* A retrospective of IT job trends and news
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.
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.
Which jobs are recession-proof? We’ve looked at IT career paths that remain stable even during an economic downturn a few times, most recently in early December. A survey by Jobfox found that software design and development, networking and systems administration, and IT security specialists were among the most recession-proof job titles in the United States. A similar Jobfox survey in July found that database administration, business analysis software implementations, and software testing were also among the most stable careers.
Exam cheating is one of the more interesting topics we’ve covered. Cisco and Microsoft have both employed new technologies and tactics this year in the fight against cheaters. In July we looked at Cisco unveiling new photo identification requirements designed to prevent proxy testing, in which candidates hire others to test tests for them. Cisco also announced a new data forensics program, similar to one employed by Microsoft, which is trying to find cheaters through statistical analysis of their exams.
Microsoft also implemented a particularly harsh penalty regime, which issues lifetime bans from the certification program to anyone caught in any form of cheating. Microsoft has also taken legal action against suspicious test preparation Web sites, which illegally sell exam answers to IT pros looking to cheat their way to a passing score.
Cisco certifications have been written about frequently in the newsletter. This year we looked extensively at Cisco’s Certified Design Expert exam, which lets IT pros demonstrate expertise in design principles and fundamental concepts related to network infrastructure. Cisco has also added new wireless, voice and security certs this year, saying that increasing specialization in the IT profession is necessitating the creation of new training and credentials.
Last year, the newsletter looked at Cisco adding an entry level certification for networking technicians, an expansion of the design associate program, and a competitive campaign launched by Juniper to offer free training to Cisco certified professionals.
Microsoft certification was the topic one week last month when we discussed a new line of virtualization certifications designed to capitalize on Microsoft’s new Hyper-V technology as well as the growing importance of virtualization in the enterprise. And in August we looked at Microsoft’s new “Master”-level certifications, which seek to validate advanced skills in products such as Exchange, SQL Server and Windows Server.
Salary is obviously a big focus for any career-oriented individual, and we’ve looked at various factors that impact one’s pay. For example, one study we wrote about in April found that IT pros who earn an MBA degree earn 46% more than counterparts with a bachelor’s degree and 37% more than IT pros with any other master’s degree. In June we noted that the Certified Information Systems Security Professional designation appears to bestow a $21,000 boost in salary upon its holders. Another newsletter in June looked at the dropping value of IT certifications, but noted that IT security certifications have bucked the trend and risen in value.
Although the economy is in turmoil, there has been some positive news covered in the newsletter. Bank mergers have fueled demand for IT pros, for example. And last month, we looked at surprising findings from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics which shows that the IT profession has actually added jobs recently. The gains were modest, but in stark contrast to the country as a whole, which lost 240,000 jobs in October. The final story I’ll link to provided tips from a career expert on how IT pros can find a new job after getting laid off.
Thanks to everyone for reading, and good luck in your careers.
