Blog Host: Ed Tittel - President, LANWrights, Inc. READ ENTIRE BIO

• How can I protect myself against outsourcing/offshoring?
• How can I get the work experience I need to back up my training/certification/interests?
• Given a choice of training options/degree plans, how do I pick the best/right ones?

To everybody who's concerned about his or her career, I say: "Good for you! Career concern shows a healthy regard for an important element in your life, and for most of us, the source of one's livelihood." Thinking about where to go or what to do next, career-wise, is a far better approach than letting the whims of fate guide your path through a working life. I think everybody should take time at least once or twice a year to step back from the details and intricacies of daily working life and think about how what's going on right now, and what is likely to occur in the next three to six months, maps into some kind of longer-term (two-year, three-year, five-year or whatever time horizon works best for you) game plan for what one wants to be doing, what one wants to (or should be) learning and what kinds of directions one would like one's path to follow.

Only by taking stock of where you are and comparing it to where you'd like to be can you give yourself and your career the kinds of nudges and sustenance necessary to direct the here and now to the there and then you seek. Don't worry if your goals change over time: Change is inevitable. But anticipating and planning for such changes give you more opportunities to steer things toward what you want and away from what you'd rather avoid.
Posted by Ed Tittel How to break into a field
07 OCT 2004 15:50 EDT (19:50, GMT)
When it comes to starting out in any field, there are always certain skills, knowledge and abilities that one will benefit more from cultivating than others. But how does one go about figuring out what's important and what's not? If one is incredibly lucky, one will have the opportunity to observe and learn from others who already possess such skills, knowledge and abilities. If not, one usually learns the old-fashioned way: by trial and error, continuing to do those things that work and discontinuing those things that do not.

But it's important whenever starting out in a new field, learning a new technology or tackling jobs one hasn't tackled before to also pay attention to what's going on in the field, what's inside the new technology and what goes into doing the new job. To some extent, this means developing a sense of context and cultivating a "big picture" view of things. To some extent, this can be satisfied by looking at the space through the eyes of others: looking for information in the news, on focused portals and other Web sites, reading relevant trade publications and finding other sources of information to help better illuminate the field under view. It also means watching carefully what one is doing, seeking feedback on what others think is working (and not working), looking for alternatives, improved productivity and efficiency, and ways to make things better.

Sometimes, nothing less than grim determination will see one through the first steps of the learning curve required to start climbing a career ladder in some areas. With so much to learn, so many things to observe and a plethora of things to do (and do better), it's difficult to stay focused, keep learning and think about personal growth and development when stuck in the midst of a crisis or when drowning in the sheer amount of work one must do. As the old saying goes, "When you're up to your armpits in alligators, it's hard to remember that your original objective was to drain the swamp!"

That said, remembering that there is a big picture, and that one's situation can always be put in a broader context, can be helpful to keep things in perspective. A crisis in a small corner of the world does not necessarily translate into either the end of that corner or the end of the world itself. Keep trying, keep digging, keep looking for sources of information and illumination, and look to those who've succeeded and to programs designed to teach people about your job niche (which is the real reason I find certification programs and degree plans so enlightening, simply because their most important accomplishment is to force order on chaos and put some structure and sequence into what otherwise might indeed look like the veritable swamp mentioned in the previous paragraph). If you keep at it long enough and keep up your best efforts, you'll not only figure things out, you'll probably wind up being pretty darn good at them, too!
Posted by Ed Tittel Let's raise a glass
06 OCT 2004 05:07 EDT (09:07, GMT)
The other day, in reaction to my earlier blog on soft skills -- you know, touchy-feely job skills like getting along with people, making presentations, writing and other kinds of non-technical (but important) things that can help your career along -- an old friend of mine wrote me to remind me about ToastMasters. In case you don't already know about them, ToastMasters International is a global, grass-roots organization that exists in the form of collections of interested individuals called chapters in most cities and towns of any size in North America, and in many other parts of the world, as well. The group's well-chosen slogan is "Making effective communication a worldwide reality."

A Toast Master is somebody who can be relied on to stand up in front of a group of people (often under extremely trying circumstances) and give a good account of him- or herself in speaking to those people. The group's aim, which it supports by a carefully structured sequence of planned activities, with lots of opportunities for practice and feedback, is to help people develop and improve their communication skills. If you join a chapter, you'll get access to a calendar of activities that will help you build and develop speaking and listening skills in an energetic, supportive environment. You'll also start small and work your way up to more challenging, involved assignments and activities.

