One word: virtualization.
According to a recent study conducted by IT mega-retailer CDW, 25% of small businesses are already using virtualization in their server environments, but even more impressively, 73% of those not using virtualization are planning to over the next two years.
That 73% is the slice of pie you should be wetting your chops for. Those businesses are going to need an expert to guide them into this new territory, and they will be willing to pay for it. If you are getting certified in virtualization, you are positioning yourself for the upper hand, and likely a handsome increase in your paycheck.
The numbers don’t lie; the trend is clear—virtualization is being adopted with our without you. Without becoming an expert in virtualization now, you are passing up the opportunity to show your company’s board how you can cut costs and increase ROI on its IT budget, or be scooped up by one of the 25% or 73% we talked about earlier.
The credential you will want to possess is the MCITP: Virtualization Administrator, attainable with the following certification exams:
I earned all of these certifications earlier this year, and can tell you from experience how in-demand it made my resume. I’m a Sr. Systems Engineer and Technical Trainer for an IT consulting and firm (among other things) in the Washington, DC area, and although I decided to stay where I am (loving it!), the offers I saw during my search several months ago came flowing in. The feedback from employers and recruiters was unanimous that the demand was due to my certification level and virtualization expertise. There’s no doubt that now is the time companies need to move to virtualization, and they are willing to pay for it.
Microsoft has top-notch courses that will take you deep through the intricacies of each topic, not only preparing your for the exam, but most importantly, preparing you for the real world. That’s the key here; you don’t just want to memorize enough information to pass the test, you want to gain real expertise—that’s what’s going to make the difference, and that’s what the Microsoft Official Curricula are designed to do. Here are the corresponding courses for these certifications:
The combination of all three will take you from zero to virtualization hero through 15 days of in-classroom training, combined with hands on labs.
See you in class!
Thanks Andy! I went after the virtualization certs several months ago and agree about the impact that these courses, certifications and indeed the technologies!
I have recently heard about mcts online training from Logic http://bit.ly/tKRaTD and i have attended the demo class. I very much liked the class. I am going to attend the class.