ITCareerCoach Training - Coaching » how to get a job 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 Why Successful People Are Passionate About Their Jobs http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/11/17/why-successful-people-are-passionate-about-their-jobs/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/11/17/why-successful-people-are-passionate-about-their-jobs/#comments Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:44:37 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3347

Success Principles: Discover Your Passion!

Success Principles: Discover Your Passion!

Do You Want To Live An Inspired Life?

First, discover your passion and work a job you really love.

Second, turn your passion into a set of excellent skills using practice tests or quizzes.

Third, bring your passion to the market using Push (emailing your branded resumes) or PULL Techniques (Social Media Marketing).

Here is a question for you; Do You Really Love Your Job?

In a study of how exceptional, world-class or, successful people are produced, Daniel Coyle in his book “The Talent Code” says that it takes a combination of concentrated, difficult, skill-building practice, motivation or inspiration and master coaching to achieve success.

Coyle’s point is that if a person is going to invest the amount of time and concentrated, difficult practice that produces a high-level of skill, that person will have to be deeply motivated or passionate about his or her work!

SUCCESS DOES NOT COME BY WORKING A JOB THAT PAYS MORE MONEY BUT BY FOCUSED, SKILL BUILDING PRACTICE.

Deep, Skill Building Practice

Deep practice is something most top athletes add to their training.

Deep practice is where they slow down their practice to unbelievably slow speeds just so that they can wrap their brains around the skill required of them and then practice with as much accuracy as possible.

Their goal is to practice perfect!

Think about it: top football teams study their plays over and over, slowly and in great detail on chalkboards in a classroom for hours on end before hitting the football fields.

And tennis camps in Russia do not allow young beginners to hit an actual tennis ball until they have developed a technically correct tennis swing at slower speeds.

Regardless of how much natural talent an athlete appears to have, most athletes will not reach the top unless they deep practice!

Deep practice is an obsessive, but focused, skill-building technique.

Read more on this post; “Deep Practice Journal”.

Passion, Motivation or Inspiration

In his book, Outliers, Gladwell interviewed Bill Gates, whose unique access to a computer at a time when they were not commonplace helped him succeed.

Gates passion for computing, drove him to access a high school computer in 1968 at the age of 13, and spend 10,000 hours programming on it before he was 23.

Without that access, Gladwell states that Gates would still be “a highly intelligent, driven, charming person and a successful professional”, but that he would not be worth US$50 billion.

The Beatles were so passionate about their craft that they performed live in Hamburg, Germany over 1,200 times from 1960 to 1964 and by the time they returned to England from Hamburg, Germany, ‘they sounded like no one else’.

The lesson to learn here is that:

It is only when you love what you do, that you will consciously try to improve your performance or work very hard at becoming very good.

If you do not love your work, you will not be able to make the type of exceptional, disciplined commitment required to be successful and if you are working just to pay your bills … you will never be exceptional!

The SECRET OF SUCCESSFUL people is that they choose the type of work they are deeply passionate about and they develop or perfect exceptional skills for their job using feedback, guidance or coaching.

For me, success means doing work that I love, developing my skills to the best of my abilities and helping or serving other people with my talent.

What does success mean for you? Here at ITCareerCoach, Success is a three part process that involves discovering your passion, developing your passion and bringing your passion to market.

  1. Discover Your Passion: identify and focus more on the type of tasks that give you a sense of fulfillment, joy or happiness and that is also very valuable, useful or helpful to others, so you get paid.

    • Doing what you love maximizes the benefit you get from your working hours. Remember that we spend the majority of our waking hours at some type of work!

    • If you don’t do what you love, you will lack the motivation to perfect your skills.

      You will lack the energy you need to find out of the box solutions, you will not have the motivation you need to stay ahead of the technology or marketplace and you will lack the desire to become exceptional at your job.

      In other words, you will only produce “below average to average” results because you lack the passion for excellence.

    • Read more on this post: “Are You Inspired Enough?”

  2. Develop Your Passion: sharpen your skills through continuous practice until you become highly skilled or exceptional at what you do.

    • Develop your skills so that they stand out with in the eyes of your clients, customers or employers.

    • Developing your skills through via deep-skill building practice maximizes your strengths and it allows you deliver valuable results or solutions to your customers or employer.

    • If you don’t develop your skill, someone else will become better than you and eventually take your market, job or business.

    • As an information technology (IT) professional, the primary method for developing or perfecting your skills is through the use of practice tests or quizzes.

    • Read more on this post: “Ace Job Interviews Using Practice Tests!”

  3. Bring your Passion To Market: Become a leader by continuously sharing your passion with a community using a blog or a website.

    • Sharing your passion allows you to get real-world feedback on what is valuable to others and what is not.

      Even if when you are highly skilled or knowledgeable, you will lack the customer or real-world interaction that rounds off your knowledge.

    • It also helps you get paid for doing what you love. Sharing your knowledge, expertise, insight, skills or services with an online community allows others to get the maximum benefit from your work and it allows you to get the maximum pay or reward for your work.

    Read more on this post: “Become A Leader And Get The Job You Want!”

This is the internet age and you cannot hide behind mediocrity. If you are mediocre at your work, your boss will replace you with someone that is better skilled.

Or, if you are mediocre and you run a business, your customers will find a more passionate provider on the internet.

So the morale is; don’t be mediocre, be exceptional!

I will leave you with a few quotes from that summarizes this process from our participants.

“There is such a wealth of information out there that it can be overwhelming to someone trying to figure out what they need to know.

I mean, when you look in your local bookstore you will see a huge section of books to help, but what you won’t find is the insider information that will teach you exactly is the most profitable and what techniques you absolutely must know.

You also won’t find any resources that will give you the inside information about how to write a specific resume so you stand out from the crowd.