I can't think of a better way for technical people to practice and develop communications skills, and I recommend that you consider joining a local chapter near you. Get involved in this worthwhile organization's activities. You'll see a "Find a Club" link on every page on the Toastmasters International Web site, and you need only click your way through its links and menus to find at least one club nearby.
Posted by Ed Tittel Books to help you ace resumes and interviews
05 OCT 2004 06:00 EDT (10:00, GMT)
When it comes to career development, sometimes a good resource can get things really turning over for people and energize them into making some tough decisions or life changes that enable "the next big thing" to come along. I'm a great believer in the notion that lucky people play a great part in making their own luck, usually by being unusually diligent in preparing to take advantage of such opportunities as come along.

That's why I always like to recommend a pair of terrific (and affordable) books from my friend and colleague, Paula Moreira, who's a VP of sales development at training and e-learning company, New Horizons. I got to know her in a previous avatar as an e-learning expert at LeapIT.com in the late 1990s, when the dot.com boom was still booming and the IT landscape was a lot cheerier for most people than it is today.

Her books are:

1. ACE the IT Job Interview! Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 2002, ISBN: 0072225815
2. (with Robyn Thorpe) ACE the IT Resume! Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 200s, ISBN: 0072194030

If you're thinking about making any changes in your career, or if you suspect that change may be in your future whether planned or otherwise, you should take a look at these books the next time you visit your favorite bookstore. If you like what you see as much as I did, you'll buy them (and at $14.99 list per copy, they won't cost you an arm or a leg, either).
Posted by Ed Tittel Once a Boy Scout, always a Boy Scout
04 OCT 2004 15:52 EDT (19:52, GMT)
I've been watching some friends and colleagues go through a particularly gut-wrenching corporate acquisition in the past week, with all of the stresses that can bring on, including: termination of employment with the company for whom they worked, vague offers of employment with the new company, immediate offers of same in some (but not all) cases. There have also been questions about the value of the new offer vis-à-vis the old status quo because of differences in compensation plans, benefits and vacation/sick policies. I watched some dear friends and colleagues go through some tough moments while waiting for the chips to fall, to see if they still had jobs or not.

What this situation brought home to me (and to them as well) was the old adage that no matter who may employ you, you are really working for yourself. What this means is that you don't need to keep looking over your shoulder (or to the distant horizon) ALL the time, but it does mean that you should probably update your resume at least once every six months, and grill yourself a bit about using your personal network to seek work, should that ever become necessary. This has the valuable side effects of keeping you current on what you're doing, what you're learning and how you're growing personally and professionally (which has also been known to come in handy during annual or other periodic performance or pay reviews), as well as of causing you to keep your personal network active and current.

Though not everyone will experience the kinds of sudden changes of circumstances or situations that require immediate job search, it's become a less-than-zero probability for everybody. By planning to deal with the unpleasant realities of job search, even if such action is unnecessary, you'll be much better prepared to handle that contingency if it should happen to come up than if you make no preparations at all. For one thing, this can help to cushion the blow to one's self-esteem if the unthinkable actually befalls you. For another, it will help you get up and moving a bit faster on the road to re-employment. Finally, by working your personal network on a regular basis, you might actually get lucky and hear about a better job that helps you change your situation for the better proactively rather than reactively.

Right now, the old Boy Scout motto "Be prepared" is ringing in my ears. Let it be your watchword, too!
Posted by Ed Tittel Salary surveys worth their salt?
01 OCT 2004 23:55 EDT (03:55, GMT)
It's always interesting to read and review the latest salary surveys when it comes to assessing the job market. It's OK to use them as a way to benchmark what you make against what others make, but it's also important to realize the incredible power of numbers to misrepresent situations -- as Mark Twain put it, "...lies, damn lies, and statistics." That's because the more general an average, the more it sweeps not only the differences in pay (which is what people who get paychecks tend to dwell on most) but also the differences in the costs of living (as somebody who turned down three opportunities to move to the Bay Area in California can tell you, even a 20% raise isn't enough to justify spending five times more for housing when moving from a less expensive to a more expensive real estate market).

