Finding a job in any market can seem like a daunting task, but it can be much more difficult if you do it the wrong way.  By doing it the wrong way, what I mean is the same way everyone else is doing it!

When you search for a job, where do you go?  Nearly everyone looks in the newspaper, or on the major job search sites such as Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, etc.  But this can actually be a big mistake!  Why?  Because everyone else is doing the same thing.  One of the main requirements to getting a job is to seperate yourself from the pack, and by doing what everyone else goes you are doing the exact opposite.

Ask anyone who knows about job searching, and they’ll tell you the one approach that leads to great jobs more than any other:  Networking.  Not networking in the technology sense, but networking in the community sense.  Networking is the act of meeting as many people as you can and building relationships with them to gain opportunities and friendships that you wouldn’t otherwise have.

At a recent job conference, a job search professional claimed that less than 10% of jobs make their way to classified newspaper ads and online job sites.  Even if you claimed that computer jobs are more likely to make it online (due to job posts being made by IT professionals), an estimate of 25% would be extremely optimistic.

So, by searching for jobs via the newspaper and online search engines, you are not only significantly reducing the number of job openings available to you, but you are competing for those jobs with thousands of other job searchers who are doing the same exact thing.  If you want to enhance your chance of finding a great computer job, you have to network in your area and build relationships that grant you access to the other 75-90% of the jobs that are available!

To learn more about finding a computer job and how to network, visit www.UltimateITHandbook.com

 Windows Vista (for those of you that don’t know) is a brand new operating system by Microsoft that has quickly taken over the retail market (we the average PC consumer) but is just recently gaining momentum in the corporate market.  Due to its new design and significant changes from Windows XP, it can certainly seem that by pursuing one certification over another could impact your value to potential employers.

 While this decision does have some significance, it’s more important to evaluate your current skills than to worry over which certification will be more popular with potential employers.  Here is why…

 Windows Vista is certainly gaining popularity, but it still makes up a small fraction of workstations in the workplace. That being said, Windows XP is still the most common OS found in corporate environments both big and small. If you have several years of experience with Windows XP and are very comfortable with its various features and settings, then pursue the Windows Vista certification. By doing so, you’ll strengthen your overall knowledge of Microsoft client offerings, and teamed together with your years of experience of XP will show strength in this area on your resume.

If you don’t have several years of experience with Windows XP, then it should definitely be your topic of choice. With such a large audience, an IT professional (that would be you) needs to have this knowledge and skill in order to be valuable to employers.

In summary, choose Windows Vista if you already have years of experience that you can demonstrate on a resume. If you don’t, then pursue your Windows XP certification first, and then consider Windows Vista once your foundation is complete.

Want to know more about building your foundation? Visit www.UltimateITHandbook.com to learn more.

That being said, a lot of people make the assumption that obtaining this certification will strengthen their value in the IT market.  But it all depends on where you want to go in your career that will determine its true value.

There are many reasons why a Cisco CCNA certification could be right or wrong for you.  Here are a few reasons to consider:

• Where do you plan to go within your computer career? 
• Do WANs (Wide Area Networks), routing and switching appeal to you? 
• Is it a skill that you feel comes naturally or is it difficult for you to understand? 
• Does this technology excite you, or are you more interested in it because it will help to “sell” you as a professional?
• What is your real goal?  Is it security, or communications or network engineering?  Is this an “additional” skill to add to your resume or is it a stepping-stone to your ideal career?
• Finally, do you need the certification or does your work experience already display your competency in this subject?

All of these questions are important to determining why you want to pursue the certification, and what it will ultimately gain you.  For those people specifically aiming for a career in networks, a Cisco CCNA certification can be an important step towards achieving your career goals.  However, if you are just starting out there are several other ways to strengthen your networking skills that would help much more towards your value as an IT professional.

To learn more about building value as an IT Professional, visit www.UltimateITHandbook.com

I created ComputerTrainingCoach.com to be the ONLY training resource that answers important questions honestly and with the one goal of showing you how to succeed in a computer career.

Have a question?  Simply comment to this post or email me at RayH@UltimateITHandbook.com