Microsoft.com offers
a Microsoft Certification Exam for
Free when you
Complete One Challenge within The Microsoft Learn Cloud Skills Challenge.
Thanks to Community Member
JollySparrow976 for finding this deal.
Instructions:
- Go to The Microsoft Learn Cloud Skills Challenge
- Complete one challenge of your choice by November 9th.
- To complete a challenge, finish all of the modules in the selected challenges Microsoft Learn collection.
- Your free Microsoft Certification exam offer will be delivered by November 18, 2022 and will expire on February 15, 2023. You must complete your exam before this date.
This exam offer is exam-specific and only redeemable for select Microsoft exams. Eligible exams include: - AZ-305: Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions
- AZ-400: Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions
- DP-100: Designing and Implementing a Data Science Solution on Azure
- MB-240: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service Functional Consultant
- MS-700: Managing Microsoft Teams
- MS-720: Microsoft Teams Voice Engineer
- PL-100: Microsoft Power Platform App Maker
- SC-200: Microsoft Security Operations Analyst
Top Comments
They are at fundamental level. After that if you like DP-900 more then study for DP-100 or if you like PL-900 more then study for PL-100.
Good luck
900 series: basics/fundamentals
100 series: administrators
200 series: developers
300 series: architects
400 series: devops
500 series: security
700 series: speciality exams
Remember the fact that when you learn and practice cloud platforms, and then you apply for a job, they don't look at just your cloud knowledge (this is imperative), but they want to "see" your cloud architectural/design/dev wisdom (and how do you apply and build for various scenarios and use cases). This can only be the result of practical application of these cloud technologies in an enterprise setting.
Learning and working on any one cloud platform should automatically make you apply, design and architect equivalent technologies/services in another cloud platform.
Learn and understand the underlying concepts and not just the offering!
NB: Getting certified isn't mandatory, but will go a long way in proving that you've cloud competency. And, your resume will get shortlisted quicker 😊!
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https://www.microsoft.c
https://events.microsof
Startups and younger orgs are making different choices — they are not bound to MS products by design.
In any case, learning Azure-domain specific stuff won't hurt should someone need to transition to GCP, AWS, or another.
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IT is HOT.
Cloud, cyber, ai/ml, data are all Hot moving forward because of the internet connected apps people tend to use nowadays, especially on phones. For some corporations, they either run their own internal servers and host inside the company, while others now offsource the hosting to the cloud (Microsoft, Amazon, Google clouds).
While Microsoft and Google have their Office suites online, with Microsoft's being 100% compatible with the desktop version of Microsoft Office and Google Docs not, Microsoft has gone beyond the rest in running cloud based apps (Azure, Aws, etc) with this year's launch of fully hosted Windows Desktops with GPUs.
So you could control a very fast desktop system from you phone without buying a PC by simply subscribing to Microsoft's virtual desktop service.
Totally eliminates the silly need for constant desktop upgrades - just use any old PC as a terminal.
So this all means it's normal for bachelor's in IT to get $100k+/yr salaries starting out, $300k+/yr within 5.
Heck, even run over companies like Twitter tanking after the Musk mess still pays $80k+/yr starting out.
Couple an easy cloud job with another IT job as some do slacking at work Overemployed (ie work 2+ online jobs in the same 8 hours shift per day) and you can really easily double, triple...the income.
The certificates simply trigger the AI resume reading HR bots that sift through thousands of applications to automatically flag them for the open hot jobs, as well as the attention of human recruiters looking for big paychecks for themselves (since they get a cut for finding candidates).
Everything in IT can be self taught if you're good at that, to the point where you can get $300k+/yr jobs without a degree or certificate because IT is really much like a trade.
Ie. Anyone can drop a real world problem in your lap and if you can't fix it/do it on the spot, you don't know how. But if you do, then no need to ask for a diploma.
...
Google Certificates through the other post here about the free American something program provides entry pathways into project management, ux/ui app interface design, etc.
Nice like Microsoft certificates in that a) you can do all of these jobs remotely b) they can pay well as long as you look and skill up over time c) don't need a college degree to make bank and retire early.
IT is HOT.
Cloud, cyber, ai/ml, data are all Hot moving forward because of the internet connected apps people tend to use nowadays, especially on phones. For some corporations, they either run their own internal servers and host inside the company, while others now offsource the hosting to the cloud (Microsoft, Amazon, Google clouds).
