ITCareerCoach Training - Coaching » skill 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 #3 Success Principle: When It Comes To Experience, Beggars Can’t Be Choosers http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/01/07/3-success-principle-when-it-comes-to-experience-beggars-cant-be-choosers/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/01/07/3-success-principle-when-it-comes-to-experience-beggars-cant-be-choosers/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:17:52 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=2753

Beggars Can't Be Choosers

Beggars Can't Be Choosers

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

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

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

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

Why Internships Are Hard To Get

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How To Build Experience From Scratch … Without A Job

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

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

How To Build Experience From Scratch By Keeping An Open Mind

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2010/01/07/3-success-principle-when-it-comes-to-experience-beggars-cant-be-choosers/feed/ 1 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 To Gain Cutting-Edge IT Skills Easily http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/04/27/how-to-get-cutting-edge-it-skills-easily/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/04/27/how-to-get-cutting-edge-it-skills-easily/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:30:23 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=1416

Top Paying Skills in High Demand

Top Paying Skills in High Demand

Read How to Protect Your IT Career or Gain In-Demand IT Skills or Critical Hands-ON Experience Sought After By IT Managers …

    1. You Can Enroll for IT Training Easily

      • You can enroll for training at anytime because our training is provided online through videos, a web based training software and live course instructors who help you gain critical hands-on project experience

    2. Our Training Software Helps You Manage Your Study Time

      • You can enroll for one or more training programs at the same time because our web-based training software manages, schedules or keeps tracks of your progress on each training course

    3. Our Training Sharpens Your Skills And Helps You Gain Critical Hands-On Experience

      • After you enroll in a training course, the web based training software creates a new training schedule for you and then sends you a personalized e-mail with links to your training videos, assignments or quizzes.
      • You are assigned a number of days for each video, quiz, assignment or hands on lab activity by the web based training software.
      • You complete the assignment or activity and submit your work back to a live course instructor using a feature on the training system.
      • Your instructor is notified that you submitted an assignment and grades your work or provides help, assistance or corrective feedback to you.
      • Your grade is automatically dsiplayed in your secure, private online report card. Your report card displays the grades of each completed training module, quiz, assignment or hands on lab work.
      • The web based system sends out the next video to you and you continue to learn, practice and understand new information

    4. You Can Access Our Training Videos After You Complete Training

      • You will be able to login and access all the training videos after you complete our training
      • All the videos, transcripts, e-books or resources are accessible through the “Resources” Menu on our training system during training and after you complete training

    5. Our Training Is Designed To Be Flexible Or Convenient

      • Yes, you are given ample time to complete each training activity including the video training or practice tests or hands on lab work
      • You can login at any time during the day or evening and take you video training
      • If you want to pause your training at any time because of work or life committments you may simply click on the “Pause Training” feature in the online training software
      • You may pause your training for as long as you want to and click on the “Continue Training” feature whenever you want to
      • You are not required to start or finish your training at the same time as everyone else
      • You are not required login to the online training system at the same time as everyone else or at a specific time of the day or night
      • Your training is a “go at your own pace”, anytime, anywhere, anypace training. Your personalized, flexible training schedue is managed by our web based online training software system

    6. You Do Not Need Any Prerequisite Course Or Preparation Before You Begin Training

      • All our training courses are step by step, beginner to advanced training
      • We do not assume anything about your background, so we walk you through the basics and then take you to the advanced topics
      • Our Videos are step by step, instructional videos. You will learn by watching our Instructors explain or perform hands on activities or teach new concepts
      • Our training videos cover both the theoretical knowledge and practical hands on activity required to master each new skill or topic
      • You do not have to take out time to prepare for our training courses. All the preparation, foundational topics and pre-requisite knowledge is inbuilt or included as part of each training course

