The 9 Most Desired Skills of Hiring Managers
Are you looking to move up in your organization or move on to a better job? Improving your skill set will benefit you in both situations. There are many skills valued by managers, but which skills do they find most valuable?
Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder.com recently surveyed 3169 hiring managers. One of the results of this survey identified the skills hiring managers look for most often.
Most Desired Skills
Hiring managers often use electronic scanners to rank candidates using keywords to search resumes. The terms employers search for most often are:
- problem-solving and decision-making skills (50 percent)
- oral and written communications (44 percent)
- customer service or retention (34 percent)
- performance and productivity improvement (32 percent)
- leadership (30 percent)
- technology (27 percent)
- team-building (26 percent)
- project management (20 percent)
- bilingual (14 percent)
Continue reading The 9 Most Desired Skills of Hiring Managers
Windows Server Virtualization Exam 70-652
The Technical Specialist (TS) exam, Exam 70-652: TS: Windows Server Virtualization, Configuring, is in development. The expected release date is August 2008.
When you pass Exam 70-652: TS: Windows Server Virtualization, Configuring, you complete the requirements for the following certification: Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Windows Server Virtualization, Configuration
There currently are no Microsoft Press books available for 70-652, however classroom course 6411, and E-Learning clinics 5935 and 6536 are offered.
Skills measured by Exam 70-652
Installing Hyper-V (14 percent)
- Select and configure hardware to meet Hyper-V prerequisites.
This objective may include but is not limited to: evaluate the existing environment, disk/logical unit number (LUN), memory requirements, correct CPU/BIOS, networking/Network Interface Card (NIC) - Configure Windows Server 2008 for Hyper-V.
This objective may include but is not limited to: identify requirements, deploy Hyper-V with Virtual Machine Manager (VMM), Microsoft Assessment and Planning tool, install on Full, install on Core - Configure Hyper-V to be highly available.
This objective may include but is not limited to: fail over clustering, disk structure (RAID, quorum, shared storage), network
Continue reading Windows Server Virtualization Exam 70-652
New CCNA Security, Wireless and Voice Guides
Cisco Press has released new print and electronic versions of their exam guides and learning tools to prepare candidates for the new CCNA concentrations. These new concentrations include CCNA Security, CCNA Wireless and CCNA Voice.
Cisco introduced three concentrations to the popular associate-level career certification, CCNA Security, CCNA Wireless, CCNA Voice. These highly specialized concentrations offer candidates a specialty niche to help in their career path.
“The introduction of these three new CCNA-level certification tracks is the most exciting development in the Cisco certification space since the original routing and switching CCNA certification was launched 10 years ago,” said Brett Bartow, Cisco Press executive editor. “These three new tracks provide a much needed stepping stone for networking professionals looking to specialize in the fast growing security, voice, and wireless fields and should prove to be extremely popular and valuable credentials.”
CCNA Voice Certification
This certification validates voice application skills such as VoIP infrastructure, call manager software, video and presence, and IP Communications hardware.
Continue reading New CCNA Security, Wireless and Voice Guides
Foundation in IT Service Management - ISO/IEC 2000
ZeNETeX announced today that it has expanded its public IT Service Management Training Services to include a new certification class entitled ‘Foundation in IT Service Management According to ISO/IEC 20000.’
This newly released class is an individual certification for IT leaders that are directly involved in helping their organizations achieve the highly coveted ISO/IEC 20000 certification.
Organizations that have achieved an ISO/IEC 20000 certification have successfully demonstrated an ability to support and deliver IT services in accordance with a well defined industry recognized standard based in large part on the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL(C)). The successful implementation of ITIL(C) has proven to reduce operational costs and improve process efficiencies and end user satisfaction.
Continue reading Foundation in IT Service Management - ISO/IEC 2000
10 Tips for Getting Your Resume Read
A resume is your tool for selling yourself. With your resume you are marketing yourself to a potential employer. Only 10% of resumes are actually read in full by the hiring manager. The other 90% do not make it past the company recruiter or have so little initial impact they are briefly scanned, then tossed.
Here are 10 tips to make sure your resume is read by the hiring manager.
- The first goal is getting your resume past the company recruiter. As a hiring manager I depend on the recruiter to weed out any resume that does not fit my job opening. This is why it is important that you first research the job you are applying for. This will guide you in how to craft your introduction and what relevant skills or accomplishments you should include.
