If you're reading this then it's likely that either you want to get into networking and an MCSE certificate appeals to you, or you're someone with a certain amount of knowledge and you've realised that you need the Microsoft qualification.

Take care to ensure you see evidence that your provider is actually training you on the most up-to-date Microsoft version. A number of trainees are left in a mess when it turns out they have been studying for an outdated MCSE course which will have to be revised. The focus of a training company must be centred on the absolute best they can for their trainees, and the whole company should care about students needs. Working towards an MCSE isn't simply about qualifications - the procedure must also be geared towards helping you to decide on the most suitable route for you.

One of the most important things to insist on has to be proper direct-access 24x7 support with trained professional instructors and mentors. So many companies we come across only seem to want to help while they're in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends. Try and find training with help available at any time of day or night (even 1am on Sunday morning!) You want direct-access to qualified mentors and tutors, and not a call-centre that will take messages so you're waiting for tutors to call you back during office hours.

Keep looking and you'll come across professional training packages who provide their students direct-access online support at all times - even in the middle of the night. Unless you insist on direct-access round-the-clock support, you'll regret it very quickly. You may not need it in the middle of the night, but what about weekends, early mornings or late evenings.

Sometimes students assume that the school and FE college track is the right way even now. Why then are commercially accredited qualifications becoming more popular with employers? The IT sector now recognises that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, official accreditation supplied for example by CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA is closer to the mark commercially - at a far reduced cost both money and time wise. Higher education courses, for example, often get bogged down in a great deal of background study - with much too broad a syllabus. Students are then prevented from learning the core essentials in sufficient depth.

In simple terms: Commercial IT certifications let employers know exactly what you're capable of - it says what you do in the title: as an example - I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Windows XP Administration and Configuration'. So an employer can identify just what their needs are and what certifications will be suitable to deal with those needs.

Microsoft MCSA - MCSE Commercial Computer Training >>