Campus bookstore reading list

	The Wall Street Journal. Sure it’s a time sink, and it’s hard to see how some of those offbeat stories about Peruvian cockroach circuses are relevant to your career. But every expert interviewed for this story, when asked what technologists should read to broaden their horizons, immediately mentioned The Journal.

	Managing Up: 59 Ways to Build a Career-Advancing Relationship with Your Boss, by Michael S. Dobson and Deborah Singer Dobson. Amacom. There are plenty of “how to live with a jerk boss by going behind his back“books out there. Managing Up is different because of its integrity; the book helps the reader focus on organizational goals, not skullduggery.
	The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking, by Dale Carnegie. Pocket Books. The world is full of books on public speaking, but this one, by the acknowledged master of the field, will boost your confidence with a very small time investment.
	The Complete Idiot's Guide to MBA Basics, by Tom Gorman and Ed Paulson, Alpha Books. Cheaper than a real MBA and faster to boot, this book is a good rough-and-ready guide to business terms.
	Guide to Distance Learning Programs 2001 (Peterson's Guide to Distance Learning Programs, 5th Ed). Why let geography limit your continuing education? Here’s a comprehensive list of distance-learning programs.
	The New Professional Image: From Business Casual to the Ultimate Power Look, by Susan Bixler and Nancy Nix-Rice, Adams. Aimed at men and women alike, this highly regarded book can spiff up your look.

Ulfelder is a freelance writer and can be reached at sulfelder@charter.net.

Fire up your IT career!
Spending less time managing networks and more time managing relationships with outsourcers and upper managers? Need to bone up on nontechnical skills like negotiating and presenting? Here's a two-year study guide.

Year One core curriculum
The McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin features an optional Information Management concentration that enjoys a reputation as one of the nation's top techno-MBA programs.

Year One extra credit
To advance your employer's interests while giving your career a big boost, many experts advise media training and/or lessons in public speaking.

Year Two core curriculum
Negotiating contracts with vendors, carriers and outsourcers is a key part of network managers' jobs today and will become even more important in the future.

Year Two extra credit
IT pros have a reputation for being sartorially challenged. Fair or not, the image persists.

OTHER RESOURCES

NetSmart specializes in IT education and offers a new Business Technologist Certification.

Computerworld's ranking of the top schools for techno-MBAs

ITworld.com's special report on negotiation

Wardrobe tips
From Dressforsuccess.com