    7. We Train You For The Hottest, In-Demand IT Careers

      • SQL Boot Camp: The SQL Boot Camp online training course for database developers, computer programmers, data analysts or business analysts
      • Software Developer Boot Camp: The Software Developer Boot Camp online training course for computer programmers or web developers
      • Data Analyst Boot Camp: The Data Analyst Boot Camp online training course for data analysts, business analysts or database developers
      • Business Analyst Boot Camp: The Business Analyst Boot Camp online training course for business analysts or system analysts
      • Job Search Coaching: The Job Search online coaching for the IT Job Search process including Resume Review, Interview Coaching & Job Search Coaching
      • IT Mentorship Program: The IT Hands-On Training Program for IT Consultants

    8. You Control The Pace Of Training

      • Yes, you can accelerate or speedup your training course or complete training in a shorter time
      • Yes, you can finish your training in more time or less time than the estimated duration
      • You can control your training pace because our web-based training software allows you to run at a more customized, personalized pace. So you don’t have to start or finish at the same time as eveyone else

    9. You Don’t Need To Install Additional Software Programs to Run Our Training Courses

      • You don’t need to install additional software progarms to view our training courses online
      • We used a web-based system that allows you to view our training courses anytime from anywhere or place.
      • All the software training features you need for your training are already buit into our web based training system.
      • You don’t even need to worry about browser requirements.

Don’t miss out on these limited time discounts because they are ending soon!

For a limited time only …

  • get the SQL Boot Camp + Business Analyst Boot Camp or

  • get the SQL Boot Camp + Software Developer Boot Camp or

  • get two or more training courses for instant multiple discounts on the shopping cart!

Click here to get the special discount before it expires


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/04/27/how-to-get-cutting-edge-it-skills-easily/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 SQL – Third Most In-Demand Skill http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/02/15/sql-third-most-in-demand-skill/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/02/15/sql-third-most-in-demand-skill/#comments Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:03:10 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=1003

jobs-employment-recession

There is an article on Elance that says that SQL skills are currently the third, most in-demand skill on the Elance job network

Elance for those of you who’ve never heard of it, is one of the top job sites for freelancers or remote workers or offsite consultants

You may not have heard of Elance because you’ve always worked a full-time job and you don’t know much about the freelancing or moonlighting world or perhaps you have worked freelance jobs, but for some reason, have never heard of Elance.

Whatever your reason, I would like to introduce Elance to you as a job site worth checking out in the current recession.

Elance is a site you go to for freelance / remote / offsite work in web design, database development, web programming, technical writing, writing, business analysis and a whole suite of other professional careers.

Note that there are several types of database platforms available in the market including Oracle, SQL Server, Microsoft Access, MySQL. Also note that a relational database may be in-demand in one job site and not in the other.

For example, a relational database (rdbms) platform may be the hottest, in-demand database skill on Monster but not on Elance.

So, in this article on Elance, 1200 MySQL projects were posted in the last 30 days. Click here to read the rest of the article

I would love to hear from you, your take on this …

  1. Have you used Elance or any freelancing job site?
  2. Why do you think that SQL is the third most in-demand skill on Elance?
  3. Are you planning to checkout any Freelance sites or would you focus exclusively on full-time job sites?


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/02/15/sql-third-most-in-demand-skill/feed/ 8 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 Become an Expert Business Analyst or Increase your BA Salary http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/12/become-an-expert-business-analyst-or-increase-your-salary/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/12/become-an-expert-business-analyst-or-increase-your-salary/#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:56:51 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/?p=452

increase your ba salary become an expert

increase your BA salary ... become an expert


If You Are Alive, You Want More Money! or you’ve been thinking of ways to increase your salary as a business analyst … yes, you have.

If you’re human and still breathing, what you get paid and how to make more money crosses your mind ever so often.

For good or bad, it is human nature to always want more.

We want more money, more love, more space, more friends and more fun.

This can be a bad thing, if it becomes an obsession that overtakes the desire to do a good job.

On the other hand, the desire for more money drives innovation and provides the motivation to become better at what we do.

The second approach could actually be considered healthy, but it is often ignored on the path to asking for a larger salary.

