Many training companies offer a Job Placement Assistance facility, to assist your search for your first position. Sometimes, too much is made of this feature, for it is genuinely quite straightforward for well qualified and focused men and women to get a job in this industry - as there is such a shortage of skilled employees.

Bring your CV up to date as soon as possible however (advice and support for this should come from your course provider). Don't delay until you've graduated or passed any exams. You'll often find that you'll secure your initial job while you're still a student (occasionally right at the beginning). If your CV doesn't say what you're learning (and it hasn't been posted on jobsites) then you aren't even in the running! You'll normally experience quicker service from a specialised and independent local recruitment service than any course provider's centralised service, as they'll know the area better.

Just make sure you don't invest a great deal of time on your training course, only to stop and expect somebody else to land you a job. Stop procrastinating and make your own enquiries. Channel as much resource into securing your new role as it took to get qualified.

Although commonly talked about with each other, the MCSA & 'MCSE' are in reality geared to carry out two different purposes. Preparation to be a 'Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator' ('MCSA') is the platform for networking and senior-support jobs & server-administration. Effectively, its for those who want to be technical systems-administrators, handling the daily problems and activities included in the running of a smallish to medium-sized corporate-network. You'll really enjoy this job if you're a highly organised problem solver that likes a proper technical-challenge. There is much variance during the working-day, and as the role necessitates giving support to users of the network, there is equally a good deal of connection with other people.

The Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) will prepare you for a more responsible management position in project-work, planning & design. So if senior administration, management of a network, Senior security work or project/technical management is your ultimate aim, then this is definitely the course you should think of taking. The 'MCSE' is possibly not as well-known for its training on creative and leadership problem solving expertise, which are also essential for those working in senior technical jobs.

With the correct quality of training-materials and 24/7 help and support, plus authorised examination preparation software, an MCSA ought to take roughly 300 to 350 hours to complete, & the 'MCSE' all over 500 - 550 hrs. Therefore with some experience you can actually successfully complete them in around 8 to 12 months training part-time. However, if you're coming to the market with no past accreditation, then the typical starting-point is the 'Comptia' A+ and Network+. Specifics of these accreditations are available on their individual sections on this site, however this should add 200 hours or six months of part time training into the mix, possibly longer.

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