Thus, when checking your standings in the salary survey race, you're better off using such regional data as is available and working from other metro areas of similar size; if another one is represented and yours is not, you're probably better off using that one than trying to adjust for cost of living differences in major areas like New York City, Chicago, San Francisco and so forth (for more intro on this fascinating topic, see Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas and this census table for the ranking tables). Ultimately, it's also important to remember that it's not really the absolute number of dollars that counts (though it's hard to let go of the easy means of comparison or envy it supplied), it's what you can do with those dollars that really makes the difference.
Posted by Ed Tittel The value of the written word
30 SEP 2004 06:07 EDT (10:07, GMT)
A lot of the time when people write to me to ask for career advice, I get the feeling they want me to provide them with a magic formula for success, career growth and the next big raise or promotion. As much as I wish I had that magic in me, I'm often only slightly less clueless than those supplicants about how to bridge the gap between where they find themselves and where they want to be.

That said, if there is a magic formula, I'd have to say it would be this: Develop your soft skills along with your technical ones. What does this mean? It means working on your speaking abilities, interpersonal communications, management skills (for both projects and people), writing abilities and generally stoking up your ability to "work and play well with others."

For example, I subscribe to a number of writer's mailing lists, since writing is what I do for a living. Last week, one of my publisher's lists included a posting that indicated that 70% of the hiring managers interviewed on the subject of "essential skills for job applicants" stated strongly that writing skills were an essential ingredient in being considered seriously for -- and ultimately hired for -- most technical jobs.

I think what that's about is that being able to do any job, while important, is almost overshadowed by being able to communicate what's important within and about that job. And written communications remain a primary conduit for information from those who know something to those who want or need to know those same things.

Thus, if you're looking for a magic bullet, think about taking a writing course of some kind, or just look for opportunities to practice and hone your writing skills. Not only will this help you with the usual written or e-mail overtures that lead to jobs these days (plus your resume, cover letter and so forth), it will also give you a vital skill you can talk up in your next performance review or job interview.

When somebody tells you to "put it in writing" the next time, don't think of it as an onerous chore. Think of it as an opportunity to work on an essential skill that is important in nearly every conceivable job and as something you can mention as an accomplishment and a strong interest the next time you have to convince somebody of your suitability for employment, either in your current job or in some different position.
Posted by Ed Tittel On-the-job experience or certification?
29 SEP 2004 11:32 EDT (15:32, GMT)
As somebody who answers career and certification questions regularly and routinely, there are numerous items that come up all the time in that mode. Today, I'll tackle one of the most common "either/or" questions I get by starting with a general answer: For individuals doing career planning it often looks like it's necessary to choose (or at least, prioritize) between multiple choices that require significant time and investment to pursue. In reality, the either/or nature of the decision is one that manifests only to those who actually have to do the work, invest the money and spend the time necessary to reach their goals.

For example, I'm often asked: "Which is better/more relevant/more likely to get me a job: a college degree or <insert certification name here>?" This looks like a tradeoff mostly to people who don't have either and are trying to decide which to pursue first. To employers, the answer to the question is more likely to be "Neither is better; I want somebody who's got both!" This is especially true in the last few years when employment has been more of a seller's market (that is, one that favors employers) than a buyer's market (that is, one that favors employees).

Given a choice between a candidate with a certification but no degree and one with a degree but no certification, many employers will decide on neither one these days (these two hypothetical job-seekers representing the poles of this putative either/or decision). In fact, most employers would probably go for the third candidate, who might have neither a degree nor a certification, provided he or she has well-documented, verifiable on-the-job experience in the slot the employer's trying to fill and can communicate his or her skills, abilities, accomplishments and interest in the position.

So, what's the job candidate to do in this situation? First, consider the differences between a degree and a certification. A degree shows more long-term commitment and capability, and often says more about a candidate's willingness to develop general learning skills and to cultivate a foundation for more specific knowledge that can be developed and extended throughout a working lifetime. A certification shows a focused, more short-term commitment to some specific technology niche, computing platform and so forth, with a motivation to demonstrate targeted knowledge, skills and problem-solving abilities. (As an aside, given these descriptions, is it any wonder that employers want both?)

Candidates who can afford the time off from work, handle the expense and invest the time and energy necessary to pursue a degree are probably best off starting there. Any certifications they earn right away may need to be renewed or replaced by the time they finish the degree anyway, so why not start the longer term project first, then begin shorter term ones later, as the date for potential entry (or re-entry) into the workforce becomes more a matter of certainty? Those who can't afford to pursue a degree full-time might be better off splitting their efforts between certification and education (or looking for adult/part-time programs -- available at many community colleges in North America -- where certification and education go hand-in-hand), so they can pursue both in parallel while still working at some job. This is a difficult but doable proposition and requires a major investment of time, energy and funds, plus lots of support from friends and family to tame the logistical difficulties involved (especially for those with families to take care of).

