Recertification Champions

This is addressed to champions, true competitors, proven winners... Or as you may be known in your company “the IT people”.

This is addressed to champions, true competitors, proven winners. Or as you may be known in your company “the IT people”.

Do you remember the sacrifices? The late nights studying? The money you spent on IT equipment? Aspiring to be a challenger and eventually a champion?

Do you remember the moment at the end of your final exam (5th or 6th in a row) where you had checked all your answers and started pointing the mouse cursor on the end exam button?

Do you remember taking a deep breath and thinking to yourselves? I got this, and then clicking the mouse?

Do you remember raising your fist up when you read the message that you have passed the exam? That overwhelming feeling of joy and satisfaction?

That feeling, the celebration is not because you passed one more exam, you have been there and done that over and over.

The feeling of joy and cause of true celebration is because you have reached a new plateau in your career and by becoming certified as an MCSE or CCNP or higher. You are letting the world know that you have arrived.

Is it enough though to prove your point once?

The painful reality in the harsh ever-changing world of IT sums up to a single word…. “no”.

PREPARING TO DEFEND, GETTING READY TO REPEAT!!!!

The certification track may have the same name, but the technology and everything around it changes all the time.

Be careful not fall into a false sense of security when re-certifying, there may be some things you have forgotten or missed along the way.

“Always remember that if winning takes preparation, repeating takes character, experience and even more preparation.”

“If you just want to be employed, just keep up to date, but if you want to be best, never stop practicing.”

While it may be a great idea to recertify, our eagerness may not flow as much as it used to back when we embarked on this journey the first time.

Sometimes it might even feel like we are being pressured into keeping our certifications up to date, but don’t buy into that. You need to respect yourself as a pro and keep ahead of the curve. What took hard work then, will take hard work now.

We are not boxers or tennis players, there are no reigning champions. The only belts involved are the ones keeping our trousers around our waists. Let the desire, and proving to yourself you can do it, be the motivating factor.

But don’t be afraid to ask your employer for help and support. It is in their best interest to root for you and provide with the means (time, equipment, studying material, training classes) to succeed. By helping you prepare and succeed today means that all of you will all be winners tomorrow. Adding specialised certified personnel of this calibre will present better business opportunities for them and may even open up new markets.