ITCareerCoach Training - Coaching » full time 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 Is Tunnel Vision Killing My Career? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/04/06/is-tunnel-vision-killing-my-career/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/04/06/is-tunnel-vision-killing-my-career/#comments Tue, 06 Apr 2010 10:18:30 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2887

Is Tunnel Vision Killing My Career?

Is Tunnel Vision Killing My Career?

Medically speaking, Tunnel Vision is a visual impairment that results in the loss of peripheral vision.

It is characterized by the inability to see objects outside one’s center of gaze even though they are still within view.

But tunnel vision also refers to a frame of mind where one is either fixated on a specific answer or unable to see alternatives.

Consider that many Information Technology (IT) professionals evaluate their career options as though there a few choice careers mainly:

  1. Computer Programming
  2. Business Analysis
  3. Project Management
  4. Data Analysis
  5. Software Testing
  6. Computer Networking
  7. Database Development

    8. But is this really true? Is the list of hot, fashionable or rewarding careers restricted to this list or are there alternate, better or even more promising careers for those willing to peek outside the box?

    Web 2.0 Careers For Smart Professionals

    Except if you have tunnel vision, you will have heard mention of the word WEB 2.0, at some point in the last year. Conversations on WEB 2.0 websites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are taking on an expanded role in our lives and you also have a role in this, if you’re willing to keep an open mind.

    Facebook

    With over 300 million total members or more than 100 million US users, Facebook has overtaken the USA in population growth and is on track to overtake China’s one billion+ in the near future!

    Twitter

    In January of 2010, 75 million people visited Twitter representing a 1100% population growth in one year.

    However these statistics or explosive growth are not limited to Twitter and Facebook. Other WEB 2.0 websites including LinkedIn are also experiencing a surge in demand or usage.

    What this means for the rest of us, is that careers that help websites become more interactive, converse with customers using blogs, video and social media or distribute information, products or services online are taking center stage.

    The good news is that I have compiled a list of those careers for your benefit and I will devote the rest of the article to them :-)

    Web Usability Specialists

    Usability engineers measure or improve the quality of a user’s experience when interacting with a website.

    Web Usability specialists help customers perform actions that are valuable to the business like placing orders on their websites. Their job is to make websites more intuitive or friendly so that web visitors can find or get that they are looking for.

    Web Data Analysts

    Web Analysts measure, collect, analyze and report on traffic to a website. They typically track or monitor the number of visitors, page views and popularity of the content published on a website.

    Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialists

    Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialists improve the ranking of websites or web pages on search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing.

    Because of the competitiveness and the ever changing nature of internet businesses, SEO experts are always in demand.

    E-Commerce Business Analysts

    The WEB is a fast paced, constantly evolving business environment which makes it challenging for most businesses.

    So companies hire e-commerce business analysts to help align their business, marketing or production processes with the requirements for doing business on the WEB.

    IPhone / Mobile Apps Developers

    The release of the IPhone by Apple and Steve Jobs in 2007 has resulted in a new job market for developers who can release IPhone apps directly on Apple’s App Store.

    With more than 100,000 apps, including productivity and games apps, the IPhone Application Developers career path is an alternative to more traditional software developer career paths.

    Web Copywriters

    Sometimes the writing career is overlooked because of a misconception that writers are underpaid.

    However, web copywriters are a different breed of writers as they are more like salesmen on steroids!

    Web copywriters are responsible for writing the actual words that sell products or services on the web and yes, some of them do make six figures!

    Social Media Specialists

    I have mentioned the explosive population growth of sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Guess what, businesses and organizations want in on that action and Social Media specialists make that happen!

    Organizations are hiring Social Media workers to help nurture conversations with their customers and ultimately influence sales … and just in-case you are squeamish, it is completely legal :-)

    Internet Marketing Specialists

    Most businesses have to sell on the web which is a big challenge because selling on the web is complex, difficult and not as easy as it looks!

    Not realizing this, many businesses owners spend a small fortune on Internet Marketing before they realized that they need to hire professional Internet Marketing help!

    This list is by no means exhaustive and there are more lucrative, rewarding careers for the web savvy, information technology professional who is willing to look outside the box of traditional career choices.

    This list of careers is also helpful to those wondering about “How To Break The Unemployment Cycle“ as there are freelance, part-time or full-time job postings for those who are qualified.