You also won’t find the inside information about what interview questions to expect and more importantly – how to answer them!

ITCareerCoach provides all this information, structured in such a way that it is easy to learn.

Each step builds on what you learned in the previous step so you never get overwhelmed.

What you will learn above everything else from ITCareerCoach is the sequencing … all life is made up of what, the same 6 proteins but it is the sequence that makes everything work and every animal different.

You will learn how to make your knowledge and skills work … that is the secret, the sequence: what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and for how long, so that it all make sense.


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/2011/11/17/why-successful-people-are-passionate-about-their-jobs/feed/ 0 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 What Do You Study To Become A Business Analyst? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/08/15/what-do-you-study-to-become-a-business-analyst/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/08/15/what-do-you-study-to-become-a-business-analyst/#comments Mon, 15 Aug 2011 22:37:26 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3260

What Courses Do You Study To Become A Business Analyst?

What Courses Do You Study To Become A Business Analyst?


You may start a business analysts career by taking some of the courses discussed in this post.

Keep in mind that for business analysis careers, soft skills count as much or in some cases even more than hard skills.

So, don’t make the classical rookie mistake of focusing on the hard skill requirements to the detriment of your soft skills!

The list of formal, informal or college courses that you may study for a business analyst career include:

  1. Study computer science & information technology courses in college because that will help you relate to the coding or testing that takes place on information technology / software development projects.

  2. Study Systems Analysis courses as they may help you get a better idea of how different networking, hardware & software systems are integrated into one functional Information Technology (IT) department.

  3. Take Technical Writing and Business Communication courses because a key part of the work that you perform as a business analyst is communicating business problems or solutions.

  4. Study business management courses as they will help you understand understand strategic and tactical business goals and objectives or see things from a management, stakeholder or business perspective.

    Keep in mind that not only do business analysts work in Information Technology (IT) departments, they also work in specialized business domains like Accounting, Finance, Sales and Marketing, so taking business courses can be helpful.

  5. Take conflict resolution, interpersonal, communication, verbal, presentation, negotiation, public speaking and leadership courses.

    While these sort of skills are not traditionally taught as part a formal college class, you can gain the required information from textbooks and audio material on bookstores like Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

The courses that you may take to become a business analyst may be divided into formal (business / technical) or informal (interpersonal, communication and leadership) skills.

So my friend, now you know what you may study to succeed as a business analyst … do do something with this information :-)

Thanks and Best Wishes


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/2011/08/15/what-do-you-study-to-become-a-business-analyst/feed/ 0 Live Up To Your Potential in 3 Steps http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/03/20/live-up-to-your-potential-in-3-steps/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/03/20/live-up-to-your-potential-in-3-steps/#comments Sun, 20 Mar 2011 16:28:39 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3144

Live Up To Your Potential

Live Up To Your Potential

This question was submitted by a very young, exceptionally gifted and talented top performer who wants to know how he can live up to his potential.

Hello,

I am very young (23) and was radically accelerated through college \ graduate school.

By next year, I will have a BA (Math \ Religion), MBA (Management Consultancy), MSc (Business IT), PhD (Computing & Mathematics), and PhD (ABD), in IT from leading universities, as well as 9+ years IT experience, with 5+ years BA experience with stellar recommendations.

I do not want a career in university teaching or research … could you suggest a few viable directions to move my career forward in IT business analysis?

I feel “painted into a corner” and now am not certain which way to go at this point, as a Senior Analyst.

Just a few alternatives would be helpful.

Best regards and thank you.

How To Fulfill Your Potential

The first of the three most important challenges facing talented people is that of identifying their passion.

This is a big challenge because talented folks can do almost anything and succeed at it.

Another challenge facing talented folks is not doing what they love and / or following the money trail!

Because talented people can easily get high-paying jobs and get paid a lot more than their colleagues, they can be easily derailed from their true objectives.

Following the money trail is bad because it eventually leads to mediocrity.

Regardless of how talented one is, it is not possible to achieve your deepest potential if you do not identify your passion and do what you love.

The final challenge that talented people face is not taking their passion to market.

They pick vocations where they are unable to serve their community or their world because of money concerns or because of poor career recommendations.

Discover Your Passion

The first and most important thing that you have to do: “is to discover your passion“.

Your passion is something that you are deeply interested in doing because you love it, you have strengths in it, you enjoy thinking, dreaming or even speaking about it.

Your passion is not necessarily what promises you job security or what promises you lots of money.

Money and Job Security are used as the primary basis of making career recommendations and yet, they don’t truly matter because … guess what?

If you do what you truly love, the money will surely follow!

Discovering your passion is an exercise of the heart and not of the head.

You must be able to dream or envision your passion in your heart first and then use your head to figure out what to do.

Good folks get this heart and head mixed up all the time! Your heart is your instinctive, sensing personality and your head is your rational, logical person.

Do What You Love

The second thing that you must do on the path to self actualization is to: “Do What You Love”.

Doing what you love means working very hard at something that you love.

But it also means more than that … it means training yourself the way that world-class athletes do!

Though you can do several things exceptionally very well, you should concentrate on a few disciplines and hone your abilities in those alone.

You want to become so good in your chosen field, that your work in those areas will stand out in comparison to that of any others in your chosen field.

Think about this for a moment: world-class athletes have to invest considerable amounts of time into just training and honing their skills.

They understand that even through they may be exceptionally gifted, they cannot win unless they are much better than the competition or other equally gifted and talented folks.

And also get this … no world class athlete depends on their exceptional talents or giftedness alone!

Instead they put themselves through the most rigorous, skill-advancing training that they can find so that they can live up to their potential.

