ITCareerCoach Training - Coaching » hiring managers 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 How to Tap Into Magical Hiring Powers http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/08/18/how-to-tap-into-magical-hiring-powers/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/08/18/how-to-tap-into-magical-hiring-powers/#comments Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:28:09 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3269

Tapping Into Your Magical Hiring Powers

Tapping Into Your Magical Hiring Powers

As a Career Coach, I come across questions or discussions from job seekers “looking for recruiter who can get them a job“.

From the way these statements are worded, it seems that all it takes for the job seeker to get a job is finding a recruiter with magical hiring powers.

But, is it really true?

Do recruiters have hiring powers and how much of the success or failure of the job search depends on the recruiter’s magical hiring powers?

In this post, I will clarify the recruiter’s role and show you how to tap into the magical hiring powers available to job search candidates!

  1. Recruiters Are Gatekeepers

    Recruiters, staffing agencies or placement services simply screen and then forward resumes to employers / clients.

    A placement service will forward your resume to the client / employer if you have performed jobs in the past related to the job posting.

    If the employer is picky about resumes or complains about the quality / number of job candidates, the staffing / placement service will raise the requirements for submission.

    But keep in mind that recruiters do not exclusivity to job postings in a broad sense because you can always forward your resume to employers, have a staffing agency do it for you or do both.

  2. Recruiters Are Lie Detectors

    Generally speaking, many recruiters in the Information Technology (IT) industry do not have a technical background.

    They have not worked with or used the tools listed on your resume / job posting and cannot really say whether you are qualified or not.

    So, what they do is check your resume to see if it will pass a very basic, unsophisticated lie detector.

    Recruiters want to know such things like: where you have worked, what titles you held and whether you are eligible t work for the client.

    Note: when working with recruiters, take the extra step of convincing them that your resume and background is a good fit, because they may not be able to tell the difference!

  3. Can Staffing Agencies Claim Exclusivity?

    Generally, employers will use multiple staffing agencies and then use their own internal hiring team to narrow the pool of resumes down to a few candidates who would be interviewed or hired.

    An Employer may also decide to be discreet about the hiring process and use only one staffing agency.

    But even in this case, the staffing agency does not make a hiring decision. All the placement service can do for you is forward your resume to the employer.

  4. Who Makes Hiring Decisions?

    In all cases, it’s the employer’s internal hiring team / manager that makes the hiring decision and not the placement / staffing agency.

    Recruiters do not have magical hiring powers and you cannot base your job search on claims of exclusivity by a recruiter.

    Remember that the job search process is a democratic process and that you, the staffing agency and the employer all participate or play active roles in the process.

Discover Magic In A Law Of Numbers

One of the most important laws in the hiring process is the law of numbers.

This law says that “the more resumes you submit and job interviews you take, the greater your chances of getting hired!”

The law of numbers gives you magical hiring powers because the more recruiters, staffing or placement agencies you submit your resume to … the greater are your chances of getting hired.

So, my advice is, don’t look up to recruiters, staffing / placement agencies instead, look-up to yourself by tapping into your own magical hiring powers!


What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


Visit our Shopping Cart

]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/08/18/how-to-tap-into-magical-hiring-powers/feed/ 1 The Survivors Guide To Overcoming Unemployment http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/02/13/the-survivors-guide-to-overcoming-unemployment/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/02/13/the-survivors-guide-to-overcoming-unemployment/#comments Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:46:02 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3098

The Survivors Guide To Overcoming Unemployment

The Survivors Guide To Overcoming Unemployment

Several years ago, I had a conversation with a lady who had a computer science degree but was unable to get hired for any type of Information technology (IT) job.

I realized right away, that what she lacked was an understanding of how the IT job / career market works. The sort of information that is generally omitted in schools because no one thinks it is important enough.

So, after she shared her story with me, I did some research and came to the startling conclusion that she was not alone.

I discovered that there was a big gap in our educational system and I am not just talking about schools, but staffing / recruiting / training agencies as well.

The problem was that all the players were in a hurry to make ends meet and no one really cared about the professional whose career or job was at stake.

For example, recruiters / staffing agencies will only work with you when your skills and experience matches that required on a job posting.

They will not think of helping you bridge the gaps in your skills, resume or experience or advancing your career further through coaching and mentoring.

So I started educating people on how to thrive or succeed in the Information Technology (IT) world and as a result this website (www.it-career-coach.net) was born.

Today, I have been giving another unique opportunity to help because a number of you are talking to me about their unemployment situations or asking for my advice or suggestions along those lines.

I want to say, thank you to everyone who has been talking to me about their unemployment situations.

I appreciate the trust you place in me and more importantly, your courage in talking about it!

I am dedicating the “FREE Survivors Guide To Overcoming Unemployment” below to those of you who are out of work..

Please download and read this career guide and learn how to survive unemployment or get productive by earning an income again.

I retain all the copyrights to this career guide. However, you have my permission to distribute it or share it with anyone (friends, strangers, colleagues, etc) or post it anywhere.

Download The Survivors Guide To Overcoming Unemployment Below


What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


Visit our Shopping Cart

]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/02/13/the-survivors-guide-to-overcoming-unemployment/feed/ 2 Getting Things Done: The Art Of Time Management http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/27/getting-things-done-the-art-of-time-management/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/27/getting-things-done-the-art-of-time-management/#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 05:40:33 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3090

GTD: Getting Things Done By David Allen

GTD: Getting Things Done By David Allen

It is important in business to deliver whatever is promised on time.

However, the urgency attached to deadlines can become overwhelming due to all the multi-tasking, conflicting priorities or task / time juggling that we all have to do!

However, from the viewpoint of a client or employer, saying, “I didn’t have enough time is a sure sign of poor time management skills or incompetency.”

The inconvenient truth is that missing a deadline is unprofessional and excuses are no longer welcome in today’s fast-paced workplace.

Investing in the latest time management gadgets or apps may not help unless you understand the underlying time management techniques.

Traditional time management systems do not always help because they focus on your priorities, thereby cluttering up your calendar and leaving you with a sense of confusion, half-done tasks, missed deadlines or stress.

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity By David Allen

That is why I’m recommending a time management system designed to declutter your mind and your calendar as well as assist you with the most trivial or complex tasks: The Getting Things Done® (GTD®) time management system by David Allen.

After a 1983 productivity seminar at Lockheed, David Allen introduced a popular time management system known as Getting Things Done® (GTD®).

In (GTD®) you get your tasks out of your mind and record them somewhere else. According to David Allen, this frees up your mind to concentrate on performing the task at hand as opposed to attempting to remember every step that needs to get done.

The Getting Things Done® system is a common sense, step-by-step approach designed to help you manage your commitments, information and communication.

What is the difference between David Allen’s time management system and others?

  • Perspective – In GTD®, your focus is to get the proper perspective.
  • Control - By organizing and decluttering your thoughts, GTD® helps you gain control of your time.

The result is a work-Flow system that makes time management simple and fun.

David Allen’s GTD system is a step-by-step flow of what happens next. It flows like this:

  1. In – What Is It – Is it Actionable (Trash, someday, references)
  2. What Is The Next Action (Project – Project Plan – Review)
  3. Do It – Delegate It (In Communication System and Track It On – Waiting)
  4. Defer It (For Me To Do (Specific Time of Day/Calendar)
  5. For Me To Do (Next Action Process)?

    6. It also presents five levels of solutions:

    • Gather Information / Get It Out of Your Head
    • Process Information
    • Get Organized
    • Review
    • Use It

    Allen suggests that you review each step weekly so you can plan better, think in advance and come up with a series of solutions ahead of time.

    When the GTD® plan is implemented, no deep thought is required. If you implement GTD®, you would find it easy to store, track or retrieve all of the necessary information you need for project.

    Here is a run-through the GTD® System:

    Step One: Gather Information / Get It Out of Your Head

    • Start by emptying your head or freeing up your thoughts so your mind is not cluttered with a scattered to-do list of thoughts.

    • Make a list of everything that needs to get done regardless of whether it is an immediate need or a long-term goal.

    • Once your mind is clear, gather more information from your calendar, daytimer, email inbox or physical storage inbox.

    • Transfer all the thoughts that fill up your head onto a tangible piece of paper in the form of one concise list.

    Step Two: Process

    • After gathering all the information on what needs to get done or you clearing up your head, begin to process all the information.

    • Look at each of the items you wrote down and ask yourself this: “What action do I need to take on this?”

    • Do this for each item on your list. If there is an item you can get done in 2 minutes or less … Just Do It!

    • If it takes more than 2 minutes to get it done, decide on what the next action will be such as organizing a meeting, reading an article, etc.

    • Any item that requires more than one step will be put on “your Projects” list. This list might include items such as arranging a meeting, writing a program, etc.

