In This Issue:
Education: The Vicious Cycle of (Un)Employment
News: What We Should Learn from Barack Obama
Tips: Tech Toys

The Vicious Cycle of (Un)Employment

When you think about it, employment is really just another vicious cycle: look for a job, get hired, climb the ladder, fall down, lose your job and look for another job all over again. The worst part is that the cycle keeps going faster and faster. Well, in order to get different results, you need different solutions…

The TechRepublic sited 10 reasons IT certification will be important in 2009 and we think it’s worth reiterating:
 

1. Job Retention – lay-offs are the norm right now and the people who are not being laid off are the ones with the most skills and knowledge.
2. Salary Maintenance – Many companies, especially city and state governments, are asking employees to take salary cuts. When you can actually make what you should be making, the cut hurts a lot less.
3. Hiring and Promotion Eligibility – New and timely certifications are the key to standing out in a heap of resumes and having a leg up on the competition.
4. Career Improvement – Most IT professionals do their job and only their job. There aren’t many opportunities to gain more responsibilities, challenges and therefore more pay, unless you’re promoted. But how many times have you been promoted lately?
5. New-Generation Certs Increase Relevance – Everything in technology needs reworking. Certs are not an exception. As real-world needs evolve, so must certifications and so must you!
6. Organizations will Become More Discriminating – Organizations are outsourcing their computer services and support to save money, but they need to be sure that the consultants they hire are competent. So show ’em your cert!
7. New Products will Gain Momentum – Out with the old, in with the new! Who is going to have an upper-hand on new product upgrades? Well, as soon as you get certified…YOU!
8. Organizations Must Minimize Downtime – Downtime and repair of anything IT can cost a company a ton of money. Cert guys ensure a speedier recovery.
9. Organizations Need to Reduce Costs – A Kotler Marketing Group study published by CompTIA proved that certifications enable organizations to reduce expenses, identify knowledge gaps and improve productivity.
10. Confidence proves Handy during Turbulent Times – You need this more than anything right now. Pick yourself up and get your certification.

You can accomplish getting certified FAST with CBT XPress Certification Boot Camps. CBT XPress Boot Camps are accelerated, instructor-led IT certification classes, which are the most cost-effective and time-efficient way to study for IT certifications. Plus, CBT XPress instructors have actually authored some of the books, training materials and award-winning practice exams that you need to study for your certification, so you won’t be wasting any time. What’s more – CBT XPress Boot Camps are held in Tampa Bay at a luxurious resort and spa, so you can stay, study and sit for your certification class and exam all in one beautiful location!

CBT XPress Certification Boot Camps include CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ Boot Camps; Microsoft MCITP Enterprise Administrator 2008; MCSE 2003; MCITP Messaging Administrator; Cisco CCENT and CCNA Boot Camps; for certification at the luxurious Safety Harbor Resort and Spa in Tampa Bay, Florida. For advice on CBT XPress Boot Camps, call 1-800-313-1630 Monday through Friday, 9am-6pm.

What We Should Learn from Barack Obama

January 20th, 2009 is Inauguration Day for our 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, and already we have learned so much from this man:

When the odds are against you, fight back.
In his memoir, Obama talks about the constant life-struggle of his multiracial heritage. And now he’s becoming the first African American President of the United States. Whatever odds you think are against you, quit thinking about them and fight back.

Don’t just succeed, make history.
Don’t just be, but be the first, be the best, be the only one! So what if your fellow IT workers aren’t getting certified right now. That’s all the more reason to be certified!

Make a goal and stick to it.
In 2000, Obama had a dream of becoming President and ran for an open seat in the Democratic primary for the U.S. House of Representatives. He lost. Eight years later, he’s voted Prez. Now that’s what we call stickin’ to it. What’s your goal?

Soft skills are really important.
Who do you think has better presentation and communication skills, McCain or Obama? We rest our case…but what’s yours? For help on these skills, click here.

Make yourself marketable.
Obama’s presidential campaign was voted Best Marketing Campaign by Advertising Age. Obama isn’t just our next President, he’s a brand name! How can you become more marketable?

Today’s technology certainly has its advantages.
We emphasize today’s technology. Luckily, we’re the group who has always known this. Obama’s marketing campaign used all the modern technological tools they could, from twitter to text, mobile to myspace. What can we learn from this, kids? (And by “kids”, we mean your boss.)

Have a leg-up on the competition!
In order to have a leg-up, you have to stay ahead of the competition. In order to achieve this, you have to know your competition. Take an assessment quiz to test your IT IQ and find out how you compare to the rest, and then make a game plan on how to become the best!

Tech Toys