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Question of the week 
Follow up to last week’s Cert Advisor
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How CertAdvisor answers questions

Question of the week

Q1) I have passed three core NT 4.0 exams. Will I still get an MCSE certification if I pass three more NT 4.0 exams? After I become a MCSE (NT), how will the retirement of MCSE (NT) track affect me? (from various surfers)

ans) Yes, you have time till February 28, 2001 to pass your electives and get a MCSE (NT) certification. You may like to consider following electives, which will not retire by February 28^.

MCSE (NT) track expires on December 31^st, 2001, and if you do not upgrade to MCSE (Windows 2000) track by that time, you will lose your MCSE status.

However, as a lot of companies will still be on the NT platform, there will be plenty of opportunities for certified and competent NT professionals.  Also it is a good time to upgrade to 2000 track as the industry expects a higher demand for MCSE (Windows 2000) professionals.

Follow up to last week’s Cert Advisor

Q2) My problem is similar to the last week’s questioner, who is a MCP. He asked you where he could get an internship, You answered and said a training consulting company. However none were named. I am new to the field as well and have the A+ Comptia Certification.  I can't seem to get in touch with the "right company" that will train me. Any advice on which companies I can go to. I am from Connecticut, the greater Hartford area. I am willing to travel. (From DR137)

Q3) I recieved a MCSE and an  A+ certification 8 weeks ago and have a similar problem as your last questioner. Even with my certificates, I have had few job offers. There are so few internships available, and so many like me looking for them. Most companies require at least two years experience for even a Jr. position. I recommend getting at least an associates degree in computers and then going for certifications. And the 40,000 to 50,000 dollars they say you can get, only applies with years of experience. (from mjz62)

ans) Here are a few things you could try to get an internship or an entry-level job.
 
a) Many certification-training institutes offer internship programs to their students, as part of training package. If you are seeking to continue your certification training you could choose one of them.
 
b) If not, try contacting companies in your area, which maintain computers internally, seeking internship opportunities. A good local yellow pages should generate a useful list of companies for you to contact.

c) You may also be able to find a suitable opportunity online through a few web sites, which are dedicated to the subject.

Example:
 
http://www.internships.com/
http://internships.wetfeet.com/home.asp
http://www.internsnet.com/cgi/default.asp
http://www.collegerecruiter.com/
http://www.collegegrad.com/
http://www.collegejobs.com/
 
d) If you fail to find a paid internship program you may try volunteering your time to companies, which could use an A+ certified professional. Though, you could potentially learn more in a big organization, small companies and non-profit organizations could be more receptive to your offer. They may also provide adequate practical experience to get you going as a competent IT professional.

e) A college degree definitely enhances your command over the subject. But when you graduate you still have the same problem. No experience.

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Q4) I am currently trained for accountancy and recently I made up my mind for a career boost by joining the IT fraternity. Though my goal is to make MSCE, a friend advised me to take the A+ certification, get a job and build my way up. What would be your advice considering that I am currently facing some financial constraints? Is it possible for me to study for the certificate online or do I need to attend college? (from Martin Waweru) 

ans) You have received good advice. Besides providing the financial support, your A+ Certification and the related work experience will come into use when you start your MCSE training. You don’t need to go to college to get certification training and online study resources such as the Exam Preps provided by ExamsOnline can be very useful. But if you are starting your A+ training now, guidance from an instructor, is desirable. You can also try studying on your own if you can work or practice with real hardware/software taking help from an experienced professional. Once you have your A+ certificate, training for MCSE online would be much easier, as long as you get to practice what you learn with real hardware/software.  

Q5) I've just completed my CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) Master Designer Certification, just passing the final exam yesterday (iNet+), and would like to know:

1.  Are there employers out there who recognize this certification as valuable?
2.  What would you suggest for those people who have limited experience in setting up and publishing Web sites, but do not have a lot of practical experience on creating Web sites or working with e-commerce software? How can they break into the job market with this certification? (From Chris Kaltenberger)

ans) It is not clear from your question if you have passed all the required exams for the Master CIW Designer certification. To obtain the Master CIW Designer certification, you must complete three exams (including the Foundations or i-Net+ exam, 1D0-420 --  Site Designer and 1D0-425 -- E-Commerce Designer). 

A candidate, who passes the Foundations or i-Net+ exam and just one exam for any of the CIW Master-level certifications, earns CIW Professional status. CIW Professionals are not granted Master CIW status until they have passed all required exams in the track of their choice: Master CIW Administrator, Master CIW Enterprise Developer, or Master CIW Designer.

Employers do recognize Master CIW tracks as a credible credential of a candidate’s knowledge of the subject.

The answer for your second question has been answered above in the ‘Follow up to last week’s Cert Advisor’ section. Please refer to it. 

How CertAdvisor answers questions

CertAdvisor tries to provide expert counsel to all questions sent to it. But as a huge number of queries are submitted, CertAdvisor prefers to group similar questions and provide a combined answer for them. The most commonly asked question usually becomes CertAdvisor’s Question of the Week.

There is a possibility that your question has already been answered. So, before you send your question, may CertAdvisor request you to check questions that have been previously answered?

By submitting a question to CertAdvisor, you hereby grant ExamsOnline.com the permission to post your question and our answers online.

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• By submitting a question to CertAdvisor, you hereby grant ExamsOnline.com the permission to post your question and our answers online.

• The expert counsel from CertAdvisor is intended to help you make the right decision. You are still urged to base your decisions on your own research and assessment.

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