But remember that employers really do seek people with well-rounded backgrounds, learning and technical skills. You can't force them to see your trade-offs, however compelling they may be to you, as necessary to filling jobs they have open. Be ready to put yourself in their shoes (if only to consider your strategy and approach to marketing yourself as a prospective employee), and you'll quickly understand how you can balance their needs against yours and position yourself for the job you want when and as you can meet its qualifications and requirements.
Posted by Ed Tittel SAP help, ASAP
28 SEP 2004 05:07 EDT (09:07, GMT)
Wow! It's been really interesting to field the member questions so far. I'm stunned that the interest in SAP/R3 is so great, at least from the standpoint of dominating the field of questions that have come my way in the past few days: More than half of the nine questions I've been posed (and answered) have dealt with this admittedly popular and fast-growing enterprise resource planning (ERP) toolset and environment. Closer examination of the company's multi-faceted Web presence -- of which I find mySAP ERP particularly interesting -- shows that there's plenty to like about what the company is doing, how it's opening its doors to partner up and integrate with other platforms and solutions, and in general how it's creating new opportunities while continuing to foster well-established markets and venues.

That said, it's a truly interesting phenomenon that something that everybody already knows about -- like ERP in general, or SAP in particular -- may already have peaked in terms of buzz or gee-whiz attraction. That's where old-fashioned marketing, market development and trend analysis come into play. Since these are all areas where SAP claims to lend advantages to those who use their technology, it's a compelling testament to the truth of such claims that the company itself seems to benefit regularly from business analysis, financial data and market acumen.

I say: Keep your eyes on these guys. But for those looking for an ideal job, unless you're a number cruncher, an analyst or a hard-rock data miner at heart, this may still not be your dream situation, no matter how many opportunities there are or how good the pay is. Better to buy stock in an outfit whose dreams are not also your dreams, than to work in an environment where what you really want takes second place to a steady paycheck, good benefits and regular raises.

I'll be watching SAP with much greater interest, as a result of our members' input, and with considerably more respect, now that I've dug into their offerings, fundamentals and track record.
Posted by Ed Tittel Outwitting outsourcing
27 SEP 2004 05:04 EDT (09:04, GMT)
As somebody with a strong interest in helping others understand and pursue career options, I often find myself with one eye on technology and the other on the economy. Given recent gyrations in both, along with upcoming presidential elections, this often leads to one eye crossing the other and a somewhat whacko view of the career landscape. But I've been interested in addressing various concerns about offshoring, particularly from system or network administrators worried about seeing their jobs migrate to countries where highly qualified professionals are willing to do those jobs for a fraction of what they earn. To these people, I say: "Some concern is justified, and you should always do what you can to enhance your value and contributions to your employer, by learning new skills, acquiring relevant knowledge and developing your technical and troubleshooting abilities."

But please, ponder this: At some point or another, somebody who knows what's going on has to start pulling connectors (if not cables), swapping out hardware modules, checking software revision levels, running diagnostics and doing all the other things that require a live, warm body on the scene to get things done. Sure, some of these things can be handled remotely (and probably will be). But other things of this ilk still to mean that a sufficiently knowledgeable and skilled professional has to be on hand to review the situation, formulate and try out fixes, and eventually bring the matter at hand to a satisfactory resolution. That's why I think that network and system administrators can't be completely done away with, and not all of them can do those jobs remotely.

Sure, this means that some of the functions that such people have done in the past will move elsewhere. In fact, the relentless forces of economics argue strongly that anything that can be done remotely will be done that way because of the savings it delivers. That's why savvy network and system administrators will concentrate on learning the tools (especially diagnostic, forensic or analytical tools that provide detailed assessments of the situations they're called into -- such as various monitors, protocol analyzers, data capture and analysis tools, and so forth) that are best deployed at the scene of the trouble to solve problems and will devise workarounds if outright solutions aren't possible or affordable.

In a knowledge-driven economy -- that's where we live in high-tech nowadays, in case you didn't know -- acquiring knowledge provides the value that employers will continue to be willing to pay for, here at the scene or elsewhere offshore. If you can learn to do things that can't be done remotely or that work better if done locally, you'll be taking out a form of career insurance that will continue to pay for itself for some time. And as long as you keep your knowledge base sharp and fresh and update it regularly to make sure you're not resting on your laurels rather than staying on the cutting edge, you'll be able to stay busy, productive and hopefully gainfully employed!
Posted by Ed Tittel