Help Request- Advice on where to start? (NOOB Alert)

Hello,

I am new to IT a late starter as I am 29. I have just found techexams. Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place or asked a million times elsewhere. I am wanting to study and sit an MCSA - MCSE. I was wanting to study on my own and just sit the exams at a local exam center when the time comes. I was just after some advice from you experienced peeps.

Should I start by doing the MTA exams? or should I go straight to MCSA - MCSE 2012? I really am a beginner so would need to start at the bottom.

Can anyone suggest some good study material. Or a place to purchase the material I would need.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me.

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TopTech

It would help if you told us what your target is, such as what you want to learn and where you expect to work, etc. For me, I just buy the study books from Amazon or wherever and study at home and take the exams at my local exam center. If you want to do the Microsoft exams for Windows 2012, then start with exam 70-410 and see how you get on. Buy the Microsoft Press book and any other material you can get your hands on and it's nice to have a test environment at home too.

shaunob1

TopTech wrote: »

It would help if you told us what your target is, such as what you want to learn and where you expect to work, etc. For me, I just buy the study books from Amazon or wherever and study at home and take the exams at my local exam center. If you want to do the Microsoft exams for Windows 2012, then start with exam 70-410 and see how you get on. Buy the Microsoft Press book and any other material you can get your hands on and it's nice to have a test environment at home too.

Thanks for your reply TopTech

I am wanting to start studying in the hope to get an IT job in a technical help desk / on site environment. So will be server / networking and also OS based support. I started an MCSE course in 2003 but the firm i worked for went into administration so i only managed to get the course work done. i should of continued in IT but decided to take a job in web design. Now I want to go back to IT as its what i enjoy more. I will start the 70-410 and get the press book. Whats best to make the test environment use vmware? Also how do i get a copy of Server 2012 for testing purposes ? Thanks again your a star for helping.

TopTech

shaunob1 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply TopTech I am wanting to start studying in the hope to get an IT job in a technical help desk / on site environment. So will be server / networking and also OS based support. I started an MCSE course in 2003 but the firm i worked for went into administration so i only managed to get the course work done. i should of continued in IT but decided to take a job in web design. Now I want to go back to IT as its what i enjoy more. I will start the 70-410 and get the press book. Whats best to make the test environment use vmware? Also how do i get a copy of Server 2012 for testing purposes ? Thanks again your a star for helping.

One way to get a good test environment is to build a computer just for that purpose, if you can. Especially if you're planning on doing many exams and testing later. For the software, get a Microsoft TechNet subscription and you have access to all the MS software you want for test purposes. You can use Hyper-V or VMWare or VirtualBox to set up a virtual environment, ie many virtual servers on one physical server. If money is more of an issue, then run VirtualBox on your regular PC and run one or two virtual servers inside it.

shaunob1

Thanks again. I just need to find a decent book now to start reading. I am going to do the CBT Nuggets. Which did you find the best books. I looked for Microsoft press but I can't seem to work out which ones are official. Prob just me being stupid no doubt.

bub9001

Building a PC and all is great, but for some of us we have to utilize TechNet virtual Labs for our training. You have to setup a Microsoft account and all, but the availability of the TechNet Virtual Labs is nice to start off. Of course setting up your own Lab is going to get you more experience with the hardware and software then using Labs already built. Either way your going to learn more then you know right now.

TechNet Virtual Labs

MrAgent

Since hyper V is a big component of Windows Server 2012, build a lab server with 2012 on it, and use hyper V to host the VMs. VMWare and Virtual Box are great and all, but I would definitely go with using whats being tested on.

Just my .02 cents.

ITMonkey

MrAgent wrote: »

VMWare and Virtual Box are great and all, but I would definitely go with using whats being tested on.

Add my two bananas to @MrAgent's .02 cents.

Server 2012 already has the hyper-v hypervisor, and you'll find information in books or on the internet about how to create your own test lab using hyper-v. You'll likely hit the ground running, rather than figuring out why your configuration doesn't work. Spend your early weeks learning things, and not flailing about fixing problems caused by your lack of knowledge.