ITCareerCoach Training - Coaching » layoff http://www.it-career-coach.net How To Take Your Career To The Next Level Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:09:27 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 How to Tap Into Magical Hiring Powers http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/08/18/how-to-tap-into-magical-hiring-powers/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/08/18/how-to-tap-into-magical-hiring-powers/#comments Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:28:09 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3269

Tapping Into Your Magical Hiring Powers

Tapping Into Your Magical Hiring Powers

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

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

But, is it really true?

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

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

  1. Recruiters Are Gatekeepers

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

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

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

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

  2. Recruiters Are Lie Detectors

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

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

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

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

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

  3. Can Staffing Agencies Claim Exclusivity?

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

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

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

  4. Who Makes Hiring Decisions?

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

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

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

Discover Magic In A Law Of Numbers

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

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

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

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


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/08/18/how-to-tap-into-magical-hiring-powers/feed/ 1 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.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/03/20/live-up-to-your-potential-in-3-steps/feed/ 0 6 Principles That Transform Your Work http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/03/04/6-principles-that-transform-your-work/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/03/04/6-principles-that-transform-your-work/#comments Fri, 04 Mar 2011 07:01:42 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=3132

six principles that transform your career

six principles that transform your work

Are you looking for a transformation in your work situation? Follow these 6 rock solid success principles that summarize what I have learned about building careers or online communities!

Whatever your industry, background or situation, these six principles will help you “Discover Your Passion“, “Do What You Love” or “Take Your Passion To Market“.

The first two (2) principles are designed to help you choose work that matches your strengths, education, training, background, skills, experience, hobbies or interests.

Principle #1 – Choose Work Based On Passion

Work is much easier or more fulfilling when you do something that you are passionate about as opposed to something that stresses you!

On the other hand, when you are not passionate about your work, you will lack the desire to excel or motivation to perform at work!

Some people don’t believe in the “Do What You Love And The Money Will Follow” principle because the picture that comes to their mind is that of starving artists who do what they love and yet cannot pay their bills.

The good news is that you don’t have to be a starving artist because you can actually do what you love and have the money follow you :-)

The first step on this path to success, is choosing work that is at the intersection of something you’re good at, something you care about and something other people in your chosen industry, niche or market need, find useful and are willing to pay for.

Read this article titled: “How The Starving Artist Achieves Career Success Using Social Media“.

Principle #2 – Learn the Most Marketable Skills

Learn the most marketable skills for the work that you have chosen to do.

Your skills are just a means to an end which usually involves meeting the needs of customers in the industry or market.

When it comes to choosing skills that you will learn, be as objective as possible and choose based on facts or data as opposed to emotions or personal opinions.

Remember that the more marketable your skills are, the easier it will be for you to find a new job, earn an income or stay employed.

Read this post titled: learn the most marketable skills

It is easy to learn the marketability of a skill, just count the number of job postings that require that skill!

For your own personal education, after reading this post, “Download the Free Report” below which describes the Top 100, Most Marketable Skills in the Online Employment Industry.

The next two principles described on this post belong to a coaching course titled: “Do What You Love“.

These two principles will take your performance to an advanced level or give you the freedom to do what you love without fear of failure.

Principle #3 – Stay Current In Your Industry

Stay current with the information coming out of your industry by reading a lot of blog posts, articles or books.

Do not neglect to read professional textbooks because the fundamental principles, concepts and techniques are often explained in great details in them.

Subscribe to and read the blog post of the most influential professionals in your industry. Nowadays, the latest, cutting-edge information is often posted in blogs before it makes its way out to industry textbooks.

Invest time and money in learning because ours is a knowledge-based economy and the most valuable currency is your knowledge, skills or experience and not the money saved in your bank account.

In other words, the more you learn and put to work, the more money you will earn … and the less you learn, the more likely you are to lose your income!

Principle #4 – Advance Your Skills By Taking Tests

Study hard but better still, take frequent tests because they improve retention, comprehension and recall and also help you excel at work by sharpening your skills!

Read more about the Benefits of Taking Tests in this post titled: How To Ace Job Interviews Using Practice Tests.

It is important that you become highly skilled because when the economy sheds jobs, the easiest jobs to cut are those employing the least skilled workers and the most likely to get hired again, are the most skilled workers!

In other words, the only safety net for your job is to become highly skilled at your work, career or business!

Remember that you live in a global economy where a job can be outsourced to a professional living in another country simply because that professional is better skilled than you.

An article by Pam Belluck of the New York Times reports a new scientific finding in the “January 2011 Science Journal” which backs up my findings about the importance of taking frequent practice tests.

Click here to read the article titled: “To Really Learn, Quit Studying and Take a Test”.

This scientific finding suggests that taking tests is good not only for certification exams or assessing knowledge but for helping people learn new information as well!

The conclusion is that students who read and take a test asking them to recall what they just read perform better than those who use traditional learning techniques!

The next two principles described on this post belong to a online coaching course or web design & web marketing consulting services titled: “Bring Your Passion To Market“.

These last two success principles are important because without marketing your ideas, skills or business, someone else who is less qualified but more visible will take the opportunities meant for you!

Principle #5 – Blog Your Way To Success

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket by depending solely on your resume and online job postings. Learn to market your career with a blog.

Blogging is the process of putting out well-researched, informative or authoritative articles on your industry. When done right, it will keep you visible to a high number of employers.

Blogging can distinguish you in a global, competitive job market by helping you develop and market a unique personal brand, which is something that employers apparently value!

