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The MCDST Certification - 4 Facts

The MCDST certification is obtained by mostly new people in the industry as it deals with supporting end users to troubleshoot desktop environments running on Microsoft Windows Operating Systems. Attending an interview in a a help desk type of role armed with this cert, will be looked upon favourably from employers.

What kind of jobs can you get?

Help desk technician
Customer support representative
PC support specialist
Technical support representative
Technical support specialist

You will be able to work in small to medium sized computing environments supporting users that use XP Professional or Windows 2000 Professional.

Some basic information...

	This is an entry-level cert – this means you don’t need to have any prior experience or have any other cert in order to be able to sit for this exam. Most people choose this after getting their A+ certification. But it's not a requirement. You will need to sit for two exams…

The Exam 70-271 – Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Microsoft Windows XP Operating System

The Exam 70-272 – Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Microsoft Windows XP Operating System

If you already have your MCDST certification, you only need to take one exam (70-621) to earn the MCTS (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist – Windows Vista, Configuration) and MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional – Consumer Support Technician for Windows Vista).

It also counts as a credential

If you later decide to go for your MCSA, this one counts as a credit. As most times you will need to start at the bottom (most of us do, don’t worry), the MCDST certification is a good one to have to help you land that first job in I.T. Then climbing up the ladder, you can go for your MCSA.

What is the difference between the MCDST and the MCSA certification?

The MCDST credential is for professionals who use excellent customer service skills to educate users, and solve hardware or software operation and application problems on the desktop or client-side based on the Microsoft Windows desktop operating system.

The MCSA credential is for professionals who implement, manage, and troubleshoot existing network and system environments based on the Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 operating systems. These individuals typically do not directly support end-users or troubleshoot desktop or client-side issues as part of their job function.

Unlike MCSAs, MCDSTs are not expected to have network administration skills.

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