How To Earn Significantly More Money, When Your Career Hits a Plateau!
Have you you reached a plateau in your career?
If you have, consider becoming a contractor.
As a contractor, you may earn significantly more money (20% to 50% more) and you will find more challenging work for your skill sets.
In this post, I will show how you to minimize the risks while maximizing the benefits of being a contractor so that you end up with significantly more money in your pocket!
Blinders are useful in potentially distracting situations because they increase one’s ability to focus.
For example, blinders are useful for removing potentially distracting or scary scenes from a horse’s vision.
By preventing the horse from seeing everything in it’s peripheral vision, the rider can better control the horse’s focus or keep it on target.
So, what does “blinders on horses have to do with job descriptions”?
As you go about reading job descriptions and applying to jobs, you may become distracted, discouraged or even depressed by the skills or experience requirements posted on these job descriptions.
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?
US President Barack Obama Signs the HIRE Act Jobs Bill - a 17.6 Bllion Dollar Employment Package in a ceremony held in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday. Here is the full text of President Obama's speech.
US President Barack Obama signs the HIRE Act, a 17.6 billion dollar jobs bill unemployment package that his administration hopes will encourage small businesses to hire new workers or give them the confidence to buy the equipment needed to grow their business.
The ceremony was held in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday
Here is the full text of President Obama’s Hire Act Job Bill.
The Full Text of President Obama’s Hire Act Job Bill
Madame Speaker, Majority Leader Reid as well as some of my cabinet members who are here.
Since this is a question weighing on the minds of people … Today, it will be my pleasure to answer the question: “How To Solve The Unemployment Crises Facing The United States of America.“.
I talk to a number of business analysts interested in changing careers to new domains.
They come from diverse backgrounds (insurance, sales, financial, etc.) and they all share a common goal … that of switching careers to new domains.
So, when one of these business analysts asked; if I would like to throw more light on changing BA careers / domains at job interviews, I was glad to say yes
Learning a skill is one thing … knowing how to market, a skill a completely different thing!
That is why for example, some qualified business analysts fail to get a job that other less experienced business analysts succeed in getting.
Don’t assume that because you know a skill through self study, formal education or training, you can just go out and get a job … because there is more to finding a job than that!
Some people are really good at selling themselves … even when they know little about the subject at hand.
Are database development, computer programming, data analysis or web development required skills for Business Analysts?
Perhaps you’ve seen, heard about or applied for jobs asking for a broad or seemingly impossible range of skill sets?
Like those job descriptions for business analysts requiring computer programming skills or those for PMP Certified Project Managers with 5 years of software development experience!
This post addresses “how to bridge the gap between business analyst skills and unfair job descriptions written-up by Information Technology (IT) departments”
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”.
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.
A Mainframe Programmer who “received zero (0) interest” after hiring someone to rewrite his resume for Microsoft.NET Jobs is wondering why his resume rewriting strategy is not working!
So, the question is “are resume writers miracle workers or are there situations where hiring professionals to rewrite a resume will not help“?
Why Would You Hire A Resume Writer?
Let’s look at some of the reasons why you may want to hire a resume writer:
This question was posted by a reader who needs advice on “what to do about making wrong career choices”.
If you need help with a Question or Challenge, be sure to ask it as a comment on this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering this reader’s question below!
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This question was posted by a reader who wants to overcome obstacles posed by employment gaps in an Oracle Programming Career!
Please, send this post to your friends using the “Tell a Friend” Button button below. You earn points or cash each time you refer an article to your friends using the Tell a Friend Button.
If you need help with a Question or Challenge, be sure to ask it as a comment on this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering this reader’s question below!
I discovered the power of practice tests in 1999 after I aced a job interview test with a score in the mid-nineties and got hired fast!
Over the next few months, I mastered how to boost my skills rapidly using the technique that I will share with you in the rest of this article.
Research has shown that practice tests or quizzes improve your retention, recall or understanding.
Research that studies how people learn skills effectively also demonstrates that students who study and take quizzes have better long-term recall than their colleagues who study without taking quizzes.