The value of blogging is that it can open the communication doors between you and potential employers or customers.

As you talk or write, yo differentiate yourself from your competitors and potential customers or employers begin to value your expertise.

Principle #6 – Invest In An Online Community

Invest time, effort and money in an online community that incorporates your strengths, your blog posts and your social media networking activities.

Your online community must be built around your passion and your strengths so that members feel energized, inspired, motivated or helped when they interact with you.

If you passionately help out your community members by giving your time and expertise, they will reciprocate the favor by referring customers, employers or new opportunities your way.

Building an online community can only be described as the best publicity or customer relationship management (CRM) tool and in the end all the good work that you do will benefit your reputation, online brand, business or career as well.

Bring Your Passion To Market: regardless of how good your skills are, you must stay visible to employers or potential customers, if you want to get hired.

These six (6) principles are documented in my FREE thirty six (36) page Report titled: “The Survivors Guide To Unemployment” which you can download below.

Click here to discover your passion: or find work that is at the intersection of something you’re good at, something you care about and something other people in your chosen industry, niche or market need, find useful and are willing to pay for.

Or hire our web design & web marketing consulting services: to help you bring your passion (ideas, products, services, skills or business) to market.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2011/03/04/6-principles-that-transform-your-work/feed/ 0 How To Transition Into A New Career http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/07/04/how-to-transition-into-a-new-career/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/07/04/how-to-transition-into-a-new-career/#comments Mon, 05 Jul 2010 03:50:41 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2951

Career Advice - Ask IT Career Coach

Career Advice - 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.

This post answers the question of “how to transition into a new career“.

If you are making a career change and you don’t know how to effectively transition into another field, follow these simple steps to transition your career.

  1. Do what you love

    Discover what sort of career you will be passionate about before making a transition.

    Yo may transition because of a bigger salary, market demand, job security or interest level.

    Transitioning because of interest level or passion is the best reason.

  2. Get Hands-On Experience

    It will be hard to transition your career without getting some hands-on experience.

    Yes, you need to get this hands-on experience before you get the job … otherwise no one will believe that you are capable of doing the job

  3. Let Your Resume Sell You

    Your resume should reflect where you are going to and not where you are coming from.

    You need to get a hold of the resume of someone who is established in the career you are transitioning … and find a way to get matching skills, experience or portfolio.

  4. Don’t Follow The Crowd

    Do not transition to a career because others say it is hot.

    Transition into a career because you are willing to pay the price to succeed in that industry because without hard work or sacrifice, you are bound to fail.

  5. Be The Best

    Prepare to be the very best at your new career.

    If you fail, then you will be above average.

    Don’t plan to be average in your new career because you will under-estimate the effort you need to make and end up without a job.

    6. Follow these simple steps to transition into your new career.


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    ]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/07/04/how-to-transition-into-a-new-career/feed/ 6 US President Barack Obama Signs the HIRE Act Jobs Bill – 17.6 Bllion Dollar Employment Package http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/03/21/us-president-barack-obama-signs-the-hire-act-jobs-bill/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/03/21/us-president-barack-obama-signs-the-hire-act-jobs-bill/#comments Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:13:57 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2883

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    • Do I have a decent job?

    • Can I provide for my family?

    • Do I feel a sense of financial security?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    Hire Acts Jobs Bill Signing Ceremony

    Hire Acts Jobs Bill Signing Ceremony


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    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/03/21/us-president-barack-obama-signs-the-hire-act-jobs-bill/feed/ 0     Why Your Resume Gets Tossed http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/12/17/why-your-resume-gets-tossed/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/12/17/why-your-resume-gets-tossed/#comments Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:28:15 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2743

    Is Mindless Resume Submission Working?

    Is Mindless Resume Submission Working?


    Finding a job is just a numbers game, so submitting my resume to several job postings will get me hired … says a business analyst!

    This is the mindset of some IT job seekers who approach the business of finding a job as if it is purely a numbers game.

    But is a successful job search simply a numbers game or is there more to getting a job than that?

    Why Resumes Get Tossed

    1. Learn It First – Before you start submitting resumes, first learn how to do the job you are applying for.

      Getting the right knowledge and skills does more for your job search because it assures the attention of hiring managers.

      Yet some job seekers assume that they can get the attention of hiring managers by simply re-writing their resume without significantly improving their skills!

      In a real life example, a marketing and sales professional with no real world business analysis knowledge, skills or experience, just keeps rewriting or submitting resumes for business analyst jobs without taking the time to study or learn!

      There is danger when one conditions the mind to act reflexively without thinking.

      Applying for jobs is not meant to be a mindless task that one attempts like an unthinking robot.

      You be the judge of the job prospects of anyone who thinks that “finding a job is just a numbers game“.

    2. Which Comes First Learning Or Doing – learning has always been the forerunner to doing. You always have to learn a career before you can start performing the roles, responsibilities or duties belonging to the career.

      As a basic rule, everyone has to first learn a skill before they can start producing or working with the skill.

      In some careers, the practice of learning before doing is regulated and enforced by law.

      For example, you cannot become a Medical Doctor without going though Medical school and training. And you cannot just assume that you are a Medical Doctor and start submitting your resume for jobs without first learning, studying for and passing medical examinations.

      In information technology careers, the practice of learning before doing is not enforced by laws or exams or any set of IT schools because it is enforced by the Information Technology (IT) employer.

      Employers want to know that you’ve mastered the knowledge, skills and experience needed for the job before you are hired.