- The first part of your resume is your introduction. This is where you explain what your objectives are. You have 10 seconds to convince the person reading your resume that it is worth reading. This makes this section the most important part of your resume. If it is not well crafted they will never read the rest of it. Keep it short and simple, but with enough impact to keep them reading. Use power words such as motivated and driven. I want to interview “A highly motivated professional who is driven to excel”, not a person “Seeking new challenges”.
- Now you need to list your job history including any relevant accomplishments or major projects you have worked on. Start in reverse chronological order listing your most recent jobs. Summarize accomplishments and projects by highlighting only the parts that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Your job history should be complete. List your dates of employment.WARNING: One of the first things I look for in a job history is gaps. This is an indication that you have something to hide. This is a red flag for the recruiter and the hiring manager. If you have gaps add a small note with an explanation.
- The next section should include your education information. List any degrees you have completed or are working on. List any certifications you have that are relevant to the job you are applying for. List the colleges or trade schools you attended. Include your majors and minors, date of completion, and any honors received. You should only list your GPA if it is high.
Continue reading 10 Tips for Getting Your Resume ReadNew CompTIA Security+ Certification Objectives
May 26, 2008 · Filed Under Career and Training · Comment
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), the leading provider of vendor-neutral certifications for the world’s technology workforce, today announced the availability of new objectives for its CompTIA Security+ certification.Publication of 2008 Edition objectives, which detail the content of the certification exam, is a prelude to the launch of an updated CompTIA Security+ scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2008.
The update of CompTIA Security+ is in keeping with CompTIA’s practice of continuous and ongoing review of its certification content to assure that it addresses the latest changes in technology and reflects the skills needed by tech workers and required by employers.
In the case of CompTIA Security+, greater emphasis is being placed on knowing how to address specific security issues, rather than simply being able to recognize these issues. The new exam will cover six major objectives, or topics:
Continue reading New CompTIA Security+ Certification Objectives
The IT Help Desk Opens Career Doors
May 19, 2008 · Filed Under Career and Training · Comment
The IT help desk was once seen as a low level entry position that offered very little skill development. With the evolution of the modern help desk and implementation of best practices such as ITIL this has changed. The IT help desk is now seen as an IT career launching platform.By working on a modern IT help desk you interact with all of IT and most of the company you work for. This opens doors to building relationships with managers and others who can have an influence in and help you with your career.
The skills required and taught to modern IT help desk workers transition well to other positions. Some of the skills developed on the help desk include:
- Analytical skills
- Incident management skills
- Trouble-shooting skills
- Communications skills
- Knowledge management skills
- Customer management skills
- Crisis management skills
- Technical knowledge of software and hardware
- A greater overview of how IT and the company works
Continue reading The IT Help Desk Opens Career Doors
IT Departments Are Graying and It Is Starting To Show
April 23, 2008 · Filed Under Career and Training · Comment
IT departments may be facing one of their biggest threats ever. It is not a virus, a hacker or a never ending expansion. It is the aging workforce. Yes, IT is graying and it is starting to show.
As the baby boomer generation ages, so does the IT workforce. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one in four workers will be 55 or older by 2016. This comes at a time when higher income baby boomers are retiring early or changing to “quality of life” jobs such as education and nonprofit groups.
Continue reading IT Departments Are Graying and It Is Starting To Show
5 Tips to Get Yourself Promoted
April 7, 2008 · Filed Under Career and Training · Comment
Is your IT career not moving as quickly as you would like? Do you feel like you have been passed over for promotion? If so examine where you are now and where you want to be. Take control of your career by preparing yourself to succeed. Consider these options for improving your chances of promotion.Continue reading 5 Tips to Get Yourself Promoted
LinkedIn Social Networking Site Gets a Facelift
March 23, 2008 · Filed Under Career and Training · CommentLinkedIn is a business social networking site with over 19 million users representing over 150 worldwide industries.
LinkedIn has redesigned their site to a more user friendly and clean interface.
The new tabs and drop-down menu system makes navigation easier and more consistent. Your Profile snapshot allows you to see how exactly how you are presenting your professional identity. It also includes a Status that allows you to update your network on what you are currently doing.
The new design also include new modules.
Continue reading LinkedIn Social Networking Site Gets a Facelift