The issue is not really whether you are gifted. The true issue at stake is whether you will live up to your potential? I will advise that you read these two books:

  1. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
  2. Talent Code by Daniel Coyle

Amongst other things, these two books point out that to become a world class player, you will have to invest a solid amount of time into just doing nothing else but honing your skills and abilities!

Take Your Passion To the Market

Starting a blog and getting on Social Media is the starting point for taking your passion to market.

The next thing that you have to do with your passion or the work that you love is: “Subscribe to the Publish or Perish” mantra which you are already used to coming from academia.

The main purpose of your blog is to create a market for your passion or connect your passion with an existing market on the internet.

Your market is the readers or subscribers of your blog and what you must do is: help them, talk to them, connect with them using your blog as your premier publishing or speaking platform.

Without sharing your passion with other people who love the topics that you care about, your passion dies with you … which is the definition of being boxed in!

Not having a blog means that you are not others learn or grow. It also means your own growth is incomplete because you are closed off from the feedback of your industry … and no one can develop your passion in isolation

Starting a blog does not mean that you must offer a service or sell a product.

Starting a blog does means that you have decided to make your world a better place by serving humanity with your gifts and talents.

The lesson here is that being wired or connected to others using blogging and social media is now considered essential for success!

One person that comes to mind in that regards is Jacob Nielsen, the world’s numero uno usability expert!

For several years, he has been conducting researches on usability and publishing his findings online.

From those findings, he has written books and he conducts training seminars around the globe.

You can see that Jacob is deeply passionate and extremely knowledgeable in his field and that he publishes more than most people in his field.

Do these 3 things (discover your passion, do what you love, take your passion to market) and you will succeed.

Jonathan, when you break into stardom, don’t stop telling people how I helped you, ok :-)

P.S. I am sending you my new ebook titled “Discover Your Passion, Do What You Love, Take Your Passion To Market“.

Best Wishes and Lots of Success in your Career

This question was published using [Ask IT Career Coach].

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

If you have a question about your career that you will like me to answer for you, go ahead and submit it using the [Ask IT Career Coach] Career Advice Service.


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/2011/03/20/live-up-to-your-potential-in-3-steps/feed/ 0 Is College Worth The Money? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/02/22/is-college-worth-the-money/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/02/22/is-college-worth-the-money/#comments Tue, 22 Feb 2011 06:00:30 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3109

Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses

Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses

The answer to the question: “Is College Worth The Money?” is YES … so please go to the best college you can afford because there are doors in life that will be easier for you to open if you have a college degree.

That being said, there are pros and cons to attending college and a right / wrong mindset that you need to be aware of.

In a new book, “Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses,” sociologists Richard Arum of New York University and Josipa Roksa of the University of Virginia, are of the opinion that “College Students in the US are not learning Much“

Reporting on a study of more than 2,300 undergraduates they discovered that 45 percent of students show no significant improvement in the key measures of critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing by the end of their sophomore years.

Based on the findings of the report, it looks like students who work hard, drain their personal or parent’s savings and take on a huge debt to go to college … are not getting what they paid for!

Click here to read the article titled: College Students Not Learning Much

I believe that college is worth the money, if you know how to get the best out of it.

Here is my advice on the matter:

  1. Go to college to expand your mind: Study a topic that you are really curious about and intellectually invested in.

    While you are at college, seek to understand or learn or acquire knowledge as a means to personal enlightenment and not as a means to making more money or finding a job.

  2. Go to college to study your passion: Study a science or art that you genuinely want to make a heartfelt contribution to.

    The process of trying to make a contribution to your industry will let you know if you are passionate enough about it or if you have the goods to succeed in that industry.

    If you can’t think of a way to improve the industry while you are surrounded by volumes of books and some of the smartest folks in the world, then you may be studying for the wrong career!

  3. Go to college to connect with your industry: Use your time in college to connect with or network with potential employers.

    Get a real-world part-time or full-time job and do something practical along the lines of your career regardless of whether you get paid for it or not.

    The feedback that you get from a real-world job is invaluable! It allows you to get the type of handson experience or practical skills that results in a good offer after graduation.

  4. Do not go to college to get a job: Going to college solely for the purpose of getting a job is a waste of your time and money.

    You will not learn any real-world skills from college and you will probably not learn much from your college studies either as the authors:p Arum and Roksa point out.

  5. Going to college does not entitle you to a career: I have hired, worked with and advised college graduates who are basically adrift in their careers because they assume that they are entitled to a career because they have for example a computer science college degree.

    These group of people find it very very hard to empty themselves of their preconceived notions of what society owes them and they typically have too high an opinion of themselves to start from the bottom or build their career up!

    They are typically very opinionated, very low in practical skills or experience and very high in expectations of what they will earn or what their skills will command in the market.

Going to college can be worth the money, if you have the right set of expectations about what it offers or will not offer you.

While in college, endeavor to widen your mind, your horizons and your vision.

Finally make the best use of your time in college by working on real world projects so that you can build the relevant skills or experience before you graduate.


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/2011/02/22/is-college-worth-the-money/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 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 Breaking News: Software Engineers Have The Best Jobs In 2011 http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/05/software-engineers-best-job-2011/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/01/05/software-engineers-best-job-2011/#comments Wed, 05 Jan 2011 23:12:33 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3056

I dedicate a considerable amount of time to debunking myths and half-baked truths. And one about the future prospects of software developer careers has just been ratified!

According to a survey of the best and worst jobs in the United States, Software Engineers will have the best jobs in 2011.

For this survey, 200 professions were analyzed based on their pay, environment, hiring outlook, stress and physical demands using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau and trade association studies.

According to this survey, the high-demand for Software engineering jobs is fueled by the desire for high-tech gadgets, iPods, tablets and other devices.