    Step Three: Get Organized

    Now that you have a long list of what you need to do, it’s time to get organized. Do that by categorizing your list using these six guidelines:

    1. Next Action – This is what is to be done next.
    2. Projects – These are the items on your list that need more than one immediate action to accomplish them.
    3. Waiting – These are the items on your list that require patience or waiting on a response from someone else.
    4. Someday or Maybe – These are items on your list that are long-term goals or that you want to get done but you don’t have a time when it will be done.
    5. Calendar – Keep your calendar neat and free of clutter. Only put things on your calendar that you absolutely have to get done by a specific date and time such as a meeting.

    6. Reference It – Save it to a file for future reference. This would involve articles read, notes taken or anything else you may need at a later time.

    Step Four: Review

    Reviewing each step is an important part of the GTD® ssystem of time management.

    At the very least, a time should be scheduled and set aside weekly for nothing but reviews. Some to-do lists may even be reviewed daily.

    The review process ensures that the to-do lists are kept current and clean without unnecessary items cluttering it up.

    Step Five: Use It

    It’s time to use the GTD® time management tool to get things done efficiently. You may want to write things down like a computer flow chart so each step can be visualized.

    In summary, here are the steps for using it::

    1. Information In
    2. What Is It?
    3. Is It Actionable?
    4. If No – Trash It!
    5. If Yes – Do It Now (If can be done in less than 2 minutes), Do it someday, Or Reference It
    6. What Is next action? Put specific time/dates on calendar, Delegate It or Wait on someone else
    7. Review and update process

    Final Thoughts

    By using the GTD® method of time management, you can avoid being overwhelmed.

    By pinpointing and writing down everything that has captured your attention, deciding and clarifying what things are actionable, organizing everything into proper categories and staying current, you free up your thoughts to focus on what is important.

    Using David Allen’s Getting Things Done® (®) will develop confidence and relieve stress by helping you get things done in the least amount of time and by using your energies or focusing your attentions wisely.

    Most importantly, you will have happier clients or a happier boss.


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/27/getting-things-done-the-art-of-time-management/feed/ 0 How To Start Programming for Mobile Phones? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/25/how-to-start-programming-for-mobile-phones/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/25/how-to-start-programming-for-mobile-phones/#comments Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:35:58 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3084

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

    Here is a question that illustrates the challenges facing us as we try to find a worthwhile career.

    I am a recent college grad who has come to the realization that I wasted time and money in a psychology degree with nothing to show for it.

    I have always had an interest in computers, and recently developed a strong desire to possibly move into the computer industry (mainly b/c of google android and my passion for cell phones).

    The problem is, i have no formal background, I don’t know where to start, and most articles I’ve read say don’t ruin your hobby by making it your job.

    I respectfully seek more information about how to transition into this industry (really into cell phones) regardless of time, money or energy (seeing all I do at work and home is play with roms on my cell phones and dismantle them to discover their contents).

    What I have though of so far is going and getting another bachelors (i love to learn; actually what I do best), going to a trade school (ITT, DeVry, etc.) or getting some type of certification, but I don’t know whats best. Any help would be appreciated.

    Do You REALLY Need a College Degree to Get a Programming Job?

    Congratulations, you have just made an important discovery; which is that it is more important for you to discover and develop your passion than to postpone it for a college degree.

    However, don’t lose heart because your time has not been completely wasted.

    While you do not absolutely need a college degree to get a computer programming job, some managers will view your college degree as proof of your ability to set a goal and achieve it.

    According to Esther Schindler, having a major in a non-computer science discipline can actually work in your favor.

    Read more about this in this article titled “Do You REALLY Need a College Degree to Get a Programming Job?“: http://bit.ly/2XKgEM.

    The real issue here is not that you have a college degree but that you postponed doing what you love.

    You should never put off following your passion for something else … at the very least, you should have worked hard at getting a college degree and also getting handson learning in cell phone application development at the same time.

    Is A Computer Science Degree Worth It?

    Is a formal background in computer science required for a career in mobile phone application development? The answer is absolutely not!

    Again, you are making the mistake of looking for a solution in a college degree.

    Don’t you see the trap that you are again falling into? You’ve already spent a number of years in college and all you got is a degree that you consider worthless … though I disagree with you on that.

    And again, you are hoping that investing time, money and effort towards another degree will fix your career situation!

    You are caught in a maze and it is time for you to wake up or get yourself out of it!

    The problem is that most computer science colleges, trade schools or diploma providers will not teach you how to program on mobile phones.

    They will most likely teach you just pure computer science and all the theoretical stuff, which is why you won’t be helped.

    Even if you hit a homerun and you find a college where you can learn mobile phone programming, by the time you graduate, whatever you will have learned will have become ridiculously obsolete and you will be back at the starting point again!

    Should You Turn Your Passion Into A Career?

    Absolutely yes! The best career you can have is the one that you love, the career that interests you, the one that you do as a hobby or for fun.

    Yes, I am asking you to do what you love and turn your passion or hobby into a full-time job.

    The best reward you will get out of work is not the income that you make but the pleasure you get from doing your job.

    Tell me, if you are not going to have much fun at work, why on this green planet will you do it?

    How Do You Become A Mobile Phone Programmer?

    You will become a mobile phone application developer by continuing along the path of getting your hands dirty with real-world mobile phone application development … and this is how you do that:

    1. Look into the cost of developing for each of the mobile phone platforms (Android, iPhones, Windows Phones) and then choose one of them to begin with

      .

    2. Get a good number of books on the platforms that you’ve chosen and start learning everything that there is to know

      .

    3. After you learn how mobile phone programming works on any of these major platforms, start building at least one mobile phone application project.

    4. If you find yourself being overwhelmed by all the information on mobile phone development technology, find a training provider or a course that you can subscribe to and learn mobile phone development in under a year.

    And regardless of whether you are learning mobile phone development through self-study or through a training or coaching provider, keep building real-world mobile phone applications.

    The biggest challenge that you will face with any Information Technology Career regardless of whether it is mobile phone programming or business analysis or project management is that of finding practical, real-world knowledge.

    For overcoming that challenge, I would recommend that you read the book listed here: http://www.it-career-coach.net/book/

    Are you facing a challenging career or job situation?Submit your Question to [Ask IT Career Coach] and we will answer it for you.


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/25/how-to-start-programming-for-mobile-phones/feed/ 1     What Is Your Personality Type? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/22/what-is-your-personality-type/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/22/what-is-your-personality-type/#comments Sat, 22 Jan 2011 22:43:20 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3075

    What Is Your Personality Type?

    What Is Your Personality Type?

    One of the reasons why professionals struggle with their careers or under-perform at their jobs is that their work or career does not match their personality!

    When hiring someone to do job, it’s easy to see what skills and training they have acquired or what types of jobs they’ve previously performed from their resume.

    What is not so easy to see is how that same person’s personality traits will fit in with that of other employees or how their personality will thrive on a daily basis after you’ve have hired them.

    That is why you need to take a personality test … an instrument that is used to measure or assess the characteristics of your personality.

    Personality tests are sometimes more accurately referred to as a personality inventory since the use of the word “test” implies a right or wrong answer must be given.

    However when it comes to personality test, there is no right or wrong assessment but rather an objective, independent assessment of suitability for a career or a job.

    Personality tests are simply a series of questions designed to gather information used in assessing general personality characteristics.

    When administered properly, personality tests are effective for building successful teams.

    The results from a personality test can give you good insight into what personality types work best together and what type of work is more effectively done by certain types of people.

    Please note that: personality tests are not guaranteed to be accurate and people can change or adapt overall personality … even though that is not easy!

    So, Is there a personality test that is accurate?

    The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test was first developed in 1943.

    During the more than 60 years it has been used, it has been perfected as an accurate personality indicator and when the more accurate, complete version of the test is administered, the results can be alarmingly accurate.

    The MBTI groups uses 4 Type letters to distringuish16 unique and different personality types based on the answers to a Myers-Briggs personality test.

    What are these 4 Type letters and what do they mean?

    • (I)ntrovert/(E)xtrovert
    • (S)ensing/(I)ntuivite
    • (T)hinking/(F)eeling
    • (J)udging/(P)erceptive

    The idea that someone is an introvert vs. extrovert does not necessarily mean one is extremely outgoing and the other extremely shy. But rather, it implies from which perspective they tend to view situation: From within, or from without.

    Sensing vs. Intuitive is similar to the introvert/extrovert in that it implies whether decisions are made based upon the physical senses or an intuitive knowing from within.

    Thinking vs. Feeling suggests the process of thought and decision making as to whether it is done by concrete thinking or logic or based upon a feeling.

    Judging vs. Perceptive describes if a person comes to conclusions based upon a logical criteria or based upon an inward perception.

    Here are the 16 personality types based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator for use in determining how suited you are for a career or job:

    ISTJ Personality Type – Introvert Sensing Thinking Judging

    To the ISTJ personality type, order and schedule is of utmost importance. and no sacrifice is too great to an ISTJ when it comes to keeping unity.

    Even though they tend to have difficulty expressing emotions and what they think and can come off as being uncaring, they tend to develop strong and loyal relationships with others.

    The ISTJ easily takes on responsibility. Because of this, they fit in well with any aspect of the IT profession in planning and inspecting, management, scheduling, auditing or accounting.

