How To Break The Un-Employment Cycle?
Sometime ago, Glendal (a project manager on this website) asked me to suggest a solution for the current unemployment crises facing the USA. While still working on an answer to that, the same question was again popped to me in a recent interview with Dice.com.
Since this is a question weighing on the minds of people … Today, it will be my pleasure to answer the question: “How To Solve The Unemployment Crises Facing The United States of America.“.
Choose Right!
If you are looking to start a new information technology career, you may be wondering about how to choose the right career.
This post helps you answer that question.
After reading this post, feel free to ask a question or discuss the topic by posting your opinion or comments.
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What do you love to do? start off by reviewing all the productive things that you love to do and then compile a list of careers from them.
For example, if you like repairing electronic hardware, you may consider becoming a hardware or network support specialist or if you like writing, you may consider becoming a technical writer or a business analyst.
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What do you have some background or experience in?: review your previous working experience or background for skills that you ca re-use in a new IT careers.
For example, if you have a background in marketing and sales, you may consider becoming a technical recruiter and if you have a background in programming electrical circuits you may consider going into computer programming.
Beggars Can't Be Choosers
One of the bigger issues facing IT professionals is: “the challenge of building experience“.
This challenge exists because employers still require experience for hiring, even when you need their jobs to build experience!
It’s the classic Catch-22: “chicken or egg which came first challenge” that may be solved through internships or full-time jobs.
However, internships are getting increasingly competitive (Read More …) and employers are still insisting on handson experience before making job offers.
Why Internships Are Hard To Get
For a while, internships helped provide the missing handson experience to IT professionals learning new skills or transitioning careers.
Jack Reacher
Technology is always changing so IT professionals have to stay ahead of the technology curve or risk losing their jobs or careers!
So you have to constantly update your skills through self study, coaching or training.
This post discusses how you can stay ahead of the technology curve using self study.
Contrary to what you may think, self study requires a considerable investment of time, money and effort.
Jobs for College Graduates
Whether you’re launching your career or trying to change its direction, you can get around the Catch-22 issue (“You can’t get a job without experience, and you can’t get experience without a job.”) with humility.
The solution is to get some humility because today’s shifting job market requires everyone incuding young job seekers and older workers with years of experience to continously reinvent their careers in order to stay marketable in a competitive global economy.
The lesson is that careers, skills and workplace environments will continute to transition and there is nothing we can do about that because what is marketable and in-demand today may not be wanted tomorrow.
How To Change Careers
You are brave, if you are considering leaving your career. Most people make themselves stay at jobs or careers they hate because they are afraid of the unknown.
However, knowing the difference between leaving a job and leaving a career can make your transition smooth and easy or painful to say the least.
You change careers when you are in the wrong profession or you are in a career that you’re not suited for. And, you do not change careers simply because you are unhappy at work!
Is Education A Problem?
This series is devoted to those who want to learn the principles required for success in Information Technology (IT) Careers.
While the IT Industry is a goldmine for those who have learnt to navigate it, it is a maze for others trapped by myths, half-truths, outright lies and misconceptions.
Not to worry, in this series, I will uncover the myths and presents the principles required for success in every situation.
Get a Job Regardless of your Educational Qualifications
So, one principle is this: don’t let your formal education or the lack of it, stop you from pursuing your dream IT career.
How To Master Careers Quickly
When failure is not an option, a step by step plan for advancing your career must be followed. This step by plan is presented in the free e-book download made available on this page.
Failing to plan your career is the same as planning to fail. While some people put their fate in luck or chance while others study and follow successful principles.
Guessing and stumbling is an unnecessary, expensive and time-consuming process.
Guessing reduces the chances of success by multiplying the obstacles and difficulties one has to overcome.
Become your Hero
Randall Jones, founder of Worth Magazine and author of The Richest Man in Town, says that in regard to Personal Branding, “the most successful, wealthy people had very successfully branded themselves in relation their industry”.
In an interview by Dan Schwabel, Randall says that all RMITs (Richest Man In Town) have found their “perfect pitch”- the thing that they are most personally gifted at doing and secondarily they have found a way to monetize their perfect pitches“; Click here to read the rest of the interview
starving artist wolfgang amadeus mozart
This article is one in a series on creating or establishing your personal brand and becoming a leader in your industry.
