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IT Careers and Training Alert

Senior Writer Jon Brodkin discusses IT career and education trends and issues.

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Recession, exam cheating and certifications: A look back at IT career trends and coverage: 12/17/08; Well, it's time to go. As you know, this is the final edition of the IT Careers and Training Alert newsletter. While I'm disappointed to see the newsletter come to an end, I've enjoyed writing this each week and hope you have enjoyed reading it. We've covered a lot of career news, including extensive talk about Cisco and Microsoft certifications, crackdowns on exam cheating, and trends that impact availability of and compensation for IT jobs. Since it's the last newsletter, let's take a look back at some of the more interesting topics tackled by myself and Linda Leung, who wrote the newsletter before I took over earlier this year. Be sure to keep up with career news and blogs at Network World's IT Careers Web site.
Cisco CCIE wireless ready to go: 12/10/08; Cisco has announced its new expert-level wireless certification, and says it expects increasing job specialization within the networking field over the next five years.
Recession-proof jobs: Software design, network administration, IT security: 12/03/08; The 25 most recession-proof jobs include several technology-focused career paths, such as software design and development, networking and systems administration, and IT security specialists.
IT sector adds jobs despite economic turmoil: 11/19/08; Surprising new findings from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the IT profession may be in far better shape than the job market as a whole.
Microsoft prepares new virtualization certifications: 11/12/08; Microsoft is ramping up a new line of virtualization certifications to go hand-in-hand with its release of the Hyper-V server virtualization technology.
Bank mergers fuel demand for IT pros: 11/05/08; While the economy goes in the tank, there might be at least one bright spot for IT pros: all those bank mergers and acquisitionsare creating demand for technology workers who can help post-merger companies smoothly integrate IT operations. That's what IT staffing firm Sapphire Technologies has found. Hundreds of new IT jobs at post-merger financial institutions are available, says Matt Colarusso, branch manager for Sapphire's national recruiting. "You don't normally see them all come out at once like that," he says of the new rash of job listings.
Cisco ready to launch expert-level wireless credential: 10/29/08; Cisco is getting ready to launch its expert-level wireless certification and is looking for beta testers.
Economic crisis fuels job concerns: 10/22/08; The economic crisis seems to be getting worse by the week. Should IT pros be worried about getting laid off? The possibility certainly exists, especially in the financial sector, but some job market observers say there have not been widespread impacts on IT workers so far.
Cisco launches first-ever authorized CCIE training program: 10/15/08; Cisco is unveiling a new learning program for the CCIE Routing and Switching exam, saying that third-party boot camps designed to prepare candidates for the exam are not always up to par.
New IT certification tackles software security: 10/08/08; (ISC)2, caretaker of the well-known CISSP security designation, has developed a new certification that tackles a big issue: development of secure software.
How to find a job after getting laid off: 10/01/08; Layoffs seem to be coming fast and furious these days, with thousands of jobs expected to be lost at companies like Lehman Bros. and Merrill Lynch. At HP alone, 24,600 layoffs are in the cards.
The fastest-growing hot spots for tech jobs: 09/24/08; Tech job listings are on the rise in some previously overlooked metro areas.
Which IT skills are most in demand?: 09/17/08; SAP skills are continuing their meteoric rise in value, but the latest research shows numerous other skills boosting the paychecks of IT workers.
IT pros with virtualization skills in high demand: 09/10/08; Virtualization skills are a hot commodity these days. An IT pro who knows the ins and outs or server or storage virtualization can expect plenty of interest from prospective employers.
Don't be fooled by suspicious test preparation Web sites: 09/03/08; A lawsuit filed by Microsoft against a test-preparation Web site illustrates the risks of certification exam cheating, even if it is done unknowingly.
Database administrators in high demand: 08/27/08; Computer scientists and database administrators are in high demand, according to a new report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These IT pros can expect relatively high pay and job growth in coming years, the report says.
Has offshoring harmed U.S. IT workers? One researcher says 'no': 08/20/08; The word "offshoring" might send shivers down the spine of IT pros who are unemployed or fearful of losing their jobs. But how much impact does offshoring - the outsourcing of IT functions to foreign countries - really have on employment prospects in the United States? Despite alarming forecasts from some analyst firms, one new study concludes that the impact is minimal.
Are you ready to become a Microsoft Master?: 08/13/08; Microsoft's new Master-level certifications are pricey and time-consuming, but could result in new career opportunities.
Networking skills gap presents opportunity to IT workers: 08/06/08; IDC is reporting that a huge networking skills gap is proving troublesome to enterprises - but presents a huge opportunity for IT professionals.
Cisco takes fight against cheaters to new level: 07/30/08; Cisco's fight against cheaters is entering a new phase, with photo identification requirements and a data forensics program similar to the one announced by Microsoft. Pilot programs using the new detection methods have already uncovered 1,400 suspected cheaters, according to Cisco.
These tech skills are recession-proof: 07/23/08; Back in April we discussed research that found IT job security was dropping five times faster than the national average. But there's some new research that shows a rosier view, with numerous technology skills being labeled as "recession-proof."
Cisco expands CCNA with new security, voice and wireless certifications: 07/16/08; Cisco has unveiled a new Web site designed for collaboration among IT pros and added three new concentrations to the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) line of exams.
Microsoft cracks down on certification exam cheating: 07/09/08; Microsoft is tackling certification exam cheating in a big way, with harsher penalties and a data forensics program that can find cheaters through statistical analysis of their exams.
Cisco unveils practical CCDE exam: 07/02/08; At the beginning of this year, Cisco launched the written test for its Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE) program, which lets IT pros demonstrate expertise in network infrastructure design principles and fundamental concepts.
Is a CPA worth getting for technology pros?: 06/25/08; IT pros hear all the time about the importance of having both business and technology skills. But few people, perhaps, have taken this ideal to heart more than Ron Box, who is the CFO and CIO of Joe Money Machinery in Birmingham, Ala.

Jon Brodkin is senior writer at Network World.

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