As hiring managers are cutting costs and reducing staff size they are also hiring hiring professionals with a broader range of skills
As workers are laid off, the lucky ones left behind are asked to work longer hours or work on a broader range of tasks
IT Managers are now hiring for a broader range of skill sets. Business Analysts are being asked to perform light programming jobs and software developers are being asked to perform light business analysis tasks
On of my readers needs help with putting together his career advancement plan. I posted the information I provided to him below. If you have any question about this or about your career, post it as comment at the end of the post and I would answer it for you.
Set a SMART Goal
Begin by creating a comprehensive end to end career roadmap or plan.
Your career roadmap needs to include a SMART goal (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely goal) That means that you need to define an end objective (for example, mastering business analysis or learning computer programming or improving your software testing skills) and a timeline for achieving it.
The post which you are just about to read answers the question of:“what is the most compelling thing on a web programmer’s resume or how do you gain the type of resume that will make you standout in the web development industry!“
Let me begin by saying that, the key thing that hiring managers are looking for on your resume is not your programming certifications or your college degrees or computer science education but your handson web programming experience.
This post is an answer to a question asked by Chris who is attending his tenth (10) job interview. You may click here to read the original question or add your own question or comment to the discussion.
The original post is a No Holds Barred Discussion on challenges, problems or issues facing my readers. If you have a Burning Question or Challenge you need help with, be sure to add your question to that page and i will answer it fully just as I am answering Tom’s question below!
This post is an answer to a question asked by Tom Moore about how To Get A Good IT Job. You may click here to read the original question or add your own question or comment to the discussion.
The original post is a No Holds Barred Discussion on challenges, problems or issues facing my readers. If you have a Burning Question or Challenge you need help with, be sure to add your question to that page and i will answer it fully just as I am answering Tom’s question below!
It’s not news anymore. We are officially in a recession and people are being laid off everywhere. At first, it looked like the IT sector was going to come through this relatively unscathed, but that is no longer the case. Microsoft, IBM and Intel all announced job cuts this week.
In 2008, the US economy shed 1.2 million jobs. 10% of those jobs were Information Technology jobs. As of December, over 100,000 IT jobs had been lost and it doesn’t look like the situation is going to get better any time soon.
The current economy makes it a bad time to be isolated at work. Many job cuts are being announced every single day, making it critical that you build your network of co-workers, colleagues and acquaintances up to provide a safety net if your job situation is ever in jeopardy.
You Need People and You Need Information
Are you missing out in information at the office that could be critical to your career? You may be a hard working employee who eats lunch at your desk and prefers reading another IT book to attending company parties.
However, knowledge is power. Networking within your company prevents you from being the one who is always the last to know about major changes that may impact you, your team or the organization.
Being laid off usually comes as a shock to most people that it happens to. This is even more the case if your company does not make a public announcement of its intentions to cut jobs.
However, the layoff decision is rarely made the morning you get your pink slip. Managers are often given weeks within which to select the people who will be laid off from their teams.
2009 is proving to be a big year for online learning as more tech professionals enroll in web based, video based, distance learning programs to improve their skills and employment prospects.
I have compiled some predictions from learning experts, coaches, trainers, educators and training providers published in the eLearn Magazine
Allison Rossett, San Diego State University, USA: … today, in these harsh economic times, there is pressure to reduce costs. Technology is favored over registrations in hotels and hours in classrooms away from customers and clients …
In the computer programming industry, experience is King.
Real world, hands on, practical programming experience is valued more than computer programming certifications, software development diplomas or even programming job titles.
What you know is much more important than how you obtained the knowledge!
The next time you read a computer programming job description and you feel overwhelmed by the list of degrees or certifications required, just remember that the job market for computer programmers is not really that formal.
Learning and improving your business analysis skills is a must. Sometimes you can get so caught up in your current business analyst job that you miss the boat on new skills in the industry. Browsing and reading job descriptions can help you create a career development plan that keeps you on the leading edge of the business analysis industry.
decipher ba job descriptions
You can find out “what employers look for in a job candidate” by browsing business analyst job descriptions.
However, you will notice that some business analyst job descriptions are poorly written!
A weak business analyst job description does not provide enough information for you to compare your skill set against the requirements posted on the job posting.