While creating your personal brand is not easy, the benefits speak for themselves; other professionals begin to seek you out, ask for your assistance or offer you compensation in exchange for your help, services or advice.
Creativity is sometimes frowned upon in the workplace because you are expected to follow orders!
Perhaps you’ve neglected using your creative forces in the past because it forces others to think or so that you can keep your head down and stop others from following you!
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756 – 1791
Have you ever heard of “The Starving Artist”? It’s an often used cliché that describes talented, skilled or creative folks like writers, painters, musicians or others who starve while doing what they love.
The idea behind the Starving Artist is “an individual who works for pennies and then dies broke doing what he or she loves”.
Some of history’s renowned or talented artists like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Vivaldi and Van Gogh lived in poverty, misery or debt because their society didn’t care for or reward them.
Stay Ahead of the Curve!
Have you ever wondered how some people stay ahead of rapidly changing technologies while others seem to let their skills become extinct like the Dodo?
Well, apparently, someone in Dubai, U.A.E. wants to know the answer so badly that he sent in his question by postal mail!
If you need help with a Question or Challenge, be sure to ask it as a comment on this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering this reader’s question below!
Ask IT Career Coach
Here’s a question on “how to get the experience neccessary for career advancement opportunities!” from a professional who has an MBA in Information Security.
If you need help with a Question or Challenge, be sure to ask it as a comment on this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering this reader’s question below!
Please, send this post to your friends using the “Tell a Friend” Button button below. You earn points or cash each time you refer an article to your friends using the Tell a Friend Button.
Get Career Help
Hi,
If you need help on a pressing or challenging issue, you’ve come to the right place!
You may get my help by posting the toughest questions facing your career at the moment!
I will answer your questions and help you just as I’ve answered and helped others.
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Your questions may be about how to get a job in a tough and competitive job market!
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Perhaps your question is about how to earn some income or pay bills without a regular, full-time or nine-to-five job!
Business Analysts Learn Computer Programming
Are database development, computer programming, data analysis or web development required skills for Business Analysts?
Perhaps you’ve seen, heard about or applied for jobs asking for a broad or seemingly impossible range of skill sets?
Like those job descriptions for business analysts requiring computer programming skills or those for PMP Certified Project Managers with 5 years of software development experience!
This post addresses “how to bridge the gap between business analyst skills and unfair job descriptions written-up by Information Technology (IT) departments”
Develop Your Personal Brand - Become A Leader
Develop Your Personal Brand And Become a Leader
This course teaches you how to develop and use your competitive advantages in the workplace, job market and industry using the PULL method.
You will learn how to become a leader in your industry by developing and taking advantage of your personal brand using PULL techniques.
By the end of this course, you will have learnt how to select the best leadership projects for your industry based on your background, skills, education, training, job history and interests.
Ask IT Career Coach
Po Bronson, author of “What Should I Do with My Life?” listened to more than 900 people who dared to be honest with themselves about their line of work or careers!
In the end, he discovered that it comes down to a simple gut check: “You either love what you do or you don’t.“
With that in mind, here’s question posted by a reader who needs advice on “what to do about making wrong career choices”.
Top Paying Skills in High Demand
So, the question is, “How Do You Gain Hands-On Experience For Microsoft.NET Corporate Programmer Jobs Outside Regular, Full-Time Employment?“
How To Get An Entry Level Corporate Programming Job
You can transition from a Mainframe to a Microsoft.NET Software Developer Career in phases which allows you to achieve career success in manageable steps or phases.
Become A Leader-Get The Job You Want!
Become a Leader And Get The Job You Want!
Getting a job by sending out resumes to employers is known as the push method because it depends on you pushing the employer to hire you!
The problem with the traditional method of getting a job is that everyone who is out-of-a-job is probably doing the same thing … pushing their resumes to hiring managers or employers!
Getting hired in a competitive job market doesn’t mean … “do what other job applicants are doing” … it means “do more than your competition!“
Ask IT Career Coach
This question was posted by a reader who needs advice on “what to do about making wrong career choices”.
If you need help with a Question or Challenge, be sure to ask it as a comment on this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering this reader’s question below!
