Are you a I.T. Subject Matter Expert? Do you have 7 or more years of experience
in a specific area? Would you like to be a presenter for a webinar for your
industry and colleagues? Send an email to education @altantabdpa.org
Webinar is short for Web-based seminar. Webinar's have the same beneifts of a
conference room based seminar, however, participants view the presentation
through their Web-browser and listen to the audio through their telephone. And
webinars can be easily recorded so they can be viewed by participants who missed
the live broadcast.
Webinars can be used to train a large number of people that are not in the same
location. Many use webinars as an opportunity to build brand recognition, to
get exposure to potential clients/job and to become recognized as an industry
leader to seperate you from other job candidates. Webinars allow you to reach a
large audience, for a fraction of the cost and with little set up or need for
special equipment.
All the speaker or attendees need are a computer with internet access and a
phone line. Everyone is able to participate from the comfort of their home.
Even those who fear public speaking, feel comfortable doing webinar
presentations because they are able to present without physically standing in
front of their audience.
If you have specialized knowledge and experience in your industry, submit your
topic, a brief description of the topic along with your bio and dates
availables. Send your information or questions about being an Webinar Presenter
to speakerinfo@...
When the Way We Work Becomes Too Much!
There is little question that with todays economy and the cutting of
jobs, that more is being expected of those who still have jobs and it
is best not to complain too much about it for fear that their are
dozens of people who would like to have your job. With this economy
and for the foreseeable future, workers will have to respond to
competing as well as comflicting demands and be able to jump from one
task to another task throughout their day.
Other expectations that define being overworked is facing many
interruptions that hinder you from completing major tasks, little
recovery time between task, working outside normal work hours and
working non-stop (weekends, holidays and vacations).
More than ever, job stress poses a threat to the health of workers and
ultimately threatens the health of the organization. The World Health
Organization reported by 2020, clinical depression is expected to
outrank cancer and heart disease as the leading cause of health
issues,
death and disability worldwide.
When we are overworked, some of the predicted outcomes include:
1. More mistakes at work
2. More emotional outburst, reactions or breakdowns
3. Resentment and lack of loyalty to the company
4. More physical problems, poorer health
5. More likely to neglect yourself (skip preventative doctor, dentist,
eye appointments)
The first step is being aware and mindful of your health and well-
being
during these demanding times.
Share with us what makes your job stressful and how you cope with it?
Email feedback@...
Due to the slowdown in economy as well as the IT industry, more and
more people in IT have lost their jobs. The requirement for skills
has gone up and to stay employed in such a competitive environment,
an increasing number of people are making efforts to earn
certifications.
According to MCP Magazine's annual survey, following are some of the
reasons why people are taking certification so seriously. Skills and
Knowledge
1) Confidence
The most important benefit of certification is that the process of
certification increases your skills and your knowledge to a great
extent. Majority (65%) of the certification holders feel that
acquiring a technical certification has made them more confident in
their jobs and the work they perform. More than half (52%) feel that
technical certification has improved their problem-solving skills on
the job, and half of them feel that their technical certifications
have increased their overall job productivity.
2) Job Security
More than three-fourths (79%) of the professionals having IT
Certifications plan to pursue additional certifications in the coming
year. So, despite the IT market slump, lost jobs, and cut wages, a
vast majority of IT professionals will continue to seek additional
certifications. And the key word is "additional" - for a typical
certification holder already had nearly 4 technical certifications
and had been attaining a new certification every year.
In the face of this down market, why are these certification holders
seeking additional technical certifications? It is best expressed in
two words: job security. In the boom times, one constantly reviews
the rate of growth in salary as a key personal-success measurement.
However, during the down times, job security is paramount. While the
return on investment (ROI) one receives from a technical
certification in terms of salary increases is always important, the
role of the certification in keeping one's job becomes the crux issue
during the down times.
More than half (59%) of the certification holders said that they feel
more secure in their current jobs due to their certifications. And
more than two-thirds (69%) feel that technical certifications play at
least some role in their job security.
3) Money!!
31% of the certification holders received a job promotion within
the first year of receiving their primary technical certification.
One can argue whether a technical certification plays such a major
role in receiving such promotions, yet 92% of the certification
holders who did receive promotions feel that their primary
certification played a significant role in that promotion.
Nearly half (43%) of the certification holders surveyed, received a
salary raise within the first year of receiving their primary
certification. 80% of certification holders feel that their raise was
significantly due to their certification. The average certification
holder who did receive a raise within the first year of earning a
primary certification realized a healthy 19% increase. The average
certification holder realized a 7% raise within the first year of
receiving a primary certification. The average certification
generated a $3,487 increase in salary.
Another economic factor that certification holders consider is Return
On Investment (ROI). ROI from certification is integrally tied to the
cost of the certification. In 2002, the average technical
certification cost $1,100 and generated a $3,487 increase in salary.
