You should become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer to demonstrate to your customers and colleagues that you have what it takes to plan, implement, and support business solutions with Microsoft Windows Operating Systems. According to Microsoft Corporation, as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, you receive the following benefits:

• Industry recognition of your knowledge and proficiency with Microsoft products and technologies.
• A complimentary one-year subscription to the Microsoft TechNet Technical Information Network, providing valuable information on monthly CDs.
• A one-year subscription to the Microsoft Beta Evaluation program. This benefit provides you with free monthly CDs containing beta software (English only) for many of Microsoft's newest software products. This allows you to become familiar with new versions of Microsoft products before they are generally available.
• Access to technical and product information directly from Microsoft through a secured area of the MCP Web site.
• MCSE logos enable you to identify your Microsoft Certified Professional status to colleagues or clients.
• Invitations to Microsoft conferences, technical training sessions, and special events.
• An MCSE certificate
• A free subscription to Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine, a career and professional development magazine. (Postage charges may apply outside the U.S.)

If you are a network professional or trying to become a computer professional in your organization, you know that today's complex computing environment has never been more challenging. Real-world  problems require real-world skills, expertise  and solutions. If you look at today's business requirements, you'll find that certification with up-to-date  skills are on the top of every company's requirement. According to Microsoft, there are many reasons to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, the most important  five reasons are:

1. Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certification is developed by Microsoft Corporation with the extensive help of real network professionals. Systems engineers who face network challenges daily in their own jobs help Microsoft to write exam questions, review them and provide feedback throughout the exam-development process. In addition, these Technical Contributors determine the content of exams at the program level. They work with Microsoft products every day; they are the experts. Involving Technical Contributors ensures that MCSE exams reflect how Microsoft products are used in organizations throughout the world. More than a thousand technical contributors have participated in exam development process during the past year.

2. MCSE exams are performance based. What does that mean? Performance-based exams measure the ability to do the tasks required for a job. Psychometricians (measurement specialists) from Microsoft and Novell agree on this definition of performance-based exams for their respective certification programs.

The choice of the test technology and response format (such as multiple choice or simulation) is based specifically on what is being measured. For example, if the objective of a test item is to measure the ability to use a specific feature of a product, a simulation question may be the most effective way to measure that skill. If the objective is to measure the ability to determine when to use a particular feature of a product, a scenario-based, multiple-choice question may be more appropriate.

3. Research shows that Microsoft certification has significant benefits for both employers and certified individuals. Microsoft Corporation conducts regular studies such as criterion validity studies and job-task analyses to make sure that Microsoft certification exams continually reflect real challenges found in the workplace and measure skills valued by organizations.

Organizations employing Microsoft Certified Professionals enjoy increased customer satisfaction and decreased support costs through improved service, increased productivity and greater technical self-sufficiency. 

The benefits to you as a Microsoft Certified Professional can be measured in dollars and cents. Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine, an independently owned publication, conducts an annual salary survey. Linda Briggs says, "Our survey shows an increase in compensation across the board, with especially striking jumps for Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers and Microsoft Certified Solution Developers."

4. The Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer certification validates the skills of professionals planning, implementing and troubleshooting network operating systems - and much more. All MCSE exams include integration of Novell, Unix and IBM mainframe environments to reflect systems used by businesses today.

5. Both the business and academic communities know the value of Microsoft certification. Major businesses like the Boeing Company now include MCSE certification exams in their internal certification programs. Nine community and technical colleges in the U.S. and Canada offer credit for Microsoft Official Curriculum training courses and strongly urge their students to become certified. More than 250 Microsoft Authorized Academic Training Program educational institutions are teaching Microsoft curriculum to prepare students for technical computer careers.