      And when you think of the rigorous credentialing, certification and licensing standards applied to other non information technology careers, you will agree that IT employers are not asking for much!

      The good news is that, it is not how you learn new skills, careers or work that matters (self study, books, coaching, training, college is ok) but that you learn it well … in a rigorous, thorough, step by step way!

    3. Learning Comes Before Finding A Job – employers don’t want to re-train new hires. In other words, job postings are written for those who will be productive from day one.

      What this means is that if you are looking for a new job, you need to take the time to learn or master the skills required for the job and not just shop your resume around.

      Posting your resume mindlessly without first learning the required skills is a black hole that either sucks up your time and energy or brands you in a negative light as thoughtless to employers.

    4. Take a Personal Inventory of your Skills – Do yourself a favor during this holiday season.

      Take a personal inventory of the skills required for your job. List all the skills required; (for example: UML, Use Cases, Requirements Management, SQL, Databases) and then rate yourself on a scale of one to ten on each skill.

      Finally, take the time to study, learn and improve on your weak areas because that is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself or your family!

    This post discusses why most resumes get tossed by hiring managers. If you have a question or need some help with your career, post it as a comment on this page and we will be glad to answer it for you!


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    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/12/17/why-your-resume-gets-tossed/feed/ 6     How The Starving Artist Achieves Career Success Using Social Media http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/09/24/how-the-starving-artist-achieves-career-success-using-social-media/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/09/24/how-the-starving-artist-achieves-career-success-using-social-media/#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:24:30 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2543

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756 – 1791

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756 – 1791


    Have you ever heard of “The Starving Artist”? It’s an often used cliché that describes talented, skilled or creative folks like writers, painters, musicians or others who starve while doing what they love.

    The idea behind the Starving Artist is “an individual who works for pennies and then dies broke doing what he or she loves”.

    Some of history’s renowned or talented artists like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Vivaldi and Van Gogh lived in poverty, misery or debt because their society didn’t care for or reward them.

    But wait a moment, do skilled, talented, creative folks like you and me, have to work for pennies all our lives … just because we want to do what we love or is that just another myth?

    Long Live the Media Age

    On the contrary, talented, skilled or educated folks run the world because the media age, the internet and social media has changed the way we do business forever.

    In the media age, anyone who’s skilled can making a living by leveraging the full power of Social Media Networks like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook.

    In the era of the Starving Artists, the creative or common folk couldn’t afford to show, present or air their works to mass markets because that investment required the purse strings of a King, Queen or Financial Baron.

    However, in the Media Age, you can communicate your resume, your profile or your brand with the push of a button called “Publish”.

    Many professionals including those in academia use the “Publish or Perish” strategy in furthering their careers and now you can too!

    Publish or Perish, Which Do You Choose?

    Your career is bigger than your job, employment or paycheck because your career is the problem you’re solving or the value you’re creating at an intrinsic personal level.

    Don’t make the mistake of always looking for the next job or the next employer or the next hot career.

    Look inside of you and identify the core problems you’re willing to solve or values (goods, services, solutions) you’re willing to create for society on a long-term basis.

    Then use Social Media to communicate your new mission to the mass market.

    That is how to achieve career success using PULL techniques as introduced in the post “Become a Leader“.

    Here is how to get the job you want or stay employed using PULL rather than PUSH techniques:

    1. Become a Leader in your Industry: Identify with your Industry outside your 8AM to 5PM work day. Start solving a thorny business problem or creating a valuable idea, good or service that benefits others.

    2. Build your Brand: Create a message around the value you’re creating for everyone. Let your message transcend your day job. Build your identity around your core message and include that in your resume.

    3. Market your Brand: Distribute your brand using the full power of social media networks. Don’t wait till you need a job before you start marketing because you need to build your social network before you need it.

    Becoming a Leader is a powerful PULL technique that advances your career for the following reasons:

    1. Industry Recognition: Being constantly visible in your industry sends subtle reminders to hiring managers that you’re the best person for current or future employment needs.

    2. Better Positioning: Staying in constant contact with colleagues or decision managers using Social Media puts you in a better position compared to an unknown professional whose only contact is an application for a job.

    3. Power Networking: You own or belong to a social network, the members of the network are your friends and you care about their business or solve their problems. Your social networks are in your debt and are willing to return favors by getting you hired.

    Learning how to become a leader is important because it actively protects you from layoffs or downsizes and does more by actively promoting or advancing your career behind your back.

    Don’t be a “Starving Artist” … a professional whose only communication with hiring managers is when a job is posted.

    You can do better that a “starving artist” by building your own brand and your own network of potential employers using the power of Social Media.

    Leveraging the full power of social media protects you from becoming a starving artist, an un-employed professional whose career is at the mercy of the job market!

    So, what are you waiting for? Click here to get more information on How To Become a Leader” or learn how to get the recognition or type of employment (coaching, consulting or full-time) you deserve!


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    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/09/24/how-the-starving-artist-achieves-career-success-using-social-media/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!


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    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/08/02/did-i-mess-up-my-career-part-2/feed/ 5     How Do I Overcome Employment Gaps In My Oracle Programming Career? http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/07/13/how-do-i-overcome-employment-gaps-in-my-oracle-programming-career/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/07/13/how-do-i-overcome-employment-gaps-in-my-oracle-programming-career/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:18:30 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2022

    Ask IT Career Coach

    Ask IT Career Coach

    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!

