I began the process of acquiring Microsoft certification in September of 1998, finishing the first phase in November of 1999. The second phase took from January of 2000, until May of 2002, but 'm getting ahead of myself.
Microsoft offers a process by which IT (Information Technoloy) professionals can be certified as having advanced skills in several of their (Microsoft) products. In my case, I was attempting one of the most difficult certifications, the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE). I would be the first on the TSTC Harlingen campus to achieve this level of expertise, so the pressure was on to succeed.
The process involves a great deal of study of the theory behind the operation of the products, combined with massive amounts of hands-on experience. The hands-on experience came from daily interaction with the products as the administrator of our departmental network, while the theory came from study. When ready, a candidate will then sit for a series of examinations administered by Microsoft.
The Microsoft Windows NT MCSE certification required passing six of these tests:
Networking Essentials;
Implementing and Supporting NT 4.0 Workstation;
Implementing and Supporting NT 4.0 Server;
Implementing and Supporting NT 4.0 Server In The Enterprise;
Internetworking with Microsoft TCP/IP on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0; and,
Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0.
I passed the last of the tests in November, 1999.
By then, Microsoft had upgrade their network operating system to Microsoft Windows 2000, so I started the process over in order to upgrade my certification.
The Microsoft Windows 2000 MCSE certification required passing seven tests:
Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure;
Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000 Directory Services Infrastructure;
Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional;
Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows 2000 Server;
Designing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure;
Designing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Directory Services Infrastructure; and,
Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network.
I passed the last of those tests in May, 2002.
The next upgrade in the Microsoft Windows O/S was to Server 2003, so I returned to the testing center in November, 2004 to upgrade my certification.
The Microsoft Windows Server 2003 MCSE certification required passing only one test that measured skill in the areas of difference between Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003. While I was there, I completed the test for certification as an MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator).
By going through this process, I learned that I could accomplish much, if I focused my energies. Only time will tell where this will lead me next, but I'm confident of the outcome.
The link below will take you to my Microsoft transcript (it requires Adobe Acrobat®)) :
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