ITCareerCoach Training - Coaching » certifications http://www.it-career-coach.net How To Take Your Career To The Next Level Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:09:27 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 What Is The Best Way To Choose A Career? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/11/30/what-is-the-best-way-to-choose-a-career/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/11/30/what-is-the-best-way-to-choose-a-career/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 07:57:07 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3352

How To Choose A New Career

How To Choose A New Career

After witnessing the challenges in the lives of professionals dealing with under-performance, under-achievement, stress, anxiety, career stagnation, anger, depression or financial failure; I decided to write this article on how to make better career choices.

Choosing the right career is important because you spend the major part of your day (9 to 11 hours) at work. If you make the wrong career choice, you will put yourself in a painful, challenging situation.

So, choosing the right career ranks as one of the most important decisions you will ever make in your life.

Here is my review of the right and wrong ways of choosing a career.

Recommendations

You may choose a career based on the recommendation of family members, friends, colleagues, college counselors, coaches or other professionals.

Recommendations from friends or family are usually well-intentioned but they are sometimes based on the individual’s limited experience, fears, personal interests or hearsay.

Some common examples include recommending a career because a brother, sister, father, mother or family friend is in that same profession.

Apart from career coaches or counselors, most people making career recommendations do not actually assess the strengths or weaknesses of the individual who they are making the recommendations for. Rather, they are solely focuses on what they perceive to be the opportunities in the industry.

However, you need to determine that the individual making a recommendation is knowledgeable about a wide range of careers or that they are not biased in their recommendations.

Personality Tests

You may decided to choose a career based on your personality type.

For example, If your personality leans towards that of an introvert, you may decide to choose a career in computer programming instead of project management.

On the other hand, if you are an extrovert, you may choose a career in technical recruiting, account management or sales.

Choosing a career based on your personality is effective because it factors in your strengths and weaknesses.

For example, if you train for a career that your personality is ill-suited for, you will find it hard to get a job or succeed at the job if you are hired.

If your personality does not match the profile required for the job, you will find it hard to convince employers to hire you, even if you have strong educational qualifications!

You may read more about personality types in this post titled: “What Is Your Personality Type?”

Self Interest Or Hobbies

You may choose adopt a hobby or a recreational pastime as your career.

For example, you may start programming as a hobby before deciding take up a formal, full-time computer programming career.

Turning a hobby into a full-time job is effective because you are choosing to build your life around “what you love doing or your passion“, instead of some other shallow reason!

Education

You may decide to pursue a career that is aligned with your college major or educational background.

That can be is okay as long as you don’t limit yourself to what you learn or did not learn in college.

Choosing a career based on a college major is not always effective because, what you get from college in some cases is a good theoretical education but not necessarily the strong functional education, knowledge or skills required by employers.

You may not be making an informed decision if you base your career choice on your college coursework because the two may not be closely aligned.

I get a lot of questions along these lines, for example; from MBA graduates who assume that the MBA course work is the same as that of business analysts!

Fact is, your college major or degree does not help, hinder, limit or restrict your career options.

You may read more in this post titled: “Stuck In A College Mindset After Graduation”

Financial Reward

A lot of professionals choose their careers based on the perceived financial reward, salary or compensation.

Here is what they miss; regardless of the career you choose, if you are a top performer, your income will grow and exceed the average salary paid to professionals in your industry!

If you are really good or exceptional at what you do, you will be paid well regardless of your profession or career.

So, while you may choose a career because for financial reasons, a better path may be choosing to become a top performer in a career you really love!

So, if earning more money is important to you, identify the factors that lead to high performance in your career and then work on becoming a top performer as quickly as possible.

You may read more about top performers in this post titled: “Can You Perform? Prove IT!”

Prestige

Do you know someone who is in a particular profession like medicine or law because of the prestige attached to that profession?

The problem with choosing a career because of it’s prestige is that what seems prestigious right now may not feel prestigious in a few years or when the glamor of that profession wears off and you are back to the daily grind!

Remember that getting a prestigious job may not make you happy or successful in the long run because your happiness is governed not by the prestige others attach to your career (an extrinsic factor) but by how much you enjoy doing your job (an intrinsic factor).

Lifestyle

Your lifestyle may dictate your choice of careers. For example, if you are a stay-at-home parent, you may not want to commute daily to work.

Keep in mind that certain lifestyles are more available in some careers than others.

For example, a freelancing lifestyle is more accessible to a computer programmer than say … a project manager.

And a technical recruiter or sales rep is more likely to spend time driving from office to office, meeting clients than say … a business analyst.

You may also have noticed that professionals in sales are more likely to travel for their work than computer programmers.

So, if you really must have a certain lifestyle, you have to do due diligence and choose the type of career that supports that lifestyle.