    Here is the Reader’s Question:

    Hello,

    The toughest challege facing my career right now is, I have been unemployeed for an extended period of time.

    I have nine years of Oracle programming experience, but I have been out of work for some years now.

    I have been told by employeers that it has been too long since I have had any professional experience.

    The job market is very competitive right now.

    How do I compete with other programmers who may not have been out of work as long as I have?

    I am attending classes so that I am not completely idle. My major is Computer Information Systems. However, I urgently need to work.

    Here is my Answer:

    Although, the job market is competitive, getting back into full-time employment after a stay at home period is not impossible.

    Follow these guidelines to boost your competitiveness compared to that of other computer programmers.

    1. Broaden Your Skills: To stay competitive in the job market, you must broaden your skills because IT Managers are hiring for a broader range of skills!

      Begin by learning those skill that are in high demand and are also a natural complement to your existing skill base.

      For example, SQL Server programming skills are in high-demand and will complement your existing skill sets. By learning SQL Server programming you will be able to target both Oracle Programming Jobs and SQL Server Database Programming Jobs.

    2. Transition To a Software Developer Career: Take advantage of your existing programming strengths by learning a new programming language!

      Draw upon your understanding of Oracle programming to learn a completely new programming tool.

      This will help your career by giving you skills that make you more attractive to employers.

      For example, there are lots of programming jobs that require Microsoft .NET Front-End Programming Skills and Oracle Database or SQL Server Back-End Developer Skills.

      By learning Microsoft.NET you will become competitive in the current job market as you gain the ability to work on the User Interface Front-End or Business Logic Layer or Database Back-End!

    3. Overcome Employment Gaps By Becoming More Marketable: There is nothing that you can do about your employment gaps because it’s already happened and it is going to stay on your resume!

      However there is plenty you can do if you understand the power of having a marketable skill.

      When you hear employers complaining about the gaps in your employment, what they are really saying is that they don’t find your resume or skills compelling enough!

      You can completely by-pass this objection by acquiring the kind of skills that make you a marketable, in-demand IT Professional.

      This is the single, most important thing within your power to do … Learn a new skill or career that makes you instantly attractive, desirable and employable!

    How to Overcome Your Employment Gap?

    Not too long ago, I was helping someone who hadn’t worked for a number of years. He was in a pretty bad situation because he had a very short employment history and also an employment gap for no good reason.

    The way we got around that situation was by getting him to update his skills by learning Microsoft .NET Software Development.

    The demand for Microsoft .NET programmers is so high that this guy got hired at his very first interview … despite not having a credible explanation for the gaps on his resume!

    I ‘m saying that considering your Nine Years of Oracle programming experience, all you have to do is to make yourself more marketable.

    Remember that you already have a far better resume than the individual in question.

    So, How Do You Become A Microsoft .NET Software Developer?

    1. You become a Microsoft .NET Software Developer by enrolling at the SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS BOOT CAMP!

      The software developers boot camp is an Online, Video Based, Web Based, Instructor Led, Beginner to Advanced Software Developer Training that incorporates knowledge based training in the form of Video Lessons and Hands-On Skill Building Microsoft.NET Training in the form of Microsoft .NET Projects, Case Studies, Labs, Hands-On Coding Activities and more.

    2. The SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS BOOT CAMP provides you with the skill needed to become a professional software developer or consultant. You learn ASP.NET, C#, Web-Based development in a practical, real-world, hands-on online computer programming course!

    3. Finally, I will also advise you to register for the SQL Boot Camp because SQL Server Database skills are usually required in Microsoft .NET software developer positions. You should register for both the SQL Boot Camp and the Software Developers Boot Camp at the same time to get the best results.

      So, register here for the SQL BOOT CAMP and also register here for the SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS BOOT CAMP!

    This post answers a question posted by a reader on “How To Overcome Employment Gaps in Oracle Programming Career! If you have any Question about your career, Post IT as a comment on this page and I will be sure to answer it for you!


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    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/07/13/how-do-i-overcome-employment-gaps-in-my-oracle-programming-career/feed/ 10     IT Managers Hiring Broader Range Of Skills http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/03/09/it-managers-hiring-broader-range-of-skills/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/03/09/it-managers-hiring-broader-range-of-skills/#comments Tue, 10 Mar 2009 01:07:10 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=1258

    careersAs 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

    As the job market gets more competitive, IT Managers are hiring workers who have the mindset, training and inclination to work on a broader range of tasks. Gone are the days when it was okay to say “I can only do this” or “please, don’t make me do that“. Nowadays if you are asked to work on a task that is not aligned with your core competency … it may better to do the job or get trained on how to do it!

    Business Analysts With Programming Skills Wanted!

    IT Managers are hiring for business analysts with light computer programming skills

    Business analysts are not expected to learn the full suite of programming languages that software developers need. They are expected to LEARN LIGHT PROGRAMMING SKILLS including HTML, XHTML, CSS, SQL, Data Analysis or Reporting

    Business Analysts who’ve learnt a range of light programming skills in addition to the traditional, business analysis skills will find that they are more marketable. These business analysts will also be able to match a wider range of candidate profiles sought by an increasing number of hiring managers. One thing is for sure, showing your IT manager that you are willing or flexible enough to accept assignments outside your core competencies will help you get hired or keep your current job

    Should Computer Programmers Learn Business Analysis?

    Computer Programmers also need to be ready in today’s job market to acquire a broader range of skills in other to get hired or retain their jobs.

