Professionals who told us that their companies treat them like crown jewels. Here’s what they had to say about their companies, their benefits—and their plans to stick around.
"This is One Great Place to Work..."
We interviewed a handful of Microsoft Certified Professionals who told us that their companies treat them like crown jewels. Here’s what they had to say about their companies, their benefits—and their plans to stick around.
When you finished that final certification exam and returned
to the office as a shiny new MCP (or MCSE or MCP+Internet
or MCSD or…), did management roll out the red carpet?
Send out email? Drop by to shake your hand and admire
your transcript? Schedule a meeting to discuss a salary
increase or bonus?
Or was it just another day at the office?
How you answer those questions may say a lot about how
you feel about your company, how your company feels about
certification, and how long you plan to work there.When
we posted a reader survey on our Web site several months
ago asking readers to nominate exceptional companies for
MCPs, we received hundreds of nominations, ranging from
tiny consulting firms with a single proud MCSE on board,
to huge firms like Bank of America, Intel, Frito-Lay,
IBM, and Hewlett-Packard.
In
this article: |
Companies Profiled:
- BlueRidge
Solutions, Phoenix, Arizona
- Corporate
Software & Technology, Norwood,
Massachusetts
- DRT
Systems, Toronto, Canada
- First
Tennessee Bank, Memphis, Tennessee
- Sprint
Paranet, Houston, Texas
- Star
One Federal Credit Union, Sunnyvale,
California
"I
Wish I'd Known About This Company Years
Ago..." Readers tell us exactly
why they think their company is a great
place for MCPs.
Attention
Managers: Are You Listening?On
the other hand, readers gripe about
ways to kill morale and reduce productivity
at the work place.
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On the nomination form, we asked respondents to
answer a series of questions about how their companies
treat them, especially regarding certification.
Our questions ranged from the predictable—Does management
pay for exams? For training? For materials? Do they
offer extra compensation based on certification?—to
questions about benefits, working hours, vacation
time, public recognition for MCPs, and even the
sorts of high-tech toys a company supplies. In answer
after answer, nominators told us that their company
is truly a great place to work, and why. From that
list, we picked the top companies—firms that generated
enough “yes” answers to make them seem truly exceptional
(see the
chart by clicking here). From those, we chose
a handful of companies to profile—hence the six
firms highlighted in this article.
Rest assured that we’re not under any illusions
that these companies are the only ones out there
doing special things for MCPs. Rather, we wanted
to give you an idea of just how rosy the picture
can be for a Microsoft Certified Professional at
the right company, by showing you how some MCPs
are treated.
The IT professionals that we interviewed for this
story are aware that their skills are hot and that
the market is similarly toasty; in fact, several
told us they’re regularly contacted by head-hunters
and other firms. But virtually every one also told
us they have no plans to move on—they love their
jobs, their companies, and the choices they’ve made.
If that’s not your story, maybe it’s time to take
a look at yourself and what you want, update your
resume, check out some new certifications—or slide
this article under the boss’s door after hours.
Investing in MCPs
It’s nested deep within the site, but log on to
the Web site of First Tennessee National Corp.,
the parent company of First Tennessee Bank, and
you’ll notice a discreetly placed hyperlink that
leads to press releases touting praise from Fortune
(“100 Best Companies to Work For in America,” rank:
14), BusinessWeek (first among non-S&P 500
companies with work-family strategies), and Working
Mother (“100 Best Companies for Working Mothers”).
Is it any wonder that FTB has ended up on our list
of the best companies to work for as a Microsoft
Certified Professional?
Not really, especially if you talk to Bob Robinson,
a systems engineer and MCSE in the Finance and Accounting
Division of FTB’s Memphis branch. He joined FTB
long before it decided to adopt Windows NT in that
branch two years ago.
“I love it here,” he says, citing FTB’s involvement
with the community and its employee programs, which
earned the bank accolades among companies much larger
in size, such as PeopleSoft and Deloitte & Touche.
But Robinson explains that it’s the company’s emphasis
on keeping its IS personnel well-trained that makes
him regard FTB so highly.
About two years ago, FTB’s key system architecture,
upon which the company’s applications were running,
was closing in on obsolescence, especially since
the company that created the software had announced
no more upgrades. To keep systems working, branch
departments were given free reign to migrate to
new solutions.