I have observed computer programmers and business analysts who simply focused on the dollar signs and hopped from job to job and company to company, gaining $1 – $3 per hour salary increases each time.

$3 per hour translates to an additional $6000 per year and that is nothing to sneeze at.

However, that approach is based on a sense of entitlement and neglects the fact that eventually, someone is going to take a good hard look at the value you produce and realize that you’re really not worth it.

So, unless your salary increases are matched by an equal or greater increase in the value you bring to the table or provide to your employer, you will not be able to sustain it!

Don’t Worry About Money, Focus on Expertise

A better, longer-term and more productive way to increase your compensation is to focus on increasing your expertise as a business analyst.

Begin to think in terms of increasing the value you provide to employers.

Answer this question as a reality check … what is your positive impact on the company’s bottom line?

As an employee, you represent a cost to your company: your salary, training and benefits negatively impact your employer’s bottom line unless you provide real-value over and beyond what you are paid!

If you begin to incrementally increase your business analysis expertise and responsibility, your value and expertise will increase and you will as a consequence become more valuable on the job.

As your expertise increases in quantifiable ways, your platform for asking for more money is made sure and fool-proof.

Make it your goal to become an expert business analyst and the money will follow.

What Does an Expert Business Analyst Look Like?

What does it mean to be an expert business analyst?

An expert business analyst is one who easily excels at carrying out the majority of the tasks assigned to them.

Your answer to issues on the job should be “Not a problem. I will implement it right away, 80% of the time or Give me a couple of hours, and I will have an answer for you, the other 20% of the time”.

Do you fit in with this description? If your current daily business analysis tasks and challenges do not lie comfortably within your circle of business and technical competence, you should focus on increasing your ability to solve those problems until it becomes as easy as pie. Then, ask for more money and more responsibility.

Ask yourself, if something suddenly went horribly wrong on your current project, would you have enough depth and breadth of knowledge to quickly find the solution to the problem?

How long would it take you to get the project back on track? Note that a quick turnaround is the mark of the expert business analyst.

Steps to Becoming an Expert Business Analyst

So, how do you become an expert business analyst or add more value to your organization? The key is to expand the tools and techniques you have mastery over through continuous learning.

To be an exceptional business analyst, you need to commit yourself to life-long education and training.

Be willing to run ahead of the curve to learn new techniques and master new skills. Register for Business Analyst training or Seek out mentors and coaches who can lead you into new knowledge areas or master business analyst through your own self study efforts.

If you are really interested in making more money by becoming an expert business analyst, begin by mastering the art of business analysis including:

  1. Requirements Planning
  2. Requirements Elicitation, Analysis and Documentation
  3. Elicitation Tools and Techniques
  4. Requirements Verification and Validation
  5. Business Modeling
  6. UML
  7. Business Case Development
  8. Requirements Change Management
  9. Requirements Baseline Management
  10. Agile Software Development
  11. Much more …

Click Here to Learn More About Becoming An Expert Business Analyst …


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2009/01/12/become-an-expert-business-analyst-or-increase-your-salary/feed/ 0 Learning C++ Programming Language Is Bad For Your Career … C++ Programmers Can’t Find Jobs http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/25/learning-c-programming-language-is-bad-for-your-career-c-programmers-cant-find-jobs/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/25/learning-c-programming-language-is-bad-for-your-career-c-programmers-cant-find-jobs/#comments Thu, 26 Jul 2007 05:41:07 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/25/learning-c-programming-language-is-bad-for-your-career-c-programmers-cant-find-jobs/

Learning A Marketable Skill?

Learning A Marketable Skill?

Hi,

Do you want to learn the C++ programming language or become a C/C++ computer programmer?

Have you ever asked this question? which programming language is the most complex and challenging?? and received the answer C++?

If you answered yes, you are not alone. About 13 years ago, I asked my mentors in computer programming which programming language is the hardest, toughest, most difficult to learn? and I got the same reply as you… C++.