    Computer programmers need to be ready to have or demonstrate LIGHT BUSINESS ANALYSIS SKILLS including UML, Use Cases or Requirements Analysis skills.

    Because firms are cutting costs, computer programmers should also expect to start seeing more traditional data analysis or reporting tasks assigned to them.

    What Extra Skills Are You Getting?

    Business analysts are reporting an increase in the number of job postings requiring light programming skills in-addition to the core business analysis skills

    Industry wide, there is an increasing trend to cut costs and retain tech workers who have a broader range of software development (project management, data analysis, business analysis, computer programming) skills.

    What about you? Do you plan to learn any new skill or stay competitive in today’s job market?


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    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/03/09/it-managers-hiring-broader-range-of-skills/feed/ 0     How To Plan For Career Success http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/02/17/how-to-plan-your-tech-career/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/02/17/how-to-plan-your-tech-career/#comments Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:23:27 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=1041

    jobs-employment-recession

    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.

    1. 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.

    2. Follow a Strategy

      Then you need to have a strategy for achieving your career goals. Your strategy is the “how to achieve your goal” part. So without a good strategy, you are not going to achieve your goal, no matter how hard you try at doing so.

      Your core career strategy needs to include: “gaining the requisite knowledge, skills and experience” needed to advance in your career as well as soft skills like “technical presentation / interviewing skills”.

    3. Execute your Strategy

      You need to define the specific tactics that would allow you to achieve your strategy. Your tactics is more like a day to day plan that you would carry out that aligns with your strategy. Your tactics is the execution part of the plan and if you don’t execute your strategy well, all the goal setting and strategizing in the world won’t help you.

    How to Follow Through On Your Career Strategy

    How do you ensure that on a daily or weekly basis, that you will get the knowledge, skills and experience required to succeed in your career?

    To ensure that you succeed in your career, you need to define:

    • How you will gain the requisite knowledge

    • How you will gain mastery and turn your knowledge into skills

    • How to gain hands on, real-world, experience. Note that without experience, you won’t get be able to transition to new roles or get hired or get promoted

    Here is some more information on how to gain more knowledge, skills and experience … which is required for IT career success:

    • How To Improve Your Knowledge:

      Would you use books, free website content, onsite technical training, online training, coaching or mentoring services, newsletters, etc. You need to come up with what works best for you based on your work, family and budget

    • How to Turn your Knowldege into skills:

      Note that knowledge and skills are not the same. Knowledge is theoretical and skill is practical. You must turn theoretical knowledge, education, certifications, etc into practical skills to succeed in your tech career

    • How To Gain Hands On Experience:

      The most valuable asset in your career is your hands on, real-world, experience. IT careers unlike careers in law, medicine and some other professional disciplines put more emphasis on experience than accrediattion.

    So, before you do anything, you need to make sure you have defined the specific steps you will take to get your hands on experience. Also, not every experience is equal. Employers give more weight to experience gained in some specific ways compared to experience gained in other ways.

    TO CERTIFY OR NOT?

    This is a hot topic. Tech workers are worrying if their certifications, degrees, education, would hold up in the current economic climate.

    There seems to be two schools of thought. One school asserts that certifications and educational degrees are everything. The other school asserts that certified tech workers may not necessarily have the experience to back it up and that certifications don’t matter anyway.

    There may be a better way to answer this question. Instead of worrying about your certifications, educational qualifications, etc. focus on a developing complete, end to end career plan. In a complete career plan you may get additional certifications and educational qualifications as long as you do not neglect the core essentials needed for information technology career success: knowledge, skills and experience.

    So, I want to know hear from you. Was this post helpful? Do certifications, degrees and educational qualifications matter? Does knowldege, skill or experience matter? If you have a question or concern I can address, post it as a comment at the end of this post and I will answer it for you.


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    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/02/17/how-to-plan-your-tech-career/feed/ 11     How To Slam Dunk Job Interviews http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/02/05/how-to-slam-dunk-job-interviews/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/02/05/how-to-slam-dunk-job-interviews/#comments Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:30:13 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=841

    How To Slam Dunk Your Next Job Interview

    How To Slam Dunk Your Next Job Interview

    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!

    The definition of the word “slam dunk” below is from Wikipedia and the rest of the article is my anwer to Chris’s challenge with Job Interviews!

    A slam dunk (or simply a dunk) is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air and manually powers the ball downward through the basket with one or both hands over the rim.

    The term “slam dunk” was coined by Los Angeles Lakers announcer Chick Hearn and is one of the highest percentage shots one can attempt in basketball.

    50 Ways To Slam Dunk Any Job Interview

    1. Dress appropriately for your job interviews

    2. Never be late for your job interviews

    3. Verify the interviewer’s timezone ahead of your job interview

    4. Verify the location of the interview ahead of time

    5. Print a mapquest or step by step driving direction to the interview location

    6. Before going for the interview, find out more about the culture of the company, what they like in employees or consultants or why they are hiring

    7. Greet the receptionist and other people in the lounge or interview room courteously and with a smile

    8. Research your potential employer using the internet before the interview

    9. Research your potential employer by finding out about their products, services, industry and corporate history

    10. Take samples or proof of your expertise to the interview

    11. Demonstrate to the interviewer how portions or sections of the job posting relate to your resume and skills

    12. Do not negotiate compensation before you get an offer

    13. Do not talk down your current or previous positions

    14. Be prepared to answer the “what are your strengths?” question

    15. Be prepared to answer the “what is your weakness?” question

    16. Be prepared to answer the “do you prefer working in teams or alone?” question

    17. Give the appropriate level of technical detail for each interviewer. A senior business analyst or a tech lead will need detailed technical answers while managers or directors may need concise summaries.

