As Windows remains the worldwide operating system of choice, IT pros with Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) accreditation are valuable members of any technology staff.
With nearly 90 percent of the world’s computers running on Microsoft Windows, the company’s vendor-specific certifications are among the most esteemed and practical accreditations available, according to IT professional and Tech Republic writer Erik Eckel.
“Microsoft owns the market,” Eckel said. “MCSEs have more value.”
Why MCSE certification is relevant for IT pros
The MCSE cert is considered to be a basic building block credential by many IT experts. According to training information from Microsoft, the MCSE cert verifies an IT professional’s skills in “in designing, implementing, and administering infrastructures for business solutions based on Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows 2000 Server.”
Though Microsoft implemented new certifications and server platforms since the MCSE cert hit the market–specifically, Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), which encompasses the newer Windows Server 2008–experts aren’t so quick to dismiss this accreditation. MCSE certification earned an honorable mention on Tech Republic’s most recent annual “10 Best IT Certifications List.”
The MCSE cert likely made the site’s list because of the numbers of older servers still in operation today. Just as, according to a May 2011 TechSpot report, more than half of worldwide desktops still rely on Windows XP (which first hit the market in 2001), Windows Server 2003 continues to hold a healthy market share despite the availability of Server 2008.
Experience needed: Who can get MCSE certified?
Microsoft training information suggests the perfect MCSE candidate has at least one year of full-time professional IT experience working with networks. The vendor also suggests that candidates have specific experience “designing, installing, configuring and troubleshooting network systems.”
MCSE certification makes a difference
Facts and figures show that MCSE certification can make a difference in the job market. Microsoft figures show that 63 percent of professionals responsible for hiring in IT departments believe “certified individuals are more productive on the job.”
Not only can MCSE help IT experts snag a job, it also might lead to a bigger paycheck. According to a 2011 report from PC World magazine, the median income for an IT manager with MSCE certification is $77,000 and numbers from Microsoft show that more than half of certified professionals expected a bonus last year.
Best Microsoft MCTS Certification, Microsoft MCITP Training at certkingdom.com