Mobility

Do you know someone that choose a career simply because that is what was locally available and that person has no intention of ever leaving his or her city to get a job?

If you cannot afford to relocate to a different city because of the associated financial costs, the cost of leaving your social / family network or the challenge of starting out in a new city, you may be limiting your career options.

Just remember that you don’t have to feel constrained to jobs or careers that are locally available.

Moving to a different city may bring much needed fresh perspective, energy and opportunity into your life!

Learning Curve

You may choose a career because it has a shorter or longer learning curve.

If you choose careers with longer learning curves (e.g. C++ programming career versus C# programming) you will have to wait for a longer time to get a job.

On the other hand, choosing a career with a shorter learning curve means that you will be ready for work sooner or faster.

If you do not realize that each career path has a learning curve attached to it, you may make the wrong career choice or fail at your career transition.

You may read more about “learning curves” in this post titled: “Oracle Or Microsoft Access, Which Is Better?”

Handicaps

If you discuss your career options in terms of “what you cannot do, what you are afraid of doing or worried about”, then you are motivated by fear or handicapped when it comes to choosing a career!

Don’t choose a career because of fear, worry, anxiety, worry, outsourcing, layoffs, recession or bad news.

Instead, choose a career based on what you love doing, your hopes, dreams, visions, goals, good news and other more positive factors.

You may read more about “passion” in this post titled: “Why Successful People Are Passionate About Their Jobs”

SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis allows you to compare your strengths and weaknesses, the threats, disruptive changes and opportunities in the environment.

SWOT Analysis is one of the most effective ways to choose a career because it helps you make an unbiased, fact-based decision by balancing your strengths and weaknesses (internal factors) against threats and opportunities (external factors) in your environment.

Why this list is not exhaustive, my hope is that you will use to evaluate your decision making process when it comes to choosing careers. That way, you will have a better, more fulfilling and happier life.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/11/30/what-is-the-best-way-to-choose-a-career/feed/ 0 Do You Want To Become A Consultant? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/10/14/do-you-want-to-become-a-consultant/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/10/14/do-you-want-to-become-a-consultant/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 22:01:30 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3318

Do You Want To Become A Consultant?

Do You Want To Become A Consultant?

Have you ever thought of becoming a consultant, contract worker, independent contractor, 1099 or freelancer and then dismissed the idea, because you thought it was too risky or because you were not qualified?

Think about it again because there are far more benefits and fewer risks to becoming a consultant than you may think.

Here is some advice on the risks and rewards of consulting, freelancing or independent contracting from someone who has actually done it!

What Does It Really Take To Be A Consultant?

Contrary to popular advice, you don’t need a lot of start-up capital or an advanced college degree to become a consultant.

What you really need to be a consultant (business analysis, computer programming, software testing, project management, etc.) is:

  • Strong research, analysis and problem solving skills
  • Marketable skills, experience, resume or career
  • Lots of personal initiative and a strong sense of responsibility
  • The willingness to adapt to changing times, technology, market conditions or customer needs

So, What Does It Mean To Be A Consultant?

Above all other requirements, a consultant must learn a marketable skill and stay ahead of the technology curve.

Consulting work is all about your skills. While you may be cut some slack in a full-time job, you will always be held to a higher level of performance as a consultant.

While corporate politics and / or favoritism can keep you longer on the job as a full-time employer, consultants are hired or retained based on their performance.

So, does this almost absolute dependency on skill or performance mean that consulting jobs are less secure than full-time jobs?

Absolutely not.

In the Information Technology (IT) Industry, both the consultant’s and full-time employee’s job security depends on their performance.

The difference is that full-time employees are usually given more time to correct their skill / knowledge deficiencies than freelancers or contract worker.

So, given that employers are more accommodating with full-time employees, why would anyone want to be a consultant?

  1. Compensation for Consultants vs. Full-Time Employees:

    Consultants or contract workers get paid a lot more than their full-time colleagues (business analysts, computer programmers, etc). Sometimes the difference can be as much as $30,000/yr or even more!

    The significant difference in compensation helps consultants take care of themselves during periods of unemployment such as when they are in between jobs.

  2. Medical Benefits for Consultants vs. Full-Time Employees:

    You may have heard that the benefits for consultants or contract workers are poor compared to that for full-time employees.

    That is not always true. Some staffing / recruiting agencies offer full-time medical or health coverage to their consultants.

    While some staffing / contracting agencies do not offer medical benefits, consultants are not at a disadvantage because they are expected to research each job offer before accepting it.

    Keep in mind that some consultants prefer to opt out of medical coverage and then bill the employer at a higher rate!

  3. Educational Qualifications for Consultants vs. Full-Time Employees:

    Full-time jobs generally have more stringent educational requirements than consulting jobs.

    While some employers may require college degrees for full-time jobs, consultants have more options because they are technically not employees!

