The Atlanta FoxPro Users Group - October,
2003
With an emphasis on the FoxPro developer, the presentation will outline an approach to achieving one or more of
Microsoft's developer certifications. |
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"The first thing one must do to succeed in advertising is to have the attention of the reader.
That means to be interesting." -- John E. Powers, 19th Century copywriter
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There are many opinions on the value of technical certifications in
the information technology field. Many debates have ensued concerning whether or not a certified individual actually
possesses commensurate ability. Others question whether or not having certification credentials actually results in
greater compensation.
As a consultant (or interviewee), I compete in a large pool of available talent; I want to find effective ways to
differentiate myself from as many others as possible. Having my own online brochure is one step, just as an effective
resume can get you past the HR gatekeepers scraping acronyms from a paper. In my view, certifications serve the primary purpose of further differentiating yourself, thus perhaps opening
more doors of opportunity. Once your certified, you can place special Microsoft logos on your web site, letterhead and
business cards. It is not unhelpful to be able to associate yourself in an "official" way with a large, easily
recognized and respected company.
In recent years, Microsoft has toughened the exams themselves to answer criticisms that they were too easy. In their
current forms, most tests cannot be passed without real business-world IT experience. You will find that, in preparing
for exams, your own knowledge grows considerably.
There are many companies in the (expensive) business of certification preparation. In my opinion, this is a waste of
time and money. It's probably much cheaper to take and fail an exam ($125) than to take a
course that doesn't guarantee success. Tests can be retaken pretty much as often as you like until you pass;
there are a few between-test time restrictions to which you are subject, but these are not onerous.
Microsoft Visual Studio® 6.0–based exams (of which FoxPro is a part) are scheduled for discontinuation on
June 30, 2004, after which the MCSD on Visual Studio 6.0 track will no longer be available. Anyone who earned the MCSD
certification before June 30, 2004, will remain certified.
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