    Finally, the question on your mind may be, who is qualified for any of these careers?

    My answer is anyone who has as open-mind, is web savvy and is open to learning or reading a lot of new information.

    Contrary to what you may think, the barriers to these careers are low, and there are no examinations, certifications or degrees that you must obtain before you can get hired as a WEB 2.0 professional.

    The universal rule or principle that applies to all WEB 2.0 careers is; “You Must Be Good At What You Do“, as the WEB has little tolerance for incompetence!


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    ]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/04/06/is-tunnel-vision-killing-my-career/feed/ 5 US President Barack Obama Signs the HIRE Act Jobs Bill – 17.6 Bllion Dollar Employment Package http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/03/21/us-president-barack-obama-signs-the-hire-act-jobs-bill/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/03/21/us-president-barack-obama-signs-the-hire-act-jobs-bill/#comments Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:13:57 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2883

    US President Barack Obama signs the HIRE Act, a 17.6 billion dollar jobs bill unemployment package that his administration hopes will encourage small businesses to hire new workers or give them the confidence to buy the equipment needed to grow their business.

    The ceremony was held in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday

    Here is the full text of President Obama’s Hire Act Job Bill.


    The Full Text of President Obama’s Hire Act Job Bill

    Madame Speaker, Majority Leader Reid as well as some of my cabinet members who are here.

    In a few moments, I will sign what is called the “Hire Act” – a jobs bill that will encourage businesses to hire and help put Americans back to work.

    And I’d like to say a few words about what this jobs bill will mean for workers, for businesses, and for America’s economic recovery.

    There are a number of ways to look at an economic recovery. Through the eyes of an economist, you look at the different stages of recovery. You look at whether an economy has begun to grow. At whether businesses have begun to hire temporary workers or increase the hours of existing workers. You look at whether businesses, small and large, have begun to hire full-time employees again.

    That’s how economists measure a recovery – and by those measures, we are beginning to move in the right direction.

    But through the eyes of most Americans, recovery is about something more fundamental:

    • Do I have a decent job?

    • Can I provide for my family?

    • Do I feel a sense of financial security?

    The great recession that we’ve just gone through, took a terrible toll on the middle class, and on our economy as a whole.

    For every one of the over 8 million people who lost their job in recent years, there’s a story of struggle; of a family that’s forced to choose between paying the electric bill, or the car insurance, or a daughter’s college tuition; of vacations, weddings, and retirements that have been postponed.

    So here’s the good news: a consensus is forming that, partly because of the necessary – and often unpopular – measures we took over the past year, our economy is now growing again and we may soon be adding jobs instead of losing them.

    The jobs bill I’m signing today is intended to help accelerate that process.

    I’m signing that, mindful, as I’ve said before, the solution to our economic problems won’t come from government alone. Government can’t create all of the jobs we need or repair all of the damage done by this recession.

    But what we can do is to promote a strong, dynamic private sector – the true engine of job-creation in our economy. We can help provide an impetus for America’s businesses to start hiring again. We can nurture the conditions that allow companies to succeed and grow.

    That’s exactly what this jobs bill will help us do. Now, make no mistake: while this jobs bill is absolutely necessary, it is by no means enough.

    There is a lot more we need to do to spur hiring in the private sector and bring about a full economic recovery – from helping creditworthy small businesses get the loans that they need to expand, to offering incentives to make homes and businesses more energy-efficient, to investing in infrastructure so we can put Americans to work doing the work that America needs done.

    Nevertheless, this jobs bill will make a difference in several important ways.

    1. First, we’ll forgive payroll taxes for businesses that hire someone who’s been out of work for at least two months – that’s a tax benefit that will apply to unemployed workers hired between last month and the end of this year.

      This tax cut says to employers: if you hire a worker who’s unemployed, you won’t have to pay payroll taxes on that worker for the rest of the year. And businesses that move quickly to hire today will get a bigger tax credit than businesses that wait until later this year.

      This tax cut will be particularly helpful fto small business owners. Many of them are on the fence right now about whether to bring in that extra worker or two, or whether to hire anyone at all This jobs bill should help make their decision that much easier.

      By the way, I’d also note that part of what health insurance reform would do is provide tax credits for over 4 million small businesses so they don’t have to choose between hiring workers and offering coverage.

    2. The second this bill does is to enourage smaller businesses to grow and hire by permitting them to write off investments they make in equipment this year.

