As the main gatherer of things salaried, I'm always thinking about those numbers
we publish every year in the magazine. Those numbers continue to go up incrementally, but my feeling is that they'll be pretty flat this year or even dip a notch, despite reports that IT spending will go up on 2009 (call me doom and gloom).
I'm predicting that more respondents this year will report having lost jobs. It's just a guess, though, and I look to you for guidance and feedback. With that, here's what I want to know:
- Predictions: Do you expect salaries to go up or down this year?
- What are the chances of you losing your job this year because of the economy?
- Will you be obtaining training to bolster your skills and make you more employable?
- How does certification fit into the picture? Is it still necessary to show that you're skilled?
You don't have to answer the questions in stepped fashion. If you just want to dump your thoughts out on paper on these and other issues, I'm all ears.
I'll definitely share some of the best comments (with first names only) here and in the newsletter (and contact those further who want to participate in this year's salary survey).
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/25/2009 at 11:59 AM0 comments
You have to give Microsoft props for its Elevate America project. It was just a few weeks ago that the company made its
somber contribution to the rising unemployment figures. Even so, Microsoft has made some attempt to help the unemployed with its
Elevate America project.
Simply put, the Elevate America portal points to free and near-free resources for getting training and obtaining certification on Microsoft technology. The devil's in the details, though, and it appears more to be a Microsoft resources mashup of its Unlimited Potential, Digital Literacy and IT Academy programs.
According to the Born to Learn blog, Microsoft Learning, for its part, will provide a million vouchers for training and exam resources. The blog doesn't break down the exact numbers, but if the group were to give out a million exam vouchers, it'd be valued at $125 million.
It's easy to call this just a bunch of marketing hooey. But you'd have to be dumb to think you'd be at a disadvantage with Microsoft skills -- it's very likely any company hiring right now and in the future will have Microsoft technology deployed, right?
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/23/2009 at 11:59 AM0 comments
Even though we keep hearing that IT jobs and spending continue to hold steady (
here,
here and
here), it's always a good idea to stay on top of your game. Spending cuts means looking for cheaper resources, like self-study.
Microsoft Press released another one of its freebies, Windows Vista Resource Kit, Second Edition, by Mitch Tulloch et al. Developer wannabes haven't been left out of the loop, especially those who have a keen interest in building their first C# project: Microsoft Visual C# 2008 Express Edition: Build a Program Now! by Patrice Pelland.
Get to steppin' on these ones, though. The offer ends on Feb. 25. (Vista free e-book download link here; C# book a href="http://csna01.libredigital.com/?urrs4gt63d" target="_blank">here; both require registration.)
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/20/2009 at 11:59 AM0 comments
As I was taking Microsoft's "
Are You Certifiable" skills quiz, I ran into the following odd question: "What was the name of Microsoft's first mascot?"One of the resources mentioned was our very own "Redmond magazine's 2006 of compensation for Microsoft IT professionals." Thanks for the props, Microsoft, but I can't even remember where that's mentioned. (I got the answer wrong, which was "Blibbet."
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/19/2009 at 11:59 AM0 comments
If you've attended any Microsoft-related event in the past, you know that the Microsoft Learning Group and Prometric usually set up shop and offer exams at a discount rate. (At our very own
TechMentor conferences, we've hosted VUE when they were still a Microsoft Official Test Provider.)
At Tech-Ed in Los Angeles from May 11-15, the group is at it again, offering exams for half off the regular rate of $125. If you're already an MCP and you plan on attending Tech-Ed anyways, be sure to snag the code for MCPs and you'll also get $200 off. (Alas, the code will be released on Feb. 28.)
All the details so far are at this post from Sarah at the Born to Learn blog.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/19/2009 at 11:59 AM1 comments
It's like a week-long holiday for MCPs or MCP wannabes. And, like any holiday, there's a sale attached.
Across the country at select Microsoft Certified Partners for Learning Solutions centers, Microsoft Learning is hosting Microsoft Skills Week. From March 9-13, the group is providing some incentives to visit a local MCPLS center, including a discount of up to 40 percent off a certification exam.
