MCP
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Hi,all i want to give MCP for VC++(Desktop application),is it really fruitfull to give it now.For how much time this certification will be valid? Where should i get the latest syllabus for it? if anyone knows the exact format of question paper(objective/subjective) that will be helpfull.Is the Syllabus in microsoft site latest? Which books are good to prepare myself for certification. Thanx and Regards Tushar.
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Hi,all i want to give MCP for VC++(Desktop application),is it really fruitfull to give it now.For how much time this certification will be valid? Where should i get the latest syllabus for it? if anyone knows the exact format of question paper(objective/subjective) that will be helpfull.Is the Syllabus in microsoft site latest? Which books are good to prepare myself for certification. Thanx and Regards Tushar.
The best book for VC++ Desktop is VC++ Desktop Exam Cram from Coriolis, do a search on Amazon to check the reviews. I already passed the 2 VC++ exams, and the desktop exam was fairly more difficult for me :omg: The Distributed Exam cram don't have enough information about the MTS/ADO stuff that appears on the test, you must compliment this with msdn, it worked pretty well for me :) . Tushar mahajan wrote: is it really fruitfull to give it now Tushar, is still helpfull, because you still have more 1 1/2(+/-) to the exam disappear. Cheers, Joao Vaz
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Hi,all i want to give MCP for VC++(Desktop application),is it really fruitfull to give it now.For how much time this certification will be valid? Where should i get the latest syllabus for it? if anyone knows the exact format of question paper(objective/subjective) that will be helpfull.Is the Syllabus in microsoft site latest? Which books are good to prepare myself for certification. Thanx and Regards Tushar.
You can find more information at Microsoft Training and Certification. Follow the links for some practice exams and information about Transcendar exams and such. As for books I haven't found a single source for all the information. I used Exam Cram supplemented with other sources such as MSDN and experience. The current exams are not scheduled for retirement and even so one of the required exams for the new course is not scheduled to be available until 2003. Generally you will have a year from then to recertify so I would be to concerned about obsolescence. Tushar mahajan wrote: if anyone knows the exact format of question paper I would be careful about asking this, these exams are covered by an NDA.
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Hi,all i want to give MCP for VC++(Desktop application),is it really fruitfull to give it now.For how much time this certification will be valid? Where should i get the latest syllabus for it? if anyone knows the exact format of question paper(objective/subjective) that will be helpfull.Is the Syllabus in microsoft site latest? Which books are good to prepare myself for certification. Thanx and Regards Tushar.
Hi, Tushar. Just curious - do you find that the certifications like MCP are a significant factor when you're looking for a job? I typically work as a mercenary in the US, and I find that people don't really care that much about the certification programs, but rather just tend to focus on job experience. Of course, my experiences may not be representative of the whole... Chistopher Duncan Author - The Career Programmer: Guerilla Tactics for an Imperfect World (Apress)
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Hi,all i want to give MCP for VC++(Desktop application),is it really fruitfull to give it now.For how much time this certification will be valid? Where should i get the latest syllabus for it? if anyone knows the exact format of question paper(objective/subjective) that will be helpfull.Is the Syllabus in microsoft site latest? Which books are good to prepare myself for certification. Thanx and Regards Tushar.
The test may retire at some point (probably within a couple years), but you'll never lose your status as an MCP. For a sample of the testing format, check out a demo at www.transcender.com. For more information on the VC++ Desktop exam check here: http://www.microsoft.com/traincert/exams/70-016.asp I've heard that MS is developing VC++ versions of the .NET exams, but they seem to be taking a back seat to the VB and C# exams. Andy Gaskell, MCSD MCDBA
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Hi, Tushar. Just curious - do you find that the certifications like MCP are a significant factor when you're looking for a job? I typically work as a mercenary in the US, and I find that people don't really care that much about the certification programs, but rather just tend to focus on job experience. Of course, my experiences may not be representative of the whole... Chistopher Duncan Author - The Career Programmer: Guerilla Tactics for an Imperfect World (Apress)
The MCP can be helpful when starting out, but eventually its a good idea to move on to a premier cert. Typically MCPs make less than people that aren't certified just due to the fact that most MCPs have little experience. To me, certification is proof (to myself and my employer) that I work hard at what I do, even outside of the workplace. Its something tangible. I can see in a consulting position where certs may not matter as much. But then again, the biggest MS shop around here offers a quick 5k bump in salary for holding a premier certification... Do you see certification as ever hurting your possibilities at landing a contract? Andy Gaskell, MCSD MCDBA
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You can find more information at Microsoft Training and Certification. Follow the links for some practice exams and information about Transcendar exams and such. As for books I haven't found a single source for all the information. I used Exam Cram supplemented with other sources such as MSDN and experience. The current exams are not scheduled for retirement and even so one of the required exams for the new course is not scheduled to be available until 2003. Generally you will have a year from then to recertify so I would be to concerned about obsolescence. Tushar mahajan wrote: if anyone knows the exact format of question paper I would be careful about asking this, these exams are covered by an NDA.
