To help you succeed in today's competitive job market, whether you are looking for new opportunities or advancing in your current position, you need to build and demonstrate your technology expertise and skills.
When evaluating new candidates or considering the competencies of existing staff, many employers recognize the value of a Microsoft Certification. These certifications are designed to provide the recognition you need to help you excel in your career and provide employers with validation of your skills.
Microsoft Certifications are available for most Microsoft technologies and skill levels from business workers to IT professionals, developers, technology trainers, and system architects. Achieving a Microsoft Certification helps provide you with up-to-date, relevant skills that can help lead to a more fulfilling career, while giving you access to valuable Microsoft Certification Program benefits. These benefits include access to the Microsoft Certification Program or the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification member site and a vast, global network of other certified professionals.
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If using Microsoft Office and Windows Vista is a vital part of your job, consider earning a Microsoft Office Specialist Certification.
A range of Microsoft Certifications are available for IT professionals and developers with all skill levels, from entry-level technology specialists to solution architects.
By earning a Microsoft Certification, you gain relevant skills that employers respect and you get the opportunity to connect with a global community of other certified professionals. The Microsoft Certification Program also provides you with access to valuable Microsoft resources and benefits, such as access to the member Web site, career-building tools, and training. Explore the benefits of certification—and start your journey toward your ideal career.
Microsoft Certification exams are continually evaluated and updated to ensure their relevance in the marketplace. As a result, earning a Microsoft Certification not only helps you stay up-to-speed on the latest developments in Microsoft technologies and platforms, but also helps enable you to demonstrate to employers your on-the-job skills.
Whether you are new to technology, changing jobs, or a seasoned professional, when you earn a Microsoft Certification, you are showing employers your commitment to advancing your skills and taking on greater challenges. See where certification fits into your career path:
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The Microsoft Certification Program provides you access to resources and benefits, including the opportunity to connect with a wide network of other Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) community members.
Microsoft Technical Certifications are broadly grouped in series that map to job roles. If you are new to technology, you might want to start by exploring our Specialist Series certifications. Seasoned IT professionals and developers should consider our Professional or Master Series certifications.
The Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) series certifications are designed to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a key Microsoft product or technology, validating your ability to implement, build, troubleshoot, and debug a particular Microsoft technology, such as Windows Server, Microsoft .NET Framework, or Microsoft SQL Server. Choose from more than 30 certifications, with more being added as new technologies are introduced.
Earning an MCTS certification typically requires that you successfully pass one to two exams and have at least one year of relevant experience.
The Professional Series certifications, which include the Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) and Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) certifications are designed to help you validate a comprehensive set of job-related skills, such as project management, system design, operations management, and planning. They can help demonstrate your focus on a single job role, which can help provide a reliable indicator of on-the-job performance. Typically, a Professional Series certification requires that you pass one to two exams and have one or more Specialist Series certifications.
Choose from two Professional Series certifications, which are based on job roles:
The Microsoft Certified Master (MCM) certifications are designed to help show that you can successfully design and implement solutions that solve highly complex business challenges. The courses are taught by qualified technology specialists from Microsoft and Microsoft partner organizations that offer advanced technical training.
MCM certifications involve professional-level classroom training, labs that incorporate real-world customer scenarios, and both computer- and lab-based exams. Choose from certifications that focus on specific technologies, such as Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Windows Server 2008 – Directory, Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.
The Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA) certification is designed to validate your skills as a qualified professional in IT architecture. Usually people who achieve this certification have five or more years of advanced experience and proven technical expertise and leadership. To obtain the MCA certification, you must demonstrate competencies of business acumen and technology proficiency during a Review Board interview with a panel of industry experts. Three certification tracks are available:
Choose a technology, and then explore the range of available certifications, from entry-level through advanced Master and Architect.
Explore the wide range of Microsoft Certifications, including those on Microsoft Dynamics. There are also certifications for users who work with the full set of Microsoft Office programs.
