Microsoft training can mean several different things. You may be searching for training programs in standard Microsoft software applications, or you may be looking at professional-grade I.T. training to become a Microsoft Certified-Professional (MCP) in a number of different areas. It's essential, as with all training, to be very sure of what job you would like to get to, and what your motivations are to get there, as these will greatly impact what route you take and what learning style you make use of. We continually suggest that if you intend to pursue IT as a career, you have a balanced careers discussion with an expert advisor, to make sure you don't waste either your money or your time.

To a lot of people, 'Microsoft' signifies 'Windows' (the Operating System that controls your desktop computer.) To some, it's synonymous with the key Office programs used, either at home or at work, to complete specific every-day functions. The most well known application is Word, which is a program for word-processing. When we want spreadsheets we use Excel, & when we require database software we've got Access. The final one of the main 4 applications in Office is 'PowerPoint', which is commonly used for giving presentations. In reality though Microsoft have taken their Office solution a lot further - for instance with 'Outlook' for messaging, calendar formatting and e-mailing.

A dedicated 'language' has been designed for working with & interrogating 'Databases', referred to as SQL, or 'Structured Query Language'. Knowledge of this language is paramount for anyone looking at getting into Databases, as it underpins exactly how data is filed & extracted. Developers ('DBD's') create & design databases for 'Administrators' (DBA's) to manage, interpret and produce reports about the data. Quite a number of developers are programmers as well, & are able to create software for databases in either 'C#' or VB.

Good user-skills can be obtained through a number of 'Microsoft' accreditation paths, & professional support skill-sets via others. To learn about Office 2003 ('XP') check out MOS - 'Microsoft Office Specialist'. For Office 2007 ('Vista') skill-sets opt for MCAS - 'Microsoft Certified Application Specialist'. For a qualification to support others, look into the Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician, or MCDST as its known.

Alternatively, you could be looking at getting into a professionally skilled job within the IT market, & require higher level Microsoft accreditation. The assessment structure at Microsoft has recently experienced a significant overhaul. A lot of career training routes still lead to 'MCP' accreditations, however the trend is steadily moving towards 'MCITP' and 'MCTS' programs ('Microsoft Certified IT Professional' and 'Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist' respectively). People on 'MCITP' packages generally work up via 'MCTS' training-paths.

'Visual Studio' is the foremost Windows software program development 'environment', and is exclusively owned by 'Microsoft'. C#.Net and 'Visual Basic.Net' tend to be the preferred 'languages' to master. You can find out more about these on our dedicated Programming web pages. The main certifications are currently the MCTS and MCPD (having superseded the older 'MCAD' and 'MCSD'.)

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