    Consultants are hired through staffing agencies who can match each educational background or qualification to the client’s needs.

    What this means is that aspiring consultants should obsess over their skills instead of their educational qualifications.

  4. Skill / Experience Requirements for Consultants vs. Full-Time Employees:

    The consultant’s most important asset is his / her knowledge, skill level and experience.

    Highly skilled consultants in marketable industries (e.g. web developers) are in so much demand, that all they do is show-up at job interviews to get hired … easily!

    Some consultants are so valuable at their jobs that they retain the same jobs for several years just like their full-time counterparts.

    In recent years, the line between consultants and full-time employees has become so blurred that some organizations have found it necessary to institute policies that limit how many years a consultant can work to a specific term (e.g. 5 years).

  5. Job Security for Consultants vs. Full-Time Employees:

    The consulting mindset is an important asset in today’s economy because no job is really secure and the best security is your investment or self-confidence in your own skills.

    It is okay to be a full-time employee because you have a good job offer or because you like the job and employer.

    However, staying in a full-time job because you think it’s more secure than a consulting job is ill-advised … here is why I say that:

    Your job security really depends on your performance and not on whether you are in a full-time position or a consulting job.

    So, sooner or later, if you are less than absolutely competent, you will lose your job.

    However, if your skills are sharp and you lose your job due to no fault of yours (downsizing, corporate politics, etc.), you will be able to bounce back because you have the most sought-after qualification in today’s job market … your skills.

So, now you know the risks, rewards or benefits of being a consultant, what are you going to do about it?

Why not develop a consultant’s mindset?

  • Stay ahead of the technology curve at any cost because your skills are your most valuable assets
  • Always be learning. Study from books, blog posts, articles, video resources, seminars, discussion forums. Just get out knowledge at any cost!
  • Improve your real-world, on the job performance. Performance is a better predictor of success than educational qualifications, degrees or job titles etc.
  • Embrace change like a consultant. Be willing to adapt to changing times, technology, market conditions or customer needs
  • Become a leader in your community. Do something to make your world a better place with what you know today.
  • Become passionate and not passive about your work. Discover your passion, do the work you love and bring your passion to market!

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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/10/14/do-you-want-to-become-a-consultant/feed/ 0 Would Certifications Help My Job Search? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/01/would-certifications-help-my-job-search/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/01/would-certifications-help-my-job-search/#comments Sun, 02 Jan 2011 02:36:18 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3048

Will Certifications Help Me Get A Job?

Will Certifications Help Me Get A Job?

In this post, I would discuss the value of certifications in a job search or the demand for certifications by employers.

  1. Certifications Help You Standout In A Competitive Job Market

    In a competitive job market, where everyone has a lot of experience and educational qualifications, getting certifications may help you standout.

  2. Certification As A Legal Requirement

    In some professions or jobs, getting certified by a board, council or a body is a legal accreditation requirement. So, you need to be certified as a competent professional or risk facing some form of legal action or prosecution.

  3. Certifications As A Marketing Requirement

    Chip Camden on Tech Republic discusses using certifications as a marketing tool for getting more business or jobs.

    Chip advises professionals looking to use certifications to land new business or jobs to consider that potential clients or employers may not see the benefit of additional certifications.

    Here is some of Chip’s advice:

    • Certifications are a sign that you are not busy enough or that your skills are not in-demand
    • Certifications are a sign that you are showing off because you think that you are smart
    • Certifications are usually vendor centric and employers may prefer that you are solution minded and not biased towards specific vendors

  4. Certification Demand and Quality

    In an article written by Gustavo Duarte titled Certification Demand and Quality, Gustavo addressed a number of concerns or questions like:

    • Is there a market demand for certifications?
    • Do certifications truly verify knowledge or ability?
    • Do employers ask for certifications when hiring?

    Gustavo says that certification providers make a lot of claims about jobs and improved incomes due to certifications.

    According to Gustavo, certification providers skip over the sticky issue of correlation versus causation because correlation does not imply causation.

    There are some points on the topic of certifications and you may click here to read more about it.

    • One good reason for taking certifications is that it helps the candidate to review or consolidate their knowledge of a topic.
    • On the other hand, certifications may be abused by those who want to take it, so that they can get a job or impress people with their credentials.

    Because of the latter set of people, employers use a number of criteria to judge a candidate’s skill level. This includes an evaluation of the candidate’s skill level, handson experience, educational credentials, training, certifications, social networking profile, etc.

    Out of these, the candidates handson experience and skill level tends to be the two (2) biggest reasons why job candidates get hired or passed over.

  5. Do Certifications Guarantee Knowledge Or Skill Level?

    Though certifications may be used to increase skill level they do not guarantee knowledge or skill level.

    Certifications can be gamed because a certain percentage of certification results measure a candidates ability to take standardized tests.

