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Home > Company > Careers > University Recruiting > MicroStrategy Technical Training Program

All MicroStrategy technical employees must complete a 5-7 week Introductory Technical Training Program, a.k.a "MicroStrategy Technical Boot Camp." Our Boot Camp program was established in 1989 and has been consistently recognized as a best-of-breed, world-class learning opportunity that combines a rich history of the Business Intelligence landscape with a unique hands-on experience covering our impressive suite of offerings, e.g. Desktop, Web, Mobile, and Social-Media platforms. Upon matriculating, new employees have unfettered access to the same tools and body of knowledge made readily available to all MicroStrategy employees, customers, and partners. Essentially, our employees receive the equivalent of a masters-level course on business intelligence by participating in a series of projects and written exams to test retention and competence. Upon graduation, employees are certified to have the knowledge, skills, and abilities requisite for success in our unique environment. All hires are conditional upon passing our training program.

What is the purpose and general format of Technical Boot Camp?

Technical Boot Camp is designed to certify knowledge, skills and ability of MicroStrategy employees in the implementation of a MicroStrategy Business Intelligence system. It is a comprehensive certification that is valued by our company and our industry. Some of the topics discussed in Boot Camp include:

• Constructing business intelligence environments for use by data architects and business analysts.
• Reporting on enterprise wide, mission critical information through the use of interactive reporting and advanced analytics.
• Creating boardroom quality, dynamic enterprise dashboards to drive executive level business decisions.
• Designing, developing, and deploying Mobile applications for the iPad and iPhone.

The program imbues a combination of professional and technical skills through a curriculum of practical exercises, research, and open dialogue. Each course typically comprises 50% lecture/presentations and 50% hands-on workshops.

What can I do to prepare prior to my Technical Boot Camp start date?

The more you can familiarize yourself with our software and all complementary technologies, the more prepared you will be. The following are some suggestions:

• If you begin with MicroStrategy prior to your Technical Boot Camp start date, you might consider attending our MicroStrategy Web for Reporters and Analysts or MicroStrategy Web for Professionals instructor-led courses. With approval from your manager, and schedule permitting, this would be a useful pursuit.
• Review MicroStrategy training manuals in the iTunes Library (search "MicroStrategy University" for a full list of manuals)
• Familiarize yourself with our online training materials.
• Check out tutorials and marketing literature.
• Review white papers.
• Familiarize yourself with relational database management systems, such as Microsoft SQL Server and Access, Oracle, IBM DB2. Numerous resources can be found on the Internet!
• Comfort with Structured Query Language (SQL) is advantageous. Again, numerous resources and tutorials can be found on the Internet. The following books have also been recommended by past attendees as being useful:
  • SQL in 21 Days
  • SQL for Dummies

Are the exams and project difficult?

The exams are a valid test of one's knowledge in the focus area covered. The difficulty of the exams and project are at the level of the relevant course materials. With adequate preparation and absorption of the relevant materials, all candidates can and do pass the exams and project on the first attempt. The project is a full, working proof-of-concept of MicroStrategy's products. You are given 3 days to complete the project which includes fully installing MicroStrategy products, building and configuring a MicroStrategy project, and building reports and dashboards to satisfy reporting requirements. Support is always available from your peers and our impressive cadre of professional trainers. This valuable experience serves as an excellent introduction to your MicroStrategy career.

What do I get for passing?

Upon the passing of each exam and the MicroStrategy Project, a MicroStrategy University MCD Platinum Certification is awarded to each attendee, demonstrating mastery of learned concepts over the course of a three-day capstone project. This MicroStrategy University Platinum Certification is only available to employees of MicroStrategy and includes additional workshops, instruction, and hands-on activity when compared to the industry version. This gives our employees an edge over everyone else in the industry!