While Microsoft and Google have their Office suites online, with Microsoft's being 100% compatible with the desktop version of Microsoft Office and Google Docs not, Microsoft has gone beyond the rest in running cloud based apps (Azure, Aws, etc) with this year's launch of fully hosted Windows Desktops with GPUs.
So you could control a very fast desktop system from you phone without buying a PC by simply subscribing to Microsoft's virtual desktop service.
Totally eliminates the silly need for constant desktop upgrades - just use any old PC as a terminal.
So this all means it's normal for bachelor's in IT to get $100k+/yr salaries starting out, $300k+/yr within 5.
Heck, even run over companies like Twitter tanking after the Musk mess still pays $80k+/yr starting out.
Couple an easy cloud job with another IT job as some do slacking at work Overemployed (ie work 2+ online jobs in the same 8 hours shift per day) and you can really easily double, triple...the income.
The certificates simply trigger the AI resume reading HR bots that sift through thousands of applications to automatically flag them for the open hot jobs, as well as the attention of human recruiters looking for big paychecks for themselves (since they get a cut for finding candidates).
Everything in IT can be self taught if you're good at that, to the point where you can get $300k+/yr jobs without a degree or certificate because IT is really much like a trade.
Ie. Anyone can drop a real world problem in your lap and if you can't fix it/do it on the spot, you don't know how. But if you do, then no need to ask for a diploma.
...
Google Certificates through the other post here about the free American something program provides entry pathways into project management, ux/ui app interface design, etc.
Nice like Microsoft certificates in that a) you can do all of these jobs remotely b) they can pay well as long as you look and skill up over time c) don't need a college degree to make bank and retire early.
I just passed the SC-200 excam, and I mean just a few hours ago. And then last week, I had passed the SC-900 exam as well.
What is possible with those two certificates, obviously I put them on my LinkedIn, but I haven't really updated my LinkedIn page yet. I haven't even touched my plain resume yet.
Where do I go from here? What type of jobs can I start searching?
I had heard that maybe I should be doing some stuff on GitHub in order to compensate for the lack of actual job experience. I haven't done a thing on GitHub, I barely know how that even works, but I am willing to open it up and start reading through the documentation to see how to get started.
Are there any other certificates that I need to be going after next? I do want a job rather quickly, and I don't mind getting underpaid to start out.
What is possible with those two certificates, obviously I put them on my LinkedIn, but I haven't really updated my LinkedIn page yet. I haven't even touched my plain resume yet.
Where do I go from here? What type of jobs can I start searching?
I had heard that maybe I should be doing some stuff on GitHub in order to compensate for the lack of actual job experience. I haven't done a thing on GitHub, I barely know how that even works, but I am willing to open it up and start reading through the documentation to see how to get started.
Are there any other certificates that I need to be going after next? I do want a job rather quickly, and I don't mind getting underpaid to start out.
In the meantime keep practicing interview questions and connect with others on Linkedin. Send me a message and I'll add you to my network if you would like that.
But may I ask how many hours did it take you to complete SC-200 without experience?
Thank you.
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What is possible with those two certificates, obviously I put them on my LinkedIn, but I haven't really updated my LinkedIn page yet. I haven't even touched my plain resume yet.
Where do I go from here? What type of jobs can I start searching?
I had heard that maybe I should be doing some stuff on GitHub in order to compensate for the lack of actual job experience. I haven't done a thing on GitHub, I barely know how that even works, but I am willing to open it up and start reading through the documentation to see how to get started.
Are there any other certificates that I need to be going after next? I do want a job rather quickly, and I don't mind getting underpaid to start out.
Luckily, some are willing to hire juniors/associates in security.
Eg https://www.linkedin.co
...
Hit up local colleges and see if there's any job fairs/events you might be able to access. (As necessary, take 1 cheap class to be a "student".)
Also, summer internships - https://careers.homedep
Again, 1 cheap class to say you're a student just to access the internship.
Some states like CA offer free 2-year community college tuition - take advantage of this to get free IT classes while you look for a job, and even after getting a job, nothing wrong with even taking 1 class after work to increase skills.
Contact Local Web Host companies like Dreamhost.
(You'll likely need Linux know-how)
At minimum, start training for the A+, Security+, Network+ exams. You don't need to take the certificate yet - but adding the knowledge is valuable (and you can put A+ etc training on the resume to trigger the AI bots).
Look for free Cybersecurity training programs.
Eg Coastline Community College has one that provides 2000 hours of on-site training and job leads.