Click here to read more about the survey by CareerCast.com on MSNBC, titled: “Software Engineers Have Nations Best Job …”

Software Developers Have The Best Careers

The survey agrees with what I have been saying on this website: which is that web programmers or software developers are in high-demand because of the demand for technology and internet products or services.

Here are two our of several articles on future prospects for software developers / computer programmers:

  1. Reasons for Becoming A Computer Programmer
  2. Benefits Of Becoming A Computer Programmers

I Like Debunking Myths

I have been debunking myths about software developer careers including the following:

I’m not just interested in debunking myths about computer programmers. I’m also rebutting half-truths or misconceptions about business analysis, databases, project management and other careers in Information Technology.

In my opinion, too many smart people have wasted their lives or taking long, expensive detours because they accepted a half-truth, lie or misconception about their career!

I hate mental limitations because the worst prison is that which exists in one’s mind!

So, work with me as I help you identify or remove self-imposed limitations. Have an Awesome Year!


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/2011/01/05/software-engineers-best-job-2011/feed/ 0 #6 Success Principle: The Proof Of Your Desire Is In Your Pursuit http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/12/24/success-principle-the-proof-of-desire-is-pursuit/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/12/24/success-principle-the-proof-of-desire-is-pursuit/#comments Fri, 24 Dec 2010 14:33:34 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3042

Pursuit Is The Proof Of Desire

Pursuit Is The Proof Of Desire


Life Is About What You Have … And Not About What You Don’t Have!

I get a number of questions along the lines of:

I am 25 / 39 / 50 years old, I don’t have any work experience and I don’t have a college degree.

But I want to become a good business analyst / computer programmer / project manager, what do I have to do?

If you find yourself thinking along those lines, this is what you should do: use what you have to get what you want!

What do I mean by: “using what you have to get what you want?“

Right now, here is what you’ve got working for you:

  1. Interest
  2. Desire
  3. Passion

Right now, all you may have working for you is some desire or interest in an occupation or some passion or love for an industry. And that may not seem like much if weighed against your advanced age or lack of money, educational qualifications or handson experience.

Make a list of what you consider positive about your life and let the rest of your negatives (lack of college degree, lack of work experience, lack of skills, lack of anything) take care of themselves along the way.

What does that mean?

Your interest, desire or passion is one of the greatest assets in life because any achievement that is worthwhile in career, business or life is founded on passion … and those that are truly successful are so because of their passion!

The Proof of your Desire is in your Pursuit

The proof of desire is in the steps you’re taking right now towards your career … what does that mean?

If you are passionate about a career, you should take the first steps towards realizing your passion or keep moving forward in the direction of your interests until you actually hit a brickwall!

Why? Because it’s only when we fully realize the opportunities presented to us … that new doors or opportunities open up.

Invest in Your Passion

The first or most important step that you can take is to learn the career that you are interested in … business analysis, project management, computer programming, data analysis, software testing etc.

There’s no reason for not studying the career that you’re passionate about because there are all sorts of options for learning anything.

You may learn from textbooks purchased at Amazon.com, take an online course or get a college degree.

If finding money is a challenge, you may purchase fairly used but inexpensive textbook versions or you may take an online training course at a fraction of traditional college costs!

So, there is no excuse for not learning the occupation you’re interested in.

Don’t Put The Cart Before The Horse

Without studying a career, you’ll not be able to practice it and without handson experience, you may not be qualified for a job!

If you are transitioning into business analysis / computer programming / project management, do not start by first looking for handson experience … that is putting the cart before the horse.

Do you want to know, one good reason why putting handson experience before knowledge is not a good idea?

Handson experience is gained by applying what you know to the problems or challenges facing an industry.

In other words, if you haven’t studied an occupation, you won’t be able to recall or reuse available solutions or solve the problems and challenges found within that occupation.

So, when faced with a problem the best that you will be able to do, is guess or mock around.

NOTE: Potential employers or hiring managers do not want to hire those that don’t know what they are doing. Instead they want to hire those who not only know what they are doing, but they have done it several times before!

Monetize Your Passion

Take the first step by learning, next get handson experience and finally get a job.

If you have taken the time to learn an occupation and you have gained sufficient handson experience, then spend all your time marketing yourself into a job.

Dear Friend, focus all your energy on taking the next step in-front of you.

Don’t worry about all the things that you can’t do yet, because when you take care of your immediate challenges, doors for moving forward will open up.

  • Step 1: Study what you love
  • Step 2: Get some experience doing what you love
  • Step 3: Get a job doing what you love

It is only when you’ve completed the first two steps that you have the best chances of sending out your resume, taking job interviews and getting a job.

Trying to get a job without handson experience or looking for handson experience without first studying for an occupation … is what stops your career from moving forward!

This is how to move your career forward even if all you have is: interest, passion or desire.

The proof of your intentions is in taking the right steps to achieve them … so what’re you waiting for? Get Moving!


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/2010/12/24/success-principle-the-proof-of-desire-is-pursuit/feed/ 0 When Life Throws You a Curve Ball, Throw it Back! http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/11/24/when-life-throws-you-a-curve-ball-throw-it-back/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/11/24/when-life-throws-you-a-curve-ball-throw-it-back/#comments Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:01:10 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3012

Life Throws A Curve Ball, Then What?

Life Throws A Curve Ball, Then What?


Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans – John Lennon

The truth is that work is a lifetime constant. It’s a marathon and not a sprint, so along the way you may start getting tired or even feel like quitting!

If that describes you or if you have ever felt like that … don’t give up hope because help is much closer than you think.

And here is why. Today I will be dealing with a pressing problem that is facing many of you, which is: How to you keep your career from stalling when life happens.

Many smart people like you start their careers with a sky-is-the-limit trajectory. Perhaps you were also voted “most likely to succeed” in high school or college.

