoft certifications are among the most well compensated for their areas of focus. According to a 2014 report by Global Knowledge and TechRepublic, workers with an MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) credential earn an average of N$450,149 per year, and those with an MCSA in Windows Server 2008 bring in N$385,649. Some companies even offer bonuses for certifications, Savill said.

It can depend on the organization, however. “Different companies value certification differently once you are on the payroll. Some companies can compensate you pretty well for the additional education and certification, whereas others don’t,” said Long.

Of course, the value of the certification in getting you hired in the first place cannot be overstated, which is why it made our number one reason.

10 Advantages/Benefits of Getting CCNA Certification

CCNA is one of the most vouched and valued IT certification through out the world. As much as or even more than 1 million CCNA certificates have been awarded since it was first launched in 1998. So it is not by fluke that Cisco has achieved such humongous figures.

Cisco certifications have benefited both the employee as well as the employer. It is a known fact that many people have literally changed their lives and have got real benefits and acquired valuable skills in the process of becoming certified. There are innumerable instances where individuals having more than ten years or so in their networking career feel the need of getting CCNA certified

A young lad looking to enter the field of computer networking should take the certification process very seriously. Yeah, yeah I know that either you would be having a first-class or distinction of marks in your graduation, but now it is not sufficient to sustain and advance in the ever changing advancements in the IT arena.
It is better to be certified and do networking, rather until one day you end up not-working.

Here is the list of ten advantages of getting CCNA certified.
Benefits of CCNA Certification

1) Knowledge
In the process of getting your CCNA certification you are sure to increase your knowledge and understanding of the concepts. Even if you have years and years of experience in the field, you would definitely increase your knowledge and skills.
As they say, nothing can replace real world experience, but books are also equally important for keeping up-to-date with the new advancements in the industry. In the process of getting certified you would be bombarded with many advancements of the industry thus increasing your overall knowledge.

2) Alphabets behind your name
After getting certified, you would be able to write those four magical letters which certainly do matter in these days.
So from the day you get certified till the next three years you would be legally and ethically right to use CCNA in your resume as well as in your business card. Apart from this you will get a CCNA card, certificate and letter from Cisco validating your achievement.

3) Career Advancements
CCNA Certification increases your chances of promotion. You could expect to move up in the hierarchy of your organization.

4) Salary Increment
Your next salary increment could be just around the corner after getting your certification. One of my friends got as much as 100% increase in his salary after getting his certification. You would tell that 100% increase is just unreal, yes it is possible, if you have good track record and are willing to switch jobs.
PayScale - Salary Search: CCNA Certification

5) Stepping stone for many other certifications
CCNA certificate is a prerequisite for many other Cisco certification. CCNA concentration like CCNA Voice, CCNA Security, CCNA Wireless and many other professional level certifications require a valid CCNA certificate. Also some of the colleges give as much as 6 credits if you hold a valid CCNA certificate and want to do higher level studies.

6) Respect
Getting a CCNA certificates commands a certain amount of respect from your colleagues and employer. Some of your colleagues would have also tried to get certified, but could not get certified. So, this achievement of yours deserves a back-patting.

7) Employer benefits
Many employers like to employ certified people because it demands a well standing in the ever-increasing and competitive IT field. That is the reason many employers bear the cost of certification. It's a kind of mutual give and take.

8) Kick-start your Networking career
Before getting CCNA certified, I used to think as to which option would be better i,e. Cisco or Microsoft. Now, I am certain that Cisco is the better option as the latter does not needs any extensive preparation. I could now get other desktop and Server level Microsoft certifications simultaneously.

9) On track
After getting certified you would be on the right track to go for many other professional level certifications. Getting the first certification is always hard but once you take the first step, the journey to the thousand miles at least gets started.

10) Personal Satisfaction
You always wanted to get certified, so after you receive your certification letter and other stuff, a sense of personal satisfaction, gratification, and relief is felt.
Those were some of the benefits that you could receive after getting CCNA certified.