Mark Nischalke wrote: As for books I haven't found a single source for all the information. I used Exam Cram supplemented with other sources such as MSDN and experience. Exactly the way I prepared myself... Crivo Automated Credit Assessment
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The MCP can be helpful when starting out, but eventually its a good idea to move on to a premier cert. Typically MCPs make less than people that aren't certified just due to the fact that most MCPs have little experience. To me, certification is proof (to myself and my employer) that I work hard at what I do, even outside of the workplace. Its something tangible. I can see in a consulting position where certs may not matter as much. But then again, the biggest MS shop around here offers a quick 5k bump in salary for holding a premier certification... Do you see certification as ever hurting your possibilities at landing a contract? Andy Gaskell, MCSD MCDBA
AndyG wrote: Do you see certification as ever hurting your possibilities at landing a contract? No, not at all. In this business, continuing education is always a Good Thing. However, that having been said, there are two reasons that I don't personally pursue certifications. The first is simply a matter of practicality. There are only so many hours in the day, which for me are usually filled with an array of side projects (many of which are resume enhancing). At least in my environment, certifications just don't bring enough to the party in terms of improving my career options to justify the amount of time that they take to achieve. When it comes time to look for a new gig, my searches have always comes down to the interview and whether or not I have actual job experience with the little bits of technology that a client needs at the moment. For the most part, what I see on the streets is that employers (at least in my neck of the woods) don't put a lot of stock in certification programs, Microsoft or otherwise. And everyone who's done any hiring knows that people fresh out of college with no practical experience beyond a BSCS are going to have to be shown most everything in the beginning. Employers are looking for experience in the real world. Frankly I must say, with no disrespect towards the many excellent programmers I've known who also have degrees & certs, that I can understand the employer's point of view. I have worked with many programmers who had a vast collection of certifications on their resume and in the end, not to be unkind, they couldn't find their posterior with both hands and a flashlight. A clueless programmer with a certificate is still a clueless programmer (and make no mistake, clueless programmers can still pass the cert exams - I've met them). The same applies to college degrees. I've seen people with more degrees on their resume than the you could shake a stick at. These were highly, highly educated individuals who were clearly much more intelligent than my little uneducated self, and yet they were an absolute disaster to the projects they were on. Couldn't code their way out of a wet paper bag. In fact (I wish now I had printed it out), one of the most convoluted functions I've ever seen was from someone who had both a gazillion degrees and certifications. It was about 20 lines of C++ where literally every line (not counting the curly braces) was incorrect, in sometimes bizarre ways. And it was all to replace atol(), which he didn't even know existed
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AndyG wrote: Do you see certification as ever hurting your possibilities at landing a contract? No, not at all. In this business, continuing education is always a Good Thing. However, that having been said, there are two reasons that I don't personally pursue certifications. The first is simply a matter of practicality. There are only so many hours in the day, which for me are usually filled with an array of side projects (many of which are resume enhancing). At least in my environment, certifications just don't bring enough to the party in terms of improving my career options to justify the amount of time that they take to achieve. When it comes time to look for a new gig, my searches have always comes down to the interview and whether or not I have actual job experience with the little bits of technology that a client needs at the moment. For the most part, what I see on the streets is that employers (at least in my neck of the woods) don't put a lot of stock in certification programs, Microsoft or otherwise. And everyone who's done any hiring knows that people fresh out of college with no practical experience beyond a BSCS are going to have to be shown most everything in the beginning. Employers are looking for experience in the real world. Frankly I must say, with no disrespect towards the many excellent programmers I've known who also have degrees & certs, that I can understand the employer's point of view. I have worked with many programmers who had a vast collection of certifications on their resume and in the end, not to be unkind, they couldn't find their posterior with both hands and a flashlight. A clueless programmer with a certificate is still a clueless programmer (and make no mistake, clueless programmers can still pass the cert exams - I've met them). The same applies to college degrees. I've seen people with more degrees on their resume than the you could shake a stick at. These were highly, highly educated individuals who were clearly much more intelligent than my little uneducated self, and yet they were an absolute disaster to the projects they were on. Couldn't code their way out of a wet paper bag. In fact (I wish now I had printed it out), one of the most convoluted functions I've ever seen was from someone who had both a gazillion degrees and certifications. It was about 20 lines of C++ where literally every line (not counting the curly braces) was incorrect, in sometimes bizarre ways. And it was all to replace atol(), which he didn't even know existed
