In 2001 I was looking for a job that would pay me a lot (remember jokingly saying I want a job that provides me with a car, house and family as a package deal). I got a training gig and it was then I started to understand the value behind a certificate.
As a trainer your duties are to keep up to date with the market, you need to know the trends, what's new and what has changed. And in 2004 I took a year off from working and went back to school did a course called Certified Database Operator(CDO) and it opened up my eyes to a lot knew things.
My first professional certification was CompTia A+ Software and hardware in those days, then I followed that up with Windows 2000 professional 70-210.
Path to MCSE Windows Server 2003
- Attended classes read a few forums that were out there at the time and had an amazing teacher/friend who guided me through practical works.
- Researched on exam objectives and read to pass the exam and finally booked and wrote the exam managed to pass just.
- Decided to take SQL Server 2000 exams, Implementation and Design needless to say the Implementation paper was a smooth pass, challenging exam since I had no working experience with SQL at the time.
- Then came the design paper I had been warned and somehow I decided not to take the warning seriously, I mean how hard can it be. I am young and I can stay up studying for two weeks and write this paper. Well lets say I got a reality check on the day of the exam.
- Instead of folding arms and mourning I decided this is a challenge that I want to take on. So over the coming weeks I setup a small test lab and using the transcript I practice my weak points and retook that exam and passed.
- I then wrote the Windows Server 2003 papers 70-290 70-291 and 70-294 and received my MCSA and MCDBA 2000.
- Then I final got the MCSE Windows Server 2003, now I was marketable and employable, the college I was in decided to hire as a trainer specializing in Microsoft technologies (Windows and SQL server).
Path to MCT, MCITP 2008 and MCSE 2012
In 2007 I was unemployed again and I went to visit my cousin across the border when I got an email from Judy Smit the then owner of ITIQ Botswana offering a job in support and also training. Through email correspondence I expressed my interest in this latest challenge. And without having met me she paid for me to attend a Train the Trainer seminar in Johannesburg, and to report back to Gaborone after class. So after attending the training and doing a short video presentation which was to be sent to Microsoft for evaluation and consideration for MCT program, I got back to Botswana and Judy put me through a vigorous change from teacher to trainer, then I wrote the CTT+ exam started training and the student evaluations were sent to Microsoft through MTM program and I got accepted into MCT program and I have maintained the relationship since.
In the early months of 2008 I started down the path of Windows 2008 certification, lucky for me I was now also doing some support for the company that gave me the necessary experience to be able understand and pass the certification.
In 2012 I got certified in Windows Server 2012, I remember attending training and hearing terms like IaaS, PaaS and SaaS and thinking wow what have I got myself into now. Unfortunately for me cloud computing in Botswana has not really taken off. So my specialization remains on-premise servers.
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