That is, the average certification provides a 3.2-to-1 ROI. That is,
for every dollar invested in a certification, the certification
holder realizes a $3.2 return in the form of a pay raise.
4) Respect
Another most important non-economic aspect of certification is on-
the-job respect. 58% of the certification holders surveyed, feel that
they get more respect from managers and colleagues due to their
technical certifications
Career Opportunities
Despite the IT downturn, and relative job scarcity, certification
holders jumped companies after acquiring certifications in their
desired fields. 16% (lowest till now) of the certification holders
jumped companies within 6 months of receiving their primary
certification.
5) Entry
Whether you're new to the IT industry or a seasoned professional,
IT Certification makes you more marketable and gives you the
credentials to land your dream job. It is extremely difficult these
days to enter your chosen field without the relevant degrees and work
experience. It is a catch-22 problem "you can't get the job if you
don't have the experience and you can't get the experience if you
don't have a job. " Certification is one of the most powerful ways to
break this cycle and get an entry into the field of your choice. An
ever-increasing number of people are using certification as a tool
for solving the problem of getting an entry in their desired fields.
Note: All the figures in this article have been taken from the survey
conducted by CertMag Certification Magazine.
IF YOU DON"T AGREE, GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK.
The Optimist Creed is to Promise Yourself
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come
true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect
only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are
about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater
achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living
creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no
time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry,
Too noble for anger,
Too strong for fear, and
Too happy to permit the presence of trouble to prevail.
Adapt an Optimistic Attitude during tough times, visit:
http://www.optimist.org/default.cfm?content=Vistors/vis1.htm
This message is provided by CareerVitamins.com. Share it with a
friend.
If you approach someone in the street and ask for directions then,
providing that person knows the way and speaks the same language as
you do, it should be easy for him to help you. But often, when you
try and follow the directions you become more confused and lost.
Perhaps the person giving the directions has assumed that you know
about a local landmark or has forgotten to mention that there is
another small street on the left before the one you are seeking. Or
maybe the director has not understood your request and has sent you
to a place with a similar name..there are so many reasons that the
transfer of information from one person to another is fraught with
difficulties.
When you try to discover the requirements for any kind of product the
difficulties are even more complex because the source of the
requirements is not just one person, it is all of the people who are
stakeholders in the project. And all of these people have their own
view of what is important, along with their own experience,
prejudices and views of the world. Considering the variations between
your sources of requirements (stakeholders) it makes sense to have a
variety of techniques for discovering the requirements. We call these
trawling techniques because, like fishing, we run a net through the
organisation and trap as many requirements as we can. Then, using the
appropriate technique we identify the relevant requirements (the
juicy codfish) and separate them from the irrelevant (the minnows).
We also look for rare and amazing fish that nobody has ever seen
before. This paper summarises a number of techniques that you can use
when trawling for requirements.
The problem of requirements - Why didn't you tell me what you want?
The reason for the late discovery of requirements is usually because
we have not been able to inspire the stakeholders to think past
preconceptions and communicate what they want.
Conscious Requirements
The type of requirement that a stakeholder is most likely to
communicate is what we call a conscious requirement. A conscious
requirement is something the stakeholder is particularly aware of.
This might be because it is one of the reasons for building the
product like "I want the camera to fit in my handbag". Or it might be
because a current product has a shortcoming "I want the battery to
last longer". Or maybe it is because the stakeholder is aware of a
new piece of technology "I want the camera to be able to take
digital photographs". In all these cases a particular stakeholder is
conscious of a requirement because of his particular view of the
world, consequently it is something he is likely to mention.
Unconscious Requirements
Another situation is when a stakeholder does not mention a
requirement because he does not realise that he has it. Think of it
as an unconscious requirement. Reasons for this situation might be
that the stakeholder is so used to having this requirement satisfied
that he no longer thinks of it as a requirement. If he is so used to
his camera automatically rewinding at the end of the film, then he is
less likely to articulate that requirement. But if you deliver a
camera that does not rewind then he is amazed. How could you possibly
have missed that requirement when surely anyone would know it is
necessary. The problem of unconscious requirements happens often when
the stakeholder knows a lot about the subject matter and makes
assumptions that everyone else has the same knowledge. Another reason
is because it is sometimes very difficult to tell someone all the
details about something you know a lot about because you feel that
maybe you are patronising them. You feel that surely they know that
and you might be boring them by even mentioning it. Yet another
reason might be that the stakeholder does not understand what an
existing product does and therefore assumes that any new product will
maintain the status quo.
Undreamed Requirements
Undreamed of requirements are rather different. If a stakeholder has
a fixed idea of what he believes is possible then he is unlikely to
mention requirements that he thinks cannot be carried out within his
understanding of the constraints. "No point in mentioning that I
would like the camera to be waterproof I know it's not possible
within the budget". Then there are many undreamed of requirements
that do not even occur to the stakeholders because they cannot
imagine what it might be like to have the product and to experience
new technology. Remember that many of these undreamed of requirements
will not be invented by stakeholders who fall into the category of
customers or end users. Instead other stakeholders like technical
specialists and developers will be the inventors and suggestors of
undreamed of requirements. Unless we encourage stakeholders to
imagine these undreamed of requirements, they are unlikely to surface
until later in the product's lifecycle when people understand more
about the potential uses of new technologies. By then, even though it
might have been possible earlier, it is often too late to add these
new competitive features to the product.
