CERTS, any and all welcome

I like to say; You can never go wrong with CERTS. That goes for the breath mints as well as technical certifications. Everyone likes to argue about the value of certifications: whether the A+ certification is valued; if it's worth getting an MCTS vs. going for the full MCSE; if having a CISSPs carries the same weight it once did; and how much managers value any certifications over job experience. But at the end of the day, it could make the difference between you getting the job over the other final candidate. Getting that certification sure isn't going to hurt!

CERTS demonstrate you've accomplish something that shows you have some level of skill, and it's been demonstrated by meeting the qualifications of the certification. They're not necessarily going to let you fly the plane, but you might have a better shot at getting a seat onboard with an IT organization. You'd always rather be too valuable to lose than expendable when the economic times are tough.

If you'd like to learn more about Microsoft certifications, visit the learning section of Microsoft's site for certifications. I'd also recommend some certification training books from Microsoft Press, such as Windows Server Administration Training Kit by McLean, Configure Windows Vista Client Training Kit by McLean, and Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0 Resource Kit by Volodarsky.

Mitchell Ashley is CEO and Chief Strategist of Converging Network, providing product and technology strategies to emerging technology companies.