      These kinds of expenses typically take years to depreciate, but under this law, businesses will be able to invest up to $250,000 – in say, factory equipment – and write it off right away. Put simply, we’ll give businesses an incentive to invest in their own future – and to do it today.

    3. Third, we’ll reform municipal bonds to encourage job-creation by expanding investment in schools and clean energy projects.

      Say a town wants to put people to work rebuilding a crumbling elementary school or putting up wind turbines. With this law, we’ll make it easier for them to raise the money they need to do what the want to do by using a model we call Build America Bonds – one of the most successful programs in the Recovery Act. We’ll give Americans a better chance to invest in the future of their communities and of our country.

    4. Finally, this jobs bill will maintain crucial investments in our roads and bridges as we head into the spring and summer months, when construction jobs are picking up.

    I want to commend all of those Members of Congress – and their leadership is what made this bill possible, many of themare with us today.

    I’m also gratified that over a dozen Republicans agreed that the need for this jobs bill was urgent, and that they were willing to break out of the partisan morass to help us take this forward-step for the American people.

    I hope this’s a prelude to further cooperation in the days and months to come, as we continue the work of digging our way out of this recession and rebuilding our economy in a way that works for all Americans.

    After all, the jobs bill I’m signing today – and our broader efforts to achieve a recovery – aren’t about politics. They’re not about Democrat versus Republican. This isn’t some game we’re playing her. They’re about the people in this country who are out of work and looking for a job; they’re about all of the Americans – of every race, region, and age – who’ve shared their stories with me.

    • The single mother who’s told me she’s filled out hundreds of job applications and been on dozens of interviews, but still hasn’t found a job.

    • The father whose son told me he started working when he was a teenager, and recently found himself out of a job for the first time in his life.

    • The children who write to me, worried about their mums, worried about what the future holds for their families.

    That’s who I’m thinking about every morning when I enter into the Oval Office.

    That is who I am signing this bill For and that’s who I will continue to fight for so long as I’m President of the United States.

    So, with that, let me sign this bill and let’ get to work.


    Hire Acts Jobs Bill Signing Ceremony

    Hire Acts Jobs Bill Signing Ceremony


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    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/03/21/us-president-barack-obama-signs-the-hire-act-jobs-bill/feed/ 0     Let Your Personal Creativity Run Wild! http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/10/19/let-your-personal-creativity-run-wild/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/10/19/let-your-personal-creativity-run-wild/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:13:56 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2615

    starving artist wolfgang amadeus mozart

    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!

    Becoming a leader or creating your personal brand is not about following others but about using your originality and creativity!

    Don’t repress your imagination in hopes that it will get you ahead in the business world because it will actually do the opposite … ensure that you have a mediocre career.

    So, get those creative juices flowing, throw away the stiff, boring, compliant, plan persona you adopt for the workplace and let the funny, considerate, original, witty, unabashed, unrestricted, simple, effective, direct, unafraid you come to life!

    Here are some tips, tricks and techniques that can help your personal creativity efforts:

    1. To become an expert or a leader, publish or produce useful information in an appealing way using content that is worth your audiences’ time.

    2. Start creating a layout for website to get your creative juices flowing. Think of a funny or interesting blogging topic for your industry. Introduce your topics using witty content titles and don’t be afraid of your creative side.

    3. If you’re insecure about how your ideas come across, get a proofreader or test-audience but don’t stop writing

    4. Involve your friends and family as critics, as long as they remain honest in their response and you don’t react to their opinions?

    5. Getting in touch with your personal creativity is as a fun and exciting project, so don’t stress out if it doesn’t blossom overnight

    Establishing a reputation as a leader in your industry helps you get better job offers, consulting engagements or career assignments.

    Remember that on the road to becoming a leader, you will have to stand out by letting your personal creativity show through.


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    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/10/19/let-your-personal-creativity-run-wild/feed/ 0     The Secret Path To Contract Programming http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/16/the-secret-path-to-contract-programming/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/16/the-secret-path-to-contract-programming/#comments Mon, 16 Jul 2007 08:00:38 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/16/the-secret-path-to-contract-programming/

    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.

    Contract programmers are independent software developers who work with clients on a project-to-project basis. The relationship between a contract programmer and a client lasts as long as the client has a steady stream of work. What usually happens is that as soon as the client can’t find any work or the work starts dwindling down, the client initiates the process to end the relationship.