The Finance and Accounting department at the Memphis
branch decided to base its systems on Windows NT
and first looked within its company for experts
who could help with the migration. One of these
experts was Bob Robinson, and he had the certification
to prove it. Robinson’s MCP title thus set an example
for future hires.
Not all the branches use certification as a filter,
but in the eyes of Joe Sutton, a vice president
who oversees Robinson’s work, it’s a good indicator.
“In the Finance and Accounting department, we demand
a bit more experience,” Sutton explains. “We built
a group that can respond quickly to problems. [A
person who gets certified] is showing us initiative
and a willingness to learn how to do the job better.”
The certification isn’t a major factor in hiring,
but “[the MCP title] plays a part,” says Robinson.
What makes the company so compelling for Robinson
is that it has been liberal with his training requests,
picking up the tab for off-site training and time
off to attend courses, travel expenses, a few self-study
products, and exam fees. As well, he has a say in
where his career is headed—MCPs literally write
their own tickets at FTB.
“We sit with our supervisors and fill out a personal
development plan,” Robinson says. The plan maps
out the employee’s goals for the coming year, including
training and certification to help justify raises
and bonuses.
“But [certification] doesn’t have a direct affect
on bonuses or increases,” Sutton says. “It’s more
indirect.”
To Robinson, the training and certification benefits
are only the icing on the cake that is his job.
He seems even more proud of being associated with
a company that has active community outreach programs.
FTB, for example, sponsors a Lesson Line phone system
for teachers to use to post syllabuses, lessons,
testing schedules, grades, study tips, and messages
to parents. It also offers a nationally recognized
Family Matters program that provides day care subsidies,
telecommuting, job sharing, child- and elder-care
referral services, flexible work hours, and 11 paid
holidays throughout the yAtear (After all, it is
a bank). And even the IS teams, while on-call 24-7,
work “bankers hours” most of the time.
Take its perks for IS professionals, top it off
with a record of community service and development,
and you’ve got a career formula at First Tennessee
National Corp. that’s like money in the bank.
—Michael Domingo
"I
Wish I'd Known About This Company
Years Ago..." |
When you’re pleased
with your employer, you’re really
pleased. We asked those who nominated
their companies as a great place
for MCPs to tell us exactly why
they think so. Some of these glowing
comments left us wondering whether
we shouldn’t brush off our own resumes
and check some of these firms out.
“Our company has a Certification
Wall with the names of each certified
employee listed next to the title
achieved. Our Tucson location
is more than 30 percent certified
and growing.”
—Donald Dockman, MCP
Keane, Inc.
“Software Architects expects
new consultants to achieve their
MCSD, at least at the branch where
I’m employed. Their focus on certification
and support helped me achieve
my MCSD within three months of
starting with them and my MCSE
within 10 months. All certifications
are displayed (framed) at the
branch office, and everyone who
passes an exam or achieves a certification
is recognized individually at
monthly company meetings.”
—Steven Smith, MCSE, MCSD
Software Architects
“My company offers $7,500 every
year for training expenses. I
also receive 20 paid days a year
to use for personal training,
in addition to two weeks paid
vacation and 10 paid holidays.
They pay [a bonus of] $1,000 for
MCSE certification and $250 for
an MCP [title]. We also can earn
special incentive points that
are redeemable for cool stuff
like gift certificates, weekend
trips, and paid days off. I wish
I’d known about this company years
ago.”
—Brad Mills, MCSE, MCP+Internet
CompAdept Corporation
“The general principle is that
the company covers MCSE preparation.
In my area, they arrange Microsoft
Certified Training Providers to
come in and run classes, as well
as pays for books and tests.”
—Clare Gallagher, MCP
ABT Corporation
“Unisys provides a very nice
Seiko Kinetic watch with both
the Unisys and Microsoft logos
on the dial when MCSD or MCSE
certifications are obtained—and
a couple of shirts to recognize
each one.”
—Charles Dockery, MCSE, MCSD
Unisys
“Analytical Software, Inc. (ASI)
is very concerned about our education.
They’ve offered current employees
a $500 raise and $1,000 bonus
for every test passed toward the
MCSE title. When the MCSE is achieved,
a $5,000 raise is awarded. ASI
has also given paid time off for
studying and taking exams (when
the workload and profitability
of the company allows for it).
I’ve passed four tests towards
MCSE certification and plan to
take the last two [soon]. I’ve
chosen self-study rather than
spending the time and money on
classes.”
