I am excited about this. Tomorrow (Tuesday, April 3rd) I will be the guest on Microsoft Learning’s Tweet Chat. The topic will be what IT professionals should be doing to ensure they stay relevant in this day and age where so much of what we see in the IT industry is heading into the clouds.... Continue Reading →
Wow that certification exam was TOUGH!
I was so excited in 2003 when I passed my first certification exam and became a Microsoft Certified Professional. I immediately went out and printed new business cards with my new MCP logo, quit my (reasonably low-paying) job, and decided to make my own way as an independent computer consultant. It was, up to that... Continue Reading →
Skills Measured: Improving your chances of passing certification exams
I have a friend who has been using Hyper-V since it was released with Windows Server 2008. I know that because at the time I did some consulting for his company, and was given a tour of his environment. That is why I was a bit surprised to hear that he recently failed his certification... Continue Reading →
10215A–Your last chance this year!
If you are a Microsoft Partner in the Greater Toronto Area you might have heard that the Microsoft Partner Network offers subsidized courses on topics such as Server Virtualization. Well due to overwhelming demand, they are doing it one more time. The week of December 19th (Monday through Thursday) I will be teaching Course 10215A:... Continue Reading →
Microsoft Virtualization Learning Resources
It is amazing how many people ask me what resources are available for someone who wants to learn Microsoft Virtualization and then get certified with either the MCTS (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) or MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional). After all, they are all over the place. The first place to look is Microsoft. According to... Continue Reading →
Hyper-V Training–10215AE is now available in E-Learning!
I am asked all the time what are the best resources available to learn Hyper-V and the associated technologies – from the hypervisor to System Center, Failover Clustering, data protection, remote desktop and so much more – and the answer is simple: Take the course. Microsoft Learning’s course 10215A is an excellent offering that I... Continue Reading →
Free Virtualization Career Training available for registration
(Copy of post by Adam Hall… Thanks Adam!) Hi everyone On Tuesday, October 4th Technical Evangelists Symon Perriman and Rick Claus are hosting an online conference on Virtualization Career Training with Microsoft Learning. This half day virtual event (8am – 11am PST) will offer a Level 100 to 200 introduction for anyone who wants to... Continue Reading →
MCITP: Server Boot Camp, Virginia Beach
It was REALLY last minute… on Friday I got a mass e-mail from a training provider scrambling to replace a trainer who had cancelled at the last minute. By some miracle of scheduling I was available; after a few hours of back and forth e-mails I booked my flight for Sunday to be at the... Continue Reading →
Certifications Alone Do Not Make the Pro
An interesting post appeared in a newsgroup that I monitor today. A desktop support technician in the United Kingdom lamented a colleague who had attended a two week MCSE boot camp and indeed earned that certification. Unfortunately he later encountered a number of simple issues that he could not resolve, including one with regard to... Continue Reading →
Choose Your First Certification Exam Wisely
As I peruse the articles that I have written over the past ten years I occasionally come across one that is interesting or relevant today. I wrote this article when I was working with CertGuard, and it was published in November, 2006. If you are an IT Pro starting down the path to certifications, this... Continue Reading →
Do you have your VirtCerts?
Ok I made the term VirtCert up, and frankly I am reasonably hopeful that it doesn’t catch on. However I know the certifications are, and to help you along, Microsoft is giving you some really huge incentives! As you know from reading this blog there are three Microsoft certifications around virtualization: MCTS: Windows Server 2008,... Continue Reading →
Five GREAT tips to remember when taking certification exams
I just read a blog article by Christopher Harrison, the Head Geek at GeekTrainer. He points out five key things to remember when sitting certification exams. Read them, know them, live them! Then pass your exam! –M http://blog.geektrainer.com/2011/06/taking-certification-exams.html
The Wonder that is TechEd
The quiet of the Exhibitor Hall is disturbed by the sounds of preparation. To my left there is a crew frantically working to fix something with a carpet. There is some hammering, more yammering, and the sounds of carpet tape being unfurled. To my right there are two security agents talking, but they are too... Continue Reading →
Microsoft Certification Exams Going Up.
It has been ten years since I took my first Microsoft certification exam. At the time it cost $100 (USD) for the privilege. Shortly thereafter (I suspect sometime within 2001) that cost increased to $125 (USD) per exam, which is where it is today. Recently Microsoft Learning announced that on July 1st (August 1st in... Continue Reading →