But twenty years later, you find that though you had fun for a while and made some money along the way, your career has sputtered or stalled for seemingly inexplicable reasons.

What Do You Do When Life Throws You A Curve Ball?

Once you were a pie-in-the-sky, bright-eyed young college graduate who just landed his or her first job. It was (you thought), a high-paying job that guaranteed a comfortable lifestyle, a nice house in the right neighborhood and a decent car.

You were probably single at the time and the life in-front of you seemed to be full of promises. So, you started a fast-track career with grand ambitions. And after a few months or years, you met someone you liked, got married and added a kid or two to complete the picture.

Then life happened! You don’t know how you got there and you don’t know why or when … but your career stalled, sputtered and slowly ground to a halt!

What happened is that maintaining career success required much more energy than you anticipated, so while you were worked at having a life, your career sputtered and stalled.

The demands of life and family seem irreconcilably opposed to the demands of technology and a fast-paced workplace and It is becoming increasingly difficult to juggle both the demands of personal life and an ever-advancing technological workplace.

So, it was subtle and you were not fully aware of the drift. You began to fall two steps behind, then another and another until one day you wake up to realize that your career has stagnated and you ‘re no longer as energized as you once were at the beginning.

If you are in a stagnating or stalled-out career, don’t despair. There is still hope for you. Start doing things the IT Career Coach Way …. Learn and Practice.

Let’s look at the top reasons why your career is stalling, how to prevent career stagnation or how to give yourself a fresh start because you deserve it :-)

You have lost steam and enthusiasm. You’ve lost your vision, energy, focus and drive. And you’re only going through the motions of the job.

HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM

  1. Get focused, stop procrastination and start setting specific goals.

  2. Break down your career goals into Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely (SMART) steps.

  3. Consider making a lateral change within your company as this would get you thinking outside the box for a change and invigorate you with new challenges.

Your network is too narrow. Your only career contacts are your boss and co-workers, and your company is so small that you have to wait for someone to die to get a promotion. You have allowed yourself to become isolated from your industry and the better opportunities in your field.

HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM

  1. Don’t let networking fall by the wayside.

  2. Keep your name out there in your industry and with the leaders in your field. Remember that personal relationships weigh more in business or hiring decisions.

  3. Keep your resume updated with your achievements on an ongoing basis even if you are happy in your current position.

  4. Know your own strength. Don’t avoid jotting down your strengths because you’re afraid of tooting your own horn. There’s something to be said for humility, but in order to advance in your career and keep that spark alive, you must always be tweeting what you are about doing!

Life has gotten in the way. You’ve got health issues, you’re in debt, you’ve too many bills or your personal relationships are not what they should be. All of this is sapping your energy.

HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM

In between the daily grind of life and getting the work done, be sure to take care of you … because you are Numero Uno.

Here is an analogy: you are with kids in an airplane that is going down. Oxygen masks are falling fall around you. And you are instructed to position your own oxygen mask first before taking care of others. Because you will not be able to think straight or function properly until your personal oxygen line is secure.

So, pay strong attention to your personal physical, spiritual and emotional fitness. Just as physical illness can sideline you from getting work done, personal, emotional or spiritual upsets, relationship trials or money problems can get in your way, by cluttering your thoughts, sapping your energy or killing your drive.

Your skills are too localized. You only know one software language or business analysis technique and you’re not even an expert at that. Your foundation is weak and you’re always playing catch up with real-world skills or technology.

HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM

Just as a house built on sand falls like a pack of cards in stormy weather, a career that’s weak at the core will come apart in a tough economy. So, stop procrastinating and master the fundamentals of your field.

Make every effort to keep up with the fast-pace of technology change because the price you pay for sitting back, doing nothing or getting comfortable will be too high.

Your feel like a dinosaur. You plan to pay off your student loans while getting more certifications, diplomas and accreditation … hoping that a lucky employer would recognize your intrinsic worth. and before you know it, you’re deep in debt, you’ve wasted a lot of time and no-one is making you a decent job offer!

HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM

  1. Change your thinking and you will get a different outcome from life.

  2. This is a new world order. And employers are hiring proven, productive workers with relevant hands-on experience and tightly focused job skills.

  3. Here is the game changer … try the IT Career Coach Way. Work on both studying or learning and developing practical, hands-on career oriented skills at the same time.

The Law Of Inertia – Sir Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton in the First Law of Motion explains a fundamental principle of physical life … every thing continues in its state of rest or motion unless compelled to do otherwise.

Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1726)

Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1726)

In other words … Get Off Your Rockers! And do something

Use what you have to get what you want. Use your skills and experience as a launching pad and don’t be sitting on them.

Stay ahead of the technology curve. Take an online training or coaching class to to advance your practical skills, It doesn’t get in the way of work and you’ve got no excuses for not investing in your life. Often times, your company or employer will be glad to pay for your training, so do yourself a favor … just ask!

If you can’t afford coaching or training then keep a table at your local borders or barnes and noble bookstore and keep yourself up-to-date with the advancements in your field.

Though it may appear that career stagnation happens all of a sudden, the truth is that it happened slowly, gradually, eventually over time. And just as it takes time to come to a place of stagnation, it will also take time to light a new spark to yor now stalled-out career.

Though, time may not seem to be on your side, be patient and take it one step at a time. Each positive, forward step you take, renews your energy and propels you towards a bright and promising future … remember Sir Isaac Newton.


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/2010/11/24/when-life-throws-you-a-curve-ball-throw-it-back/feed/ 1 Is Tunnel Vision Killing My Career? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/04/06/is-tunnel-vision-killing-my-career/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/04/06/is-tunnel-vision-killing-my-career/#comments Tue, 06 Apr 2010 10:18:30 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2887

Is Tunnel Vision Killing My Career?

