Getting certified on a product, technology, or series of solutions has been the conduit for career expansion and professional acumen for decades. A certificate in hand usually means the potential employer will stick the resume closer to the top of the pile. Many employers require continuing education and certifications to improve the IT staff knowledge and to keep the group from becoming stagnate.
But, what if an individual is looking to change careers? What if they are new to the IT field, feel that it is a worthwhile change, but have no clue where to start?
Microsoft has devised a Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) program for those that are new to IT, seeking to enhance skills in a different area of expertise, or looking to change careers. MTA is a starting point and gives the achiever a certification paper to show a fundamental understanding of technologies in specific areas. Tracks are like 101-type courses, giving the essential, entry-level knowledge to shift into an explicit area.
Passing just one exam is all it takes to receive an MTA, and the full spectrum of MCSE and MCSD tracks are available to get started. Those include:
- Desktop Support
- Desktop and Device Cloud, Mgmt, Data and Applications Mgmt, Network or Server Administration
- Data Platform, Business Intelligence
- Web Application Development
- Windows Store Apps using HTML5
- Windows Store Apps using C#
- Application Lifecycle Management
- Gaming Development
Full information can be found on the Prometric web site: Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA)