Please, send this post to your friends using the “Tell a Friend” Button button below. You earn points or cash each time you refer an article to your friends using the Tell a Friend Button.
Ask IT Career Coach
This question was posted by a reader who wants to overcome obstacles posed by employment gaps in an Oracle Programming Career!
Please, send this post to your friends using the “Tell a Friend” Button button below. You earn points or cash each time you refer an article to your friends using the Tell a Friend Button.
If you need help with a Question or Challenge, be sure to ask it as a comment on this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering this reader’s question below!
Beat the Recession
You’ve got a
college degree, a
good looking resume and an
impressive listing of Information Technology (IT) skills but can’t seem to find an IT
job.
Finding a Job doesn’t have to be a traumatic, nerve racking or frustrating experience filled with rejection, fear and pain!
Just follow this article series to find out what’s wrong or get back in control of YOUR job search.
Ask IT Career Coach
This question was posted by a reader who wants to become a Microsoft .NET Developer!
If you need help with a Question or Challenge, be sure to ask it as a comment on this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering this reader’s question below!
Please, send this post to your friends using the “Tell a Friend” Button button below. You earn points or cash each time you refer an article to your friends using the Tell a Friend Button.
Here is the Reader’s Question:
First, a little bit about myself.
Michael Jackson, King of Pop. August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009
Michael Jackson discovered his musical strengths early in his career, developed into a musical genius and then dedicated his life to serving humanity with music.
What we know about legends or superstars like Michael Phelps, Michael Jordan or Michael Jackson is that they are the best at what they do.
But the reason why we love the Michaels’ (Phelps, Jordan, Jackson) is: “we are just like them way down or deep inside of us”!
Ask IT Career Coach
This question was posted by a reader who wants to become a computer programmer!
If you need help with a Question or Challenge, be sure to ask it as a comment on this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering this reader’s question below!
Please, send this post to your friends using the “Tell a Friend” Button button below. You earn points or cash each time you refer an article to your friends using the Tell a Friend Button.
Here is the Question:
hi
Ask a Burning Question
In reply to a question by a Statistician transitioning to a data analyst career, I posted the article Are Statistics Or SQL Skills Required In Data Analyst Careers?
My reply also included a Skills Gap Analysis for Statisticians or Mathematicians who want to become data analysts.
I got a comment from another Mathematician / Statistician which I have posted below.
Let me know if you have a comment or opinion or feedback on this issue … here is my reader’s comment:
Jonathan’s Opinion:
I just read through the article entitled ARE STATISTICS OR SQL SKILLS REQUIRED IN DATA ANALYST CAREERS?
Ask a Burning Question
This post answers a question about how to improve soft skills (communication, leadership, time management, presentation, team skills) for a Database Developer.
If you have a Burning Question or a Challenge that you need help with, be sure to ask your question as a comment on this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering the question below!
Please, send this post to your friends using the “Tell a Friend” button below. You earn points or cash each time you refer an article to your friends using the Tell a Friend Button.
Performance Based Careers
To become a medical doctor or a lawyer you need training, internship and finally you get a license or certification to practice.
However, there is no such path to starting an IT Career! There is no legally binding qualification or certification for becoming a computer programmer or a business analyst or a data analyst or a database developer!
The path to becoming an IT professional is littered with myths and misconceptions because the emphasis is really on you to prove that you are as good as you say you are!
Ask a Burning Question
This post answers a reader’s question about the educational requirements for becoming a computer programmer.
If you have a Burning Question or a Challenge that you need help with, be sure to ask your question as a comment on this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering the question below!
Please, send this post to your friends using the “Tell a Friend” button below. You earn points or cash each time you refer an article to your friends using the Tell a Friend Button.
Ask a Burning Question
Dear Friend,
What is the “Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career Right Now“?
Your toughest challenge may be about how to get a business analyst job or how to improve your computer programming skills or how to become a database developer
Perhaps your challenge is about how to move out of a dead-endbusiness analyst or computer programming or database developer career. Whatever they are, go ahead and ask your question and I will answer it for you.
Ask a Burning Question
This post answers a reader’s question about how to become a competent or highly skilled software developer.
