Are YOU Looking for COMPUTERS? Here’s COMPUTERS information for you!

The web is covered with stories regarding the benefits of professional computer certification, and most of them are backed up with salary surveys and the like.  While there’s certainly nothing wrong with making more money and having better job prospects, there’s one benefit of certification that many candidates forget about.

Confidence.

You can’t pay your rent with confidence you can’t pay for gas with confidence you can’t pay for ANYTHING with confidence, right?  So who cares, right?

Wrong.  The confidence you build from truly earning a certification, whether it’s an MCSE, CCNA, or CCIE, cannot be purchased, borrowed, or stolen.  It has to be earned.

What do I mean by “truly earned”?  First, I’m referring to those little documents out there generally referred to as “braindumps”.   If you buy one of these things and happen to skate by a certification exam, did you learn anything?  No.  Did you learn anything?  No.  Are you going to be effective on the job?  No.  As I tell my students, when you’re standing in front of a server or router that isn’t working, and all eyes are on you to troubleshoot the problem, the correct answer is not “B”.  There is no multiple choice.

Secondly, I’m referring to the hope that the certification you earn was earned by taking a demanding exam.

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Okay you have now passed your certification test, congratulations! Now what? How is this going to actually improve your life, your career? Have you thought about your plans after you have passed the test? For many taking a certification exam is only a stepping stone to true success.

The first thing I would do even before pursuing a certification is to have a plan on how this is actually going to help you in your career. Just because you have passed the test does not mean you are an expert. You must first prove it to the rest of the world. How do you do this?

Sit down at your computer or desk and write out your career goals for the next year, five years, ten years and your entire working career. How does this certification fit into those goals? Can you use it to establish more credibility as an expert?

The first step I would take is to start writing tutorials on the subject matter that you claim to be an expert in. Post these tutorials to your own website, blog or eZine distribution websites. the more you write about a subject the more likely a person is going to consider yourself an expert in the field and the certification just backs that up as well. The more visibility you receive the more likely you are to get clients that are willing to pay for your services.

The second step I would take is not to stop studying! The best thing for you to do is learn as much as possible about your subject matter and to stay on top of it. Each time you learn something new write about it. This not only helps you stay visible but shows that you are up to date with the latest technology. If you are studying for another certification or an upgrade to your existing one learn all you can about the material and then start writing tutorials that teaches others on the same subject. Not only will this help reinforce what you have already learned but it could lead to increased job offers and other opportunities.
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There are plenty of articles out there about how to prepare for a computer certification exam.  However, there are also things you can do to increase your chances of success on exam day during the most important part of the entire process — the time that you’re actually taking the test.

I’ve taken many a certification exam over the years, and helped many others prep for theirs.  Here are the five things you must do on exam day to maximize your efforts.

1.  Show up on time.  Yeah, I know everyone says that.  The testing center wants you there 30 minutes early.  So why do so many candidates show up late, or in a rush?  If you have a morning exam appointment, take the traffic into account.  If it’s a part of town you don’t normally drive in during rush hour, you might be surprised at how much traffic you have to go through.  Plan ahead.

2.  Use the headphones.  Most candidates in the room with you understand that they should be quiet.  Sadly, not all of them do.  Smacking gum, mumbling to themselves (loud enough for you to hear, though), and other little noises can really get on your nerves in what is already a pressure situation.  In one particular testing center I use, the door to the testing room has one setting: “Slam”.

Luckily, that center also has a headset hanging at every testing station.  Call ahead to see if yours does.   Some centers have them but don’t leave them at the testing stations.  Wearing headphones during the exam is a great way to increase your powers of concentration. They allow you to block out all noise and annoyances, and do what you came to do — pass the exam.
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