And take advantage of
https://www.theamerican
....
LinkedIn.
Start building out your informal security network! Even if there's only a 1% chance of getting a job through 1 person, contact 100 people and it's likely you'll fish out something.
...
Consider a professional resume service by someone who is/was in hr and understands what triggers their screening bots and gets to them.
E.g. https://www.fiverr.com/harvardcv/...in-profile
....
Look up security jobs in your area, even if they're at higher levels.
Every company, every time, just send out your resume and a letter asking for an entry job.
They might not list it, but if you don't ask, you'll never know.
...
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In the meantime keep practicing interview questions and connect with others on Linkedin. Send me a message and I'll add you to my network if you would like that.
But may I ask how many hours did it take you to complete SC-200 without experience?
Thank you.
So when those 26 modules in that challenge estimate about 21 hours, that's probably how long it took me, if not slightly more. Because I do sit down and read all of them out loud in my room. Watched all the videos, and the interactive demos. And I spent the most time fiddling around with starting an Azure Portal account and trying to set up a demo Azure workspace so that I can add and test out Microsoft Sentinel functions. That was such a hassle, I probably spent 10 hours on messing with that, while I was constantly getting errors on setting up a workspace properly. I more or less got to see some of the menus where I was supposed to attempt to write new analytical rules, and then create a playbook, and stuff like that. I just gave up and went back to reading the Learning module, and sometimes they had screenshots for me to look at.
Cost me like $26 in Azure resources and bandwidth costs by the end of the month. (Supposedly, you can set up a demo environment in GitHub, but like I said, I don't a lick of how that works).
So after June, I just left it alone. And then I started getting desperate again to find a job, so I went to go do my SC-900 exam, and scheduled that. I had about a couple of days to study, and my original email from Microsoft provided a link to a study exam document, that's like a 130 page power point presentation. So that doesn't really take long to casually read. Couple of hours. Did the SC-900 just to see if I had ANY CHANCE of success in this area. Didn't feel good at all during the exam, really felt unsure with about half of the questions that I answered.
Quite surprised when I found out I passed with a 724 score (need 700 out of 1000 points).
So that gave me motivation for the SC-200. But I knew that was gonna be harder.
Went back to my June email where Microsoft congratulated me on passing the Challenge, and that had a study document, and that document had links to all of the related MS Learn modules. That was actually more modules than I originally took, it listed 44 modules. I presume that this study document gets updated, and you can tell that Microsoft is constantly updating their training modules.
There was actually 47 modules in total. Over half of them I already took in June, but I was going to read over them again, a second time. On some of them, I read over them pretty quickly, because they were much easier to understand the second time around.
Alot of the new modules felt like they had redundant information from other modules.I had already gone over. So, over the course of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week. I think I spent another 20-22 hours on the MS Learn website. (Deadlines make me work harder)
And finally, I'm a bit ashamed to admit this, but I really wanted to do everything I could to ensure my best chance at passing. I was going to watch a youtube video for a last-minute cram session, but I came across a youtube channel where they pretty much HAVE the vast majority of questions exactly as the exam, and they show and provide a quick explanation of the answer.
So I used that as a practice exam, but I also tried to use some memory retention in order for me to remember the question, and then remember what answer was highlighted.
And I'd say that roughly 75% of the 40 questions were verbatim from this youtuber's videos. And I had an additional 8 questions from a "case study" (Basically they explain a detailed scenario about a company, their workers, and their security problems and then they ask you 8 questions from that scenario).
The case study was exactly what he reviewed in his youtube video.
So that did help me, but at the same time it might've hurt a little, because my memory wasn't all that good, so I might've been remembering the wrong answer. Ultimately it helped me more than it hurt me.
Look up youtuber "DbSkyLimit" Like, I should've discovered him earlier, and gone through his videos twice, so that my memory of the answers could be more accurate.
Passed with a 733. I feel like if I hadn't watched his videos, I would've probably failed somewhere along 650 or so. I actually didn't do so good on questions relating to Microsoft Sentinel (which is 45%-50% of the test). But the other two sections (which are, each, 25%-30% of the test) I did just enough to compensate.
Chances are, if I'm really serious about wanting to know this stuff, I'll probably read through the Microsoft Sentinel-related modules again a third time, and maybe I may need to start reading up on SQL from a learning website, and try to take a course on that. And get really good at learning how the whole GitHub website works as a learning and training resource.
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