Feedback Opportunity: MCP Program

Hi. I have this note to post from my friend Sarah, she's new to our team and is working on all things MCP. This is good news for you; she is smart and you'll like her. If you have 5 minutes or so, she'd love to hear from the certification community in this little survey. <Try this one.> And if that one is closed, try this one, or this one, or this one. We didn't expect so many of you to respond. That was dumb, right?

I told her you guys were shy, and probably wouldn't have any opinion. But she wanted me to post this anyway...

Good day everyone!  

My name is Sarah Grant and I am new to the MCP Community Lead role here at Microsoft. I am just getting my feet wet (4 days and counting!) and I am already hoping to gain feedback from the MCP community on a topic of discussion here internally. I know that, over the years, and before my time, there has been a lot of talk about our welcome kits, and whether they need some polishing. There are few ideas floating around, and we get a lot of feedback from different places about the best way to go. I wanted to get a gut check in a quick survey, here, too, to see what you think. While I cannot get 2.2 million MCP’s opinion’s, maybe I can get yours! After all, your perception of the program is what keeps this program alive & kickin’ and still important in the IT sector.

Today, as you probably know, the first time you earn an MCTS, MCITP, and MCPD, you can order (for free—you just have to request it from the MCP site) a welcome kit. The welcome kit contains a nice folder, a paper certificate, a coupon for 20% off MCP gear at the MCPeStore and a wallet card. Then, each time you earn a subsequent certification (i.e. your second MCTS or second MCITP certification…), you can “order” a paper certificate.  

We want to know what you value and what you like when you receive your welcome kits and paper certificates. Things being discussed--could we/should we:

1) Do more with those first welcome kits and eliminating the subsequent certificates. By “do more” by dressing up the wallet card and certificate, maybe include something else you’d find helpful.

2) Add more relevant marketing material to help you understand the benefits given.

3) Make the online certificates we launched last year easier to use (this is where you can print certificates you’ve earned at your convenience)

I have sent up a short survey  for anyone who is interested in sharing their opinion with me.

Kind regards and I look forward to working with you all!

Sarah Grant