Why bother listing MCP?

mrxnor

I noticed that almost all of the MCS[A,E]s here list MCP as one of their certifications held. Given that one becomes an MCP after passing ONE Microsoft exam, and it's understood that exams were passed to become an MCS[A,E], then isn't MCP status assumed?

Just wonderin'.

lordy

I agree. Likewise I wouldn't list CCNA if I would become a CCNP.

jescab

They are proud that they are an MCP so they listed it. It is a certification, right? It doesn't say list your highest certification it simple ask for your certifications. Just my two cents......

/usr

By that reasoning, why don't you list every single exam you passed to obtain your MCSA/MCSE as well?

I've often wondered this myself.

janmike

When I had my yearly review, my boss proudly announced that the company was going to pay for training for all our departmental Help Desk staff for the MCDST and with a lot of excitement proclaimed ,"We're all going to be MCPs"! But I recently achieved MCP for 70-210. We still get to do the MCDST training. I gave her a copy of the M$ certificate to keep in my records(She wants paper copies of all certs to put in our individual forlders). I think that MCP had something to do with my being given a full-time position at last. It happened a few days later.

I think that my other certs had to do with me getting my job to start with.
So, yes, I'll proudly list my MCP. I passed the exam and M$ gave it to me.
And, it seems to have served the purpose that we all want our certifcates to serve.

I actually feel that MCP is a recognition from M$ for achievement--that you are a member of a group that actually passed one of their take-the-long-way-around professional exams, and stayed awake long enough to do it. It's good publicity for yourself and Microsoft. MCP states that you are dedicated, MCSA states that you are skilled in maintaining, and MCSE states that you are skilled in designing.

My 0.02.

fualker

Doesn't make sense to me either. If you are MCSE you wouldn't go and list out that you are MCSA and MCP. Its assumed. Once I turn MCSA I will remove MCP. I'm proud of all my certs but I don't like filler.

Ricka182

It's personal preference I guess. I list mine in no particular order. Being MCDST makes me MCP, but I listed my 210 pass as well, which will be replaced by MCSA eventually.

JDMurray

Having any MS cert implies the MCP has also been obtained, but some people feel the need to pad-out their list of certs, so they redundantly add MCP.

MCP isn't even a real cert; it's a marketing device used by MS to give people the feeling an immediate achievement after taking only one MS cert exam. When the MCP was introduced (ten years ago?), the "real" MS certs required passing 5-7 exams, and people found this discouraging. Somebody in marketing got a nice bonus when they thought up the MCP to boost exam registration, I'm sure.

Actually, I only dislike seeing "MCP" when it's listed among very high-level certs and degrees. The person on this page (http://www.msia.norwich.edu/overview.htm) actually lists MCP before her Masters degree and CISSP. I find that rather embarrassing, actually.

JDMurray

fualker wrote:

Doesn't make sense to me either. If you are MCSE you wouldn't go and list out that you are MCSA and MCP.

Isn't it is possible to be an MCSE without meeting all of the requirements of the MCSA cert? If this is true, then it would be appropriate to list MCSA with MCSE, as having an MCSE wouldn't imply that you had an MCSA as well.

Webmaster

jdmurray wrote:

Isn't it is possible to be an MCSE without meeting all of the requirements of the MCSA cert? If this is true, then it would be appropriate to list MCSA with MCSE, as having an MCSE wouldn't imply that you had an MCSA as well.

It is, and I agree it's appropriate to list both. Apart from that, many will list both, so to make sure your resume isn't skipped by some HR employee who is impressed by all the MCSA+MCSEs, so should anyone who has both.

RussS

I agree there Webmaster. I have also come across a couple guys recently who were very experienced and had assorted MCSE (NT, W2K, W2K3), but listed MCP as the ones they had were not a psrt of their certification track - I think listed as MCP Exchange 2003 or such.

JDMurray

Webmaster wrote:

Apart from that, many will list both, so to make sure your resume isn't skipped by some HR employee who is impressed by all the MCSA+MCSEs, so should anyone who has both.

Excellent point. HR people and regex keyword searches looking for "MCP" may not realize that it is implied by MCSE, MCSD, etc. Better at least put MCP on your resume.