I asked the question because I wanted to become a successful computer programmer.

So, I reasoned that if I could prove myself by conquering the hardest programming language, my success in computer programming would be guaranteed.

Do You Want To Learn The Hardest Programming Language?

Recently, a number of C/C+ software developers have been turning to me for help with their computer programmer careers.

You can do this by taking advantage of the developer coaching or training sessions available to computer programmers who enroll in the software developers boot camp.

So, what could go wrong with the career of a software developer who has conquered one of the meanest, hardest, most complex computer programming languages?

The real problem with learning C/C++ is not whether it leaves up to its reputation for being a tough guy, because it does!.

The challenge facing those who succeed in learning C/C++ is more subtle.

Continue reading and you will find out for yourself soon.

Is C/C++ Programming Good For Your Career?

A few months ago, I started mentoring a C/C++ computer programmer with real-world programming experience in C/C++, Microsoft Foundation Classes and Windows 32 API and a college degree.

He couldn’t get a computer programmer job, so he signed up for my coaching program to find out why he couldn’t get a job with C/C++ programming skills.

After he explained his situation to me, I presented him with a list of 3 hot programming technologies in high demand.

I told him that these programming languages were so hot that just having them on his resume would land him programming job offers, even though he had been out of work for 2 years!

Well, he acted on the information I gave him, took MASSIVE ACTION and in a FEW MONTHS learnt all he could about the 3 hot programming technologies!

Guess what? a few months after taking advantage of my software developer mentoring, he got the first programming job he interviewed for on the spot, after being out of work for two (2) years!

So, why couldn’t a C/C++ computer programmer with real world industry experience and a college degree get a programming job in the middle of a hi-tech boom?

WHY C++ PROGRAMMERS CAN’T GET JOBS

The simple reason why C++ programmers can’t get a job is that the C++ programming language is not suited for business or web applications development!

But, wait a minute, isn’t C/C++ also one of the fastest programming languages?

Yes C++ is one of the fastest programming languages. But the speed of C++ applies to the speed with which it executes on a computer and not to the speed with which you can code or develop software programs.

STOP! Think about what I just said. Don’t just read it, digest my last statement until you really comprehend it.

C/C++ is the wrong programming language for business or web programming because employers care more about the speed with which you code or develop software and care less about the speed at which your software program executes.

Why Employers Don’t Care About The Execution Speed of C++ Programs?

The reason is that the dramatic increases in computer processing speed and memory has made the personal computer faster and much more powerful.

So, the amount of processing power available on most personal computers makes the execution speed of any programming language sufficient for most business software development projects.

What Do Employers Care About?

Employers really want their software developers to code or write programs faster. And C/C++ fares badly at this, because it’s one of the meanest, hardest, most complex programming languages to either learn or develop real-world business applications with.

The problems of C/C++ does not stop with the difficulty of learning the language. It’s also harder, tougher and slower to develop web or business applications in.

This is the real reason why most employers will not hire C/C++ programmers for business or web application development.

Is C/C+ Dead?

Certainly not. C/C++ is best suited for software projects like writing operating systems, compilers, computer or video games, data mining applications, scientific applications or applications where the execution speed is critical.

Stop for a moment now and answer this question: do you really want to make money from programming computers quickly or easily?

If you answered yes, I recommend you go into an area of computer programming where the demand is hot and where there are lots and lots of jobs.

That area right now is in internet or web application programming which C++ is unfortunately not suited for.

Secondly, if you want to success in web or business applications development, learn a programming language which allows you to quickly create programs that meet business needs.

After 13 years, I realize that employers don’t care about the beauty of the C++ programming language.

Employers care about automating their business processes or making their businesses work better, quicker and faster.

Employers also want to hire programmers whose speed of development matches or outpaces their business operations.

The ugly truth is that C/C++ is not the right tool for achieving either of these results.

Dear friend, enroll in the Software Developers Boot Camp now and learn those programming languages that excel at creating business software applications easily and quickly and you will discover success in computer programming quickly and easily.

