Does certification help your career? Is it the choice for those that can't actually accomplish something in the real world? Steve Jones says that it can go either way, but it's up to the individual.  Read more...

Today's editorial was originally published on Aug 7, 2007. It is being re-run as Steve is on holiday. Is it worth getting certificated? Steve raises the question today.  Read more...

Certification is on Steve Jones' mind this week after quite a few training opportunities have popped up lately.  Read more...

You can earn an MCITPro or an MCM in your DBA career, but there's a world of difference between those two. Steve Jones agrees with Simon Sabin that we need something in between.  Read more...

What do you do after you're certified? Steve Jones has a few thoughts.  Read more...

In this article, republished from Brad McGehee's book 'How to Become an Exceptional DBA', Brad explains why there are several advantages for DBAs in continuing to take exams throughout their careers.  Read more...

Everyone wants to know what a DBA does and it is becoming a hard question to answer as the responsibilities and capabilities of database platforms increase. Longtime author Vincent Rainardi brings us the proposition of a new type fo DBA, one that focuses more on data warehousing.   Read more...

Today's editorial was originally published on Aug 7, 2007. It is being re-run as Steve is on holiday. Is it worth getting certificated? Steve raises the question today.  Read more...

Should you get certified? How should you do it? Brandie Tarvin brings us some tips on what might work and dispels some of the myths and rumors about certification.   Read more...

Now, you can get a free second shot at any Microsoft Learning IT Professional, Developer, or Microsoft Dynamics (formerly Microsoft Business Solutions) exam.  Read more...

Steve Jones recently took the 70-441 Beta exam for Developing Solutions on SQL Server 2005. This article will not break the NDA and tell you what the content is, but it gives you some feedback from a SQL Server 2000 DBA on the new exam.   Read more...

Brian spends a lot of time in our forums helping out. Based on a recent question from a reader he put together some tips he used when he was preparing for the MCSE exams. Interesting reading!   Read more...

MCSD's who certified using Visual Studio 6 are eligible to receive a free exam voucher for the 70-300 exam. You must register for the voucher and take the exam before Sep 30, 2003. Follow the link or visit the MCP secure site directly to register. It takes about a minute and you'll receive a code to prevent to your test vendor when you schedule the exam. Thanks, Microsoft!  Read more...

Several months ago Andy posted a 'Review of Developing Windows Based Applications for VB.Net and C#.Net' and mentioned that his company was requiring all developers to achieve the MCAD within 12 months. Read this to find out how the first exam went, how they studied, what they achieved, and their plans for taking the rest of the exams.  Read more...

Andy talks briefly about why the company he works for has decided to require all developers to obtain the MCSD, then takes a look at the book they chose for the initial round of study for the first exam.   Read more...

This article by Andy Warren offers some suggestions to help you get ready for your first Microsoft exam.   Read more...

Ever wonder who an MCDBA helps? Andy has posted the results of a recent survey of MCDBA's conducted by Dr. McKillip of Southern Illinois University. It's interesting reading. If you have time read and add your comments to the discussion!   Read more...

"Certification mania" has hit IT, big-time. Many employers look for certification in potential employees and especially in IT contractors. If you're a data administrator or DBA, you have to consider: could DBA certification enhance my career? Would it deepen my knowledge and increase my value to my company?   Read more...

Andy says it's not the greatest book for preparing for the 70-100 exam, but the case study is worth reading for it's explanation of the Microsoft Solution Framework. Read the full review!   Read more...

Should you use this book to prepare for the 70-100 exam? Read the review and find out!   Read more...