If you have a Burning Question or a Challenge you need help with, be sure to ask your question as a comment on this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering the question below!
Finally, don’t forget to participate in the “Tell a Friend” program because you earn either points or cash each time you refer an article to your friends using the Tell a Friend Button.
Here is the Burning Question:
Hello Kingsley,
Top Paying Skills in High Demand
Read How to Protect Your IT Career or Gain In-Demand IT Skills or Critical Hands-ON Experience Sought After By IT Managers …
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You Can Enroll for IT Training Easily
- You can enroll for training at anytime because our training is provided online through videos, a web based training software and live course instructors who help you gain critical hands-on project experience
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Our Training Software Helps You Manage Your Study Time
- You can enroll for one or more training programs at the same time because our web-based training software manages, schedules or keeps tracks of your progress on each training course
There is an increased demand for business analysts with software skills or a wider range of skill sets. Because of that, I am getting more questions on how to deal with this trend. Some of the questions are:
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What software skills are needed by business analysts?
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Should business analysts be made to learn computer programming?
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What software packages programs are required for business analysis jobs?
Another reader also posted this question, should business analysts have in depth knowledge of SQL, Access, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and Reporting writing software?
As hiring managers are cutting costs and reducing staff size they are also hiring hiring professionals with a broader range of skills
As workers are laid off, the lucky ones left behind are asked to work longer hours or work on a broader range of tasks
IT Managers are now hiring for a broader range of skill sets. Business Analysts are being asked to perform light programming jobs and software developers are being asked to perform light business analysis tasks
How To Achieve In Your Career
I am dedicating this article to answering a question posted by an independent contract business analyst. If you have a question or challenge about your business analyst career, post it as comment at the end of this article and I will answer it for you:
Here is the question posed by the independent contract or consulting business analyst:
… I got hired by a consulting firm. I was under the impression that I was with a company with a team-oriented environment. By this I mean that I thought I would be working with project teams etc.
How To Achieve In Your Career
I am dedicating this article to answering a question posted by a business analyst. If you have a question or challenge about your business analyst career, post it as comment at the end of this article and I will answer it for you:
Having recently started in my first permanent position as a Business Analyst, I find the toughest challenge for me currently, is getting up to speed with the systems I have to analyse and develop (Risk Management and Finance Systems).
On of my readers needs help with putting together his career advancement plan. I posted the information I provided to him below. If you have any question about this or about your career, post it as comment at the end of the post and I would answer it for you.
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Set a SMART Goal
Begin by creating a comprehensive end to end career roadmap or plan.
Your career roadmap needs to include a SMART goal (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely goal) That means that you need to define an end objective (for example, mastering business analysis or learning computer programming or improving your software testing skills) and a timeline for achieving it.
The article you are just about to read is based on a question posted by one of my subscribers who wants to know “how to put together a compelling ASP.NET programmer resume from watching ASP.NET software developer videos“
Let me begin by saying that you cannot put together a compelling resume just by watching ASP.NET Videos … you will have to get some hands on programming experience.
The key thing that hiring managers are looking for on your resume is not your programming certifications or your degrees or computer science education but your hands on programming experience. After that then they may consider the other things (training, certification, degrees, education, qualifications, etc.)
How To Slam Dunk Your Next Job Interview
This post is an answer to a question asked by Chris who is attending his tenth (10) job interview. You may click here to read the original question or add your own question or comment to the discussion.
The original post is a No Holds Barred Discussion on challenges, problems or issues facing my readers. If you have a Burning Question or Challenge you need help with, be sure to add your question to that page and i will answer it fully just as I am answering Tom’s question below!
This post is an answer to a question asked by Tom Moore about how To Get A Good IT Job. You may click here to read the original question or add your own question or comment to the discussion.
The original post is a No Holds Barred Discussion on challenges, problems or issues facing my readers. If you have a Burning Question or Challenge you need help with, be sure to add your question to that page and i will answer it fully just as I am answering Tom’s question below!
Hello,
What is the “Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career Right Now”?
Your challenges may be about how to get a job or how to improve your skills or how to get promoted on the job
Perhaps your challenges are about how to transition out of or into a business analyst or computer programming or database developer career. Whatever they are, go ahead and post your comment and we will deal with them for you.