A Well Written Business Analyst Job Description Is An Effective Hiring Tool!
Here is an example of a weak or ineffective business analyst job description:
Once you’ve determined that Business Analysis is your dream job your next steps will be to get trained, get networked and get your entry level business analyst job.
SigningUp For The Business Analyst Boot Camp
The next thing you will need to achieve your goal of becoming a business analyst and at the minimum, getting an entry level job, is to get trained.
What do you do when you are considering a switch to a career in Business Analysis? You need to evaluate your suitability for the job and begin to set goals and timelines to achieve training and mentoring to become a business analyst.
What should you do when you decide you want to become an IT Business Analyst?
You may have been a software developer, data analyst or even someone who has never worked in the Information Technology industry at all.
Perhaps you have an MBA or other business degree, but you have an interest in technology and you think IT Business Analysis is something you’d like to try your hand at.
Would you be interested in getting additional business analyst training on how to get business analyst jobs or begin a business analyst career?
What I have in mind is a step-by-step online and email based business analyst training program that provides you with the opportunity to gain marketable business analyst career skills, real world experience and the courage to get your dream job.
The Business Analyst Internship Program
If you are wondering if this online business analyst training program is for you, here are some criteria for helping you decide:
In this post I will discuss why some people are affluent and successful in their careers while others seem to struggle with minimum wage or low paying jobs and despite their hard work, intelligence and personality can not earn enough money to pay their bills.
The reasons why people struggle with earning enough money to pay your bills and afford some of the nicer things of life include:
Lack of a Top Paying, In-demand, Marketable Skill
Lack of Focus and Inability to Follow a Proven Successful Plan
One of the challenges I faced when I peeked inside my first programming book more than 15 years ago was the difficult of understanding the programming concepts taught in the textbooks I was reading. Think about it for a moment – if you walk into a store and buy a book on “how to master a programming language”, you should be able to read the book once or at most a couple of times and understand it correct?
Well, I’m afraid that’s not how it works in real life. Computer programming books are notoriously scary and difficult to read.
If the possibility of spending 4 or more years in college studying computer science is remote for you then breaking the degree barrier or knowing how to get a software developer job without a college degree will be helpful to you. So here is how to begin a computer programming career when college just isn’t an option.
While it may be easier to find a programming job with a college degree in computer science, a large percentage of computer programmers either don’t have a degree in computer science, or a college degree at all. The secret to success is to gain technical skills and real-world experience that makes you as good or even better than someone who only has a computer science degree.
Inspite of the outsourcing of Information Technology jobs, there is a net positive increase in staffing for computer programming jobs, because the fundamental demand for hi-tech skills in the US economy is quite strong.
The job market for computer programmers has virtually exploded in the last ten year and the demand for software developers will continue to be strong for the foreseeable future.
In this post, I would like to discuss the factors driving up the demand for computer programmers.
Job Market Surveys for Computer Programmers
One of the surveys conducted by Harris Interactive found that:
Do you want to learn the C++ programming language or become a C/C++ computer programmer?
Have you ever asked this question? which programming language is the most complex and challenging?? and received the answer C++?
If you answered yes, you are not alone. About 13 years ago, I asked my mentors in computer programmingwhich programming language is the hardest, toughest, most difficult to learn? and I got the same reply as you… C++.
I asked the question because I wanted to become a successful computer programmer.
Here is how the computer programming industry works:
Technology: Your choice of programming language can make or break your career. If you choose a programming language that’s not in-demand like COBOL, your career is PRETTY MUCH dead. If you choose a programming language that’s in high demand like Java or C# your career is headed for the STARS.
3-DAY SPECIAL Release For programmers looking for a new job.
Never again do you have to feel over-whelmed by a job search when this FOUR-IN-ONE JOB SEARCH PACKAGE says it all. Here are the four books in this release:
How To Create Highly Effective Programmer Resumes
How To Find Programming Job Openings Easily
How To Ace Technical Interviews
How To Negotiate The Salary You Want
For the next 3 days, you can have this book for a fraction of the full price.
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As hiring managers are cutting costs and reducing staff size they are also hiring hiring professionals with a broader range of skills