The group is also giving away copies of Microsoft Office Standard, providing some discounts on training courses, and Zunes.
Find out more here.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/19/2009 at 11:59 AM2 comments
A new processor gets launched despite a poor economy. Data gathering policies are being stunted because of a deepening recession. IT spending hurt by the credit crunch. Okay, it's all getting mildly annoying to see all tapping into our fears of the global economic crisis.
Allow me for a second to take the low road as well and mention that Microsoft's Learning Group just came out with a new program that's like an economic stimulus check for the cash-strapped exam taker. Its Career Assist program combines the incredibly popular Second Shot exam retake program with a heavy discount toward one Microsoft E-Learning Collection. How big a discount? A collection is US$350, but the promo offer brings the fee down to $35. It's like found money. Check it out here.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/12/2009 at 11:59 AM0 comments
The leather jacket for achieving the MCSE has been history for a while, much like the BMW Z3s that some companies
offered programmers as a signing bonus. The Microsoft Learning Group lately is exploring the streamlining of the most basic benefits, according to
a post by the MCP Gal, Sarah Grant.
How important is the lapel pin, the MCP Welcome Kit, or how about the certificate itself? Do employers even still ask to see the wallet card? There's some merit (and it's not my original suggestion) to the idea that MCPs pay for the wallet cards. And maybe those cards should be available only through the MVP e-store. Chime in here or via e-mail.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/11/2009 at 11:59 AM14 comments
A colleague just yesterday was reminiscing about the heady days of the MCSE: "When we passed all the exams, Microsoft would send you a nice leather jacket and the recruiters would be waiting at the elevator of the training center handing out cards." He said this while waving his hand the length of his torso, to sell the idea that the jacket was all that. Of course, that's all way, way, way in the past. No strong incentive exists to have his new hires get the new-generation MCSE, currently called the tongue-twisting MCITP: Enterprise Administrator.
Bill Chapman of the Microsoft Learning Group caused a minor controversy when he said, "The MCSE is dead, it's time to move on." It makes me wonder if that's true, or if there still exists some large deployments of Windows Server 2003 that require the services and expertise that only MCSEs can muster. I just checked Dice.com and a search for jobs seeking MCSEs (1064 results) far outpaced MCITP (50). I didn't bother to specify the EA part.
Is the MCSE dead? Or are hiring managers clueless when it comes to certifications and hiring? Send an e-mail or comment here.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/05/2009 at 11:59 AM12 comments
While the economy takes a toll on jobs in every sector, it's not making much of a
dent on IT pay. At least so far.
Prediction time: Salaries going up or down this year? E-mail me or comment here.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/04/2009 at 11:59 AM0 comments
Speaking of the economy, at a time when even IT is doing some belt-tightening, free stuff is always better. For those who are fans of self-paced training materials, MS Press has something that will have you loosening that belt a notch. On occasion, the imprint offers some titles for absolutely free. Well, you might have to give up some of your precious personal info to get it, but still -- you get some valuable training info in return.
Right now, you can download complete versions of Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008, by Peter DeBetta, Greg Low and Mark Whitehorn, and Understanding Microsoft Virtualization Solutions, by Mitch Tulloch with the Microsoft Virtualization Teams. And MS Press is also releasing some select chapters of chapters for Programming Microsoft LINQ, Introducing Microsoft Silverlight 2, and Programming Microsoft ASP.NET 3.5 here.
I can't remember when those offers expire, so click those links now if you want the goods for nothing.
In the meantime, there are a few MCPmag.com forum members asking by e-mail, "Where are all the good .NET Framework exam resources?" Good question and I don't know (if you're a publisher, do ring me up or e-mail me and set me straight). But I do know where some of the officialy recommended Microsoft Press titles are -- still in development. With that, MS Press has published anticipated ship dates for the following .NET Framework titles:
Available Feb. 25: MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-505): Microsoft® .NET Framework 3.5 -- Windows Forms Application Development
March 25: MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-561): Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 - ADO.NET
April 15: MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-562): Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 - ASP.NET
As well as these titles, MS Press lists the release schedule for other non-exam-centric tech tomes here. Happy reading!
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/04/2009 at 11:59 AM0 comments