    You can use Quiz or Testing Software or even books like the ExamCram series to memorize the answers to frequently asked questions for most certifications.

    Some go as far as posting the answers to real examinations online on BrainDumps making the certification process a zero-sum game for those looking to distinguish themselves.

    6. Is Experience More Important Than Certifications

    If you are lucky, focusing on certifications will help you get a job with an employer who is probably unsure of how to evaluate job candidates

    However, you will certainly and definitely be helped both in the short and long run by getting into am industry, learning all that there is to know about that industry, getting all the right exposure by paying attention to the skills that are in-demand, sharpening your skills using all sorts of practice tests including certifications and working your way to the top.

Employers place more emphasis on certifications than on educational qualifications, college education, certifications or any other measure.

Why, because employers prefer to hire candidates that have solved the problems facing their industry or have practical knowledge of the types of problems facing the business.

Here are some examples of what I am saying:

  • A web business analyst is hired because a business wants to bring a new website or product to market and they want to hire a business analyst who has had some experience marketing business, products, services in an online, e-commerce environment.

  • A database developer is hired because of practical handson experience writing sql queries or designing databases. Potential employers want to see descriptions of databases that were built by the candidate and not database certifications.

  • A computer programmer is hired for real-world, handson experience building or developing websites over web developer certifications from any type of university. Employers would hire for practical web development experience over any type of paper certification from any type of university or college.

In the internet or information age, employers and businesses have a prove-it / show-me mentality and professionals who build their real-world, experience building, practical expertise will find their careers or skills in-demand!

While certifications may be helpful, job candidates should take the time to consider meeting other more important requirements for getting a job.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/01/would-certifications-help-my-job-search/feed/ 0 Is An MBA Required For Business Analyst Jobs? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/12/10/is-an-mba-required-for-business-analyst-jobs/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/12/10/is-an-mba-required-for-business-analyst-jobs/#comments Fri, 10 Dec 2010 18:42:11 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3031

MBA - Laid Off and Looking For Work!

MBA - Laid Off and Looking For Work!

[Ask IT Career Coach] is a Career Advice Column for Information Technology (IT) professionals looking for answers to their most challenging career situations.

This question was submitted by a reader who would like to know: “If An MBA Is Required For Business Analyst Jobs“.

Here Is The Question on Educational Requirements for Business Analyst Jobs:

… I will be working for one year then I have plans to go for a one year MBA program.

Will this plan help be to become a business analyst? And in this one year of working period before going for an MBA, i would like to load myself with extra courses like SAP or SAS or any other relevant courses.

Kindly let me know which part time course will be suitable for me to in this one year working period to become a business analyst.

I am not from computer background so do i need to do some computer programming related courses like c++ or java which will not be so easy for a beginner?

Thank you

Is An MBA Required For Business Analyst Jobs?

Here is the answer to the question: is an MBA required for business analyst jobs?

Business Analyst Jobs Are Not Traditional

Your question is based on the premise that Information Technology (IT) jobs are just like other traditional careers (law, medicine, education, etc.) … but they are not!

The IT Industry is fundamentally different from other sectors of the economy. For one, it is in a constant state of change and it is also in its infancy.

The Business Analyst Career has its roots in Systems Analysis, Software Development and Business Process Engineering amongst others.

So, business analysis as a profession is still in its infancy and it is still evolving and unlike other non-IT industries, there is no degree required for a job in business analysis or any of the other information technology fields.

So the answer to your question is: NO, an MBA Degree is not required for a Business Analysis Job.

Which College Degree Is Required For A Business Analyst Job?

Neither an MBA or SAS or SPSS or any one degree is required for a business analyst job … that is old school thinking!

Any degree will work for you because hiring managers are more concerned about your actual performance on the job than on your paper qualifications or credentials!

As a matter of fact, even if you get a job based on your paper qualifications, you are bound to lose the job, if you don’t understand the roles and responsibilities of a business analyst and perform accordingly.

Information Technology is a performance driven, prove-it field and business analysts are not exempt from that culture.

Your college education only goes to prove that you are literate and that you can be trusted to converse or discuss on workplace issues, intelligently.

Your college degree by itself does not qualify your for a business analyst job.

What Are Hiring Managers Looking For?

Hiring managers are looking for functional business analysis skills because business analysis skills are different from MBA skills or SAS or SPSS or any other body of knowledge.

In other words, getting an MBA degree does not convey functional business analysis skills.

To start with, business analysts gather, document, validate and manage requirements using specific processes like UML or Use Cases.

So, you can’t expect to get that from an MBA program or bypass this skill requirement by learning another course like SAS or SPSS.

In addition, employers often view business analysts as domain specialists because they are looking for subject matter expertise and previous business knowledge in their industry.