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The economy is tanking and its not going to recover over night.
Companies are tightening budgets, cutting expenses, and combining
jobs. That is often a sign that lay offs are right around the corner.
Here are five ways to make sure you are not one of the people that
the company plans to let go.
"The worst thing people can do during a downturn is become cynical or
negative at work."
1. Workers that are mediocre or average performers are high on the
list for layoffs. Make sure you distinguish yourself from your other
co-workers. In meetings, don't just sit in the back or in a corner
and not contribute in some way.
2. Constantly learn new skills, get training and exposure in new
areas. Constantly expand your vocabulary. Become known as a source
of new ideas.
Find out what you do good and keep trying to get better.
3. Network with a purpose. Networking is not the same as
socializing. Networking on the job is very important. Know people
outside of your department. When you network with a purpose you want
to leave a lasting impression that you are an employee that is
proactive, a hard worker, a team player, a contributor, a problem
solver and knowledgeable about the business.
4. Be aware of your companies competitors, the industry and trends
related to your profession. When the needs of the business or your
job change, be willing and ready to adapt.
5. If your work load slows down for you, don't see it as an
opportunity to read a non-work related book at your desk, chat on the
phone with friends or work on your personal website during work
hours. Look for work! As long as you are on the payroll keep
working. Help out co-workers or take on a special project even if its
another department.
You do not know who is watching. For example, a manager that leaves
the company will often want to take their best workers with them.
You want to be one of the people that managers seek out.
Share Career Vitamins with 5 friends by sending them our link
www.CareerVitamins.com
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Paul Godines from Adapt on a Dime Consulting
http://www.adaptonadime.com, writes:
If you're like many people you may have had a period of time in your
Career where you had too many job changes. You feel that you may be
perceived as chronic job hopper, a negative to many companies who
perceive a stable job history with a dependable, quality employee.
Selling Point number one is to consider your job hopping as paid
training for this new position, paid for by past employers.
Selling Point number two is that with your diverse experience you will
bring many other Skills, Knowledge and Abilities to the table none of
their other candidates could possibly bring.
Selling Point number three is that by being new you have no preset
habits and you can update your training by participating in all of the
newest courses which will benefit the Team immediately.
Selling Point number four is that you bring new and fresh insights from
a diverse set of employers and industries.
It is important that you begin with understanding the Selling points,
often those who have been job hoppers tend to feel inadequate. They
tend to look upon their Career as having some problems, due to the lack
of stability. When in fact your job hopping is your value, however you
need to believe in yourself, and you need to know how to sell yourself,
because if you don't believe in yourself no one else will either.
When discussing your previous positions observe how you describe that
experience. When asked about it do you complain, or criticize your
former employer? Do you defend yourself? Did you get hurt by the
experience and feel disgruntled enough to complain about them? If you
do any of these you need to stop IMMEDIATELY because your doing
yourself great harm. Even if you were fired you still have immense value
to thousands of employers, employers who are hungry to higher people
just like you.
Again you have to believe this fact yourself, if you are ever going to sell
it to someone else. Begin by collecting stories of experiences that you
enjoyed and times when you actually contributed significantly to your
employer. Stories that would have them ask you 'How did you do that'
that's when you will get employers and yourself to look past your job
hopping and see your value. Tell them stories about the many programs
you worked on, and the machines you helped build and the software
you worked with. This gets you focused on what you can do for your
next prospective employer and steers you away from your hurt and
disgruntled feelings.
Look inside yourself and find the excitement when you consider all the
opportunity ahead of you. When you find it share it with others, friends,
family and prospective employers, that's what they want a hungry and
highly motivated employee, someone like you.
Share this career vitamin with a fellow colleague. Tell them to
subscribe to career vitamins today!
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/CareerVitaminsTM/
"There are a myriad of ways for a project to fail. There are only a
VERY few ways to succeed." [3] The factors of successful project
management and requirements analysis have been documented for years
(i.e Project Managment Body of Knowledge PMBOK, Business Analysis Body
of Knowledge BABOK)— they merely need to be applied consistently. If
your project is violating any of the tried and true principles noted
by the I.T. industry, you should NOT expect to succeed just by
applying brute force or heroic efforts or by dumb luck or by good
faith. None of the latter are realistic methodologies of success.
Recommended Reading:
http://www.stsc.hill.af.mil/crosstalk/1998/07/causes.asp
Career Vitamins are a trademark and brought to you by
SuccessArchitechs.com. Get "Career Vitamins" (TM) sent to you
regularly, subscribe today at www.careervitamins.com.
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