Comments on: MCM Prep Week: Interview with Joe Sack http://www.brentozar.com/archive/2010/02/mcm-prep-week-interview-with-joe-sack/ Your technology pain-relief experts. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:37:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Peter Trast http://www.brentozar.com/archive/2010/02/mcm-prep-week-interview-with-joe-sack/comment-page-1/#comment-28967 Peter Trast Tue, 15 Feb 2011 22:06:11 +0000 http://www.brentozar.com/?p=6729#comment-28967 I think another part of the equation lies in value to an employer. My current employer places a very high value on certs, so much that he is willing to pay for training, certs, etc. My boss just got his MCM for Exchange 2010 (yes, a VERY small club, I think he is number 19?) and his stock rose dramatically in the COMPANY. So he can likely negotiate a higher salary or tip the scales on a huge enterprise deployment where a customer is on the fence about using our company... I am only guessing here. But as a privateer, I doubt I would have much use for it myself, although I do like the sound of "master" :) My boss really appreciates it :/ when we intone in a Star-Wars-like manner "Master So-and-so". As for self branding, I just started to really get into the forums and I am considering inflicting my own brand of information dissemination on an unsuspecting SQL community :) We will see how that goes... Thanks for your response. I will likely do whatever "feels good" despite the ROI ... :) more details to come... I think another part of the equation lies in value to an employer. My current employer places a very high value on certs, so much that he is willing to pay for training, certs, etc. My boss just got his MCM for Exchange 2010 (yes, a VERY small club, I think he is number 19?) and his stock rose dramatically in the COMPANY. So he can likely negotiate a higher salary or tip the scales on a huge enterprise deployment where a customer is on the fence about using our company… I am only guessing here.
But as a privateer, I doubt I would have much use for it myself, although I do like the sound of “master” :) My boss really appreciates it :/ when we intone in a Star-Wars-like manner “Master So-and-so”.
As for self branding, I just started to really get into the forums and I am considering inflicting my own brand of information dissemination on an unsuspecting SQL community :) We will see how that goes…

Thanks for your response. I will likely do whatever “feels good” despite the ROI … :)

more details to come…

]]> By: Brent Ozar http://www.brentozar.com/archive/2010/02/mcm-prep-week-interview-with-joe-sack/comment-page-1/#comment-28961 Brent Ozar Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:06:33 +0000 http://www.brentozar.com/?p=6729#comment-28961 Peter - your question about the billable rate difference boils down to how many hours you're billing. I was already billing the max number of hours I could bill in a week. Getting the MCM didn't allow me to book more hours - it allowed me to charge more for my time. If you're a consultant who doesn't already have a full calendar, the MCM isn't the best way to fill up your calendar. The MCM doesn't come with any promotions or marketing awareness. Rather than spending the time/money to get the MCM, I'd suggest working on marketing yourself first. People won't come running in just because you've got an MCM. Hope that helps! Peter – your question about the billable rate difference boils down to how many hours you’re billing. I was already billing the max number of hours I could bill in a week. Getting the MCM didn’t allow me to book more hours – it allowed me to charge more for my time.

If you’re a consultant who doesn’t already have a full calendar, the MCM isn’t the best way to fill up your calendar. The MCM doesn’t come with any promotions or marketing awareness. Rather than spending the time/money to get the MCM, I’d suggest working on marketing yourself first. People won’t come running in just because you’ve got an MCM.

Hope that helps!

]]> By: Peter Trast http://www.brentozar.com/archive/2010/02/mcm-prep-week-interview-with-joe-sack/comment-page-1/#comment-28960 Peter Trast Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:03:24 +0000 http://www.brentozar.com/?p=6729#comment-28960 The thing I find MOST interesting is that I keep seeing the same names that I see on EVERY SQL site that I frequent, probably a good indication of "SQL obsession" :) I know that Microsoft certifications hold alot of value and that's why I have obtained so many. I just hope I can find a way to justify the time and cost to my employer who is willing to cover it for those that qualify. My billable rate over 3 weeks would be hard to recoup in the difference over the lifecycle of the current version. I think the value has to be measured in business that is CLOSED rather than a difference in the billing rate. How much MORE business will you get? And can a company really communicate the value to a customer. Certainly the taint of boot camps on lesser certs will make this difficult. In any case, I will try... once I finish the reading list and sample videos and do a good evaluation of myself. Seems like consulting offers many more opportunities for MCM experience than day to day operations because of the variety of projects you get. Anyway, I am going to try! :) The thing I find MOST interesting is that I keep seeing the same names that I see on EVERY SQL site that I frequent, probably a good indication of “SQL obsession” :)
I know that Microsoft certifications hold alot of value and that’s why I have obtained so many. I just hope I can find a way to justify the time and cost to my employer who is willing to cover it for those that qualify. My billable rate over 3 weeks would be hard to recoup in the difference over the lifecycle of the current version. I think the value has to be measured in business that is CLOSED rather than a difference in the billing rate. How much MORE business will you get? And can a company really communicate the value to a customer. Certainly the taint of boot camps on lesser certs will make this difficult.
In any case, I will try… once I finish the reading list and sample videos and do a good evaluation of myself. Seems like consulting offers many more opportunities for MCM experience than day to day operations because of the variety of projects you get.
Anyway, I am going to try! :)

]]> By: Robert L Davis http://www.brentozar.com/archive/2010/02/mcm-prep-week-interview-with-joe-sack/comment-page-1/#comment-19689 Robert L Davis Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:55:24 +0000 http://www.brentozar.com/?p=6729#comment-19689 Hmm, perhaps I should start renting out the extra rooms in my house during the MCM. I could even throw in free transportation to and from campus Monday - Friday. :) I wanted to do the MCM since it was first announced, but I put it off for all the reasons that Gail laid out. I'm local, so I wouldn't have any hotel or travel costs, but I would have had to take 3 weeks of unpaid time off and paid for it myself. When I finally accepted a full-time position at MSFT, I made attending the MCM (and them paying for it) a requirement for accepting the position. I don't expect anyone to go looking for a new job so that they can do this, but if you're changing jobs anyway, it may be a good time to have a conversation about attending the program. Hmm, perhaps I should start renting out the extra rooms in my house during the MCM. I could even throw in free transportation to and from campus Monday – Friday. :)

I wanted to do the MCM since it was first announced, but I put it off for all the reasons that Gail laid out. I’m local, so I wouldn’t have any hotel or travel costs, but I would have had to take 3 weeks of unpaid time off and paid for it myself. When I finally accepted a full-time position at MSFT, I made attending the MCM (and them paying for it) a requirement for accepting the position.

I don’t expect anyone to go looking for a new job so that they can do this, but if you’re changing jobs anyway, it may be a good time to have a conversation about attending the program.

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