    18. Be prepared to answer the “what is your greatest accomplishment?” question

    19. Be prepared to answer the “why are you looking for a position?” question

    20. Be prepared to answer the “how do you handle stress?” question

    21. Answer each interview question with specifics, examples and illustrations from your career

    22. Answer each interview question quickly, completely and to the point

    23. Answer each interview question and ask your interviewer if you provided enough information

    24. Answer each interview question with confidence, command and authority

    25. Answer each interview question by looking the interviewer in the eye

    26. Answer each interview question by looking briefly at each interviewer in the room and returning back to the originator of the question

    27. Answer each interview question with a smile and a relaxed, calm demeanor

    28. Say you don’t know on interview questions, that you don’t have any idea about

    29. If you interviewer corrects you on your answers, be courteous and thank the interviewer for taking the time to correct your response

    30. Take the phone interview as seriously as a face to face interview because may even get hired on the phone without another face to face

    31. Take you phone interviews in a quiet, distraction free room

    32. Give an alternate phone number to the employer as a backup ahead of your phone interviews

    33. Practice taking phone interviews while standing up or sitting down and then choose the style that works for you

    34. Start your interview preparation a month or more before you take the interview

    35. When preparing for a job interview, first prepare a list of frequently asked questions and answers

    36. Prepare the questions to ask the interviewer about the job position before your interview date

    37. When preparing for job interview, rehearse or practice answering the questions 10 or more times beforehand

    38. When preparing for job interview, rehearse or practice before an audience that will give you immediate feedback

    39. After taking a job interview, let the interviewer know that you really want and care about landing the job

    40. After taking a job interview, ask the interviewer what are the issues that must be tackled immediately and effectively by you, if you are hired

    41. After taking a job interview, ask the interviewer what personal attributes or traits are common among the sucessful employees or consultants

    42. After taking a job interview, ask the interviewer who you will be reporting to if you are hired

    43. After taking a job interview, thank the interviewer for their time and interest in hiring you before leaving the room

    44. After taking a job interview, ask the interviewer for their contact information

    45. After taking a job interview, send a thank you email to your job interviewers when you get home

    46. After taking a job interview, decline to discuss your pay until you get a job offer

    47. After taking a job interview, let the interviewer know that you are flexible when it comes to pay

    48. After taking a job interview, ask the interviewer how long you it will take for them to get back to you

    49. After taking a job interview, prepare a list of the challenging questions you had to answer

    50. After taking a job interview, research, document and rehearse the answers to all the challenging questions you answered


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

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    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/02/05/how-to-slam-dunk-job-interviews/feed/ 8     How To Land A Good Tech Job http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/02/05/how-to-land-a-good-tech-job/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/02/05/how-to-land-a-good-tech-job/#comments Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:25:22 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=813

    jobs-employment-recession

    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!

    Is College Education Enough?

    College is part of the preparation for the real-world, but if you read my past articles, you will see me say often that college is not real-life.

    What Are The Critical Tech Skills

    There are two critical skills needed to succeed in today’s Information Technology (IT) Job Market:

    1. Your Technical skills

    2. Your Marketing skills

    Let’s look at these skills in detail:

    TECHNICAL SKILLS:

    You need to learn technical skills that are in high-demand by hiring managers. It is not enough to like your skills or to be good at what you do! You need to be passionate about, like or learn tech skills that are in high demand by hiring managers. It may not be apparent to you that you need to update your current skills while you still have a job. But what happens when you lose your job and can’t get job interviews?

    Here is a reality check: If you are very good at what you do and you lose your job and can’t find interviews … then your skills are not in demand and you need to re-invent your career.

    MARKETING SKILLS:

    Some tech professionals are very good at what they do and they may even have technical skills that are in high demand but they committ the sin of not marketing their skills, resume or profile.

    To succeed in the current tech Job Market, you need to start looking at yourself as a business. A business sees marketing as a core vital activity that needs to be performed on a daily basis.

    So change your strategy from marketing your resume when you are out of work to marketing your profile at every opportunity!

    What I have said so far is the background or prelude to what I am about to say next:

    WHAT SKILLS SHOULD YOU LEARN?

    1. SQL / RELATIONAL DATABASES

      I would say that you start updating your skills by learning and becoming an expert at SQL and Relational Databases. I recommend SQL because you can learn or master it in a shorter time than the other skills like business analysis or computer programming or data analysis or software testing or computer networking skills.

      Also by mastering SQL, you have access into other professions including “Data Analysis” or “Business Analysis” or “Computer Programming”. The way it works is that if you are an expert at one thing, then you have proven that you can be an expert at other jobs if given the chance.

    2. HTML / CSS / WEB SKILLS

      Look into mastering HTML, CSS and some web development after you master SQL and then choose a specific software development career path … along the lines of “Data Analysis” or “Business Analysis” or “Computer Programming”

    Whatever skills or career you pursue, remember that:

    You need to master a skill that is in high demand

    You need to market your skills intensively. Don’t assume that your technical mastery alone is enough to get you a job, go sell yourself to hiring managers

    If there is any other question or challenge facing your career, go ahead and challenging career or job questionpost it as a comment on this link and I will address it for you.


