On Jul 5, 5:24 pm, doobie <doo...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> So I'm reading through the posts here, and I keep hearing everyone say (or
> seeing everyone type, rather) that experience should precede the
> certification.
>
> Well, even the entry-level jobs for Desktop Support that I've come across
> require 1-2+ years of experience in addition to the certifications. How is
> one supposed to go about getting experience when even the entry-level jobs
> require previous experience?
>
> When listing experience on my resume, is it acceptable to use PERSONAL (i.e.
> at your own computer at home) experience or does it have to be on-the-job
> experience?
I've always likened this type of question to the "Which came first,
the chicken or the egg?" category. Back when I was trying to get
started, I listed the course work I had completed toward MCSE (which,
I might add, I STILL haven't actually gotten), the meager experience I
had up to that point, my education (an Associate of Science degree in
Information Systems Technology) and my certification (which was an MCP
with a few NT 4.0 exams under my belt). It got me hired onto a help
desk where I worked for a few years. I then migrated into being the
manager of the help desk's knowledge base for a couple of years.
There's a whole lot of backstory to this, but the short version is
that I am now going back to college to finish up my Bachelors degree,
I finished my MCDST, and am working toward other certs (MCSA, A+,
Network+, CCNA, etc.).
Historically, many IT organizations start newbies out on their help
desk/telephone support center, but even then, they're looking for at
least a smidgen of experience, so I'd concentrate on getting the MCDST
as a hedge against your lack of experience. That would probably be the
least difficult cert to get with minimal to no practical experience
(other than what you get in lab work in a classroom environment).
An important caveat here: don't try to take the exams without having
at least a little practical experience, whether that is working on
virtual machines on your home PC, or in a classroom lab, or whatever.
You'll just be shooting yourself in the foot if you try to fake your
way through the exams by simply reading books. As djpimpdaddy said, be
sure to word your resume carefully when listing your experience.
Doobie's suggestion to volunteer somewhere is a great idea as well, as
long as you can find someone that will let you mess with their system.
Better yet would be to check with one of the local PC repair
businesses in your area and ask them if you can "intern" with them to
get some experience. You may find one that will let you "watch but
don't touch" for a while until they feel you're ready to actually do
some real work, but this can still be helpful in your learning journey
and can count as experience on your resume.
Good luck!
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