    Contract computer programmers are not supposed to form strong emotional bonds or ties to their clients unlike their full-time colleagues because the nature of their work is temporary. That is why contract programmers are sometimes called temporary workers.

    Contract programmers are specialists, experts and master craftsmen. When a client hires a contract computer programmer, the client expects to find a master programmer who will hit the ground running. This separates contract programmers from full-time software developers and the master craftsmen from the wannabe contract programmers.

    A contract programmer is expected to start churning out high quality code, fixing bugs, improving their clent’s software and generally justifing their high pay by solving important problems within a few hours or days of starting work. Unlike full-time software developers who may take 6 months to 1 year to prove themselves, contract programmers who haven’t mastered their art well-enough to make a difference are usually dropped like hot potatoes by their clients.

    Contract programmers may be W2 contract programmers or 1099 contract programmers. The difference lies with how their taxes are filed with the IRS.

    The W2 contract programmer is paid by a recruiting agency that is also responsible for withholding taxes and providing liability insurance. Many recruiting agencies will also provide medical, dental and 401K benefits.

    On the other hand, 1099 contract programmers, generally known as free-lancers, pay their taxes to the IRS and provide their own medical, dental and 401K insurance.

    A contract programmer has the liberty of working as a W2 contract programmer with one firm and a 1099 contract programmer with another firm.

    How long do contract programming projects last?

    Contract programming projects typically last from a month to 5 years. The trend is towards fewer months and higher billing rates. The typical duration is 3 months, 6 months or 1 year.

    How much do contract computer programmers bill?

    Contract programmers typically bill anywhere from $50 per hour to $200 per hour.

    What factors determine the contract programmer’s billing rate?

    The factors that determine a contract programmers billing rate include:

    1. Experience: The more experienced a contract programmer is, the more the contract programmer can charge

    2. Demand: Some computer programming skills are in high-demand while others are not. So contract programmers who master computer programming skills that are in high-demand can bill at a higher rate than others

    3. Client: The compensation provided for the same programming skills can vary widely by client with no other explanation other than one client having more money than the other

    Who should be a contract programmer?

    Contract programming makes sense for computer programmers who love to be independent or who do not want to climb the corporate ladder. It is also good for those individuals who want to make more money than is found in regular full-time software development. Finally, it works for those who can use their down-time in between projects to sharpen their computer programming skills, pursue other hobbies or take vacations.

    What is the future or outlook for contract programmers?

    The future is bright for contract programmers as more companies are trending towards out-sourcing their software development projects to temporary staffing firms or recruiting agencies that in turn out-source the programming work to contract programmers. Contract computer programmers are considered to be expert, highly-skilled craftsmen and their opinions and expertise are valued at client sites They are also paid significantly more money and do not have to stand inline or beg for a pay raise when they work for it.

    How do you become a contract programmer?

    The critical skills needed for a successful contract programming career are:

    1. Expert programming skills

    2. Well-crafted resume

    3. Effective job interviewing skills

    4. Aggressive Resume Marketing

    Read this previous post titled “The keys of a successful computer programmer career” to learn more about these keys.

    If you have these skills in abundance, you will do well in contract programming. If you don’t or will like to develop them, you should read “How to become a master contract programmer” or CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY IN A FEW MINUTES.


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    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/16/the-secret-path-to-contract-programming/feed/ 0     Full-Time or Contract W2 Programmer Job, Which Is Better? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2006/08/26/full-time-or-contract-w2-programmer-job-which-is-better/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2006/08/26/full-time-or-contract-w2-programmer-job-which-is-better/#comments Sat, 26 Aug 2006 20:38:53 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2006/08/26/full-time-permanent-employee-or-contract-w2-programmer-pros-and-cons/

    full time programmers contract pros cons

    full time programmers contract pros cons

    Do you have what it takes to be a contract software developer (W2) or a full time permanent computer programmer (FTE)?

    Or perhaps you have heard that contract programming is unreliable and full time employment financially unrewarding?

    Enough of these myths. There are long term contracts that last longer than some full time positions and there are full time positions that pay better than some contract programming engagements.

    Here are the differences that will really matter to you:

    1. Job Duration

    2. Benefits

    3. Job Satisfaction

    4. Paycheck

    5. Technical Skills

    6. Experience

    7. Entrepreneurism

    Job Duration:

    Contract programming jobs are of shorter duration than full time employment positions.