    Spontaneity and abstract thinking is not a plus to the ISTJ personality and the ISTJ will remain consistently strong in everything they attempt.

    ISFJ Personality Type – Introvert Sensing Feeling Judging

    To the ISFJ, work is very important.

    In terms of the IT Professional, they effectively fill the roles of protecting and supporting though they will work hard at any position as they have a strong sense of duty.

    They may even remain silent or let others take advantage of them just to avoid conflict. This can be beneficial in business as they tend to put up with complaints for the sake of harmony.

    INFJ Personality Type – Introvert Intuitive Feeling Judging

    Inspiring and insightful, the INFJ personality tends to do well as a developer.

    INFJ often inspire others and tend to succeed in creative situations.

    This personality type does not enjoy tension and can come off as quiet or even disinterested. But, don’t be fooled. Beneath this unassuming exterior is a ton of ideas waiting to come forth and when these ideas are properly tapped, they come alive.

    They will also jump at any chance to learn and broaden their horizons.

    INTJ Personality Type – Introvert Intuitive Thinking Judging

    The INTJ is very independent and may be perceived as being arrogant.

    They may even appear to be argumentative, but this is the way they learn.

    They like to see change for the better and can be intolerant of stagnation.

    They do well in work environments where systems are set up to achieve maximum output.

    They do well in management, consulting, computer programming and as Directors.

    ISTP Personality Type – Introvert Sensing Thinking Perceptive

    The ISTP personality may take charge in fixing a problem.

    They are ready to try anything at least once.

    They are spontaneous and do not like others to control them.

    They do not enjoy routine work such as that of an administrator or researcher.

    They shine in problem solving spontaneously with a tangible goal such as Analyzer or Operator.

    ISFP Personality Type – Introvert Sensing Feeling Perceptive

    The ISFP personality tends to be non-imposing.

    They fear standing still and enjoy a challenge when working with people.

    They do well when they can produce new thought patterns.

    They do well in fields that involve composing and producing.

    INFP Personality Type – Introvert Intuitive Feeling Perceptive

    The INFP Personality type tends to bring harmony and clarification to the table.

    They do not like conflict at all. In fact, there’s very little an INFP won’t do to avoid conflict.

    They do have a desire to help others. Teaching and training is an excellent position for the INFP.

    They also do well with research, design and human resources and they tend to crave working hard in whatever position they are placed.

    INTP Personality Type – Introvert Intuitive Thinking Perceptive

    The last-minute planner, the INTP adapts well to fast changes.

    They need to find a challenge in their work. If they don’t find a challenge, they will grow discontented and depressed.

    They are excellent at problem solving and theorizing.

    They are excellent at strategic planning, writing, computer programming and design.

    ESTP Personality Type – Extrovert Sensing Thinking Perceptive

    The ESTP Personality thrives on being the center of attention.

    They have a lack of order and tend to never plan as they see planning as a waste of time.

    They love daily changes and refuse to get stuck in a rut.

    In terms of the IT profession for the ESTP, they do well as an executor or in a role where they can be the promoter.

    ESFP Personality Type – Extrovert Sensing Feeling Perceptive

    The ESFP personality lives in the moment and does not make plans easily if at all.

    They can be viewed as hyper or shallow as they push for excitement.

    They do not like confrontation. They do, however, make great motivators or presenters or any position that provides instant gratification.

    ENFP Personality Type – Extrovert Intuitive Feeling Perceptive

    The ENFP personality tends to be extremely loyal and will look for the best in others along with always looking for new possibilities.

    They can appear to be over positive or insincere.

    They have a need and a desire to work with people and they want to have fun in their work.

    They make for great human resource development trainers, designers, and advocates.

    ENTP Personality Type – Extrovert Intuitive Thinking Perceptive

    The ENTP personality thrives on enthusiasm.

    Though they will become excited enough about ideas to promote them, they don’t always follow through on these ideas.

    They like to be challenged and stimulated in their work. Computer science, financial advising, teaching, computer or systems analyst are great career choices for the ENTP.

    ESTJ Personality Type – Extrovert Sensing Thinking Judging

    The ESTJ personality is a born manager.

    They are dependable but tend to volunteer for more work and responsibility than others.

    To an ESTJ, everything must have a plan.

    They tend to fix what is broken and do a job correctly.

    They tend to be loyal to the company. They make great managers as well as supervisors.

    ESFJ Personality Type: – (Extrovert Sensing Feeling Judging):

    The ESFJ is seen as a scheduler.

    They are usually neat and enjoyable to be around.

    They do well where organization is involved and they also make great listeners and are loyal.

    They like to serve, facilitate and be the caretaker. Jobs in computers, science or consulting can be stressful to the ESFJ personality.

    ENFJ Personality Type – Extrovert Intuitive Feeling Judging

    The ENFJ personality tends to be known as a communicator and have an understanding of other people.

    They are drawn to situation where they can interact with others who will challenge them.

    They do not do well in careers that involve a great deal of detail or paperwork.

    They do, however, make great mentors and envision well.

    ENTJ Personality Type – Extrovert Intuitive Thinking Judging

    The ENTJ is a natural leader.

    They even enjoy confrontation and they tend to be the classic corporate type of personality.

    They are not afraid to challenge old ways of doing things with more successful methods.

    Business consultants and network integrations as well as strategists are careers where the ENTJ thrive.

    My Final Thoughts:

    Each of these 16 personality types will fit better into some Information Technology careers than others and that it’s where the Myers-Briggs personality testing can help you.

    Regardless of how much you want a career or a job, you will find it hard to succeed if your personality does not match that required for the job and you don’t change your personality to match it!

    • If you choose to change your personality for a career or job, you can hurt yourself in the process, which will negate the benefits of doing that job!

      so you may be better off choosing a career that suites your personality than forcing your personality to fit in.

    • As a manager, director, project manager or human resources professional, you can place people in roles where they’re most likely to succeed alongside based on results from properly administered Myers-Briggs personality test.

      In the end, the proper use of personality testing can lead to more productive work place.

    So, What Is Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type?

    If don’t know the answer, follow this link to take your Myers-Briggs personality test..


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/22/what-is-your-personality-type/feed/ 0     Take Your Career To The Next Level! http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/18/take-your-career-to-the-next-level/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/18/take-your-career-to-the-next-level/#comments Wed, 19 Jan 2011 03:05:39 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3073

    STOP, if you’re about to register for our training and read this post now because we are only interested in the right type of participants for our online bootcamp courses.

    In many ways, we are not like traditional classroom classes or most training schools.

    For example, we focus more on experiential learning in the sense that we want you to perform well on the job and not just have a certificate that you can show-off on your resume.

    Click here to read our thoughts on experiential learning.

    Do You Want To Build Handson Experience?

    Finding the handson experience required to move up the ladder, transition into a career or find a new job is critical to career success.

    Several years ago, just having a college degree was enough to get you hired and once you got a job, you worked for that employer, for a really long time!

    Employers felt responsible for providing handson experience to students in college through internship programs or training for those who had a job.

    But today, internship programs are hard to get because employers don’t want to take on the burden of training and a college degree no longer guarantees finding or keeping a job!

    What employers are now looking for is proof of performance and not more diplomas, degrees or certifications.

    When it comes to proof of performance, employers are of the mindset that your previous performance is the best proof of your future performance.

    Please click here to read the article on “why employers want proof of your performance“.

    So you have to supplement your training and professional development through personal initiative, traditional classes or online training bootcamps

    Traditional classes do not help you develop skills or experience using tasks or assignments because that amount of work will be too much for a traditional school to handle.

    In a traditional class, students have to start and complete their tasks within a set amount of time or that school loses money because the next class is delayed from starting!

    But our online training bootcamps are not designed like traditional training classes.

    Our students are given practical tasks or assignments which requires them to perform assigned activities with the knowledge or skills they’ve acquired.

    Do You Want To Have Your Questions Answered?

    In a traditional class, you may not want to ask questions that someone else thinks is dumb or you may not ask questions because your manager wants you to keep quiet or because the instructor just doesn’t have enough time to answer all the questions from all the participants!

    Why can’t traditional classes entertain, encourage or answer all the questions from all the participants in a course?

    Traditional classes can’t because they have a set start and end date and a limited amount of time within which the instructor must go over the course materials.

    We do not have the limitations of a set starting time and a set closing time facing traditional classes!

    Our online course participants may start their courses at any time or complete it earlier.

    There are no limits to how many questions that you can ask and you don’t have the problems of someone judging your conversations or the appropriateness of your questions.

    Because we use a learning management system, none of your questions is lost by the instructor in a bid to answer everyone else.

    Do You Want To Be Personally Involved?

    Unlike traditional online or classroom training, where you get a certificate regardless of your personal efforts, our assignments require your personal time and effort because they are reviewed and graded by us!

    Our online training bootcamps requires non-trivial hard work which may be an issue, if you’re only interested in a passive learning experience.

    When you enroll in our online boot camp training, you will watch videos, take practice tests, write assignments, perform research activities or perform any practical tasks assigned to you … all of which are required!