Post your challenging issues as a comment on this post and I would be glad to answer it for you. I may answer it by writing a new article that addresses your concern or by posting a comprehensive reply to your comment
NAMED A 50 BEST WEBSITE
It is official. We (IT Career Coach) has been selected as one of the best 50 career coaching or job hunting sites on the web by Online University Review.
This selection is important because with the predictions of US unemployment approaching 10% by the end of 2008, there is no more important time than now to take interest in your career prospects and professional marketability.
The 50 best job hunting sites cover interview tips, resume writing, employee workplace experiences, personal, pertinent and honest advice on very personal experiences encountered while job hunting.
In the computer programming industry, experience is King.
Real world, hands on, practical programming experience is valued more than computer programming certifications, software development diplomas or even programming job titles.
What you know is much more important than how you obtained the knowledge!
The next time you read a computer programming job description and you feel overwhelmed by the list of degrees or certifications required, just remember that the job market for computer programmers is not really that formal.
Learning and improving your business analysis skills is a must. Sometimes you can get so caught up in your current business analyst job that you miss the boat on new skills in the industry. Browsing and reading job descriptions can help you create a career development plan that keeps you on the leading edge of the business analysis industry.
Employment Job Search
A good way to find out what employers are saying they are looking for in a business analyst is to browse job descriptions. Unfortunately, you will quickly find out that many online job descriptions are very vague. Reading some of them, it would be hard for a business analyst to gauge his or her skill level against the requirements of the job description.
Creating a Business Requirements Document is Not the Mark of a Business Analyst
Here is an excerpt from one particularly bad business analyst job description I found:
How To Become A Rockstar IT Professional
The Japanese have an attitude or philosophy towards seeking improvements in any discipline known as
Kaizen. This philosophy and other actionable strategies for becoming the best at what you do are covered in this article.
Study Always
According to the Japanese Kaizen philosophy, consistence and commitment to studying, learning or improving your skills is better than sudden bursts of efforts. So become a lifelong learner and not someone who learns solely to get a job or or achieve other short term professional goal.
Hey, I would like to introduce an article from a Web Designer at Exacticity. Be sure to leave your comments, feedback or questions using the comments form at the end of this post.
How to become a Web Designer
With the launch of the Internet in the 90’s and the boom of the dot-com era in the new millennium. Web Designers have had a ball with designing cool-looking sites for businesses and individuals. However, with the development of newer easy-to-use tools like Dreamweaver and Frontpage, as well as online journals and blogs like this one, some people are beginning to say that Web Design skills are no longer in demand.
I just received a question that has to do with age discrimination for a Java programmer and I would like to share it with you.
Reader Question:
I would like to find an IT Career Coach in San Diego CA.
I am a certified Java Programmer, and have an academic background in applied mathematics, but I did not work with J2EE and data bases, I would like to know what type of career is available in my age 55, what additional training is necessary.
Sincerely.
Here is my answer to this question:
Hi :
In every information technology discipline, there are people who outperform
others.
You probably know some of them; computer programmers who write better
code, faster than their colleagues or data analysts who can research and
identify trends in data faster, easier and better than their colleagues or
business analysts who are ten times as productive as their colleagues!
I have been studying top performers ever since I left high school and I am
now starting a free online study group on top performers with the goal of
identifying:
i. who are top performers?
ii. how do you become a top performer?
Recession Proof Your Career
Is the US economy already in a recession?
Will the weakened US economy affect the global economy leading to a recession in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and perhaps other international markets?
Should you really care about a recession and how it will affect your career, job or income?
How About A Refresher Course On Recessions?
If you do not quite realize what a recession looks like, perhaps you can do with this refresher on the last recession to hit the US economy in 2001.
Hi,
Do you want to learn the C++ programming language or become a C/C++ computer programmer?
Have you ever asked this question? which programming language is the most complex and challenging?? and received the answer C++?
If you answered yes, you are not alone. About 13 years ago, I asked my mentors in computer programming which programming language is the hardest, toughest, most difficult to learn? And got the reply C++. I asked the question because I badly wanted to become a successful programmer. So, I reasoned that if I could prove myself by conquering the hardest programming language, my success in computer programming would be guaranteed.
