Are IT jobseekers being misled?

The Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) is a much talked-about qualification that continues to feature prominently on the list of high-profile IT requirements. But some holders are apparently finding placement a tough proposition, and agencies are saying "enough of the so-called paper MCSEs".

Anton Els recently obtained an MCSE and followed a route countless others have chosen but encountered a somewhat strange situation.

According to Els, when he mentioned his recent qualification the reaction from most people was positive, hailing his achievement as a direct path to financial bliss. However, the response he received from employment agencies was very different. To fuel his concern, the colleges he approached for information insisted that companies are willing to pay between R4 000 and R4 500 for "newbies", but job placement is "competitive".

He argues that, like most qualifications, the MCSE needs to be beefed up with practical experience before one is considered a professional. "Who wants to pay someone lots of money if he knows only theory?" Els adds that the colleges he spoke to failed to mention that companies prefer one to three years` IT experience.

Richard Smuts from the Cape feels the problem lies very much in the way the qualification is being marketed. "I have seen one too many guys with families mortgage their homes to finance this course... it is a result of it being marketed as career change."

Smuts is one of the fortunate, with two years` hardware experience to back up his qualification. He believes agencies are fed-up with having countless candidates with this qualification who are unable to land jobs. He believes the answer lies in Microsoft establishing further control over institutions.

Dewet Diener adds that the MCSE is not worth what it was a year or two ago. He says the market is flooded with incompetent and inexperienced MCSE holders. "It is very difficult for employers to distinguish between people who have talent with computers, and those who are just doing it for the money," says Diener. Meanwhile, he is falling back on his experience, but says he is still waiting for his qualification to start earning a return on his investment.

So where does the problem lie?

Can the hype be traced to institutions` competitive quest for learners? Or is it a natural result of word-of-mouth praise from the over-zealous entry-level expectations of an IT-crazed youth?

Microsoft channel marketing manager, David Prosser, admits to the misperception and hype regarding the qualification, but feels there is no one specifically to blame for this. " I think a lot of that is being perpetuated by the market. There has been a lot of hype around the MCSE. Schoolmates talking to each other and saying, `you just go and get this qualification and you`re going to be earning like R15 000 a month or R20 000 a month, and all you have to do is this six-week course or what ever it is`. It seems like an easy route to a quick buck."

Prosser adds that something has changed. He feels that in the past, people who were doing this qualification had experience in the IT industry and saw Microsoft technologies as a good grounding to position their skills and then follow up with the MSCE. Somewhere along the line, this has changed.

He outlines the role Microsoft should play in terms of regulation of institutions: "I think because it`s our certification, it`s our responsibility." Microsoft recommends that anyone interested in undertaking any Microsoft-centred training should attend Microsoft Certified Technical Education Centres, which are closely monitored and endorsed by the organisation.

Jill Hamlyn, MD of the People Business, points to misleading advertising in newspapers and radio. She also blames parental figures` ignorance of the IT industry, which has enabled training institutions to get away with unfair marketing campaigns.

"The MCSE enhances the careers of those who are already in the industry, not those who are looking to find work in IT. This has not been emphasized in the marketing; in fact the opposite has been implied."

She believes the problem lies in a misrepresentation of the facts when it comes to demand for the qualification. Hamlyn feels the training companies do not differentiate between those already in the IT industry and those wishing to enter it. As a result of this, she says, they take advantage of the most vulnerable sector of society. She claims that if companies can guarantee jobs, then the courses should be provided free of charge and the costs claimed back from companies that demand the skill and employ the successful graduates.

According to senior consultant Adrie Booysen from Systems Recruiters, clients prefer working experience in addition to a qualification. She advises jobseekers to contact companies directly as this may help. Booysen says it is difficult to help a junior qualified MCSE person who does not have practical experience.

She is not sure if the way the qualification is marketed is solely the problem. Although the qualification has received a great deal of positive exposure, Booysen says, it is more a question of the volume of people entering and what the market can accommodate.

Pin-Point Skills training and education manager, Dan Ellappa, says there are training companies out there that do not follow the official Microsoft curriculum. He adds that the qualification is over-rated at the moment and there is false expectation in the minds of youngsters wanting to establish IT careers.