    In the software development industry, computer programming jobs have a duration of 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and more.

    The challenge with contracting positions is that your recruiter may tell you that your contract is 6 months only for you to hear after 3 months that your contract has been terminated. With full time positions, you are more likely to be moved to another project when your current project is terminated or completed.

    Benefits

    Contract programming positions come with 401Ks, vacation time, vacation pay, sick days, medical, dental, flexible spending accounts, vision care, life insurance and disability insurance just like full time programming jobs.

    The difference is that the quality of benefits or how much you pay for them may vary greatly from one recruiting firm to another recruiting firm.

    So, while one recruiting firm may offer competitive benefits, another recruiting firm may offer benefits only if you willing to pay for that at a premium that is sometimes twice as high as that of a full-time position!

    The smart thing to do is to go over the benefits with your recruiter and ask questions.

    However, with contract programming positions, you also have the option of asking your recruiter to remove your benefits package and increase your hourly compensation or billing rate

    .

    Job Satisfaction

    As a contract programmer you are expected to derive your job satisfaction from being good at what you do.

    You build a reputation backed up with skills and experience on getting in, doing a good job and then getting out.

    As a contract computer programmer you are expected to deliver good code, on time and on budget and you must enjoy being held to high quality standards in terms of the quality of your code.

    As a full time computer programmer, you are expected to love the company you work for.

    Your job satisfaction is driven by working with a team of people for a common set of goals.

    Over time, the bonds, affections, ties with each other and your company deepens.

    You may not face the same time, budget or quality of code pressure as the contract programmer who has a higher reputation to live up to!

    Paycheck

    As a contract programmer you may earn significantly more than full time permanent employees.

    However, unlike contract programmers, full time employees do not have to look for a new project or client every 3, 6 or 12 months.

    So, even though contract programmers earn a lot more than full-time software developers when they are working on a project, the total bench time or the unpaid time spent in-between projects can affect the stability or dependability of a contract programmers pay.

    The shock of sitting at home for 1 month, earning $0 (zero dollars) after a highly successful project that may have lasted 6 months can be quite unsettling for some contract programmers.

    This is one major reason why some computer programmers prefer FULL TIME to CONTRACT (W2) computer programming positions.

    Technical Skills:

    Contract programmers tend to have sharper skills, because they make a living putting a demand on those skills every day (at least that is what clients think).

    Since contract programmers are generally paid much more than their full time colleagues, very few clients hire a contract computer programmer with rusty skills.

    Also, contract programmers can choose the clients and projects they work on. which is something that full-time developers are limited in doing.

    Contract programmers prefer projects that involve the latest technology or skills, since that’s where the money is.

    Full time computer programmers on the other hand tend not to be so obsessed with working on leading edge technologies and they are not generally expected by their employers to have the sharpest skills.

    This is partly because full time programmers are expected to be business domain experts and not just technology experts.

    So, the value of a full-time computer programmer lies in both the domain / business knowledge as well as the technology skills.

    Experience

    As a contract programmer, you need to have relevant industry and experience to find work.

    If your area of expertise is brokerage or java or .net, both recruiters and hiring managers will scan your resume for the number of years and projects where you utilized those skills.

    However, for full time employment positions, the hiring managers and recruiters are more apt to look at your general industry experience and not just the experience needed to deliver the next 3 months project!

    Entrepreneurism

    Contract programming requires a certain degree of risk tolerance and entrepreneurism.

    Contract programmers have to constantly research the market for new technologies and skills that add value to their clients while delivering increased compensation to them.

    They have to constantly be on the go, marketing their resume, skills and experience to new clients every few months.

    They have to adapt to new environments all the time as they are constantly changing jobs and clients.

    They have to constantly make their clients (employer) happy or they may get fired and their contracts terminated.

    Contract programmers have to accept the inherent risk that despite their best effort, a proposed 12 month project can turn into a 1 month failed engagement.

    Ultimately the contract programmers that last have to accept full responsibility for their careers.

    Decide What Works for You

    The conclusion is that the decision to be a contract computer programmer or a full time permanent employee depends on your personality, risk tolerance, financial expectations and your own situation.

    Whether you decide to become a W2 contract programmer or a full time employee, I hope that I have helped you become more informed about the two possible career paths.

    To learn more about fast tracking your computer programmer career, visit this resource.


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