—Alex Pierce, MCP
Analytical Software, Inc.
“We have a semi-annual certification
contest among the employees. Bonuses
and prizes are awarded for various
categories, such as most certifications,
most exams, highest score, and
most improved. Prizes are awarded
on both an individual and a team
basis.”
—Erik J. Sawyer, MCSE+Internet,
MCSD
New Technology Partners
“We have a small IS department,
and I’m the first certified employee.
However, my company supported
me all the way and paid for all
my certification expenses. [Since
it’s such] a small business, I
think that’s commendable.”
—James J. Kliora, MCSE
Motorola Employees Credit Union
“NCR is one of the best companies
to work for [regarding] education
and certification. They’ve always
emphasized training and always
paid for the training, travel
involved, and the time necessary
to take it. Depending on your
business unit, you may also attend
conferences such as COMDEX, TechEd,
and others, as well as local trade
shows and conferences. I have
friends who work for other companies
and NCR has been the best when
it comes to training.”
—Richard Cressy, MCSE, MCP+Internet
NCR Corporation
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A Perfect Job
Choice
Joining tiny BlueRidge Solutions in 1997 might
have been one of the best decisions Susan Mosby
ever made. “I felt that they were very sincere about
giving employees every opportunity to grow,” she
explains. Apparently, her first impression was correct.
Today, just 15 months later, she’s a general manager
and junior partner in the company, as well as a
full-fledged MCP in TCP/IP, Windows 95, NT Server,
and NT for the Enterprise. With about 15 employees,
Phoenix, Arizona-based BlueRidge Solutions is a
consulting services firm that specializes in Internet,
intranet, and extranet solutions, custom software
development, and networking infrastructures.
Mosby said the company’s youth and small size were
important factors in the company’s appeal, and in
fact, the work environment at BlueRidge is flexible
and relatively free of bureaucracy. “Nothing’s set
in stone,” she explains. “You can negotiate your
own deals.” For example, she has access to a notebook
computer, works at a large-screen monitor (as does
everyone in the company), has her own office, and
can work from home when she chooses.
Despite its small size, the company allows employees
to trade bonuses and overtime for vacation time,
if preferred. And although BlueRidge officially
offers two weeks vacation and one week of sick leave
a year, owner Michael Pandelakis confessed, “We
enforce neither.”
The company also appears to recognize the value
of certification. BlueRidge has a specific per-exam
training budget for any employee interested in seeking
certification. (That includes the company’s receptionist/administrative
assistant, who is currently pursuing certification
in Access.) The budget varies depending on the difficulty
of the exam and the added value that certification
in that topic will bring to the company. For example,
$500 might be budgeted for an employee to train
for and pass a Windows 95 exam; for a Windows NT
exam, the budget might be $2,000 or more. An employee
can spend the allocated budget amount as he or she
chooses—on training, books, or CTEC courses, for
example. Whatever isn’t spent is given to the employee
as a bonus upon passing that exam, and there’s an
additional bonus for passing core exams such as
Networking Essentials. “I’m a hands-on, self-motivated
person, so this works just great for me,” Mosby
says.
BlueRidge currently has three MCPs on staff, with
several more people studying for their first exam
for either the MCSE or MCSD program. Most people
obtain their certification after joining the company.
Working for a small firm often brings a strong
sense of camaraderie. “When you leave to take an
exam, you’re likely to get a big good luck cheer
going out the door.” And once someone achieves a
certification, everyone knows immediately. “They
make a big deal out of it,” Mosby explains, “mentioning
it any chance they get.”
The company’s support doesn’t end when certification
is attained. Fees and travel for job-related conferences
and seminars are reimbursed, as are magazines, books,
and professional association dues. “As long say
they’re doing something that benefits the company
and furthers their careers, I’ll support them,”
Pandelakis explains. “If that means sending people
to TechEd, a Microsoft PDC [Professional Developers
Conference], or any other conference, great.”
Mosby believes that BlueRidge compensates its employees
based on their overall progress—including certification.
“The more knowledge and experience you gain,” she
explains, “the more compensated you are. I’ve been
very well compensated as I pass to higher levels.”
Pandelakis insists that this doesn’t make his company
unique. “The market is dynamic and open,” he explains.
“You publish salary information in your magazine!
I’d rather know what other people are earning than
not know and lose people.”