This is why you may see job postings for CRM Business Analysts or Sales & Marketing Business Analyst or IT Business Analyst.

Understand How To ACE IT Jobs / Principles of Success in IT Careers

My goal in this community is to get you started down the path that leads to career nirvana and stop you from forking over thousands of dollars in hard-earned money or waste time chasing down self-imposed limiting beliefs or myths supplied by others.

So, I would advise you to do just this:

  1. Don’t analyze Business Analyst jobs the way you would analyze jobs in other industries because that won’t work :-) .

    Don’t assume that an MBA degree pre-qualifies you for a business analyst job the way that a medical or law degree places you in the direct path of becoming a doctor or a lawyer.

  2. Don’t try to bypass the requirement for business analysis skills by taking non-business analysis courses.

    Learn business analysis first and then if you need to get an MBA or any other degree to fulfill your personal educational ambitions, do so afterwards.

  3. Take the shortest path to becoming a business analyst and give the hiring managers what they want.

    Learn business analysis, get hands on business analysis experience and bring you resume to market as quickly as possible.

  4. Focus your learning on business analysis techniques, skills and practices.

    You may learn business analysis in an online class because that fits in more conveniently with your hectic study schedule.

  5. The most impressive thing on your resume is your handson experience.

    So either get handson experience as an IT business analyst or get domain / subject matter expertise relevant to the domain you may want to specialize in.

Take a direct path to becoming a business analyst and don’t spend your time chasing rabbit trails … that is the [IT Career Coach's] ACE (Affordable, Convenient, Effective) :-)


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/12/10/is-an-mba-required-for-business-analyst-jobs/feed/ 14 Don’t Let Your Career Become A Silo! http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/07/03/dont-let-you-career-become-a-silo/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/07/03/dont-let-you-career-become-a-silo/#comments Sun, 04 Jul 2010 00:01:51 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2942

Is Your Career A Silo?

Is Your Career A Silo?

Don’t let your career become a prison. Use it as a launching pad for achieving your dreams.

If you would like to change career but feel like you can’t satisfy the specialized requirements on job postings, here is some good advice for you!

[Ask IT Career Coach] is a Career Advice Column for IT professionals looking for answers to their most challenging career situations.

Why Is Changing Roles So Hard?

Changing roles is hard because Information Technology (IT), Web, or Software Development Managers want depth of experience in specific, narrowly defined or over-specialized skills.

For example, you may be a strong HTML developer and yet fail at a job interview because you don’t have HTML5 on your resume even though you will easily learn it, if hired!

Or you may be an e-commerce business analyst (ba) with 5 years of experience and yet you can’t qualify for an “e-commerce ba job because it requires an agency or advertising background”. This type of job description seems to imply that having an agency or advertising background is essential in a business analyst role!

Is Your Career A Silo?

IT careers have not always been silos. Software developers have been known to gather or document requirements for their projects (business analysis), create software manuals or help files using specialized programs (technical writing) or create and execute test plans (quality assurance).

But because of the siloing of IT roles, our personalities are now limited by our careers instead of being expressions of them.

Don’t Let Silos Stand In Your Way

Transitioning careers is harder than it needs to be because of this narrow, over-specification of skills.

  • Your career is not bound to your college education. You are better of assuming that college is a training ground for improving thinking, probelm solving or analytical skills. College does not dictate your life work!

  • You are more than your resume. You succeed at work because of your intrinsic personal abilities which transcend job descriptions. Your resume only proves that you can get things done. Your resume does not determine what you can or cannot do!

The ability to succeed at a job is within you. It is not limited by over-specialized job postings. This means that you should believe in yourself and let that confidence drive your career transition.

For example, if you are a software developer used to gathering requirements for your team, believe that the same intrinsic personal traits (good communication or documentation skills) will help you transition into a full-time business analyst or technical writer job.

I am saying that you musn’t let your current job become a silo. Use it as a launching pad to your dream career.

Software Development As A Launching Pad For IT Careers

Believing in yourself means that you focus on building bridges between your current and dream career instead of focusing on the restrictive or limiting words frequently used on job postings.

with all this in mind, here is how you can transition from a software developer to a business analyst role.

Expand the scope of your day to day computer programming tasks to take on more business analysis tasks.

A good number of software development projects lack full-time business analysis resources. Take advantage of this opportunity to become a business analyst. Here is how:

  • Volunteer to gather, elicit or document the requirements for your software development projects. Don’t stay within the silo fo a typical software developer job role.

  • Learn UML and Use Cases which are skills that are common to both business analysts and software developers. This helps you build a bridge between your current and desired skills.

  • Bridge the gap between your current programming team and stakeholders. Become the go-between who interprets requirements to software developers or explains the programmers’ concerns to stakeholders.

