Microsoft Elevate America - glitch

Microsoft recently created a program to help Americans get jobs by upgrading their computer skills called Elevate America.

This Microsoft program gives away free vouchers for online computer training and certification. The computer skills include Microsoft products like office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and Vista. These are good marketable skills today, and they look good on your resume. Being certified in these products even better.

Thanks Microsoft :)

There are even offerings for IT professionals.

Here in Sacramento the Greater Sacramento Urban League was tasked with allocating the vouchers.

All good. What could go wrong?

For me, a lack of professionalism at the GSUL, running out of vouchers and a horrible web site experience with Microsoft.

The GSUL is a well meaning organization but I found them to be lax in professionalism. The receptionist was inattentive and the clerk unknowledgeable (he told me to return the next day to pick up my vouchers - the office wasn't open the next day so I wasted a trip). These were minor annoyances compared to their lack of respect for their client's personal information. To receive the vouchers, I had to join the GSUL (paperwork) and request Elevate America vouchers (paperwork). Paperwork - no surprise - but their lack of respect for this paperwork that contained my personal information - SSN, name, address, phone number, email address - scared me. The clerk had piles of it on his desk, in an area accessible by the public. In the age of identify theft, this is not secure and professional.

Because of a miss communication, I only received vouchers for E-Learning and no exam vouchers. Then there are no more exam vouchers available.

So it goes, on to Microsoft to get registered ...

The link to redeem the voucher was hideous long - http://www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/us/communityinvestment/ea_redeemvoucher.aspx and after a few screens was asked for the voucher code. Typed it in. Error. You must be logged into Microsoft Learning to register your code. Login button. Click login button.

The Microsoft Learning site presented me an ominous pop-up warning: this site's certificate is not valid! do you REALLY want to continue? Thinking this was just a slap at Firefox, my favorite more secure browser, I switched to IE. Same message. I clicked yes and continued. I need to get to this Microsoft page, and I kind of trust Microsoft ...

Now I was looking for some IT professional E-Learning so I selected IT professional but the offerings were Office and Vista. Tried the Business professional offerings and they were also Office and Vista. No IT professional courses for you. OK, I select Office courses.

As I'm restricted to Microsoft and Vista E-Learning, I want to learn Word, Excel and Outlook. I add Word 2007 and I'm in E-Learning. Retype the hideous URL, select Excel. (add the hideous URL to my favorites so I don't have to type it again), select Outlook. At my Learning page, each office component is 6 to 8 courses.

My friend Mateo also got codes but gave up trying to sign up, he couldn't figure out how to simply sign up for Word and other office products courses and exams. I helped him out. 2 of his 5 codes were "this access code has already been used." They were input as he struggled to enroll. But they weren't really used, he never connected them to courses. Not intuitive web site. We did manage to get him signed up for some office courses.

The bottom line: big thanks to Microsoft for the help, but please make it simple for us to sign up and understand.

For those who manage to navigate the process - find out about the opportunity, sign up, do the E-Learning, pass the Exam, I say congratulations and well earned. Put it on your resume.

Proof that you can deal with unprofessional organizations, buggy non-intuitive web sites as well as learn and test a skill.  You know, real life and corporate bs.