Courses in Microsoft cover a wide variety of alternatives. To a lot of people Microsoft training is all about understanding software-packages, and to others it means attaining more advanced level IT accreditations to operate at a professional level in the IT market. It is very important, as with all training, to be sure of what job you would like to get to, and what your reasons are to get there, as these will greatly influence what path you take & what learning style you utilise. We always suggest that if you intend to pursue IT as a profession, you have a proper careers conversation with an expert advisor, to make sure you do not waste either your time or your money.

To nearly all Computer users, the word Windows comes to mind once they think of Microsoft. The word 'Office' could equally come to mind as a lot of individuals equate the 'applications' system with the organisation itself. The most well known application is most likely MS Word, which is a program for word-processing. When it comes to spreadsheets we have 'Excel', & when we require database software we have 'Access'. For presentations, Office provides the software application PowerPoint, which completes the principle programs in the suite. However Microsoft have taken their Office portfolio much further - for instance with Outlook for messaging, calendar formatting & emailing.

Whether you're looking to achieve an entry level understanding of these systems & packages, or perhaps a more complete professional understanding to help you support other people, there are many certifications which could help. For in depth training regarding how to professionally use Office yourself, consider the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) or the 'Microsoft Certified Application Specialist' ('MCAS'). For a certification to support other users, look into the Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician, or 'MCDST' for short.

On the other hand, you're possibly looking at getting into a professional role within the IT sector, & need advanced level 'Microsoft' certification. 'Microsoft' have fairly recently revamped their certification structure, and whilst you will still find many routes based upon the MCP qualifications, we're more and more observing the change to MCITP ('Microsoft Certified IT Professional') & MCTS (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) programs. MCTS learning packages are generally taken as building blocks to the 'MCITP'.

Microsoft own 'Visual Studio', - the fore-most Windows software program development environment. A number of 'languages' are offered, but the two most commonly used ones are 'C#.Net' and 'VB.Net'. You can find out about these by reading our dedicated Programming web-pages. Essentially the most extensively accepted accreditations are now the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist and the 'Microsoft Certified Professional Developer'.

If we take the core IT systems we can then examine the accreditation programs that 'Microsoft' has put in place. They are namely Networking (and Server Operating Systems), Databases (both Administration and Development) and Programming (& Software Development in Windows). For further information and facts on the details of each individual training-route & accreditation group, explore the principal areas applicable to each one on this site.

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