    Our online courses are quite unlike traditional classes where you’re not given the chance to get your hands dirty!

    Do You Want To Ace Your Job Interviews?

    Have you ever been in a situation where you knew the answers to the interviewer’s questions but were unable to form an answer in your mind in good time?

    What happened is that you weren’t able to form an effective verbal response because you hadn’t practiced recalling answers to similar questions until it became second nature.

    That is exactly why we give you practice tests or quizzes in our online training bootcamps … so that you will be practiced at recalling or formulating the correct answers to interview questions in a timely fashion!

    Click here to read this post on: how to ace job interviews using practice tests

    Do You Want To Be A Top Performer On The Job?

    Becoming the top performer is one of the best ways of securing your job because employers no long hire for keeps.

    In other words, the moment an employer thinks that your performance is falling or that your skills are not as good as that of someone else, you are marked for firing!

    Being knowledgeable about your job is not enough to protect or secure it!

    You also need to be skilled at responding with the right answers or solutions in a timely manner because that assures your managers that you know what you are doing.

    This is where our practice tests can help you.

    You will retain, remember or recall answers or solutions easily … so that you’re always ready for the next challenge!

    Do You Want To Take Your Career To The Next Level?

    Regardless of where you are in your career: whether you are a beginner versus an expert, looking for a job versus working on your next career promotion, learning a new skill or refreshing the knowledge you already have … we can help.

    Our help is not restricted to paying clients or customers only! We will help any of our readers by answering their most pressing career questions.

    To get your questions answered promptly, post them as a response to any of our blog posts or Submit a question to [ASK IT Career Coach] here …

    What Do You Want From Your Career?

    We do not just provide you with the knowledge needed to get your job done, we also provide the real-world, practical education or skills required for your professional success!

    So, if you are only interested in theoretical knowledge and you don’t care about building skills or learning how to perform tasks, then a traditional college or diploma course may be good for you.

    On the other hand, if you want to build your knowledge, skills and experience using an interactive coaching or mentoring experience or if you are looking to apply your knowledge in a real job, then our online training bootcamps may be what you are looking for!


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/18/take-your-career-to-the-next-level/feed/ 0     Which Courses or Certifications Guarantee A Job? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/13/which-certifications-or-courses-guarantee-a-job/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/13/which-certifications-or-courses-guarantee-a-job/#comments Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:11:22 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3070

    Which Certifications Or Courses Guarantee Jobs?

    Which Certifications Or Courses Guarantee Jobs?

    This question is frequently asked by job candidates searching for certifications or training courses they can put on their resume, present to an employer and get a job.

    However, the answer to the question: which online courses, certifications, college degrees or classroom courses guarantee a job is NONE!

    This type of question is seriously flawed because it assumes that there is something out there … a college degree or online course or certification program, that you can put on your resume and hired fast!

    But what really guarantees you a job is the depth of your handson experience, skills and knowledge or your ability to convey, present or market your career competency in a job interview.

    Yet many job candidates read a job posting and then immediately say to themselves: “regardless of the requirements for this job, who or what can endorse me?”

    Instead of addressing the gaps between the job posting and their “skills, knowledge or experience”, they try to short-circuit the employment process with the rubber stamping of a course or certificate!

    Listen, don’t try to game the employment system. The only way you can guarantee yourself a job is by giving employers what they want … which is typically stated in your plain view on the job posting!

    Dear Friend,

    Start your job search by first placing yourself in the employers shoes and not with pre-conceived, mis-leading or half-baked ideas on how the job market works!

    In this post, I will help you understand how the job market works because this knowledge will keep you employable for years regardless of your chosen profession.

    WHAT DO EMPLOYERS WANT FROM JOB SEEKERS?

    The first and most important question that you have to answer before you begin a job search is the question: “What Are Employers Hiring For?“

    At a minimum, 80% of the jobs out there have these basic requirements:

    1. Knowledge Requirement – the comprehension or understanding of the practical facts needed to get the job done.

      This knowledge may be gained from an online class, traditional classroom course, coaching, mentoring or self-study program.

      Employers don’t care how you get the knowledge … they just want to be assured that you have it!

    2. Skills Requirement – the ability to recall knowledge and apply the right solutions to problems.

      Skill is developed by rehearsing the answers or solutions to common problems using practice tests, quizzes or certification programs or by repeatedly solving a problem on the job.

      Most employers will probe your skill-level at the job interview regardless of what you claim on the resume.

    3. Handson Experience Requirement – the quality of exposure to real-world projects where your skills and knowledge are used to solve practical problems.

      Note that handson experience is not given by certification programs.

      Handson experience is developed over time by performing the roles, responsibilities or duties associated with your career.

    4. Personality Match Requirement – employers want you to have the right personality for a job and the right personality for their corporate or organizational structure.

      You may be a well-qualified job candidate and still fail at a job interview because the hiring manager perceives a clash or mis-match between your personality and the company culture!

    5. Marketability Requirement – the probability that you will get a job is also dependent on the demand for your skills.

      If you want additional guarantees that you will be hired … pay attention to the job outlook for your career!

      The less your skills are in-demand, the more aggressive you must be with your job search and the more your skills are in demand, the more you are guaranteed a job.

    Now, let’s review the responsible actions you may take to guarantee yourself a job.

    BRIDGE THE KNOWLEDGE GAP

    Learn everything you can about your career or job using self-study, coaching, mentoring or training programs.

    Don’t make up educational requirements thinking that it will move your employer to hire you.

    Employers care less about your endorsement from an educational institution but they care most about the relevancy of your knowledge, training or education to their job!

    BRIDGE THE SKILLS GAP

    Your skills measure how practiced you are at solving problems or your competency.

    Skills are developed by taking lots of practice tests or by repeating quizzes until you can answer questions or solve problems without thinking.

    Expect an employer to test your skills by asking open-ended questions at a job interview …. which you have to answer promptly, comprehensively and confidently.

    BRIDGE THE EXPERIENCE GAP

    You can only develop handson experience by working on real-world problems.

    So, the more tasks, duties, roles, responsibilities, assignments or projects you take on … the more experienced you become.

    Be creative and find ways to get experience even without a job because your getting hired depends on it!

    MATCH THE PERSONALITY

    Employers want you to have the right personality for a career and also for their corporate culture.

    Here are a few personality mis-match situations for your consideration:

    Computer programmers are expected to be more geeky than business analysts and project managers are expected to be more assertive than either software developers or business analysts.

    If you’re an introvert or shy of developing relationships or weak at verbal communications, you may fail at convincing hiring managers that you are good fit for their business analyst or project management jobs!

    So, now you have it … THE GUARANTEED WAY OF FINDING A JOB.

    Do not abandon these FUNDAMENTAL LAWS OF HIRING for endorsements of any kind because that would be like chasing your own shadow!

    With all this in mind, here is how our online courses, coaching, training programs or step-by-step bootcamps will help you:

    1. Knowledge – You may get the knowledge needed to do your job through our online video training or coaching courses.
    2. Skills – You can use our quizzes or practice tests to boost your skills or even ace certification examinations.
    3. Experience – You can use our in-built, handson assignments or coaching advice to jumpstart the experience needed for your career.

    This how we (IT Career Coach) help … by aligning you with the requirements of your career or job.


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/13/which-certifications-or-courses-guarantee-a-job/feed/ 2     What Is the Toughest Challenge Facing your Career? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/11/the-toughest-challenge-facing-your-career/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/11/the-toughest-challenge-facing-your-career/#comments Wed, 12 Jan 2011 04:30:35 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3062

    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Compliments of the Season and Merry Christmas To You. What is the toughest challenge facing your career right now?

    Post a detailed question regarding your challenges right now, and I will help you take care of them, once and for all!

    How To Discover Your Passion?

    Perhaps, your toughest challenge is …

    • How to choose the right career or
    • How to make a career change or
    • How to get an entry level job that is inline with your career goals

    Regardless of the type of challenge facing your career, go ahead and post a detailed question regarding your challenge and I will answer it for you

    How To Do The Work You Love?

    Perhaps, your toughest challenge is …

    • How to become highly skilled at your job or
    • How to get suitable hands-on experience or
    • How to transition from a beginner or junior position to a senior-level job

    Leave a detailed comment about your challenging career situation using the form below and I will answer it for you!

    How To Take Your Passion To The Market?

    Perhaps, the most challenging situation facing your career is …

    • How to rewrite your resume and/or cover letter, so you can get the job you want or
    • How to distinguish yourself from others in your industry, so that you can standout or get hired or
    • How to ace your job / technical interviews so that you can get jobs more easily …

    Whatever your challenge, just go ahead and ask a question using the “comment form” below and I will answer it for you.

    I may answer by writing a new article that addresses your concerns or by posting a comprehensive reply to your comment below.

    The concern or challenge facing you is important to me, so go right away and post it as a comment on this page.