  • Distinguish yourself by studying or training to be the best informed business analyst on your team. Many software developers have fragmented or incomplete knowledge of what business analyst do. Don’t be one of those.

    For example, some software developers know a little bit of Use Cases or UML, But having fragmented or incomplete knowledge doesn’t get the job done.

  • When an opportunity for a full-time business analyst resource opens up in your company apply for the position and ask the same stakeholders you are working with to recommend you.

  • If a business analyst position does not open up in your firm, document all the work that you are doing and apply for a full-time business analyst position at another company.

Don’t let your career, education or job postings become your silo. You have to believe in yourself and learn how to build bridges between your current job and the career you want.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/07/03/dont-let-you-career-become-a-silo/feed/ 1 How To Solve Chicken or Egg Career Problems http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/09/10/how-to-solve-chicken-or-egg-career-problems/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/09/10/how-to-solve-chicken-or-egg-career-problems/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:37:59 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2416

Ask IT Career Coach

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.

The question … How Do I Advance My Career?

I have been in IT for a number of years.

I have a BS in Electroncs Management and two years ago recieved my MBA in Information Seecurity with a 3.85 GPA.

I also have several Microsoft and CompTIA certifications.

Despite my background and education, I am unable to advance or gain additional experience.

I am currently employed and there are no advancement opportunitoes available. Any suggestions?

The Answer … How Do I Get Experience?

Scott, this’s the classic “chicken vs. egg, which comes first” situation facing many professionals.

You want to advance to the next level in your career but you can’t find employment or career advancement opportunities because you lack the required experience!

Yes, you can’t get the required experience because no-one wants to hire you without it … what a dilemna!

How to Overcome the Classic Chicken or Egg Which Comes First Problem!

  1. Set clear and specific goals:

    First you must be clear on the goals you want to achieve in your career.

    What type of jobs or careers represent career advancement opportunities for you?

    Do you want to be a consultant, a freelancer, or a manager?

    What sort of industry or skill do you want to specialize in?

  2. Don’t be vague … specialize in an Industry:

    Clarity is critical for career advancement.

    Clarify your goals or vision by choosing specific industries to learn or master.

    Do you want to specialize in the Information Security industry or do you want to specialize in the Information Technology industry? These are two different considerations.

  3. Become a leader by solving problems:

    You’ve chosen a specific industry and now you have to choose the problems within the industry which you are interested in solving!

    That’s how you start building up your experience. You don’t really need a job to get experience and advance your career. You just need to be pro-active enough and you’ll get what you want!

Don’t Limit Yourself By Thinking In A Box

There are career advancement opportunities in every profession! If you can’t see them, then you’re probably thinking within a box!

Educational Qualifications Are Not Enough:

You’re expecting too much from your educational qualifications because your MBA, BS and IT Certifications are just enough to get you a job.

To advance in your career, you have to use your education by identifying and solving problems in your industry or profession.

That’s how you get better career advancement opportunities.

For example, if you want to become a CEO, you need to solve problems facing CEOs. You aren’t likely to get a CEO job through a certification or an MBA. You’re more likely to get a CEO job by working in roles that require CEO skills!

If you want to be an Information Security consultant, then you need to identify the sorts of problems facing Information Security professionals and start solving them. It’s really that simple!

Market your Competencies Better:

Assuming that you understand what I’ve been saying about identifying and solving industry problems proactively, the next thing you need is to tell people about them!

You need to look into using PULL vs. PUSH techniques for marketing your competencies, skills and expertise.

Work on your branding and positioning so others will recognize your value and seek you out!

I recommend that you read my post titled “Become a Leader And Get The Job You Want” for more information on solving industry problems and positioning your career using PULL vs. PUSH techniques.

Scott, I hope I answered your questions. Please let me know if you need additional clarification and I will be glad to provide it for you.


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How To Boost IT Skills Rapidly Or Get Hired Fast

How To Boost IT Skills Rapidly Or Get Hired Fast

Stephen Covey advises us to put “First Things First” when it comes to our careers or jobs but figuring that out or prioritizing the most important things proves to be a surprising challenge for many IT Workers!

While some believe that certifications are required for getting a job, others put more value on hands-on skills and experience!

So, the question is, which comes first in your career, “your hands-on skills & experience” or “your certifications”?

What Comes First In Your Career?

  1. Is Hands-On Experience Required Before Certifications?

    Nowadays, more certification providers or IT managers are requiring lots of hands on experience (3, 4 , 5 or more years) before you are allowed to sit for an IT certification exam.

    The reason is that hiring managers know that there is not much value in pursuing a certification except after you’ve actually worked in an industry for a number of years or you have gained valuable hands-on job experience.

    In addition, hiring managers realize that job seekers abuse the certification process, by cramming or cheating their way through the certification exams!

    For example, if you are taking a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) exam, there are websites where you can get real exam questions for the sole purpose of cramming or cheating your way towards the MCP certification.

