# Which MCSE course for Help Desk?



## mikehende (Mar 23, 2009)

Hey guys, can anyone tell me exactly which MCSE courses are required for "Help Desk Support" jobs please?

https://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/mcse-certification.aspx


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## JMPC (Jan 15, 2011)

None are required. The requirement is up to the company who is hiring.

For desktop support I would suggest:

A+
Network+
MCSA : Windows 7
MCSA : Windows 8


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## mikehende (Mar 23, 2009)

Ok, thanks, I got the A+ courses today. Shouldn't the A+ be sufficient without the Network+? Also, would the MTA be just as good or a better certification to have as opposed to the MCSA : Windows 7 MCSA : Windows 8?


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## sobeit (Nov 11, 2007)

considering most companies have large networks you would need the extra advantage of network+.


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## mikehende (Mar 23, 2009)

Sorry guys, I should have explained this in my OP, as first preference I would like a remote help desk job so I can work from my home office to take care of my younger son who has Autism issues. If not and I should have to work onsite, I would prefer to work in the Operating Systems support field as opposed to IT work. I have seen many Help Desk jobs requiring only Microsoft certifications but what I never searched for and don't know is if there are Help Desk jobs dealing with only Microsoft type support? Any advice on this field please?


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## BosonMichael (Nov 1, 2011)

I'll be honest, it's gonna be difficult to find a remote help desk job. In fact, I'd recommend that you go for any help desk job you can get. There's a lot of competition for entry-level IT jobs, as many people are trying to switch to what they perceive to be a stable career field. So I'd recommend that you get your foot in the door first, and worry about being choosy about which IT jobs you will or won't take after you've gained a little bit of experience (and therefore, leverage).

By all means, DON'T bring up remote work in an interview (unless the employer initiates that conversation). It's a red flag to many employers.

The list of certifications that JMPC gave you are commonly referred to as "entry-level certifications". Is certification required? No, but it can give you an advantage over your competition, provided real-world experience is equal (experience trumps certifications). Certifications can't guarantee that you'll get a job, so I can't answer your question of, "Is the A+ sufficient". The A+ will give you an advantage, adding Network+ will give you a greater advantage, and adding entry-level Microsoft certifications can give you a further advantage. But you don't need ANY certifications for most entry-level IT jobs. 

The MTA certifications are also considered entry-level certifications. However, they're currently not as well known to employers. As more employers understand what the MTA certifications are, the value of the MTA certification will rise.

Hope this helps.


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## mikehende (Mar 23, 2009)

Understood, one of the main reasons why I would try to avoid IT work is becuase I have many years experience in computer repair so I am very experienced with softwares and computer hardware but not so much Networking. 

So as far as microsoft certifications go, which would better the MTA or these two? MCSA : Windows 7
MCSA : Windows 8


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

The MTA.

MCSA and MCSE are meant for people who already have experience in those areas they are not meant for people who don't have experience. In fact having those certs without experience will only make things harder for you.


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## mikehende (Mar 23, 2009)

I don't see the A+ and the MTA being too much of a hassle for me, the Network plus, yes. From everything you guys have written here, seems like it would be in my best interest to get as many certs as possible to increase my chances. Tomorrow I will look at some remote support jobs to try to have an idea of what's generally required, appreciate the answers, get back to you guys.


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## BosonMichael (Nov 1, 2011)

mikehende said:


> I don't see the A+ and the MTA being too much of a hassle for me, the Network plus, yes. From everything you guys have written here, seems like it would be in my best interest to get as many certs as possible to increase my chances. Tomorrow I will look at some remote support jobs to try to have an idea of what's generally required, appreciate the answers, get back to you guys.


As many _entry-level_ certs, yes. Hold off on more advanced certifications (Cisco, MCSE, etc.) until you build a little experience with those technologies.

For what it's worth, Network+ isn't too hard. In fact, I'd expect ANY entry-level computer tech to know the concepts found in Network+.

Also, keep in mind that a large number of IT jobs aren't "just hardware support" or "just network support" or "just operating system support". To be a good tech, you need to have knowledge of all of these things, and unless you get a niche job, you're likely going to be expected to do any of all of these things. My first job was as a field service tech; I went out on service calls to repair printers, install drives, install software, configure OS settings, connect computers to a network - anything the customer needed me to do.

In short, you REALLY don't want to tell a potential employer, "Um... I can't do that," or worse, "I don't really want to do that." It is far, far better to say to a potential employer, "Yeah, I can do that," or, in a pinch, "I don't know how to do that yet, but I know where to find out how!"


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## mikehende (Mar 23, 2009)

Thanks, as mentioned, due to my younger son's situation, I will seek a Help Desk job as first preference but if not and have no choice then so be it. Any recommendations for the best MTA courses please?


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

you don't need courses you need books and practice, then take the exams. Michael and I both have certifications and neither one of us did a course to pass them. Granted Michael has more than me but he also has a lot more experience than I do.


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## mikehende (Mar 23, 2009)

what's the difference between courses and books please? I am seeing videos, tutorials, courses and don't know which would be the best learning source? If books would be the best, any you guys can recommend please?


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## JMPC (Jan 15, 2011)

I think GreenBruceLee was referring to physically going to class vs. books, videos, etc. You don't need to go to training or a bootcamp if you've got some experience.

For video courses I would look at CBT Nuggets, you can get access to everything for $99/month and you really should only need 1 month. They also have a 7 day trial, so you can cram 
Online IT Training Videos & IT Certification Training | CBT Nuggets

Another online training site is Pluralsight. 