    The sooner you ask that question, the sooner I can take care of it for you. So, let’s get started


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/11/the-toughest-challenge-facing-your-career/feed/ 53     Why Tech Jobs Are Better For You http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/11/30/why-tech-jobs-are-better-for-you/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/11/30/why-tech-jobs-are-better-for-you/#comments Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:45:05 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3019

    Tech Jobs Are Better For You

    Tech Jobs Are Better For You!


    I get questions all the time about the suitability of technology careers for those who’ve never worked a tech job.

    I understand those asking are anxious about their future.

    However, making a career change to Information Technology is in many cases a better financial investment than taking on debt to buy a house or go to college!

    If you are one of those, here are some of the best reasons why changing jobs to Information Technology (IT) is a sound financial decision.

    • Technology Shapes Our Future

      Technology is the currency of our civilization now and in future.

      Those that work with technology will be the ones initiating or driving our society / civilization forward.

      Those that don’t will be the ones left behind … and there is no sitting on the fence because you are either in or out!

    • No Glass Ceiling

      You can grow or succeed in an Information Technology (IT) job regardless of your age, sex or ethnicity or educational background.

      The IT Industry employs professionals with diverse backgrounds (sciences, liberal arts, etc.) and there are no set limitations that will make it impossible for you to rise to the top or disqualify you for a good IT Job!

      If you want to be the master of your own destiny, get an IT job!

    • Tech Jobs Are IN Demand

      Technology workers are employed in every industry (legal, healthcare, finance, insurance, tourism, etc) instead of being pigeon holed in one industry.

      Tech jobs are in-demand now even though people say that jobs are scarce in other sectors of the economy.

      Our economic growth depends on the pace of technological change so working a tech job puts you where the economy needs you the most!

    • Low Barrier To Entry

      You can transition into a tech job without having to spend tens of thousands of dollars in expensive education or re-training … quite unlike other professional, high-paying careers.

    • Lower Learning Curve

      You can transition into an IT job without first having to invest years in a lengthy or expensive certification program.

      This is quite unlike what obtains with careers in healthcare or the legal sector (for example) … where you are legally restricted from working as a professional until you pass specific certification exams!

    • No Certifications Required!

      You can get an IT Job without first getting some sort of certification or credential because the tech sector is a credentialess industry.

      Your only valid credentials are your resume, handson experience, job interviewing skills and your reputation in the industry.

    • Tech Skills Are Portable

      Tech Jobs offer you the maximum portability for your working life.

      You may start out as a business analyst and switch to a project management role or vice versa.

      The portability of Information Technology skills means that you don’t have to be trapped behind a job that you hate, just because you made some wrong choices eariler in your career.

      This means that you can easily retrain yourself, migrate to another branch of the IT Industry and take advantage of new financial opportunities.

    • If you know what you’re doing … it may not even take you a long time to advance your career, become highly skilled and start earning a higher pay because you’ve moved upwards in the industry.

      And you can even make career advances that may take decades to achieve in other sectors of the economy within a few of years of starting your tech career.

    The Information Technology (IT) sector of employment is a gold mine for many professionals because tech workers can re-train or learn new IT skills from the comfort of their home or office and then get high-paying jobs or move up in their carees because of the high-demand for their technology skills.

    [ASK IT Career Coach] is a Career Advice column that provides tech professionals with answers to their most challenging career situations.


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/11/30/why-tech-jobs-are-better-for-you/feed/ 0     The Healthcare Data Analyst Job Description http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/02/09/health-care-data-analyst-job-description/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/02/09/health-care-data-analyst-job-description/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:02:59 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2808

    healthcare data analyst job description

    healthcare data analyst job description

    Data Analysts interested in learning about the right tools, techniques or skills for their job, should read this.

    I am going to address the challenges facing a data analyst” starting a healthcare data analyst job.“

    If you need help with a Question or Challenge, be sure to ask for help by posting a comment because I will answer it fully … just like I am answering this data analyst’s questions below!

    How To Start A Healthcare Data Analyst Job?

    Here is the challenging data analyst career situation:

    I am working in a hospital and I have finished two years of college.

    What’s the first step I need to do if I want to start out with a data analysts job in health care?

    Thank you.

    How To Start A Healthcare Data Analyst Job

    • Multiple Career Paths for Data Analysts

      You can choose to start in healthcare, marketing, pharma, etc. Or you may specialize in data analysis with SAS, SPSS, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, SQL Server.

      But regardless of the tool, data analyst career path or skill you choose, resist the temptation to master every single data analysis tool out there … as this would be futile.

    • The Data Analyst Job Description

      You need to start by getting a good understanding of the data analyst’s roles, duties, tasks and responsibilities or the techniques and principles commonly employed in the healthcare data analysis domain.

      So, let’s start by reviewing the healthcare data analyst job description.

    • The Healthcare Data Analyst Job Description

      The healthcare data analysts’ job description includes importing, cleaning, transforming, validating or modeling healthcare data with the purpose of understanding or making inferences for decision or management purposes.

      The job description also includes presenting data in charts, graphs or tables, designing and developing relational databases for collecting data or building and designing data input or data collection screens.

      Finally, the healthcare data analyst may have to write Data Definition Language or Data Manipulation Language SQL commands, be responsible for improving data quality or designing and presenting inferences made by analyzing data using statistical techniques within Microsoft Excel, SAS, SQL Server, SPSS

    • Are you Tool or Technique Minded

      Keep in mind that data analysts tend to work in diverse domains including healthcare, social sciences, pharmaceutical, marketing and sales.

      For example, some data analysts have backgrounds in technology, information management, relational database design and development, business intelligence, data mining or statistics.

      That is why data analysts sometimes have a tough time convincing hiring managers that they are suited for the job.

      Hiring managers typically have a specific view of what a new data analyst hire would look like and your job is to fit into that mold!

      Here is where I would like to offer a tip …. don’t be a tool minded data analyst.

      By that I mean don’t seek to be a data analyst who is fixated on a specific data analysis tool like SAS or SPSS!

      What is important is not any specific data analysis tool like SAS or SPSS but the investigative mindset or technique that you bring to the table.

      For example, if you understand how to analyze data, you can setup a spreadsheet like Microsoft Excel or a database like Microsoft Access or even an enterprise database like SQL Server to run your analysis!

    • How To Ace Data Analyst Job Interviews

      I have been talking about the data analyst’s skill set, background and technique. Now, let me address how you can get into a healthcare data analyst job.

      Strive to convey mastery of data analysis concepts at the job interview, so you can direct your technical interviewers to a favorable conclusion.

      For example, let’s say that a healthcare data analyst job description stresses SQL Server Reporting Services and you only have knowledge of Microsoft Access Reporting.

      What you may do, is let the technical interviewer know that you have strong relational databases skills and because of that, will be comfortable working in a SQL Server Reporting Services environment.

      Next, you can support your claims, by talking about the data analysis knowledge areas you’re skilled in (data validation, data modeling, data transformation, etc) .

      Be sure to support your claims with concrete examples of related hands-on experience.

      You can support your claims by mentioning that you also know how to analyze large healthcare datasets similar to the volume of data you will be working with using an enterprise database like SQL Server.

      Finally, you may emphasize the strengths or advantages of your data analysis background or training and present to the hiring manager, specific examples of how you will benefit the company when you hired!

    How To Start A Healthcare Data Analyst Job

    So, start by getting a solid understand of the healthcare data analyst job description, get some strong data analysis training and then learn how to market yourself to healthcare employers !

    FYI: The Data Analysts Boot Camp is an Online, Web-Based, Hands-On, Beginner to Advanced Data Analyst Video Training that covers that provides you with the background required for data analyst jobs.

    And: “For a limited time, you may take advantage of the convenient, online data analyst training available at a fraction of traditional costs.

    Click here to get started now:


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/02/09/health-care-data-analyst-job-description/feed/ 6     8 Tips for Business Analysts: How to Stand Out in a Crowded Job Market http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/10/26/8-tips-for-business-analysts-how-to-stand-out-in-a-crowded-job-market/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/10/26/8-tips-for-business-analysts-how-to-stand-out-in-a-crowded-job-market/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:03:30 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2639

    stand out in a business analyst job market

    This question was submitted by Merry who wants to know “how to become the best business analyst in a competitive business analyst job market.”

    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 Merry’s questions below!

    Here is Merry’s Question on Becoming The Best Business Analyst

    Hi

    I recently graduated from university with a BSc degree in Computer Science. I am now doing a Business Analyst Internship at an IT company in RSA. My contract with the company is expiring in the next four months.

    My greatest concern now is how do I go about finding the perfect position that meets my qualifications,skills and experience. The other challenge is that hiring managers or companies themselves are looking for people who are highly experienced and I only have one year experience.

    As I was reading some of the articles published here, I learned that you say people should not aim at getting Junior Business Analyst positions as employers are not really looking for Junior Business Analysts.

    Now my questions are with the little experience that I have and still need more exposure in this field(IT Business Analysis) what kind of positions should I apply for? and which steps must I take in order to become the best business analyst and for me to be considered for Business Analyst positions?

