Because many courses taught by the Department of Information Technology and Management are mapped to certifications, and because many students recognize the value of the certifications we address, many actually want to complete the certification exams to receive the certification. If students purchase exam vouchers through the CompTIA Academic Store and can prove their student status, they will get a 40% discount: Certification Vouchers – CompTIA Marketplace Academic. Students who join CompTIA as a student member, which costs $29, can get a 50% discount: CompTIA Student Membership – CompTIA Marketplace Academic. Not a bad idea, huh?
IIT’s Ray Trygstad is becoming a ROCKSTAR—ok, not really, just noted as an authority on information technology education. He was quoted in Network World in an article titled “Which tech degrees pay the most from day one?” This is his 3rd article in the last 2 months! The article was on the front page at NetworkWorld.com, and was also the featured article in Network World’s afternoon email newsletter today.
The article contains good news for ITM graduates. Read it at Network World: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/030513-tech-degrees-267324.html
HACK NIGHT! “Me, My App, and Twitter”, August 27, 2012 at the IIT IdeaShop, 7 – 9pm
Register: iithacknight.eventbrite.com
Yes! A Hack Night!
A place to learn the magic behind coding. On this night we will have a two hour introduction to APIs and using Twitter to build a simple app.
Who should be there?
Everyone is welcome! Come if you’re interested in building something awesome or want to learn how to make your ideas a reality.
Which means that?
You really need to attend. We have food! No Walk-ins. Please register before coming.
Upcoming Hack Nights:
Aug. 27: Me, My App, and Twitter
Sept. 11: Building a Facebook App
Sept. 27: Karaoke with Twilio!
Oct. 11: People’s choice
Overnight Hackathon Challenge:
3pm October 20 – 4pm October 21
Over $5,000 in prizes!!!
Critiquing Your Rewritten Resume
Tues, Feb 7 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm @ Perlstein 131
Resume Review – Have your resume reviewed by IIT staff
Fri, Feb 10 from 10:00-2:00 @ Perlstin 131
IIT Career Fair
Thur, Feb 23 from 11:00-4:00 @ Herman Hall
Questions? Contact Madeleine England at mengland@iit.edu
According to a recent Computerworld survey, the top IT job skills employers will be seeking in 2012 in order of demand are:
1. Programming and Application Development (Especially Web development & Mobile application development)
2. Project Management (Especially those who also have skills as Business Analysts)
3. Help Desk/Technical Support (Especially those who can support mobile devices)
4. Networking (Need fueled in large part by virtualization and cloud computing projects)
5. Business Intelligence (Many need SharePoint developers)
6. Data Center (IT professionals with backgrounds in data center operations and systems integration, and experts in disaster recovery and business continuity)
7. Web 2.0 (HTML5, .Net, AJAX and PHP)
8. Security (Strong technical security and auditing skills)
9. Telecommunications (IP telephony skills)
Read more…
Robert Half Technology has put out their 2012 Salary Guide; this a great source to see the state of the industry and what folks are getting paid. Remember though, these are average starting salaries so half the offers you get might be lower; also note that there are adjustments for location. It also has a very complete glossary of job descriptions for a broad range of IT jobs. Robert Half is a leading provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis, and has been a consistent sponsor of conferences here at the School of Applied Technology. Download their guide at .
I get asked this question a lot. In fact, since this will be read by a lot of students and faculty, I will share some advice I gave someone about three weeks ago. This person, who actually has an M.S. in Information Technology, was proposing that IT certifications alone would suffice to help a person get the IT job of their dreams.
I am with one of the world’s best companies at the moment, and I am very happy with my job and the people I work with, so I am planning on staying here as long as possible.
But I laugh at the people that think they can move ahead in the IT field without a degree or multiple degrees in this field. They do not realize that despite what they sincerely believe about saving money and getting a few certifications, and skipping the formal education, they are doing themselves considerable career harm in the long run, because they cannot get back the years they wasted believing that poppycock. And actually, it’s good because it helps decrease the competition for guys like you and me. Also, they don’t realize that despite what they believe about being successful without formal education, they have peers and people younger than them who will get a clue and realize what it takes to succeed, and set their course and do it. Read more…