Is Tunnel Vision Killing My Career?

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Web 2.0 Careers For Smart Professionals

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

    Facebook

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

    Twitter

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

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

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

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

    Web Usability Specialists

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

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

    Web Data Analysts

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

    Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialists

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

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

    E-Commerce Business Analysts

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

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

    IPhone / Mobile Apps Developers

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

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

    Web Copywriters

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

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

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

    Social Media Specialists

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

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

    Internet Marketing Specialists

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    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/2010/04/06/is-tunnel-vision-killing-my-career/feed/ 5 What Is The Most Difficult Challenge Facing Your Career? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/02/12/what-is-the-most-difficult-challenge-facing-your-career/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/02/12/what-is-the-most-difficult-challenge-facing-your-career/#comments Sat, 13 Feb 2010 02:33:53 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2820

    The Most Difficult Challenge Of My Career

    The Most Difficult Challenge Of My Career

    Hello,

    “What is the most difficult challenge facing your career right now”?

    Your most difficult challenge may be about how to get a job or how to improve your skills or how to get promoted on the job

    Perhaps your most difficult challenge is about how to transition out of or into a business analyst or computer programming or database developer career.

    Whatever your challenge is, just go ahead and post it as a comment on this page and I will deal with it for you.

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

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

    Thank 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/2010/02/12/what-is-the-most-difficult-challenge-facing-your-career/feed/ 70     #3 Success Principle: When It Comes To Experience, Beggars Can’t Be Choosers http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/01/07/3-success-principle-when-it-comes-to-experience-beggars-cant-be-choosers/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/01/07/3-success-principle-when-it-comes-to-experience-beggars-cant-be-choosers/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:17:52 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2753

    Beggars Can't Be Choosers

    Beggars Can't Be Choosers

    One of the bigger issues facing IT professionals is: “the challenge of building experience“.

    This challenge exists because employers still require experience for hiring, even when you need their jobs to build experience!

    It’s the classic Catch-22: “chicken or egg which came first challenge” that may be solved through internships or full-time jobs.

    However, internships are getting increasingly competitive (Read More …) and employers are still insisting on handson experience before making job offers.

    Why Internships Are Hard To Get

    For a while, internships helped provide the missing handson experience to IT professionals learning new skills or transitioning careers.

    Now internships are hard to come by because employers are refusing the burden of hiring or managing interns. And here is the reason why:

    1. Productivity: interns need to be managed by experienced employees meaning that productive time will be lost to employers.

      Productive time is lost when experienced workers have to show interns the ropes, supervise or assign work to them.

    2. Risk: employers are unwilling to invest in interns because they are more likely to fail at completing their assigned tasks or duties.

      There is also the added risk of redoing the work done by interns when it fails to meet expectations!

    3. Money: employers hesitate to pay interns because there aren’t sure of the immediate economic benefits and they refuse to hire unpaid interns because unpaid interns also cost money and time to supervise or train!

    How To Build Experience From Scratch … Without A Job

    The challenge facing those that fixate on getting experience through internship programs or full time jobs is that of becoming stumped … when they can’t get either.

    Really, when it comes to getting experience, the key is to stay flexible, creative or open minded because full-time jobs and internship programs are getting harder to come by.

    How To Build Experience From Scratch By Keeping An Open Mind

    • Focus on Smaller Projects: don’t fixate on finding big projects because you are more unlikely to get big project exposure with little or no experience.

      Start with smaller projects first, because that is where your current background, skills or experience is likely to be needed or appreciated.

    • Build Up Experience Gradually: don’t expect to get a ton of experience in a short time. Instead, spread your efforts at building experience over a longer period of time.

      Overtime, the cumulative effect of all your project based work will begin to show and you will be rewarded for your hard work.

    • Don’t Fixate on Money: don’t be too picky about your income when you’re still building up your experience because the ticket to getting paid more money is more experience!

      Start by building your experience first and then work towards a better compensation afterwards!

    • Don’t Think Too Highly of Yourself: don’t be looking down on smaller projects because you’re thinking they’re beneath you and don’t be fretting over the size of your role, task or opportunity either!

      Always put your best foot forward and build up your experience at every turn. Because that is how to ensure that you qualify for bigger projects or even a full time job!

    • Stay Flexible, Creative and Open Minded: be on the lookout for experience building opportunities that don’t fall under traditional internship or full-time jobs.

      For example, you may signup for unpaid, volunteer work or start your own consulting business (yes, you can consult on almost any subject) or register for Hands On IT Career Training (click here for more information)

    Expect that you will always be learning new skills or transitioning careers because of the constantly changing face of technology.

    Understand that staying open minded will help you discover more ways to build handson experience without a job or an internship program.


    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/2010/01/07/3-success-principle-when-it-comes-to-experience-beggars-cant-be-choosers/feed/ 1     College Graduates Paying for Unpaid Internships! http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/12/17/college-graduates-paying-for-unpaid-internships/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/12/17/college-graduates-paying-for-unpaid-internships/#comments Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:36:07 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2741

    Will Pay For Work!

    Will Pay For Work!

    It is generally accepted that hands-on experience is one of the more important qualifications for getting a job and that you may get handson experience through paid or unpaid internship programs.

    So this article on NyTimes.com about how job seekers are paying thousands of dollars for internships is not surprising considering how competitive the job market has become.

    What is surprising is that these are college graduates from prestigious colleges paying for nonpaying internship programs!

    The article is titled “Unpaid Work, but They Pay for Privilege” and you can read it here:

    This article mentions that;

    1. College graduates are unable to find paying internships

    2. College graduates are paying to get into an unpaid internship programs

    3. Job seekers don’t have problems with finding internships. They have problems with getting accepted!

    4. Job seekers are paying significant sums of money to get into a non-paying internship programs. For example, a job seeker may pay $9,450 for an internship program in London or as little as $5,499 for an internship in Costa Rica.