    Thank you for your time. Looking forward to your response

    Regards

    How to Stand Out in a Crowded Business Analyst Job Market

      In a competitive business analyst job market, only the best business analyst candidates will succeed.

      So, here are a few things that you may do to become a stronger or better business analyst:

    1. Learn more about business analysis – become the best business analyst by getting a well-rounded in-depth understanding of core BA subjects.

    2. Improve your presentation or communication skills – employers hire business analysts with strong verbal communication skills.

      Click here to join your local Toastmasters club for one of the best communication skills training programs … it costs next to nothing!

    3. Become a better business writer – one of the senior business analysts I interviewed and recommended, got the job on the basis of her strong documentation or writing skills.

      Click here to join a training program like the business analysts boot camp which incorporates a lot of hands-on business analyst documentation or writing projects.

    4. Make your resume stand out – your resume or cover letter is the first point of contact with potential employers.

      There are two simple but effective things that can improve your business analyst resume immediately:

      • Incorporate your personal brand into your resume and do not present a chronological but boring list of previous business analyst jobs.

      • Use an appropriate layout and format your resume to make it attractive.

      • Use the correct verb tenses and tailor your resume for each job description.

      • A poorly written or formatted resume signals weak business writing skills, so learn how to write your resume properly or hire someone to do it for you.

      • Resume writers charge as much as $600 and if you have to re-write your resume for each business analyst job, the cost quickly adds up.

        Click here to use the limited-time discount code: resumeONEX for up to two (2) resume rewrites.

    5. Get a lot of hands on experience – employers are not comfortable hiring business analysts without strong hands-on experience regardless of their certification or academic qualifications.

      The demand for hands-on experience is so strong that college graduates are now paying for internship services!

      Click here to read how college graduates are paying for internship opportunities.

      So, do whatever it takes to get hands-on business analysis experience through training, volunteer, internship or personal leadership projects.

      Unlike some training programs, the business analyst boot camp incorporates hands-on projects, assignments and activities at no extra cost.

      So, for a limited-time, you may click here to register at the current low price.

    6. Become a Leader In Your Industry – don’t depend only on your resume for a job.

      Employers now research potential candidates on social networking sites. So, if you don’t have a well-crafted personal brand, you’re letting employers make up their mind before you have a chance to tell your story.

      Learn how to establish your personal brand or tell your story by reading this now;

    7. Prepare in advance for your business analyst job interview – start preparing for your business analyst job interviews several months ahead.

      Use business analyst practice tests to memorize, understand and recite the correct answers to potential interview questions.

      Click here; to read how scientific studies prove that using practice tests or quizzes boost retention, memory and recall.

      Note that the business analyst boot camp incorporates quizzes or practice tests as part of the process.

    8. Don’t be so narrow minded, get some technical skils - employers are hiring for broader skill sets in a bid to cut down costs.

      What that means is that business analysts are increasing being asked to demonstrate technical or programming skills.

      Broaden your skill sets by learning SQL, relational databases and HTML. If you’re brave enough, learn some computer programming.

      If your objective is to get a business analyst job, then give employers what they want and don’t be insisting that technical skills are for programmers only!

      Currently there is a 2 for 1 promotional discount which allows you to register for any technical training program at no additional costs … don’t miss it!

    The reality is, “you have to work hard at standing out in a competitive job market“!

    I have made this easier by explaining what employers are looking for, so, the rest is up to you.

    Remember that the market doesn’t lie. Don’t invest time on how to circumvent business analyst job descriptions. Save time and effort by giving employers what they want.

    This post answers a question on how to become the best business analyst in a crowded job market.

    If you have a question or a challenge about your career, post it as a comment and I will answer it for you!


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/10/26/8-tips-for-business-analysts-how-to-stand-out-in-a-crowded-job-market/feed/ 2     Did I Mess Up My Career? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/07/16/did-i-mess-up-my-career/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/07/16/did-i-mess-up-my-career/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:40:21 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2064

    Ask IT Career Coach

    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.

    Here is the Reader’s Question:

    I think I did myself well careerwise by reading for a degree that bears no inclination to what I am trying to aspire to in life.

    The programme entitled: Degree in Computing with Management Studies is embeded with C++, COBOL and Report Programme Generator (RPG) courses.

    The final year I underwent a gruelling course in Artificial Intelligence that I haven’t started to utilise in anyway in my career path.

    What I strongly desire is a competence in database management and its integration with records management and design.

    Regards

    Here is my Answer

    Hello,

    I feel your pain because I have been in your shoes – in a similar situation.

    I’ve had to transition career several times from Chemical Engineering to IT Sales to IT Consulting to IT Career Coaching!

    I’m reasonably sure that my last transitiion is permanent … but that doesn’t mean much because I expect my IT Career Coaching skills to change so much that I would literally be re-inventing myself every year!

    Think about it for a moment. The world around us is constantly changing and we have to remain flexible and adaptable or we become as dead as the DoDo!

    Fact is … “career transitions are a part of life“!

    What I’ve learnt that I would like to share with you is this: “march boldly in the direction of your dreams!“

    Start by forgiving yourself thoroughly.

    Forgiving yourself is really not as easy as it sounds … put some effort into giving yourself a break because you did the best that you could based on the information you had.

    Don’t be too hard on yourself, make sure you take out some time to love on yourself before you do the next big thing.

    Now, having done that, “follow your call wherever it leads without any hesitation“!

    Since your heart is saying that you need to become a database professional, do exactly that!

    “Jump into the water with both feet and don’t be afraid of getting your feet wet. “

    What I mean is: “pursue your dreams fearlessly, follow your heart wherever it leads and don’t be afraid of making mistakes”.

    You owe yourself the pursuit of “life, liberty and love”.

    Let me know if I can do anything to help.

    Regards,

    Kingsley Tagbo – Your IT Career Coach

    This post answers a question posted by a reader who needs advice on “what to do about making wrong career choices”!

    If you have any Question about your career, Post IT as a comment on this page and I will be sure to answer it for you!


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/07/16/did-i-mess-up-my-career/feed/ 9     Why Can’t I Find A Job? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/07/13/why-cant-i-find-a-job/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/07/13/why-cant-i-find-a-job/#comments Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:21:11 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2002

    Beat the Recession

    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.

    1. Do You Have a Marketable Skill? Did you assume that because your skills were in-demand a few years ago, they are relevant today?

      The market doesn’t lie! … If your phone isn’t ringing or you aren’t getting job interviews then your skills need to be updated!

      What looks like a minor skill gap to you is a major skill gap to hiring managers because that’s what they’re paying for!

    2. Is Your Resume Killing Your Career? Your resume screams “hire me because I need this job” and says little about what you can do for the employer!

      Get a clue, no-one cares about you until you prove that you care about them!

      Put yourself in the employer’s shoes by re-writing your resume to say: “here is what I can do for you” and you’ll get a job paying surprisingly more than you asked for!

    3. Are You Flying by the Seat of Your Pants? Your failure to plan your job search is the reason why your job search is falling apart!

      Start your job search with a competitive analysis of your strengths and weaknesses in the current job market (SWOT Analysis) and then create a strategic job search plan that addresses your findings!

      Applying for every online job doesn’t work because everyone else is doing the same thing and you must differentiate yourself to succeed.

    4. Do You Suck at Job Interviews? You need to learn “how to interview properly” because something you’re doing is freaking out potential employers!

      Face-to-face or phone interviews are make or break opportunities that can’t be treated casually or left to chance.

      So learn “how to slam dunk job interviews” to improve your job search or get hired fast!

    5. Can You Perform? Prove It! Performers get hired wherever they go!

      Everything about your resume, job interviews or attitude must prove that you’re a performer because that’s what potential employers wants to hear!

      Remember that IT Managers view: your past performance as the best indicator of your future performance.

      So, get your act together and differentiate yourself from the competition. Prove that you’re a job candidate worthy of hire!

    Remember that Employers are still hiring for Information Technology (IT) jobs despite the economy … so, if you can’t find an IT Job, you’re doing something wrong!

    Finding a job doesn’t have to be an emotionally demanding, long-drawn out process. Just learn the process outlined in this series of articles and you will be in-charge of your job search.


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/07/13/why-cant-i-find-a-job/feed/ 6     How To Get Computer Programming Experience http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/21/how-to-get-computer-programming-experience/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/21/how-to-get-computer-programming-experience/#comments Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:00:34 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=555

    Be Wise ... Get Experience

    Be Wise ... Get Experience

    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.

    How To Get Computer Programming Job Experience

    Now, you know that raw, hands on computer programming experience is valued above programming degrees, job titles or programming certifications, here are tips on how to increase your programming experience.

    • Open Source Projects

      there are various open source projects that you can join and contribute code to. Before you join an open source project, take some time to learn the code, use the application, get to know the team members and become familiar with the code review or code commit processes.

    • Non Profits

      you may get programming experience by helping a non-profit organization that needs with building a database, a website or a software application.

      Be sure to let the non-profit organization know that you are doing the job to get more programming experience.

      You need to be truthful and upfront about your level of expertise or you may run into problems by taking on more than you can handle.