Christopher Duncan wrote: A clueless programmer with a certificate is still a clueless programmer (and make no mistake, clueless programmers can still pass the cert exams - I've met them). Clueless people are a fact of life and somehow they get degrees and certifications. I'd also say a lot of clueless people have don't have degress or certifications. Unfortunately the certification exams aren't foolproof and it is fairly easy to cheat. But it will catch up to them someday when they go in for a technical interview and the hiring manager decides to bring in a few members of the team to ask some questions... I'm also in the US and got my start in an unconventional manner, but I think here is where we start to differ. I've only been a professional developer for about 3 years now so as far as salary, I'm still on my way up. I also work in a corporate environment as opposed to consulting. While my immediate supervisor does not put a lot of weight into certifications, he does put weight into learning new skills and becoming better at the skills you already have. So when its time for performance reviews my supervisor knows where I'm coming from and understands the situation, but what reason does he give his supervisor on why he is asking for X amount of dollars for Andy's review? Instead of saying "Andy done real good at learning the SQL Server! Give him more money!" he can say "Andy has the MCDBA certification, and that means he knows SQL Server.". Our reviews aren't based solely on certs, but the more ammunition, the better. And on one hand I could have learned SQL Server inside and out, not gotten certified, jumped to a new job and that would have definately affected my marketable skills and in turn affect salary. But I'm happy with my current job, and if certification helps my boss tell his boss that I'm worth it, then I'm all for it. Certifications don't make me better than anyone, but the amount of effort I put into doing what I love does. Andy Gaskell, MCSD MCDBA
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Christopher Duncan wrote: A clueless programmer with a certificate is still a clueless programmer (and make no mistake, clueless programmers can still pass the cert exams - I've met them). Clueless people are a fact of life and somehow they get degrees and certifications. I'd also say a lot of clueless people have don't have degress or certifications. Unfortunately the certification exams aren't foolproof and it is fairly easy to cheat. But it will catch up to them someday when they go in for a technical interview and the hiring manager decides to bring in a few members of the team to ask some questions... I'm also in the US and got my start in an unconventional manner, but I think here is where we start to differ. I've only been a professional developer for about 3 years now so as far as salary, I'm still on my way up. I also work in a corporate environment as opposed to consulting. While my immediate supervisor does not put a lot of weight into certifications, he does put weight into learning new skills and becoming better at the skills you already have. So when its time for performance reviews my supervisor knows where I'm coming from and understands the situation, but what reason does he give his supervisor on why he is asking for X amount of dollars for Andy's review? Instead of saying "Andy done real good at learning the SQL Server! Give him more money!" he can say "Andy has the MCDBA certification, and that means he knows SQL Server.". Our reviews aren't based solely on certs, but the more ammunition, the better. And on one hand I could have learned SQL Server inside and out, not gotten certified, jumped to a new job and that would have definately affected my marketable skills and in turn affect salary. But I'm happy with my current job, and if certification helps my boss tell his boss that I'm worth it, then I'm all for it. Certifications don't make me better than anyone, but the amount of effort I put into doing what I love does. Andy Gaskell, MCSD MCDBA
Well said, and a good point. When I was a regular prior to my merc days, I changed jobs about once a year, and bumped my salary a minimum of 10k each time. You can't get those kinds of raises at the same job, but we spend so much of our time at the office, when you find a great job, why look for another one? At that point, anything that helps bump the salary is a good thing. Plus, of course, learning is always fun... Chistopher Duncan Author - The Career Programmer: Guerilla Tactics for an Imperfect World (Apress)