Chris Menard IT Trainer Certifications Earned Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor - certified in Microsoft Word Expert, Excel Expert, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook   Self-Employed Triality Software Training Location Stockbridge, Georgia

In his own words: "Certified job applicants always get interviewed and usually get the job."

Microsoft Office Specialist Master Attains Professional Success
Certification provides career potential, credibility, and teaching opportunities to Georgia instructor

After successfully passing his first Microsoft® Office Specialist certification exam, Chris Menard was hooked. Since then, he has earned certifications in the Expert and Specialist-level exams required of Office Specialist Masters and Master Instructors. He now has his own training services business in Stockbridge, Georgia, and enjoys educating other individuals in his community about the value of Microsoft Office and the Office Specialist certification program.

BACKGROUND
Menard was an accounting manager until the company he worked for closed. Out of work, he evaluated his experience and contemplated a career change. In the past, he had worked for two FORTUNE 100 companies— Georgia-Pacific Corporation, a manufacturer of paper products, a nd IBM, a developer of information technologies. Considering his understanding of these organizations and his degree in accounting, Menard decided to pursue a career in two areas he really enjoyed: Information Technology (IT) and teaching.

Because of his proficiency with Microsoft Excel and some prior training experience, Menard was hired by Clayton College & State University (CCSU) to teach Excel courses on a contract basis. CCSU soon recognized Menard’s talents. He was hired fulltime with the responsibility of handling all corporate training.

Although CCSU recognized his capabilities, Menard found it difficult to convince potential corporate trainees of his expertise with Microsoft Office programs. He targeted certification as the solution to this problem and focused on the Office Specialist certification program as the perfect way to validate his skills and competency.

PROCESS
“We were hoping to make CCSU a Certiport Center,” Menard said. “I wanted to know how difficult the exams were before we began offering them to students.” Menard relied on his own experience with the Microsoft Office programs to prepare for his Office Specialist exams. After passing his first exam, he was hooked on certification. “I think it’s the best thing in the world.”

Menard soon became an Office Specialist champion, offering the certification opportunity to students as well as to other instructors at CCSU. “I wanted every Microsoft Office instructor to be certified in the applications they taught,” he said.

CERTIFICATION
Menard is an Office Specialist Master and is certified in Microsoft Word Expert, Excel Expert, PowerPoint®, Access, and Outlook®. He is also an Office Specialist Master Instructor, which indicates he is a certified Microsoft Office trainer. Master instructors are recognized for their skills and hands-on abilities to use Microsoft Office programs. They are required to earn Expert-level certifications in Microsoft Word and Excel, in addition to Specialist-level certifications in PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook. Master instructors must also satisfy an instructional experience requirement, which includes having a teaching or training degree or certified experience in providing Mi crosoft Office desktop program or other software training. With his Master and Master Instructor credentials, Menard not only has proof of his ability to use the complete functionality of the Microsoft Office system of programs, but also has confirmation of his instructional skills and experience.

RESULT
Menard’s Office Specialist certifications have substantially increased his career opportunities, improved his credibility as an IT trainer, and expanded his ability to teach others the benefits of Microsoft Office.

After receiving a promotion to manage the Technology Training Center at CCSU, Menard was entrusted with supervising 20 instructors and five computer labs. He grew CCSU’s program into one of the most successful Microsoft Office training programs in Georgia and the United States.

Three years ago, Menard left CCSU to establish Triality Software Training, the only Certiport Center in the Stockbridge, Georgia area. The full-time training and testing center provides instructor-led Microsoft Office training and emphasizes the value of Office Specialist certification. “In my experience, ‘self-taught’ individuals pass the certification exams 15 percent of the time,” Menard said. “Individuals who have been trained by Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructors pass 72 percent of the time on their first try. I am confident anyone can pass these exams with training.”

Menard always includes the benefits of certification in his Microsoft Office training classes. “I push it because it really does benefit you to have certifications,” he said. “Certified job applicants always get interviewed and usually get the job. My students have proof of their skills when they walk in for a job interview.” Menard encourages his students to attach copies of their Office Specialist certificates to their resumés. “My students get the jobs,” he said.

In addition, Menard demonstrates the value of certification to employees and employers. "In this highly competitive job market, employees are eager to get certified and gain valuable skills,” he said. “Employers are eager to increase employee productivity and profitability. As an IT trainer, it's rewarding to see the benefits I can bring to companies and employees with Office Specialist certification."

Menard has instructed an impressive list of clients, including Northwest Airlines, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company , Maxell Corporation , Snapper Products , Georgia-Pacific Corporation , and UCB Pharma. He has worked with the Atlanta Regional Commission to train dislocated workers and has offered classes to University of South Carolina and University of Georgia students and faculty. In addition, Menard serves as a Partner in Education to Henry County Schools in his area.

Menard speaks regularly at conferences for the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, the premier professional organization for Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) in the state of Georgia. The association has more than 10,000 members and frequently asks Menard to provide continuing professional education and credit at conferences, including high-level Microsoft Excel training. In his presentations, which consist of up to 1,000 people at a time, Menard demonstrates the programs while the CPAs watch and take notes. “Excel is an industry standard,” he said. “The CPAs use it every day, but they don’t always use it correctly or productively. The last time I spoke, I presented several sessions, including assemblies on Outlook and Word, with high reviews.” Menard also offers hands-on training to CPAs in his Stockbridge computer lab using Microsoft approved courseware.

Menard recently expanded his training and certification testing to include pro bono work with Patrick Henry High School, an alternative high school in Stockbridge for middle school and high school students who have withdrawn from traditional schools due to disciplinary issues. Students attend Patrick Henry on a voluntary basis if space allows. Menard will be consulting for a computer applications course and plans to include certification in his instruction. “Certification will help these young people when they enter the job market,” Menard said. “This education corresponds well with Patrick Henry’s focus on responsibility, accountability, and achievement.”