    The challenge that IT hiring managers are facing is that job candidates who get certified just to get a job frequently cannot perform on the job!

    They cannot perform on the job (despite their certifications) because they have no practical skills or hands-on job experience.

    So, to avoid hiring certified and inexperienced professionals, IT managers are looking to hire or retain professionals who have hands-on experience, practical skills and in-depth knowledge.

    In addition, certification providers are asking for a number of years of verifiable hands on experience and real-world, practical skills before you are allowed to sit for a certification exam.

    For example, the Certified Business Analyst Professional exam (CBAP) now requires a minimum of 5 years or 7500 hours of verifiable handson real-world business analysis work skills and experience and the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification requires 3 to 5 years of verifiable hands-on, real world project management experience.

  2. Are Certifications A Replacement For Hands-On Experience Or Practical Skills?

    Within the Information Technology Industry, certifications are not substituted for hands-on experience or real-world career based skills.

    The goal of any certification program is not to get you into a job or to shortcut the requirement for hands-on experience but to add value to your career.

    You develop practical skills by performing a task repetitively. For example, you may read about Use Cases from a book or study and pass a Use Case certification, but unless you have used Use Cases in solving a business analysis problem, you really don’t have Use Case skills.

    Also, you may learn about database design from reading a book but unless you have actually modeled or designed a relational database several times, you really can’t add it to your resume or claim that you have relational database design skills.

    So, the goal of IT certification programs is not to provide you with practical skills or the hands-on experience required by hiring managers but to help add value or improve your knowledge and understanding after you’ve gained strong hands-on experience or practical skills!

  3. IT Managers Hire And Retain For Hands-On Experience, Practical Skills and In-Depth Knowledge

    The IT industry works differently from other professional careers.

    For example, in the medical and legal careers, you need to have a professional medical or law degree before you are allowed to practice.

    The Information Technology (IT) Industry (business analysis, software development, project management, etc.) is remarkably different because you are not required to have a professional degree or certification to get a job!

    You are however required or expected to have hands-on experience, practical skills and in-depth knowledge before you are hired and to demonstrate those on your job (hands-on experience, practical skills and in-depth knowledge) to stay hired!

So Information Technology (IT) hiring managers are really looking for the practical skills and hands-on experience on your resume and for in-depth knowledge or understanding when you are interviewed!

If you already have a business analysis or software developer or project management career, lots of years of experience, and are already knowledgeable or trained in all the core subjects or knowledge areas, you may consider getting additional certifications … otherwise you are putting the cart before the horse and you need to Focus On First Things First.


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Laid Of In The Recession

No doubt you already know how the recession affects the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Unemployment Rate or Stock Market. So, I won’t waste your time by repeating all that bad news.

What I would talk about is what really matters:”how you or your loved ones can protect your finances by staying employed in this recession!“

The best way to keep your job in a recession or to find a new job easily is to become “The Most Over Qualified, Under Paid Professional” on your team.

Here is why becoming over-qualified and under-paid work hand in hand to protect your career:

  1. The Least Qualified Professionals Are Laid-Off In A Recession:The employees at risk of being down-sized are the least valuable professionals (business analysts, software developers, etc.) on the team.

    The least valuable professionals are the least effective, productive, skilled, trained or experienced people on their jobs.

  2. The Most Over Paid Professionals Are Laid-Off In A Recession:The other type of employee at risk of being down-sized are the over paid software development professionals (project managers, web designers etc.).

    The over paid information technology (IT) professionals typically earn far above their contemporaries with the same skill sets or far above the historical costs associated with a position in a specific business. Firing over paid workers qualifies as cost savings for managers concerned about cutting payroll costs in a recession.

  3. The Better Qualified, Least Paid Employees Keep Their Jobs In A Recession:

    The employees who keep their jobs or get hired easily in a recession … are the better trained, highly skilled and relatively inexpensive employees.The employees who advance their skills though hard work and training without always asking for more money … tend to stay employed even during recessions.

The Secret To Staying Employed Even In A Recession

The best way to stay employed especially in a recession … is by training to “become the best skilled person … and not the best paid!”

You need to cultivate the attitude of champions … “who train daily to be the best!“.Champions do not obsess about money! Champions understand that … proving their mettle is the only thing that really matters!

Champions are rich, famous and successful … because they ignored the pursuit of money … to become the best

So, will you accept this challenge: “to recession proof your career” … by training to become the best or are you going to leave your career at the mercy of the coming financial storm?

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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/12/10/how-to-keep-your-job-in-a-recession/feed/ 0 How To Recession Proof Your Career http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/02/06/how-to-recession-proof-your-career/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/02/06/how-to-recession-proof-your-career/#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:22:14 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/02/06/how-to-recession-proof-your-career-part-1/

Recession Proof Your Career

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.