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



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    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/02/05/how-to-land-a-good-tech-job/feed/ 2     Recession Proof Your Career – How to Survive In 2009 http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/29/recession-proof-your-career-how-to-survive-in-2009/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/29/recession-proof-your-career-how-to-survive-in-2009/#comments Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:34:25 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=685

    recession-economic-downturn

    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.

    If you haven’t been laid off already, there is a real possibility that it may happen to you. It’s time to hunker down and prepare for the worst. The good news is that even in a recession, there are still jobs out there.

    To offer you some hope and prepare you to be successful in the economic downturn, I will be writing a series of articles packed with tips to help you get through the current recession/depression.

    These articles will help you prepare to sail right through to your next position if you’ve been laid off and prepare to not miss a beat if you do get a pink slip.

    In addition, I am scouring the web to bring you the best of what’s been written about surviving the current tough economy.

    Here are two great articles from Robert Scoble chock full of tips for holding on to your job and getting a new one right away if you do get laid off.

    If You Are Laid Off, Here’s How to Socially Network

    What to Do If You’re Laid Off in 2008 recession

    And on a more humorous note:

    7 Essential Steps to Surviving a Post-Layoff Existence

    How To Recession Proof Your Career

    Check out the ‘IT-Career-Coach’ Resume, Job Search and Interview training program that walks you through the process of finding a new job immediately.

    You’ll Learn Step-by-Step

    • How to Run an Accelerated Job Search

    • How to Find Unadvertised Jobs

    • What Employers Want to See on Your Resume

    • How to Be the Best Candidate in a Technical Interview

    • Advanced Techniques that 98% of Job Searchers Don’t Know (This Means You’ll Be Ahead of the Game)

    How the Coaching Works

    • You Get Step By Step Video Training that Shows You How to Get Hired Fast!

    • Your Resume and Cover Letter are Reviewed to Ensure They Match the Positions You’re Applying For.

    • You are Coached on How To Be the Top Candidate by Selling Yourself During Your Technical Interviews.


    Click here for more information


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    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/29/recession-proof-your-career-how-to-survive-in-2009/feed/ 2     Recession Proof Your Career – 7 Signs a Pink Slip is Coming http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/28/recession-proof-your-career-7-signs-a-pink-slip-is-coming/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/28/recession-proof-your-career-7-signs-a-pink-slip-is-coming/#comments Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:50:36 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=647

    Pink Slip

    Pink Slip

    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.

    While it is always difficult for a manager to let an employee go, sometimes it is an opportunity for them to weed out those people who have been dragging the team performance down. If you’ve had trouble with your manager or co-workers in the past, that’s a sure sign that you may be one of the first to go.

    Other times, there’s no good reason for you to be chosen as the sacrificial lamb. You’ve worked hard and been a team player; however, you still get the boot. There are signs that can give you a heads up that this may happen.

    Here are the warnings that you are being considered for a layoff:

    1. Your workload suddenly becomes very light. If there are no new projects coming your way, it may be a sign that your employer plans to let you go.

    2. You have consistently been an underperformer on the job. You miss deadlines and your work is under par. Your lack of energy or application of commitment and creativity to the tasks your team faces will make you a sure pick for a layoff. If you’ve been hovering around the fringes of productivity, this is the time to do a 180 degree turn and start contributing in major ways to your team. Get to work early, stay late, stop surfing the web during work hours. Go over and beyond the call of duty. You may just save your job.

    3. You don’t get along with your co-workers or with your boss. In a downturn, your manager is more likely to keep his or her favorites around. It’s just the way life is. Most organizations value a team player over a star player. If you’ve had problems in your interactions with co-workers in the past, this is a good time to patch up. Reach out and be likeable.

    4. Your manager starts to micro-manage you. He requests status updates on all of your projects and tasks. In this case, you may be scheduled for a layoff and your manager is trying to get a handle of what’s on your plate.

    5. You only perform one task or one function for your company. You need to evaluate how much value you are creating for your company. The junior business analyst who only works on documentation is less valuable to an employer than the mid-level business analyst who interacts with the customers, gathers requirements and performs requirements analysis. Make yourself indispensable to your employer by gaining new skills fast. Find out the functions needed in your area that you currently don’t have the skills for and read a book, go for training or get certified.

    6. Your boss gets laid off. This usually happens when a company plans to get rid of a division or department altogether. I heard from an in-house software developer for an IT staffing company whose boss got laid off. She was kept on to complete her project and was laid off the day after she wrote the last line of code. Keep your eyes and ears open and start working on your resume and job search plans if you see any hints that your company is cost-cutting.

    7. Your company or company division gets sold or merged with another. Mergers and division sales always create an at-risk situation for jobs. The new company may choose to replace all the employees from the former company with their own people. If your company is in the middle of a merger or sale, try to find out as much as you can about the terms of the deal. Either way, get your resume ready to find a new job if you need to.
    How To Recession Proof Your Career

    Check out the ‘IT-Career-Coach’ Resume, Job Search and Interview training program that walks you through the process of finding a new job immediately.

    You’ll Learn Step-by-Step

    • How to Run an Accelerated Job Search

    • How to Find Unadvertised Jobs

    • What Employers Want to See on Your Resume

    • How to Be the Best Candidate in a Technical Interview

    • Advanced Techniques that 98% of Job Searchers Don’t Know (This Means You’ll Be Ahead of the Game)

    How the Coaching Works

    • You Get Step By Step Video Training that Shows You How to Get Hired Fast!