      When you committee to working for a non-profit organization, you may be required to work at the pace of other senior, more experienced team members.

      Also, the non-profit may be racing towards meeting some important deadlines.

      So, even if you are offering free help, the non-profit organization needs to understand that you may introduce additional delays to the timetable.

      If this is not acceptable then you and the non-profit organization are not a good match.

    • Personal Use Software Applications

      You may get computer programming experience by building a software application that provides some services or benefit to you.

      For example, an employee I managed built a price watching software applications in his spare time.

      The application was a web crawler that would go to specific websites and monitor the bids and prices of products he was interested in.

      You can get some really cool programming experience that way because you are your own customer, you are not going to stress yourself over deadlines and you understand the needs you are trying to meet.

      The downside is that software development managers do not rank this type of programming experience as high as that gained by working for non-profit organizations or open source projects

    • Professional Computer Programming Experience

      You may get computer programming experience from a professional software development organization.

      This involves having a software development company assign programming projects to you, review your code and mentor, coach or train you on your weak spots.

      This method is preferred because hiring managers value programming experience derived from professional mentors above those from self study or non profits or other sources of programming experience.

      The reason is that a professional software developer can critique your code or database design while you or a non-profit may not review or critique your own code.

    How to get professional software development experience

    The Software Developer Boot Camp provides you with professional software development experience.

    You are given hands on, practical, real world projects to work on.

    Your computer programming code or database design assignments are reviewed by course instructors and you are given feedback that helps you correct your weak spots.

    You are assigned additional projects as you progress along the course and as you complete your training, you build up your portfolio and programming experience.

    What Next After Getting Programming Experience?

    If you don’t already have a programming job, you need to make the best efforts towards putting together a professional computer programmer resume, sending out your resume to hiring managers and preparing rigorously for your technical interviews.

    If you gain relevant, real world programming experience, prepare a resume that highlights your programming experience and contact a lot of hiring managers, you will secure technical programming interviews.

    All you need to at the technical interview is to put your best foot forward and get the job you want!

    The Demand For Computer Programmers In A Recession

    The demand for software development professionals is high inspite of the state of the economy.

    I receive unsolicited job postings for SQL programmers, business analysts or computer programmers all the time.

    Remember that computer programming skills are still in-demand even with the state of the job market.

    So make sure you do not hesitate to improve your real world, hands on, computer programming experience.


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/21/how-to-get-computer-programming-experience/feed/ 3     Tech Predictions for 2009 http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/05/tech-predictions-for-2009/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/05/tech-predictions-for-2009/#comments Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:00:34 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=328

    2009 Tech Predictions

    2009 Tech Predictions

    Happy New Year!! Here are some technology predictions for 2009 that are worth a read for software developers, business analysts and database developers who want to position themselves for success in 2009:

    1. Pay attention to Social Media says CapGemini:

    “2009 will be the year when use of social networking tools within companies will be the talk of the town. Yes, it has been around for a while but to be honest, nothing much has really happened apart from that Serena Software uses Facebook internally.

    So when our global heads of Capgemini Consulting visited Sweden office last week and started talking about the power of social networking only five minutes into the talk I felt that something had changed. For the better. Substantial growth is predicted in web 2.0 for the enterprise within the next five years.”

    2. The economy looms large says PCWorld:

    “Ultimately, economic conditions will play a huge role in how 2009 pans out for the developer community. When customers aren’t buying, tool vendors don’t innovate — so don’t expect many groundbreaking new technologies to debut this year.

    Among enterprise customers, tightening budgets are likely to put the kibosh on many an ambitious new project. But smart companies will realize that process automation is one of the best ways to reduce costs in any business.

    Now may actually be the ideal time to revisit old software schemes that got shelved back when staffing budgets were flush. Layoffs and hiring freezes will mean there are fewer developers to go around, however, which could make smart projects infeasible for the time being.”

    3. Agile development is a must says Barry Gervin:

    “Many of my customers began large-scale re-writes of their key software assets in 2008, many of them against my recommendations. For most of my key customers in 2008 and into 2009 I’m an advocate of providing incremental value in short iterative releases, not major re-writes that take 6+ months to develop.

    Even if your application is written in PowerBuilder 6 or Classic ASP, avoid the temptation to rewrite any code that won’t see production for 4 months or longer. We can work towards componentized software by refactoring legacy assets and providing key integration points so that we can release updated modules towards gradual migration.

    It is difficult for software teams in this economy to produce big-bang, “boil the ocean”, build cathedral type projects. We simply can’t predict what our project’s funding will be in 4 months from now, or if we’ll be owned by another company, scaled down, out sourced or just plain laid off. That is of course unless you work for the government.

    Government spending will continue if not increase in 2009, but still, try to spend our taxpayer money wisely by delivering short incremental software releases. It allows you to build trust with your customers, mark a line in the sand and move onward and upward, and let’s you move quickly in times of fluid business requirements and funding issues.

    Incremental, Value-Based software development isn’t easy.
    It takes lots of work, creative thinking, and much interop and integration work than one would prefer. It might easily seem like an approach that costs more in the long term, and in some cases you could be right. But if a company has to throw out work in progress after 6-8 months or never sees the value of it because of other changing business conditions, then what have you saved? Probably not your job anyway.”

    For more technology predictions for 2009, Bob Stumpel has an impressive compilation of tech predictions from around the web here.


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/05/tech-predictions-for-2009/feed/ 0     How To Find, Hire Or Retain Good Software Developers Easily http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/02/13/how-to-find-hire-or-retain-good-software-developers-easily/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/02/13/how-to-find-hire-or-retain-good-software-developers-easily/#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:05:29 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/02/13/how-to-find-hire-or-retain-good-software-developers-easily/

    There is a high demand by IT managers for good, competent and skilled software
    developers right now.A good number of software development job postings for
    leading or cutting edge software development skills are taking longer and longer
    to fill.

    1. The demand for experienced, skilled software developers in Java, C# .NET,
    Visual Basic .NET, SQL Server, SharePoint and ASP.NET exceeds the supply of
    available, skilled and competent computer programmers.

    2. Software job postings are taking longer to fill. In some cases, they are not
    getting filled at all. I have seen IT directors, IT managers and hiring managers
    post "job wanted" advertisements for .NET programmers or C# programmers that
    take months to fill.

    3. When IT directors, IT managers or hiring managers use recruiting firms, they
    have to pay a premium to find competent computer programmers. IT staffing
    agencies bill $70/hr. or more for finding and placing skilled temporary
    Java, C#, ASP.NET and SQL Server computer programmers. Employers sometimes have
    to pay as much as a hefty 20% placement fee to convert skilled temporary
    software developers into a permanent employees.

    Here a few tips that can help you with finding or hiring good, competent or
    expert software developers.

    How to find and hire competent software developers

    1. Telecommuting:

    Offer your software developers the option to telecommute as a perk.

    I am amazed at how in 2008, not enough IT managers are offering telecommuting as
    a benefit. Offering partial or full telecommuting will allow you to attract more
    highly skilled and competent software developers because it is getting harder to
    compete for and win software developers based on offering better salaries, 401K
    or medical benefits. But you can more easily attract the attention of software
    developers by offering telecommuting as a benefit.

    2. Software Development Tools:

    Invest in enterprise software development tools to attract and keep the right
    software development talent. If you are an IT manager, project manager, IT
    director, hiring manager, software development manager or you have the authority
    to hire and manage software developers, make sure that you have a budget for
    software development tools such as testing tools, requirement management tools,
    database development tools, web development tools, source code management and
    versioning tools and software build management tools.

    If you don't or you skip buying the professional tools your software developers
    need, you may find it more difficult to hire, attract or retain good software
    development talent. Good, experienced or competent software developers expect to
    use these software development tools for their day-to-day tasks and rank
    employers who provide them with professional software development tools higher
    than employers who don't.

    3. Train your programmers:

    Invest in the training of your computer programmers and other information
    technology workers who are interested in learning computer programming.

    Don't lose sight of the fact that computer programming is a skill that can be
    learned just like any other skill. With the shortage of skilled, competent and
    experienced computer programmers, you need to explore training employees who are
    interested in learning programming knowing that you can get the return on your
    investment (ROI) within a year.

    Training has the effect of raising employee morale because it demonstrates that
    you care and believe in the employee. It also provides you with a means of
    standing out in the industry as an employer who invests in their employees.
    Training your existing computer programmers also signals to senior, experienced
    and competent software developers that you are the kind of employer who looks
    after the career of your software developers.

    These tips will make it is easier, less expensive and faster for you to find,
    hire or retain good software developers. If you need assistance with
    implementing any of these tips,
    target="_blank"
    title="contact the author">click here to get in touch with me    .

    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, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and
    New Zealand. If you are in need of software development consultants or training,
    target="_blank"
    title="contact the author">click here to get in touch with me    .