In the beginning, no one seemed to be quite sure that the recession was going to happen. Some pundits felt that the US economy will perhaps weaken but not really experience a full blown recession. Other experts felt that the economy was already in a recession. Then all of a sudden all the pundits and experts and news media outlets seemed to be screaming in unison, we are in a recession!

Fortune 500′s Laying Off Employees In The Thousands

Fortune 500 corporations where laying off employees in the thousands! There where daily announcements of job cuts leading to tens of thousands of full-time employees hitting the streets with their last pay check! Smaller businesses could not be out competed too! If you read your local newspaper, you will see the same daily roll call of local employers laying off workers.

No Jobs for Highly Skilled Workers

The recession got so bad, that even highly skilled and highly qualified employees with post graduate degrees couldn’t get jobs. The news media was awash with news on how the middle class and the white-collar workers could not even get job interviews.

Salary and Wage Cuts

Some of the fortunate white and blue collar workers who still had jobs after all the job cuts and layoff announcements, had to stand in line for salary cuts. Freezes on wage increases and benefits beame common. Vacationing was a taboo word and as if that wasn’t bad enough, the senior, experienced, highly-skilled workers where being offered an option between either working for entry-level wages or getting the dreaded pink slip.

Dog Eat Dog Market

I recall recruiters telling me horror stories of how they would put up a job advertisement and get 500 resumes of highly skilled and qualified people within 24 hours contrasted to how they used to get a few weak resumes per week for their job postings. The irony of the situation, was that the mailboxes of hiring managers and recruiters got filled up within hours of putting up a job posting. Hiring managers and recruiters who couldn’t deal with the flood of resumes literally had to abandon checking their voicemails and inboxes for other covert (black ops) methods of hiring.

An Employers Market

The job market situation worsened as those employers who could still hire, realized that they literally had the whole employment world at their fingertips. Then things got really ugly as employers start getting really picky about resumes, credentials, qualifications, experience, level of expertise and level of technical training of job applicants. I recall the horror story of a techie who had to contact about 10,000 employers to get 2 job interviews and one job offer.

How To Protect Yourself From The Next Recession

Hopefully, you get the picture now. The point of these horror stories is that, yes you should care about the ongoing debate between pundits and experts about whether the US economy is in the beginning or middle of a recession.

The big question is really “what should you do immediately to protect yourself and your loved ones from a national or perhaps global economic recession?“

Here are a few tips recession proofing your career:

  1. Become A Highly Skilled Worker Now

    In a recession, the unskilled technical worker is obviously more at risk than the skilled technical worker. While the highly skilled technical worker may get downsized to a lower paying job, the lesser skilled technical workers are the weakest in the tech food chain and are the ones most at risk of losing their jobs.

  2. Take Your Technical Training Now

    Now is the time to take your technical training and not in the middle of the recession when jobs are difficult to get. First, when you take as much technical training as you can, you reduce the chances that you will be laid off because technical training increases your competitiveness.

    Also, it is much harder to pay for your technical training if you are laid off and in the middle of a job search than while you still have a job and an income. What typically happens to laid-off workers in a recession is that their first instinct is to cut down their expenses and cost of living including out-of-pocket training costs. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really help them because this is the time when they really need to be competitive.

    Note: some employers get picky in a recession and will question your judgment by asking you why you waited until you where laid off to take your technical training seriously.

  3. Polish Your Resume Now

    Now is the time to take your resume and update it with all the latest and greatest technical skills (recruiter speak for cutting edge technology) . If you are in a computer programming career, now is the time to master the latest versions of the most popular software development languages (I have listed them in my “how to learn programming book“).

    If you are a business analyst, now is the time to ensure that you have learnt and mastered full life cycle software development practices. Whether you a tester, project manager, quality assurance analyst, data analyst or database developer, now is the time to look outside the windows or confines of your day to day job and ask yourself the question, “what critical skills am i lacking on my resume?” or “how do I take my career to the next level?.”

    For your sake and the sake of your loved ones, do whatever it takes to gain the critical, leading edge skills that you need to take your career to the next level and then put those skills, experience and training on your resume now, so you are not caught in the deadly grip of a recession.

    Don’t forget to polish up your technical interviewing and job hunting skills and finally do whatever it takes to look after your employer or clients now and they will be more willing to look out for you when you need their help.

Current Training Opportunities

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About The Author

My name is Kingsley Tagbo and I?m a technical expert living in Saint Louis, Missouri. I write about the training, coaching, mentoring and personal development of software development professionals including business analysts, computer programmers, testers, project managers, web designers, data analysts, report writers, software developers and other information technology professionals .

My firm, Exacticity, performs software development consulting and training for clients throughout the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. If you are in need of software development help or training, click here to contact me.


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