MCP, MCSE, A+ certifications in Japan/in Engrish?

[Big Booger]

Looking for a place that gives these certifications. Looking for something in the Osaka/Kansai area... if possible. BUt I am willing to travel if necessary.

Any help you can give would be appreciative.

[Socratesabroad]

BB, I think you're obviously aware that you're limiting yourself pretty heavily here by trying to find certification in English outside of Tokyo...

That said, one idea would be to self-study and just take the test, which you can do:

http://careeracademy.com/.sc/ms/ch/1032987946/985549/nc/ee/Japan

Another option is doing a bootcamp and scoring a couple of certs at one time. As an example, there are a couple of places in India and you could cover 1-2 certs in about 18 days for $2000 it appears.

Finally, you could look into HP Japan, which offers other certifications (couldn't find any MS stuff per se).

I apologize for the sparse info, but I'm more familiar with certification in Japanese in Tokyo. Best of luck...

[Big Booger]

Socratesaboard,
You helped me more than you know. I was just wondering where I could take the English exam. I planned on self studying using a study book course and so on..

I want the three certs I listed in the topic. For now MCSE, then MCP, then A+.

33 ENCOURAGE. CO.,LTD JP130
FLOWERROAD IMANISHI BLDG 3F
4-2-13 HACHIMAN-DORI
CHUO-KU
KOBE, 651-0085
81-78-242-5822

I will mostly likely use that center.

[Steve Bildermann]

I think you will find that most people do A+ before either MCP or MCSE. Frankly A+ is very easy to do. You will have no problems. I took it again last time I was in LA to see what the new standard was like. I think it cost $160 and took a couple of hours.

http://www.comptia.org/certification/A/default.asp

[JapanBound]

Don't worry about the MCP. If you are getting your MCSE, you will get the MCP by default. You get this by passing the server/workstation exams.. I can't remember if it's one or both.. Point being you will need them for your MCSE. So you will pick up your MCP without trying.. just go for the MCSE and the mcp comes for free

[Cubed]

Do Japanese employers take certs seriously? Personally, I got a raft of Linux certs (RHCE, LPI1 and LPI2) but no-one ever employed me in Japan to use them. They see .NET experience and jump on that instead ...

Having said that the most irritating thing is the view that because I can do Java, C#, Python and (some) Perl, any positions asking for Ruby, VB or Delphi are outside the scope of my abilities.

Billy Gates has said that employers should treat IT specialists more like plumbers and less as company/language-affiliated code-drones. On that point I agree with the bespectacled billionaire.

But seriously, is MCSE / MCP really worth anything without considerable experience?

[Big Booger]

I don't plan on using the certification in Japan.. I plan on using it in the states..

Steve,
I might have a go at the A+ cert first.. if it is that easy. I have quite a bit of experience in the networking and so on, stemming for the el colegio days.. but none of it is formalized experience.

IF I do make the switch to IT, I would probably start in the public sector (universities, gov, etc..) get the experience and then switch over.


Japan bound,
Thanks for that info, as I wasn;t sure if you had to get one and then the other or if they cancelled each other out.

[Steve Bildermann]

At one time or another I've taken just about every exam MS, Novell, IBM and Sun could dream up. Passed just about all of em. Forgot a lot of it. Back to square one most days.

I'm still the most IT qualified guy walking around the mental clinic though

If I can help you let me know. Here's a few sites I've used.

Brainbench

Cyber University

Free online Training

MCSE World

[Cubed]

IF I do make the switch to IT, I would probably start in the public sector (universities, gov, etc..) get the experience and then switch over.

You've certainly got the right idea. The smart money's in the public sector, especially in the UK and US. Case in point. Sun Microsystems and IBM's UK HQs are 10 minutes down the road from my hometown. My friend working in their HR dept said I could get an interview if I was willing to do the job for 1/4 of the wages in Bombay. Oh, and speak Gujurati fluently ...

Good luck tho BB There are so many ijiuts in IT that they should be displaced by some folks who know what they're doing. My hint is, don't forget Linux/Unix certs. For 3 reasons:

1. They'll teach you a lot about how high performance software works. Or how it should work.
2. They might be useful.
3. They're cheap (well LPI is).
4. You can say stuff like "Hey, fgrep could do that really easily. Does Windows Server 2003 have fgrep?"