Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician / MCDST Certification for Not Yet Techies

"Computer Careers: Providing Technical Support on a Help Desk"

by Richard Stooker, President Info Ring Press and author of Secrets of Changing to a Computer Career

Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician / MCDST certification from:

Microsoft is meeting the needs of the job market, providing a pool of technical support specialists to provide better support to users such as you and I when we have problems. Thank you, Mr. Gates -- because some of the help desk staff I've dealt with -- including some of your employees -- need help just reading email, let alone responding to customer problems and concerns. So I hope this Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician / MCDST will improve even your own employees.

Type of Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician / MCDST certification for computer careers:

Vendor

Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician / MCDST certification worth it?

Standard disclaimer:

Whether or not any certification is "worth it" is an individual decision. You alone must decide what your career goals and needs are.

Look at certifications from a cost/benefit or Return On Investment (ROI) basis. If they help you get a better paying job or make more money at your current job, they are obviously "worth it."

The problem is, there is no real way of measuring how much you can expect your income to go up as a result of any given certification. It also depends on non-related job search skills such as how well you network.

Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician / MCDST is the newest certification from the software giant. As its name implies, the Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician / MCDST is intended for help desk and technical support staff, not network engineers or programmers.

Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician / MCDST holders are not expected to be able to administer a network. They will have to know how to troubleshoot Microsoft applications and Windows. Therefore, this is a entry-level certification. Several years ago I was told by a local technical school that if I paid them many $1000s and passed the MCSE tests that I should be able to land a Help Desk job at about $35K to get my foot in the door.

With this Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician / MCDST credential, I would now advise anyone who wants to break into the IT networking industry to study for and then pass this credential, then start circulating your resume for a help desk or technical support position

But make it clear that you are continuing your education. Whether you use Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician / MCDST to get a help desk job or not, move on to study for and pass the MCSA and then the MCSE certifications. Why wait until you have the full MCSE before taking a job that's a foot in the door anyway? Experience is the most important credential, and cashing regular paychecks is what pays the bills.

Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician / MCDST applicants must pass two exams:

Exam 70-271: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Microsoft Windows Desktop Operating Systems
Exam 70-272: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Applications on a Microsoft Windows Desktop Operating System Platform

Since Apple has also come out with a similar help desk level certification, I suspect both companies are reacting to market pressure to produce a corps of people who are trained to work help desk and technical support positions but who do NOT expect the high salary levels that MCSE holders aspire to. The Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician / MCDST holder should therefore be highly focused on helping customers solve their technical support problems.

I hope that before and after getting your Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician / MCDST, you can read and listen to the complaints and problems of customers. Don't laugh -- I've had customer "service" reps who basically ignored what I said. They skim emails for keywords and then supply stock answers. Please don't be like that. Solve customers problems and you'll be proving you can help your employer stay in business and deserve higher levels of responsibility.

Let the Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician / MCDST be your first step to a customer-focused computer career.

Next: Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator certifications

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