How To Become A Business Analyst
ON BECOMING A BUSINESS ANALYST – THE BUSINESS ANALYST JOB DESCRIPTION
A business analyst is an information technology worker who improves the efficiency and productivity of business operations.
The business analyst achieves this by closely analyzing the business processes in an organization for inefficiencies.
When inefficient business processes are discovered, the business analyst makes recommendations for business process improvements.
If the recommended solution is approved, the business analyst works with computer programmers, lead software developers, software managers and other information technology workers to implement the recommended solutions.
Who is a contract programmer?
A contract programmer is a software developer who is paid an hourly rate for working on special software development projects for a period. Contract computer programmers are not paid salaries like full-time developers but hourly wages.
Contract programmers tend to be very project focused because they are hired to solve specific problems or code specific features and as soon as that is done, they have to move on to another project or find a new client.
Do you realize that you don’t have to be a computer programmer to be involved with software development?
Does this statement sound strange coming from a software developer coach?
If you think that my job is to get you into software development or to get to you to the top of your software developer career, you are partially right.
My job as a coach is to help you succeed by providing you key information that will save you a lot of time, a lot of pain and a lot of money.
One of my blog readers emailed me the question below about the feasibility of changing careers to computer programming in Malaysia.
Question:
Hi,
I am 34 years old, currently working as an electronic technician and am thinking of a career change and take up programming as a career.
I am interested to know if you have come across anyone like in my situation from Malaysia who has done your course and managed to get a job as a computer programmer?
I am answering questions on computer programmer careers. This tutorial or guide is about how to get an entry-level computer programmer job as a beginner programmer or computer science student.
Here is the question:
Dear Mr. Tagbo,
Now that the spring has finally arrived, I am ready to search for programming jobs available for college students. So far I have mastered the fundamental concepts of programming such as function: Subprocedures, Arrays, and Classes.
I feel competent enough to pursue a career in Programming as well as Mathematics. Please send me an e-mail regarding the availability of programming jobs.
What are the computer programming career challenges, issues and problems facing you today?It’s time to have your tough, important and difficult questions on your programming career answered.
To make myself clear, let’s go over some typical programming career questions. You may ask any of these or another more urgent and critical programmer questions.
- How do I study difficult computer programming books?
- How do I overcome the fear of programming interviews?
- How do I succeed at programmer interviews easily?
- How do I transition to becoming a contract computer programmer?
Why do some careers pay significantly higher salaries than other careers? And what do top paid professionals including doctors, lawyers and computer programmers have in common that makes them earn significantly higher income than other lower-paid professionsals?
The one thing that top paying careers have in common, are skills that fetch top dollars in the marketplace. Simply stated, how much you earn after a hard day’s work is determined by the market value of your career.
What do you know about low paid jobs, Kingsley? You are a contract programmer with a decade of skills and experience aren’t you?
Beginning computer programming can be difficult.
Even after getting hired beginner computer programmers may get the short end of the stick in matters ranging from compensation, training, and exposure to high profile projects and clients, peer respect, choice of technology, pecking order, holiday time and benefits.
There are several reasons why beginner programmers find it hard to get programming jobs or harder to find good career positions even after they are hired. Here are a few:
In my University years I observed two groups of students.
The first group was ultra-focused on their studies. They attended all their lectures, turned in assingments on time and fraternized exclusively with smart or smarter students.
The second group paid attention to their studies. In addition, they had part-time jobs and projects working for local companies. They cared more about how their studies impacted their world and not just the academia. Sometimes, they were at the top of their class and sometimes they weren’t.
My programming career started in Tulsa, Oklahoma when I mastered a programming language in high-demand by employers within 1 month, scored 93% in my computer programming job interview and within 6 months was billing an entry level $76,000/yr. contract programming fee.
Hi, my name is Kingsley Tagbo. I am a Contract Software Developer, an IT Career Coach and Author of the book on “How to Master High Paying, Highly Sought-After Computer Programming Skills Easily and Quickly“.
The Hallmark of my signature coaching services and books is this: I help people develop their personal ability to master highly sought after computer programming skills in the fastest, easiest, least expensive way possible
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