When seeking new employees, Pandelakis always looks
for certification. “We know it doesn’t necessarily
mean they’re experts,” he explains, “but it does
prove that they can learn and apply themselves.”
The company also actively seeks certifications through
its headhunting and job placement services. Likewise,
when talking with potential clients Pandelakis not
only stresses the certifications that apply to that
engagement but encourages the prospective clients
to interview the staff directly.
Mosby is proud of what she’s achieved over the
past 15 months, but she’s quick to point out that
a company like BlueRidge might not be for everyone.
“They expect a lot from you,” she says. “But if
you’re driven and self-motivated, it can be extremely
rewarding.”
—Clara Parkes
The Solution Provider
Advantage
Aaron Young, a consulting engineer with Corporate
Software & Technology, Inc., joined his company
for three reasons: “Benefits, the pay, the other
perks.” Although he was already on his way to certification
at his previous job as a supervisor maintaining
networks for MFS Network Technologies, a company
that provides EZPass for electronic tolls, he found
the opportunities for learning and advancement greater
at CS&T. Currently, he’s picking up as much as he
can about SQL Server, Internet Information Server,
and Exchange; he’s one exam away from his MCSE title.
CS&T, a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider with
300 consultants, serves Fortune 1000 clients from
its headquarters in Norwood, Massachusetts and regional
offices in New York City and Washington, D.C. The
company provides software procurement, deployment,
license management, and technology services in Microsoft,
IBM, Lotus, and other technologies.
Young is part of a group of two dozen CS&T support
people working for Phizer Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,
an international pharmaceutical company best known
for developing the drug Viagra.
According to Mike Bruzik, who as CS&T’s Practice
Manager at Pfizer heads up the team that Young joined
a year ago, “At CS&T certification is not only valued,
but is required for participation in the various
bonus programs offered to employees.” MCSE certification
is also a significant factor in base compensation.
As a result, over 90 percent of CS&T employees at
Pfizer have at least one MCP certification, and
there’s a direct, long-term correlation between
salary and certifications. “We also have a management-by-objectives
program, in which certification may become an objective
for an employee.”
For 1999 the company offers two weeks of out-of-house
classroom study per staff member either at its regional
headquarters in New Jersey (CS&T is a CTEC) or through
outside training providers. The company provides
additional work hours off for self-study and fully
covers the cost of training, study materials, and
exams related to certification. Self-study materials
purchased for the team are put into a library for
everybody to use.
Likewise, newly certified staff members get public
recognition via email and company conference calls.
Recently the company decided to allow its MCPs to
show off their status through logos on new business
cards.
CS&T values personal development, and engineers
can have a succession of diverse assignments without
leaving the company. For example, prior to joining
the CS&T team at Pfizer, Young was deployed for
six months by CS&T at the United Nations on a Banyan
Vines to Windows NT 4.0 migration. “Once a technical
professional spends the prescribed length of time
in a position, [he or she] can transfer to a different
managed services account or project team,” Bruzik
said. “But winning a new post requires the employee
to develop an internal track record of successful
performance.”
Concludes Bruzik, “CS&T values personal and professional
development. If people aren’t developing, they’re
going to fall behind the technology curve… [Certification]
enhances the credibility of everybody working for
us, and allows CS&T to get more complex and varied
types of assignments for its staff.”
—Dian Schaffhauser
Flying with Eagles
The last company David Kueffner worked for offered
him a financial incentive to get certified. He’d
been there 10 years. And, as he puts it, if he’d
stuck around for another four months, they would
have given him “another 5,000 reasons” to get certified.
In spite of that enticement, he’s happy he accepted
his current post as a technical analyst for Sprint
Paranet.
This fast-growing Houston-based computer network
services company, which employs 1,500 analysts,
currently operates in 25 branch offices around the
U.S.
Kueffner became interested when he heard about
the firm’s approach to training and cross-training.
He sat through a rigorous four-stage interview to
get hired, but once in, the fun began.
Staffers receive two weeks of instructor-led training
each year, as well as access to a well-stocked library
of self-study materials—books, CDs, and other resources.
The advantage of this approach, Kueffner says, is
that “It gives us the flexibility to organize our
scheduling and training.” What the employee chooses
to study is a personal decision, based on where
that person wants to develop his or her skills.