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/02/13/how-to-find-hire-or-retain-good-software-developers-easily/feed/ 0     Is My Resume Killing My Career? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/03/19/is-my-resume-killing-my-career/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/03/19/is-my-resume-killing-my-career/#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2007 20:47:14 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/03/19/is-my-resume-killing-my-career/

    Resume Writer

    Resume Writer

    You won’t have believed me if I told you.

    But now You, Oh Yes You, are beginning to realize it.

    Your resume is the reason why you can’t get a programming interview despite your best efforts.

    And when you talk to recruiters, Oh My, Do They Give You A Run Around!

    Someone should have been kind enough to tell you that your resume is killing your career!

    You send your resume to soooo many employers and then sit back for phone calls that never happen.

    No one wants to hire you! Even though your resume literally screams Hire Me!

    What is happening to me you say.

    Am I over qualified, under qualified, too old, too young, too Christian, too Moslem, under educated or over educated? you ask.

    Please tell me what is wrong with my career and I will fix it, you cry, staring at your phone.

    And then it happens. Your phone rings! And with a surge of 100 percent pure adrenaline you grab it and yell out your full name before the caller has a chance to say hello my name is Bob and …

    Surprise! The Private Number on your Caller ID is from a debt collector calling to remind you of a 60 days past due bill.

    You look up. There, suspended in mid-air, are crystal clear pictures of bankruptcy, repossession and eviction!

    Will I ever get a programming job, is my career over, am I the next homeless person? you wonder.

    As the walls begin to cave-in on you, the only thing louder than your heart beat is your own labored breathing and one very small, very quiet voice that says now begin to face the truth that your resume is the reason why you can’t get a job.

    For example:

    You have several years of experience from careers that have nothing to do with computer programming listed on your resume! How does that help your case with an employer?

    You have included your entire college or academic results (transcript) on your resume! Why?

    You say you love programming and all you want is an entry-level programmer job. Yet your resume is that of a desperate job seeker and not that of a lover of programming.

    And you don’t have one lousy programming job where you worked for at least 6 months. How can you be a programmer?

    You think that by using the tag ‘entry level programmer’ in your resume, you will become instantly employable! Little do you know what employers are really thinking: Show Me Your Programming Skills First And Then I Will Show You The Money?!

    To cap it! Your resume says you have been searching for work for a really long time – meaning nobody wants to hire you.

    Let’s stop this madness right now.

    Get with me right now so I can help you straighten out your resume quickly, get it into the hands of hiring managers today, get hired easily and get paid more!

    By now you know what you must … click here to straighten out your resume quickly and get a job fast!


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/03/19/is-my-resume-killing-my-career/feed/ 0     The Secret Art of Writing Highly Effective Killer Resumes for Computer Programming Jobs http://www.it-career-coach.net/2006/08/27/the-secret-art-of-writing-highly-effective-killer-resumes-for-computer-programming-jobs/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2006/08/27/the-secret-art-of-writing-highly-effective-killer-resumes-for-computer-programming-jobs/#comments Sun, 27 Aug 2006 14:06:40 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2006/08/27/the-secret-art-of-writing-highly-effective-killer-resumes-for-computer-programming-jobs/

    Your resume drives your compensation, your marketability and the effectiveness of your job search. Without much ado, here are the rules of engagement for writing highly effective killer resumes for Information Technology jobs that gets you on the fast track to career nirvana.

    One page resumes are out!

    The rule of cramming your skills, experience and accomplishment on one page is dead. Include as much detail as necessary to secure an interview or a job offer. Your personal information is irrelevant!

    Skip the section on your hobbies including the references to martial arts, chess, marathon, etc. Nobody really cares. Just answer the question, can you do the job?

    Keywords are relevant!

    Keywords are the buzzwords that describe the current skills, technologies and processes that are popular in your industry. Your resume is dead without the right keywords or buzzwords. Some hiring managers use scanners that count how often desired keywords are mentioned, so your resume is dead if you don’t employ them effectively.

    Also, other recruiters who don’t use scanners look out for the jobs where you mention those keywords. Either way, your career is headed for the slow track if your resume does not use industry keywords effectively.

    Beware of Cover letters

    It is really a good resume that sells you if you are in contract programming. The cover letter is one more document that delays access to your resume. If you have a good relationship with your recruiter, make their jobs easier by skipping the cover letter. If you do not have a good relationship with a technical recruiter and you need a cover letter to sell you in addition to your resume, you had better not be in contract programming.

    Cover letters are traditional and are necessary if you are applying for full time positions or applying directly to hiring managers, otherwise, use a a few sentences to introduce your attached resume.

    Socialize your desired compensation

    Have you seen those jobs where you are advised not to apply without including your desired pay? Apply without your desired pay anyway. Yes, I know you would really want a six figure income but it is much better to discuss this with the recruiter than to add it to your resume, where it really adds no value.

    Besides, including your desired pay marks you as a newbie and from Negotiation 101 class we learn it puts you at a disadvantage when you finally negotiate your pay. The time to introduce your desired pay is after the recruiter or hiring manager has reviewed your resume and is all excited about interviewing or hiring you.

    Keep your references to yourself

    Don’t bother including your references or the ridiculous references available on demand line on your resume. Your references will be checked before or after an offer is extended to you. So, get on with your business of securing the job offer.

    Include multiple ways of contacting you

    The purpose of your resume is to market you, so, include as many ways of contacting you as possible. Include your email, mailing address, mobile phone, work phone, home phone and website address (tech or professional sites only) in the contact section of your resume and years from now, you will be getting calls from people who need your services.

    By including multiple ways of reaching you, you increase the chance that you will be discovered by recruiters or headhunters even when one or more of your contact details become obsolete.

    One resume does not fit all

    Your resume is a marketing document. So, customize it for each job or position you are interested in, especially if it differs significantly from what you are doing now. Hiring managers and recruiters are only interested in exact matches or near fits between the jobs they advertise and the resumes they receive.

    They literally want to see your resume mention the same skills and technologies they are advertising. So, if you want to get that interview, make sure you customize your resume for the position you are applying for.

    Prove your relevance with your resume

    If you are looking for a technical writing position, don’t just create a resume, showcase how relevant you are to the position you are applying for. See, recruiters and hiring managers want to hire the right person for each job, so make their jobs easier by beginning with this end in mind.

    If you are applying for a business analysis position, you should know within yourself if your resume makes a good case for you or not. Your resume must prove beyond a shadow of reasonable doubt that you can get the job done!

    It’s all about your experience

    Recruiters and hiring managers believe that your past performance is the best predictor of your future performance. They are only interested in you, if you have successfully solved problems similar to theirs. They want to see in your resume a trail of successes, not a trial of failures or an absence of both.

    So, describe not just the technology you use, but also the overall business processes, the problems you solved and the value you provided. Whatever you do, make sure you have relevant industry experience and showcase it on your resume.

    Focus your resume on where you are going

    Your resume should describe who you are now and who you want to be. It should make the connection between the positions you have had and the new position you want. If the credibility gap between what you have been doing and what you want is big, you will most likely be passed over.

    For example, if you have been a HTML developer and you are applying for a Java or C# job, the skills gap between HTML development and Java or C# development may kill your job search, however, if you position yourself as a web developer, you stand a better chance of getting hired. Likewise if your resume only highlights HTML web development and you show up at the interview talking about C# .NET development, your interviewing managers will ask you why you don’t already have C# .NET on your resume.

    Focus on your accomplishments not your responsibilities

    Your accomplishments describe what you do with you’re given. Accomplishments present you as results and goal oriented. Your responsibilities describe you as a passive player who only responds by chance. Responsibilities describe you as being task or process oriented.

    Hiring managers perceive the performance of responsibilities oriented candidates as being unpredictable and that of results oriented individuals as being a sure bet. So, do yourself a favor, become result oriented both on your resume and in real life.

    Do not include irrelevant past jobs

    You used to be a musician, a poet or a gunslinger in a past life, so what? Remove from your resume past jobs that you had to pass time or jobs you had when you were growing up or jobs that are not relevant to your job search! Let me spell it out, remove past jobs that have no skill and experience relevance to the position you are interested in.

    By leaving irrelevant past jobs on your resume, you prove that you still have a lot of baggage and that you are still clinging to your past. Remember, that your resume is primarily a marketing document and not a monument to your ego.

    Disclose your past employers

    Include the locations (city and state only) and the company names of the past employers listed on your resume. If you do not disclose your employers, recruiters or hiring managers may start wondering about what you are hiding and then start digging into your garbage. If you have nothing to hide, make their lives easier and disclose your past employers on your resume. If you have something to hide, keep your own counsel.

    List your past jobs in chronological order

    Recruiters and hiring managers expect to scan your job history in a chronological order from the most recent job to the last. Present the past jobs on your resume in that order.

    Is This Career Nirvana Or What?

    These are some of the secrets of writing highly effective killer resumes for Information Technology careers and jobs. Use them to fast track to career nirvana, ignore them at your own peril! Either way, you have been warned :-)

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


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

    Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here




    ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES


    Visit our Shopping Cart

    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2006/08/27/the-secret-art-of-writing-highly-effective-killer-resumes-for-computer-programming-jobs/feed/ 0