Getting Certified

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I have decided to throw down and eat the proverbial "dog chow".  I am certified as an MCP for Windows Server 2000 and Windows Server 2003. But technology has moved on and so have I. In December of 2007, I joined Microsoft Learning as the Program Manager for Courseware Library. I find myself in the heartland of certification. This is the source. This is where it happens. So, if not me, then who and if not now, when?

I intend to get an MCTS in SharePoint Server configuraton. I want to do this by August of 2008. I then intend to get certification as an MCT and deliver one of the Courses from Courseware Library by December of 2008.

Let me confess. I am really, really bad at the kind of test that Microsoft has used in the past for certification. I have failed many of them. That being the case, this is no small undertaking for me. I anticipate pain. Being pain averse, I am going to utilize all resources that are at my disposal but I am going to use only resources that are available to everyone else. In other words, no finding the answer sheet or pumping a subject matter expert for inside scoop. I'm going to do it the honest way. 

I will document my experence here: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I started today by setting up a learning plan. If you haven't seen these yet, I really encourage you to take a look. You identify a learning objective. In my case, that was the MCTS in SharePoint Server Configuration. 11 steps have been identified for successful completion of this goal. I can add them or decide that they are not necessary. Trying to avoid the pain, I'm going to do this by the numbers. So, here are the steps:

  1. An Overview of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007    

  2. Which SharePoint Technology Is Right For You?

  3. TechNet Virtual Lab: What's New in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Feature Walkthrough Virtual Lab

  4. Learning Plan for Configuring Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 (Exam 70-631)

  5. Course 5061: Implementing Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007
    -or-
    Collection 5404: Implementing Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

  6. TechNet Virtual Lab: Getting Started with the Business Data Catalog in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

  7. TechNet Webcast: SharePoint Server 2007 (Part 3 of 6): Disaster Recovery (Level 200)
  8. TechNet Webcast: Upgrading and Migrating to Office SharePoint Server 2007 (Level 200)
  9. Supplemental Resources for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007
  10. Preparation Guide for Exam 70-630
  11. Exam 70-630 TS: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, Configuring

Stay tuned. I'll keep you posted about how it is going. If I encounter things that I do not feel are supporting my goal. I'll let folks here in MS Learning know. And I'll share with you what I hear back. If I find something that works particularly well for me, I'll be sure to point to that as well.

>< Mark Shea