Once someone achieves a certification, that person’s
name goes into the monthly newsletter; he or she
gets recognition among peers at the monthly branch
or area meeting; and a news blip goes out in the
weekly branch emailer. “You’re constantly being
brought before your peers to show what kind of effort
you’re putting forth,” Kueffner says.
The strategy springs from the company’s goal of
keeping employee turnover low. “They want to make
sure you’re engaged in their activities. The compensation
is good. The training is good.”
The company also provides for cross-training by
allowing people to move to new positions. Kueffner,
who has a background in networking and Windows NT,
intends to focus on Unix this year. His reasoning?
“It will benefit me when [Windows 2000] is released.”
Life at Sprint Paranet is “really geared towards
eagles,” Kueffner says. “They want that 20 percent
of people who shine and are always putting out the
effort. Do you feel confident with this? Then go
do it. You don’t want to fail, but at the same time
[you want to] look for the good projects that will
continually help you grow.”
—Dian Schaffhauser
Attention
Managers: Are You Listening? |
Obviously, not all
of you are pleased with your employers.
When we asked you to nominate the
best companies to work for, some
of you stepped up to nominate the
worst. (And many of you included
your names, surprisingly, which
we’ve reduced to initials to protect
the rashest among you.) Given the
heat of the current job market,
we’re not sure why some of these
MCPs are still with the firms they
described (in fact, some of them
say they aren’t). But if you work
for a company like this, maybe it’s
time to schedule a heart-to-heart
with your manager. If you’re still
there after you finish this article,
that is.
“This is a nomination for the
‘Worst Company.’ I’ve yet to receive
any bonus, raise, or promotion
for any of my certifications (including
A+).”
—Name withheld by request,
MCSE, MCP+Internet
“When, at a performance evaluation,
I told [my firm] that I was going
to pass my final exam for my MCSE
certification the following week,
I was bluntly told to my face,
“Don’t expect that to make a difference.”
I received—and accepted—an offer
with another company the very
next day with a 35 percent pay
increase. Two other MCSEs there
(out of five total) quit the same
day I did, for the same reason:
poor pay and poor recognition
of our achievements. Indeed, [the
company] actively discouraged
me from taking classes that I
had paid for at my own expense,
for fear it might reduce my billable
hours!”
—D.G., MCP+Internet
“I didn’t even get a ‘Congratulations’
from my manager after I passed
my last test. [On] the one before
that, the HR manager had to say
something to him after realizing
that he had not mentioned my achievement.
I would like to nominate them
for the ‘Least Supportive Company’.”
—Name withheld by request
“The official company policy
at this time is a ridiculously
low bonus of $100 when achieving
MCSD or MCSE certification.”
—Name withheld by request,
MCSD
“I’ve been given the excuse that,
‘as soon as you get your MCSE
or other certification you will
leave.’ That is the justification
for not assisting in educational
progress.”
—C.B.
“While the company has a budget
for [computer-based training]
materials, courses are not forthcoming.
Employees are expected to study
in their own time.”
— Name withheld by request,
MCP
“I achieved my MCSE certification
in six weeks. Now, more than six
weeks later, [I was] recognized
with $100. The attitude of the
company is that certifications
are important, but [they] don’t
command any additional compensation
or advancement.”
—W.E., MCSE, MCP+Internet
“I wish I were allowed ‘company
time’ for studying, and that [my
firm] would pay for testing. Based
on past experiences, I believe
that I will find it easier to
move out than up...”
—M.E.
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A High-Tech Home
at Last
Steven Gould’s employment experiences over the
past several years run the gamut. He’s gone from
an employer who told him certification was worthless
even as he worked nights to earn it, to working
for a dream firm for MCPs.
After years of globe-trotting, Gould has found
a high-tech home in Dallas, Texas with DRT Systems,
a technology consulting firm owned by Deloitte &
Touche Consulting Group. DRT provides integration
services and solutions, focusing on e-commerce,
to public and private sector clients across a broad
range of industries. It has 12 offices throughout
North America, with headquarters in Toronto. The
Dallas branch where Gould works as a lead consultant
has about 75 people.
Born and raised in England, Gould moved to the
U.S. in 1993 and began studying for his MCSD title
with a co-worker in 1995. Gould financed his studies
himself, earning his MCP certification in 1996.
He began working for a consulting company where,
although his employer told him certification was
worthless, he continued to pursue his MCSD nights
and weekends.
