Earlier this year we asked the Career Factor cast to give us feedback on their journey so far and any advice they have for others following their paths. As their stories come to a close, we’re publishing their personal statements to help you get inspired to start your own journey. (Another great place to start is the DIY Career Factor contest, which ends June 15!)

Today’s advice comes from Bojan and Steve.

The Aspiring Microsoft Certified Master – Bojan Nenadic

During the course of Career Factor Bojan traveled to the Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington for three intense weeks of training for the MCM exams. Bojan completed the prestigious certification soon after. Check out Bojan’s full story, including several videos from the training program, on the Career Factor website.

What was your starting point before Career Factor?
Experienced infrastructure architect, focused on Active Directory and Exchange solutions. Skills and experience were developed over 15 years and through numerous industry certifications.

What was your goal for Career Factor?
Achieve highest level of technical knowledge in the chosen technologies, supported by relevant certifications. Specifically, achieve MCM on Exchange 2010 at this level.

How would you do this again, knowing what you know now?
Find more time to go through and complete the entire recommended list of pre-requisite knowledge. The list is provided by the MCM program and is frequently referred to during training. Ideally, I wish I also had the time to go through setting up the recommended practice environment (again, provided by the program manager) and make sure it is available for remote use (to aid in studying while on course, but not in classroom - hotel or apartment, in other words).

The Job Seeker – Steve Molkentin

Steve joined the Career Factor cast as an experienced IT professional who was impacted by the global financial crisis. Steve most wanted to land a full-time IT job, and he planned to use the Career Factor resources to update his skills for a better chance at the available jobs. Steve landed a full-time job and plans to use the Career Factor resources to reach the next level of certification. 

What was your starting point before Career Factor?
I am an experienced infrastructure specialist, focused primarily on the Microsoft stack (e.g. Server, Desktop, Exchange, SQL, etc.). I’ve been an IT professional for 15 years.

What was your goal for Career Factor?
My aim for Career Factor was to gain my MCITP certifications as updates to my MCSE certification. This was to include a major upgrade in skillset from the Windows Server 2000/2003 experience I had to Windows Server 2008 R2, as well as the supporting technologies including HyperV and Exchange 2010.

How would you do this again, knowing what you know now?
For someone embarking on a similar path, managing your time is crucial. Making sure you set time aside every week to study, do practice exams, review, etc. is key. Additionally keep in touch with technology trends to ensure you’re focusing your study on skills that will be applicable to the market. Having a focus on infrastructure technologies, it would a massive help to have some decent hardware to run a HyperV lab for the products you’ll be learning (most of which are all available with trial licences – which more than cover your learning timeframe). Be intentional about your study and your exams, but don’t over-reach.

 

Watch for advice from Rabeb and Kevin tomorrow!