Microsoft Certifications - What Are the Options?

Microsoft certifications help individuals to show what they are capable of technologically. They help improve job prospects and maintain training standards. They also show a level of professionalism for your business or operation.

A Microsoft certification is a certified qualification in any particular Microsoft application and comes in a variety of levels. All you have to do is choose the right Microsoft Certification exam for you and develop your learning in that area. You then take the exam and become certified upon successful completion.

Microsoft certifications are available for everyone and anyone who wishes to expand their qualification in the field of Microsoft technology. You don’t have to be a sponsored employee, you can be a home user, IT professional, technology trainer or any other individual who works with computers or wishes to. You may wish to use the certification as a professional icon for clients who will recognise the certificate and associate your company with trustworthy services and quality. You may wish to use the Microsoft certification to expand your job prospects, as you will be able to show written proof of your abilities to prospective employers. You can achieve several different types of Microsoft certifications at four different levels. The type of your certification will depend on the Microsoft application your examination is on. The first level attainable is called the Technology Series. This is designed to train IT professionals in the areas of technical implementation, debugging, building and supporting Microsoft technology. This area is ideal for IT support staff that deal with ongoing problems and local application issues on a daily basis.

The Professional Series certificates individuals with valid proof of their particular skills in a particular Microsoft application. This certificate is ideal for people looking to expand their job prospects or to create a professional qualification for their business. The Master Series identifies a deeper understanding and higher quality skill set in individuals participating on a specific Microsoft application. This is a more advanced form of the Professional Series for those who are looking to have in depth knowledge and experience within a certain area. In addition to this there is also an Architect Series for top level professional IT architects who will need to complete a rigorous examination process for certification. Microsoft certification also comes with various benefits for the individual or company taking part. You will not only receive the pride at having achieved a quality and certified qualification, you will receive the respect and recognition that comes along with being a Microsoft Certified Professional. The Microsoft Certification will also improve promotional prospects, job finding, salary increases and job retention.

You can also get your personal MCP community profile listed in the MCP directory, access to the Microsoft Certification member site, access private and public newsgroups to discuss topics with other professionals and build up your business networking, special invitations to conferences, training sessions and other special events on up to date technical issues and a subscription to MCP flash a dedicated technical newsletter for MC Professionals. Microsoft Certifications are not just about the employee; they are also the key to the building and ongoing training of current staff within a business. An employer who instigates relevant Microsoft Certification for employees can ensure a high quality of staff, work and IT support for all areas of their business that involves technical proficiency to any degree. The diverse range of Microsoft Certifications available allow employers to fully train and certificate employees in a large range of products and applications they require a standard of work with. They can also specialise the area in which an employee operates with standalone Microsoft certification in any one particular application field or any of the technical series for IT support staff within the company.