The payoff came on the day he picked up his final
MCSD exam scores at a local Microsoft Authorized
Technical Education Center. A consultant from DRT
noticed his scores, learned that Gould had just
obtained his MCSD, and asked for his resume on the
spot. Soon after, Gould joined DRT.
After years of pursuing certification with little
outside support, Gould is pleased to have found
a company that places a high value on certification.
Not only does DRT pay for training, books, CDs,
and the exams, but it also awards a bonus upon certification.
For his MCSD, Gould was given two retroactive bonuses
when he joined the company—one for the MCP exam
he first had to pass, and another for the MCSD.
Public recognition is also part of DRT’s certification
policy. Newly certified workers are recognized during
the monthly company meetings, and often in the company
newsletter or via email. DRT promotes its certified
staffers outside the company as well. When bidding
for Microsoft-related consulting jobs, Regional
Manager Bill Shearer always stresses certification.
“Clients respect it,” he explains. “It’s a big deal
to them, and it weighs heavily in their decision.”
The company strongly encourages its employees to
take at least two training courses each year to
keep up to date in specific areas of technology.
Ongoing technical training “is treated as part of
your job,” Gould explains. DRT also pays for any
courses, exams, conferences, and travel deemed necessary
by management for career and skill development.
The high-tech benefits policy at DRT is, “If you
can justify it, it’s yours.” Gould has been offered
a notebook computer several times, but prefers to
work on his own system at home. Within the next
three years, Shearer intends to equip everyone with
full systems (including large-screen monitors) for
use at home or at client sites.
“It’s just a great company to work for,” Gould
says. “Previous companies gave me no help, no recognition.
I only pursued certification to improve my skills.
DRT pays for my course materials, pays for my exams,
and gives me a bonus when I get certified! What
more could a guy ask for?”
Despite several calls a week from recruiters, Gould
has no immediate plans to leave DRT. “I’m quite
happy here,” he says. “The president of our company
started off as a consultant on the same level as
I am. Now, 20 years later, he’s the president. So
who knows—I might stick around that long!”
—Clara Parkes
Giving Credit
Where It’s Due
Here’s how much Star One Federal Credit Union values
its first MCSE, Fred Shuherk. Between the time he
nominated the firm as a great place to work, to
when we finally tracked him down for an interview,
he was promoted to Senior Web Specialist at the
100-person non-profit in the heart of Silicon Valley.
In his new position, he’ll help administer the company’s
IIS 4.0 Server and its interface with Micorsoft
SQL Server, along with other products and technologies.
The promotion, he says, is “a direct result of obtaining
my MCSE and MCP+Internet certifications… They probably
wouldn’t have given me the support and administration
of [the intranet site] without the MCP+I title.”
“I started out as an associate” at Star One, Shuherk
says, “a little guy on the bottom floor” with a
background in finance, PCs, and computer operations.
He earned his Microsoft certifications without spending
a cent of his own money. Instead, Star One picked
up the tab for everything.
In the three years he’s been at the credit union,
his income has increased significantly—as much as
30 percent. And despite being in the heart of high-tech
Silicon Valley, Shuherk says the company has no
problem keeping employees. “The turnover is very
low. People stay here a long time… The average employee
stays six to seven years” and many stay beyond 20
years. “That’s huge for a company this size.”
Star One, one of the largest federal credit unions
in the country and among the largest in California,
boasts $1.6 billion in assets and employees. Shuherk
supports a range of Microsoft products including
Windows NT, Internet Information Server, SQL Server,
a RAS server, NT Workstation, Windows 95, and Exchange
Server.
To promote certification, the company paid for
outside instruction first, then purchased a set
of self-study materials (a $2,500 package of books,
CDs, and other materials from Platinum Technologies).
Shuherk also used the free “Pep” practice exams
from Microsoft’s MCP site. He says that management
encouraged him all the way. “My boss would say,
‘If you need time out to study, go to the lunchroom
for an hour.” Shuherk felt support from top management
on down, he says, including payment of a bonus upon
certification.
In fact, when he failed one exam in the MCSE series (the
only test he took twice), he returned to the company dejected,
only to be told, “Don’t even worry about the money; that’s
part of the process.” Now a second employee has become
an MCSE, several others are in progress, and Shuherk says
he and colleagues are “pressuring” another. “We’re telling
her, ‘Come on; it’s great. Come on.’”
—Linda Briggs