Finally, if you are a programmer needing help with career decisions, no matter how bad your situation is, sign-up for the Software Developers Boot Camp now and you will be personally coached on how to achieve success in your situation.


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/25/learning-c-programming-language-is-bad-for-your-career-c-programmers-cant-find-jobs/feed/ 21 The Secret Path To Contract Programming http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/16/the-secret-path-to-contract-programming/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/16/the-secret-path-to-contract-programming/#comments Mon, 16 Jul 2007 08:00:38 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/16/the-secret-path-to-contract-programming/

Who is a contract programmer?

A contract programmer is a software developer who is paid an hourly rate for working on special software development projects for a period. Contract computer programmers are not paid salaries like full-time developers but hourly wages.

Contract programmers tend to be very project focused because they are hired to solve specific problems or code specific features and as soon as that is done, they have to move on to another project or find a new client.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How long do contract programming projects last?

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

How much do contract computer programmers bill?

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

What factors determine the contract programmer’s billing rate?

The factors that determine a contract programmers billing rate include:

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

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

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

Who should be a contract programmer?

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

What is the future or outlook for contract programmers?

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

How do you become a contract programmer?

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

  1. Expert programming skills

  2. Well-crafted resume

  3. Effective job interviewing skills

  4. Aggressive Resume Marketing

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

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


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]]> http://www.it-career-coach.net/2007/07/16/the-secret-path-to-contract-programming/feed/ 0 How To Become A Highly Skilled Computer Programmer http://www.it-career-coach.net/2006/08/26/how-to-become-a-highly-skilled-computer-programmer/ http://www.it-career-coach.net/2006/08/26/how-to-become-a-highly-skilled-computer-programmer/#comments Sat, 26 Aug 2006 07:00:56 +0000 ITCareerCoach http://www.it-career-coach.net/2006/08/25/become-a-master-programmer-highly-skilled-developer-or-competent-programmer/

Because highly skilled software developers (master programmers) are highly paid (read previous post on software developers), the question is how do you become a master contract programmer if you aren’t?

Here is what I consider to be a common sense guide to becoming a master software developer:

  1. Certify now! Use certifications and test preparation material like transcender to sharpen your overall grasp of your technology

  2. Read books. Read a lot of technical books on your skill set (for example .NET development). You should own a number of these books yourself

  3. Find online mentors. Read and follow-up the online discussions or blogs made by people much more skilled and experienced than you. For example, if you are a C# .NET developer, find the folks who seem to be the most active in speaking and writing on C# .NET development. Choose one or two people whose books you like reading. Read every book and article they publish.

  4. Make sure your skills are well rounded as much as possible (database development, business logic development, user interface development).

  5. Do not dumb yourself down! The corollary to rule #4 is: avoid work that makes you more incompetent. If you know that you hate JavaScript development or your UI design skills suck, do not spend your whole life time working on it, find your strengths and sharpen them

  6. Read articles. Read a lot of technical online articles (am I repeating rule #2?). Well written articles can tell you in 1 hour what it will take you 1 day to learn from a book

  7. Become a Google expert. A good deal of the questions you need to answer or problems you need to solve have been answered, solved and posted online. Become confident in using Google to either solve a problem or narrow down your effort to a few specific areas

  8. Ask for help. Learn how to ask for help on the job no matter how good your technical skills are. It is better to ask for help and save 20 hours than to invest 20 hours of your company’s time trying to prove how smart you are

  9. Know when to quit. Not every problem requires a technical solution now! A few problems need to be left alone for a few days, a few need a workaround and the majority need to be solved.

  10. Deliver results. Learn to deliver results often, early and consistently. Businesses love results. If it takes you 1 month before you deliver 1 result which your boss appreciates, either find a new engagement or fire yourself.

There are more street smart rules for becoming highly skilled and competent at work. If you keep your eyes open for what makes you better and what doesn’t, you will see more of them.

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


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