    5. Online startups are now selling internships worth thousands of

    Now the question for you is:

    • How far will you go to get into an unpaid or paid internship?

    • What do you think about online startups selling internships?

    • Is paying for an unpaid internship smart or is there a better way?

    • Will you pay for an internship?


    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/2009/12/17/college-graduates-paying-for-unpaid-internships/feed/ 0     Discover Your Inner Hero http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/10/24/discover-your-inner-hero/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/10/24/discover-your-inner-hero/#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:20:09 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2634

    Become your Hero

    Become your Hero

    Randall Jones, founder of Worth Magazine and author of The Richest Man in Town, says that in regard to Personal Branding, “the most successful, wealthy people had very successfully branded themselves in relation their industry”.

    In an interview by Dan Schwabel, Randall says that all RMITs (Richest Man In Town) have found their “perfect pitch”- the thing that they are most personally gifted at doing and secondarily they have found a way to monetize their perfect pitches“; Click here to read the rest of the interview

    The key is to find, what Jones calls, your “perfect pitch” … what you are best thing at doing in relation to what you love doing.

    An example of those who found what they are good at doing is Hartley Peavey of Peavey electronics who loved music, but lacked the talent to play, so he ‘wired’ himself to create the equipment musicians depend on the most (amplifiers, microphones, etc).

    Another example is that of the famous investor Warren Buffet, who said; “I was wired to allocate capital.”

    The lesson here is: once you’ve found what you love to do and what you’re great at doing, run with it!

    Personal Branding is all about projecting to the world; who you are, what you’re capable of doing, and making sure others within your industry are responsive to your efforts.

    While it is okay to brag about yourself considering you are your Personal Brand, it is far better to be known or recognized by others as a hero in your industry.

    Start evaluating what you’re really good at doing by answering these questions:

    1. What truly motivates or inspires you?

    2. What do you love doing?

    3. What are you good or exceptional at doing?

    4. What do you do efficiently or what do you produce easily?

    5. What do you like to read, research or study on your own time?

    6. What are your hobbies and what do you do with your spare time?

    7. What work will you do if money wasn’t an issue?

    8. What work will you do if you weren’t trying to please anyone in you life?

    9. What do you get paid to do?

    Take a moment to discover the hero in you. Don’t spend your entire life working just to pay bills. Be smart and start taking stock of what you’re really good at doing!

    Consider this: a world of bystanders, villains, and heroes, who would you rather be?

    Limited Time 2 for 1 Discount

    If you’re interested in our training program, ask about our 2 for 1 discount


    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/2009/10/24/discover-your-inner-hero/feed/ 0     Did I Mess Up My Career? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/08/02/did-i-mess-up-my-career-part-2/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/08/02/did-i-mess-up-my-career-part-2/#comments Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:39:02 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2185

    Ask IT Career Coach

    Ask IT Career Coach

    Po Bronson, author of “What Should I Do with My Life?” listened to more than 900 people who dared to be honest with themselves about their line of work or careers!

    In the end, he discovered that it comes down to a simple gut check: “You either love what you do or you don’t.“

    With that in mind, here’s question posted by a reader who needs advice on “what to do about making wrong career choices”.

    What To Do About making Wrong Career Choices

    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

    Career Transitions Are A Fact Of Life

    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 transition 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”.

    What Should I Do with My Life?

    Po Bronson, author of “What Should I Do with My Life?” listened to more than 900 people who dared to be honest with themselves about their line of work or careers!

    In the end, he discovered that it comes down to a simple gut check: “You either love what you do or you don’t!”

    So, if you find yourself doubting or regretting the choices you’ve made for your career or work, do these:

    1. Do What You Love; Start building your career around what you love or enjoy doing. Be honest with yourself by finding out what type of work fulfills you and doing it.

    2. Discover Your Strengths; Don’t spend your entire career or life building on weaknesses by doing what you don’t love.

      Discover what you excel at doing and then pursue opportunities that align with them.

      Use a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis to reposition your career.

    3. Follow Your Dreams; It’s never too late to discover or follow your dreams, aspirations or happiness.

      Don’t deny yourself the right to pursue life, liberty and happiness because everyone including your dear self, deserves better!

    4. Develop A Positive Mental Attitude; Don’t let past mistakes or career choices hinder you from making better decisions going forward!

      Believe that “you can do better and you will” because “if you think that you can, you can!“

    5. Learn From Past Mistakes; Don’t be reacting to past failures, learn from them!

      We all do the best that we can, based on the information we have. Now, re-invent your career by making better, informed decisions based on your past failures!

    6. Plan to Succeed; Now prepare a step by step plan for transitioning to a your new career!

      Start with a SWOT Analysis that addresses specific issues like “how you will learn new skills” and “how you will gain hands-on experience“.

      You need to plan your career transition because “failing to plan is the same as planning to fail!”

    7. Now, Do What You Love; You’ve learnt from past mistakes and planned a better career transition, now start doing what you love.

      Stick to doing what you love even when it’s tough on your purse or ego.

      Because a day will come when you’ll start reaping the financial and emotional rewards of “Career Nirvana!”

    How To Achieve Career Nirvana

    You’re not alone in making wrong career choices. But you must overcome the past by learning from it and by making better, informed decisions going forward!