    • Your Resume and Cover Letter are Reviewed to Ensure They Match the Positions You’re Applying For.

    • You are Coached on How To Be the Top Candidate by Selling Yourself During Your Technical Interviews.


    Click here for more information


    What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?



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    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/28/recession-proof-your-career-7-signs-a-pink-slip-is-coming/feed/ 0     How To Beat The 2009 Recession By Improving Your Skills – Top Predictions http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/26/how-to-beat-recessions-by-improving-skills-top-2009-predictions/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/26/how-to-beat-recessions-by-improving-skills-top-2009-predictions/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:12:16 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=632

    jobs-employment-recession

    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 …

    • Saul Carliner, Graduate Program in Educational Technology, Concordia University, Canada: … as organizations try to stretch their learning budgets in hard times, e-learning will become an attractive option …

    • Roger Schank, John Evans Professor Emeritus of Computer Science, Psychology, and Education, Northwestern University; CEO Socratic Arts: … A ruined economy will demand trained workers and college degrees will matter less than real abilities. Schools will have to offer to train students to do actual jobs, and they will do this online. … Real education, according to the second president of the United States, John Adams, “…is about learning to live and learning to make a living” an idea that got lost between the late 1700s and today. High schools and universities have simply failed to teach what needs to be taught. This will change in 2009.

    • Richard C. Larson, Founder and Director, MIT LINC-Learning International Networks Consortium, USA : … this will open opportunities for new technology-enabled educational innovations in which the repetitive routine lecturing, administrative and related repetitive tasks are replaced with e-learning options, and the teachers-though fewer in number-will have more opportunities to serve as student mentors. This combination of personal mentoring plus tailored e-learning environments for students could-if we are imaginative-will usher in an age of personalized learning analogous to the movement toward personalized health care.

    • Inge de Waard, eLearning advisor, Ignatia Webs, Belgium : … In the past, the budget of training departments got cut when an economic crisis erupted, but this time investing in learning will make or break companies and organizations. The world is evolving from an industrial age into a knowledge age, so content will become key in 2009. Social media use will increase because it saves money as it keeps knowledge in a central place (quick retrievability, international access,…) …

    • Matt Bovell, Vell Group, USA: … there are three reasons why e-learning will continue to grow in 2009: (1) The economy is tanking. More and more companies will be attempting to achieve cost savings using e-learning technologies. (2) As students attempt to make better use of their time and money, they will continue to avail themselves of e-learning opportunities. (3) As more and more companies try to establish a reputation for being eco-friendly, they will use e-learning as part of their green initiatives.

    • Peter Parker, Owner, EPCoT Systems Ltd and Management Consulting Consultant, UK : … see the current credit crunch as a time when more money is spent on training. The reasons are: (1) Good companies (particularly in the financial sector) use training as part of an exit package. Hence, as people are released, budgets are provided for the release packages and some of this is spent on training. (2) Individuals want to distinguish themselves from the market. This means they have to spend money on training to provide that differentiation. Many training companies see this time as challenging, but not a time to expect a large decrease in training revenue.

    Note this prediction by Roger Schank, John Evans Professor Emeritus of Computer Science, Psychology, and Education, Northwestern University; CEO Socratic Arts:

    … a ruined economy will demand trained workers and college degrees will matter less than real abilities. Schools will have to offer to train students to do actual jobs, and they will do this online. … Real education, according to the second president of the United States, John Adams, “…is about learning to live and learning to make a living” an idea that got lost between the late 1700s and today. High schools and universities have simply failed to teach what needs to be taught. This will change in 2009.

    Editor’s Note

    In the next set of articles that we will be posting the step-by-step tools, techniques and strategies for beating the 2009 recession. Stay tuned.

    Your Opinion?

    Do you have any opinion about this article? … post it as a comment below … do you have any topics that need to be covered in the recession set of articles? …. post it as a comment below.


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    ]]>     http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/26/how-to-beat-recessions-by-improving-skills-top-2009-predictions/feed/ 0     How To Recession Proof Your Career http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/02/06/how-to-recession-proof-your-career/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/02/06/how-to-recession-proof-your-career/#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:22:14 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2008/02/06/how-to-recession-proof-your-career-part-1/

    Recession Proof Your Career

    Recession Proof Your Career

    Is the US economy already in a recession?

    Will the weakened US economy affect the global economy leading to a recession in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and perhaps other international markets?

    Should you really care about a recession and how it will affect your career, job or income?

    How About A Refresher Course On Recessions?

    If you do not quite realize what a recession looks like, perhaps you can do with this refresher on the last recession to hit the US economy in 2001.

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

    Fortune 500′s Laying Off Employees In The Thousands

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

    No Jobs for Highly Skilled Workers

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

    Salary and Wage Cuts

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

    Dog Eat Dog Market

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

    An Employers Market

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

    How To Protect Yourself From The Next Recession

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

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

    Here are a few tips recession proofing your career:

    1. Become A Highly Skilled Worker Now

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

    2. Take Your Technical Training Now

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

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

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

    3. Polish Your Resume Now

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

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

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

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

    Current Training Opportunities

    If you are a business analyst, software developer, data analyst, computer programmer, web developer, web designer, tester or project manager interested in taking your skills and career to the next level, SIGN UP NOW for the 2008 SQL / DATABASE DEVELOPER TRAINING PROGRAM

    If you want to master software development, computer programming or web development SIGN UP NOW for the 2008 SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TRAINING PROGRAM

    About The Author

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

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


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