Bringing SharePoint Certified Master (MCM) to Canada

MaximeB — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:16:39 GMT

On June 1st, I started the Microsoft Certified Master (MCM) : SharePoint journey with 16 other candidates from across the world. I can proudly say today that I successfully met all requirements to pass the first ‘RTM’ SharePoint Master rotation.

This has been an incredible experience and by far the best professional training I’ve ever attended in nearly 14 years of development experience. It’s challenging, it’s tough, it’s time-consuming – but it’s also extremely rewarding, valuable, and worth the investment (both personal/time and financial). While you will learn a lot on SharePoint (especially how much you didn’t know to begin with), you will also meet several other experts with who you will share a connection – you have been selected through a rigorous review as a candidate for SharePoint Master. This stays. This is true value over time.

I’m also very proud to be amongst the first Canadian to become an MCM SharePoint – I had a fellow Canadian candidate on the RTM rotation – and will be able to share this experience with both French and English audiences.

There was discussions on the value of going for MCM SharePoint 2007 while knowing that SharePoint 2010 is coming out – the first rotation of SharePoint MCM 2010 is scheduled for next year. Personally, I’m very happy to have done this one for several reasons : (1) There are a lot of customers with 2007 today and more will be on SharePoint before 2010 comes out; (2) We will have to migrate to 2010 which means a good knowledge of 2007 to start with; (3) There is a lot to learn on SharePoint 2007 in only 3 weeks, 2010 will also be 3 weeks and there will be even more to learn! (4) it was announced that there will be an upgrade path from MCM SharePoint 2007 to 2010.

If you are wondering if the cost is worth it, especially for non-Microsoft employees – I haven’t heard a single partner mention that they didn’t get their investment’s worth. If you compare this to any other training program – it will still cost several thousands for 3 weeks and it won’t begin to compare. You have access to several worldwide experts on the product. You have access to incredible hardware to test whatever you need on SharePoint (multi-farm / domains included!). You get to not only learn the best from the best, but also share with them. Also, discounts and new dates have been announced on the master’s blog.

As an ending comment : Be prepared – both technically, mentally, and physically. Don’t assume you will breeze through it – you won’t and nobody did. You will get what you will put into it and be very proud of it. Hope to see more of you in the MCM community soon!

Maxime Bombardier - SharePoint Architecture & Development : SharePoint Architecture & Design

Bringing SharePoint Certified Master (MCM) to Canada