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

    If you have a question about your career or are facing a challenge, be sure to post it as a comment on this page 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/2009/08/02/did-i-mess-up-my-career-part-2/feed/ 5     How To Become A Highly Paid Corporate Programmer http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/08/02/how-to-become-a-highly-paid-corporate-programmer/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/08/02/how-to-become-a-highly-paid-corporate-programmer/#comments Sun, 02 Aug 2009 18:49:37 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2138

    highly paid corporate programmer

    highly paid corporate programmer

    Becoming a corporate software developer is not the same thing as becoming a freelance programmer or a systems programmer.

    • Corporate programmers are hired for coding skills in programming languages like Microsoft .NET (ASP.NET, C#, VB.NET, SQL Server) and they tend to work regular, office jobs as contract or full-time programmers.

    • Systems programmers tend to work with programming languages like C/C++ and they also work for companies like Microsoft that build operating systems or systems software.

    • Freelance programmers work on their own hours and they tend to focus exclusively on web development, web design and user interface (UI) jobs using programming languages and platforms like PHP, WordPress or Microsoft .NET.

    Microsoft .NET is the recommended programming language for Corporate Programmers.

    However, transitioning careers to Microsoft .NET programming may seem like a daunting or impossible task because you need solid Hands-ON experience which is hard to get without a full-time Microsoft.NET job!

    So, the question is, “How Do You Gain Hands-On Experience For Microsoft.NET Corporate Programmer Jobs Outside Regular, Full-Time Employment?“

    How To Get An Entry Level Corporate Programming Job

    Start by transitioning into a Microsoft.NET Software Developer Career in manageable steps or phases which allows you to achieve career success.

    Your first step in becoming a highly paid corporate programmer is to learn Microsoft.NET Programming.

    The next step after that, is to gain solid hands-on programming experience!

    Both steps must be completed before you can achieve the goal of becoming a corporate programmer!

    First Step: The first step in your career transition is to learn the ins and outs of Microsoft .NET Programming. This would include learning ASP.NET, C#, SQL SERVER and the Microsoft.NET Framework.

    You can’t bypass the requirement to learn Microsoft.NET programming because you’ll be asked programming questions at your technical interview which you will have to ace before you are hired!

    Second Step: The next step involves getting solid, hands-on Microsoft.NET programming experience.

    Handson experience is a requirement for information technology jobs because this is a handson, practical industry where what you can do is valued even more than your educational qualifications.

    Click here to read more about how to get handson computer programming experience!

    1. Become a Freelance Microsoft.NET Software Developer:

      You may consider starting your career as a freelance programmer before you get hired for corporate / full-time programming jobs.

      The experience or skill-level required for some freelance jobs is not as extensive as that of full-time programming jobs because clients can easily work away if they don’t like your job or try your services and see if they like working with you first before hiring you on a longer-term basis.

      Freelance Programming Jobs are not necessarily as lucrative as full-time or contract programming jobs but they do allow you to gain the mandatory hands-on programming experience by working on real-world software development projects for real-world clients.

      Becoming a freelance programmer while in training as a Microsoft.NET Programmer may also provide you with additional income, which is helpful whether you’re just transitioning careers or looking for a full-time programming job.

      Your initial focus should not be to earn a high income but to gain the hands-on programming experience which is required for programming positions.

    2. Become a Highly-Paid Corporate Programmer:

      After you’ve completed learning Microsoft.NET, C#, ASP.NET, SQL Server and worked on some freelance computer programming projects, you may transition into a regular full-time or independent Contract Programming job.

      Independent Contract Programmers are highly paid corporate programmers with billing rates ranging from $45/hr. to $60/hr. and even more!

      However, Independent Contract Programming is not for everyone because you have to pay your own employment taxes or provide your own benefits or face some downtime in-between projects meaning that your income may fluctuate.

      As an independent contract programmer, you also have to market your skills consistently to compensate for any downtime in-between programming projects.

      The good news is that “the demand for contract programmers is quite high” and each programming project usually lasts for a while (between 6 months and two years).

    3. Become a Full-Time Computer Programmer:

      Finally, after you’ve gained strong freelance or contract programming experience or you’ve worked on a number of corporate consulting gigs, you may be ready to become a full-time, salaried computer programmer.

      The upside of a full-time, permanent, salaried computer programming job is that you’re guaranteed medical benefits, a good paycheck and some stability in your employment.

      You won’t have to pay your own taxes or be on the look-out for the next consulting gig or wonder where your next paycheck is going to come from!

      The downside of a full-time, salaried programming career is that you may not earn as much as a corporate programmer because you don’t handle as much risk.

      Also, you don’t have the flexibility of deciding who to work for or the ability to switch programming projects or teams when you want!

    If you’re interested in learning more about the differences or distinction between full-time and contract programming jobs, read this article titled: “full time programming compared to contract programming jobs …”

    How To Overcome Hurdles In Transitioning To A Computer Programming Career

    1. Transition your Career in Phases

      Break up your career transition into phases and set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable and Realistic) goals for each phase.

      Transitioning your career in steps helps because you set achievable goals and build up the momentum that helps you follow though on a plan that leads to career success.

    2. Take Your Software Developer Training

      Transitioning to a new career begins with learning new skills.

      So, don’t neglect to acquire the required skills and don’t be looking for alternatives that promise a career transition without learning or acquiring new programming skills!

    3. Give Employers What They Want!

      Employers require hands-on programming experience which may seem unfair because you need their jobs to gain experience.

      However, don’t waste time hoping that employers will change their requirement for hands-on programming experience because you will be more successful at giving employers what they want than at getting them to change their minds.

    So, you may transition into a highly paid computer programming career by following this step-by-step plan that allows you to build on past successes or achieve your goals in stages!

    You may also enroll for the Software Developer Boot Camp Training and the Sql Boot Camp Training, since both SQL and Microsoft .NET programming skills are required for Software Developer Jobs.


    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/2009/08/02/how-to-become-a-highly-paid-corporate-programmer/feed/ 0