Affordable subscriptions:
Pluralsight Individual Plans


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## mikehende (Mar 23, 2009)

Thanks, I found this here, it's free I think, might be just as good? Either way I would need practice exams?

Certiport | Home - Certify to Succeed


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## BosonMichael (Nov 1, 2011)

Everyone learns differently, and everyone needs different materials in order to pass. Some people need no study materials at all, instead relying only on experience. On the other hand, you can give some people every study tool in the world and they won't be able to assimilate the information.

So, what do YOU need? The choice is completely up to you and is limited only by how much money you want to spend. 

Personally, I prefer one or two highly-rated study guides, some equipment and/or software to get some hands-on practice, and a practice exam from a trusted source. If you decide to go this route, study first, hands-on practice second, and practice exams last - far too many people go at this in backwards order.

Unfortunately, there aren't many trusted study materials out there for the MTA exams, as publishers and exam providers have not created them due to lack of demand for the certification. It is somewhat a "chicken-and-egg" situation: people don't pursue the certification because there are no high-quality study tools available, and there are no high-quality study tools available because there aren't enough people pursuing the certification. By contrast, there are plenty of study materials available for the A+, Network+, and (non-MTA) Windows client exams.

Some people prefer video-based training. I do not, simply because I can't go through them at my own speed - I am locked into the speed of the presentation.

Some people prefer classroom-based training. I do not, for several reasons:
- it is MUCH more expensive than self-study methods
- it is done on someone else's schedule (not at my convenience)
- like video-based training, I am locked into the speed of the teacher's presentation - or worse, the speed of the slowest student in the class.


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## mikehende (Mar 23, 2009)

I prefer books and yes I too always believe in study first then practical as I had done with the A+ before starting to repair computers back in the late 90s. So if the MTA is not all that recognizable then maybe my best best would be to do as JMPC had suggested which was get the MCSA : Windows 7 MCSA : Windows 8 certs instead but I can't ignore post #8 here by Greenbrucelee?


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## mikehende (Mar 23, 2009)

Come to think of this since I have many years of hands on experience installing, troubleshooting and repairing Win 2k, xp, vista, win7 and win8 I see no reason not to do the MCSA : Windows 7 MCSA : Windows 8?


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

long time since I looked at the sit but it used to say you needed 6-12 months experience as a systems admin or equivalent before you should attempt the MCSA and the MCSE was 12-18 months as a systems engineer or equivalent.

Although the actual meaning of both certs has changed since then I believe.


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## mikehende (Mar 23, 2009)

I looked at the win7 and win8 requirements here:
https://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/exam-70-680.aspx#tab2

I have covered almost everything described there, same for win8. The main thing which worries me guys is remembering the theoretical stuff, if you put a pc in front of me and ask me to fix, I will fix but I just opened the A+ package and quickly browsed through the Prep and Cram pack and as an example, looking at some questions on printer connections, the multiple choice questions was asking about Serial ports and names of the connectors. I can connect a printer to a pc or network as I have done here in my home but I can't remember the names of the ports or connectors as I had studied that back in the late 90s and at my age of 52 now, not sure I will be able to cram or retain this stuff.


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## BosonMichael (Nov 1, 2011)

greenbrucelee said:


> long time since I looked at the sit but it used to say you needed 6-12 months experience as a systems admin or equivalent before you should attempt the MCSA and the MCSE was 12-18 months as a systems engineer or equivalent.
> 
> Although the actual meaning of both certs has changed since then I believe.


Yep, GBL... the definition has indeed changed. Used to be the Windows client certs were plain old MCP certs. Granted, it was the first step towards the MCSA or MCSE... but if you have experience administering those OSes, you should be OK.

Mike, one thing to consider regarding the MCSA: Windows 7 and 8 certs is this: they assume you have experience administering these OSes in a domain environment, not just doing standalone repairs.

In any case, I wouldn't recommend that you wait until you get certified before pursuing an entry-level IT job. I'd recommend that you start studying on the A+ while applying for any entry-level IT jobs you can find.

Don't tell yourself that you can't do something. You can. Age has nothing to do with it. *Anything* is possible if you apply yourself.


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## mikehende (Mar 23, 2009)

Oh I fully understand you guys about the entry level jobs, you got to start somewhere and get in the door so I have no problem with that. I had thought I would need the certs first in order to qualify but I guess no harm in learning while I work if given the opportunity. Sorry did not mean to sound pessimistic, just that I am more of a hands on guy and learn very quickly in real applications, thanks for the advice!


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## BosonMichael (Nov 1, 2011)

mikehende said:


> Oh I fully understand you guys about the entry level jobs, you got to start somewhere and get in the door so I have no problem with that. I had thought I would need the certs first in order to qualify but I guess no harm in learning while I work if given the opportunity. Sorry did not mean to sound pessimistic, just that I am more of a hands on guy and learn very quickly in real applications, thanks for the advice!


A few entry-level jobs do require certification. For example, Best Buy/Geek Squad used to require that their techs hold the A+ certification. I'm not sure whether they still have that requirement today, but they'll be clear about their requirements in their job posting. 

It's also worth mentioning that "recommended" and "desired" are altogether different from "required"; if an employer desires certified candidates, they'll still hire an uncertified candidate if none of the certified candidates meets their needs (for any number of reasons - personality, skillset, hygiene, salary requirements).


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## mikehende (Mar 23, 2009)

Well as mentioned, my first option will be to try to get a remote type help desk job to handle my son's situation just got to figure out how best to go about that.


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