Re: Microsoft Certifications - Which is best, if any?
Munni,
If you asked me this question about 5 years ago, I would have given you a different answer than what I am about to say.
That was the time when I might have advocated the certification route to anyone and everyone who wanted to make a career transition from “any” field into I.T.
That was also the time when I got started on my getting certified fling and got among others, flashy acronyms related to industry giants like Microsoft, IBM, Sun, Cisco and Novell (complete list here: http://www.umar.ca/consulting.htm 
) … but I was an undergraduate student then…and these certifications paved my way into consulting and training contracts that helped me pay my tuition and also get some experience on the resume.
Hell, I even co-managed a small institute with my dad for a couple of years… and we trained individuals ranging from zero-experience to working professionals. Needless to say, the venture didn’t last cuz the market changed considerably.
However, the way I pursued these certifications was a little different than how most people today seek the quick route to certification through say… boot camps and exam cram books available at your local bookstore.
I used to setup computer labs in my home basement… I purchased/rented equipment… installed applications… ran my own networks… practiced with the software for months before attempting the exams.
Even this didn’t guarantee that I’d succeed in my job in the real world though.
Over the past couple of years, as a technology manager, whenever I have looked to hire new people, I have regarded certifications as an add-on to something else… formal post-secondary education and/or experience.
IMHO, a paper credential without on-the-job know-how doesn’t count for much, or as some of my colleagues say… *“before you get certified, you should be trench-certified” *
Where certifications do help is that they provide an industry recognized credential that the employers are familiar with and guarantees that common standards exist among the technical personnel. Also the continuing education requirement from most vendors ensures that the professionals are up-to-date in their product knowledge.
Now that I’ve given you my personal take on certifications, let me address your question about the “best possible” certification out there for a starter.
There’s no right answer though – perhaps if you can answer the following question… it may help me converge on a couple of ideas:
Q) Do you have at least an abstract idea of the type of work you’d like to do in I.T. ?
**
**Base your answer on your aptitude…
- do you like playing with devices/gadgets/electronics (may be you have a propensity towards hardware and/or networks) ?
- do you like learning new software applications (may be you want to specialize in a specific operating system or enterprise application)?
- do you like coming up with methodological and/or logical alternatives to solving problems? (perhaps you are suited to a programming/development oriented career path)?
- do you like creating presentations and/or publishing? (may be a web publishing and graphic design concentration would be appropriate).
Based on your answers to the above, you can delve further into what certifications are best in that category.Microsoft itself offers several in a few categories that I have listed above… e.g. System Administrator, System Engineer/Expert, Database Administrators, Application Developers, Office Specialist.
You also need to decide if you want to indeed go for a vendor specific certification or a vendor-neutral one. Both have their pros and cons.
Perhaps, what I can help with is to offer a comparison of the certifications offered by different vendors / industry associations once you gimme more of an idea of what specific field(s) you’re interested in exploring.
Sorry about the long post, but hope this helps.
) … but I was an undergraduate student then…and these certifications paved my way into consulting and training contracts that helped me pay my tuition and also get some experience on the resume.