ITworld IT career advice

7 Steps to Get Back Into IT

Eric Bloom — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:34:05 +0000

I have been out of IT for about three years and would like to get back in. Prior to leaving IT I was a help desk technician with about ten years of experience and my A+ certification. What would you suggest I do?

Why your data center skills need an upgrade

Eric Bloom — Tue, 07 May 2013 00:22:17 +0000

Technical advances in data center management are transforming the types of skills that are needed by people working in a data center.

Help your company sell its products and save money

Eric Bloom — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:56:59 +0000

I love the company I work for and they have been very good to me. The problem is that the company isn’t doing well financially. My job in IT is not currently at risk, but many others are fearful that they will soon lose their jobs. What can I do to help my company and in turn, help my follow employees?

IT career success and advice: An interview with Marilyn Smith

Eric Bloom — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:23:30 +0000

Former MIT CIO Marilyn Smith recently said in an interview that to enhance your IT career, you should 'exit and then return to IT.' Her reasoning: 'Your time working outside of IT will enhance your perspective on how to best serve your internal clients and also position you to be a business partner, rather than a service provider to other business areas.

Begin an internal “Community of Practice”

Eric Bloom — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:53:33 +0000

I work at a big company with IT people all around the world. Many of them do the same kind of work I do. What can I do to meet these people and build my internal professional network?

8 steps on how to talk about software's benefits, not features

Eric Bloom — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 01:07:18 +0000

When I tell my business users about new features we have added to their software, their eyes glaze over and they don’t pay attention. This really makes me mad. What should I do so they will listen to me?

10 Steps to becoming an Internal IT Consultant

Eric Bloom — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:12:13 +0000

I’m tired of feeling like an order taker for the business group I support. How do I get them to ask me what’s needed, not just tell me what to do and what reports to build?

10 Great places to learn new technical skills, free!

Eric Bloom — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:25:43 +0000

I’m an independent consultant and have to pay for my own training. Are there places I can learn new technologies and gain new technical skills for free?

9 great advantages of technical certifications

Eric Bloom — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 18:44:24 +0000

I love being technical and at least for the foreseeable future I would like to stay that way. Is it worth the time and money to get a technical certification? Yes it is and this is why.

Selecting the best programming language; A.K.A less filling, taste great.

Eric Bloom — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:38:24 +0000

When asking people why they like one programming language over another, various memorable TV commercials and great classic songs, comes to mind.

Saying “It’s not what I do” can get you unemployed

Eric Bloom — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:52:17 +0000

In today’s technical and business environment, there is a huge advantage of being an out-of-the-box thinker and look at your IT organization holistically, rather than through the lens of your specific technical specialty or current job.

COBOL will outlive us all

Eric Bloom — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 13:07:51 +0000

In the early 1980s, I was told that COBOL was going away and that I should quickly move toward other programming languages. Well, thirty years later, COBOL is alive and well and living in large companies everywhere.

Moving from programming to something else, anything else

Eric Bloom — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:49:07 +0000

I’ve been programming for a few years since I graduated college with a BS in Computer Science and don’t want to do it forever. What do you suggest?

The IT to BT transformation and 9 ways to profit from it

Eric Bloom — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:13:26 +0000

The Information Technology (IT) groups we all know and love are, slowly but surely, being transformed into new and more business-oriented organizations, best characterized by the term Business Technology (BT). This transformation of IT from being technology driven toward becoming business driven has long been in the making, is truly taking hold, and will potentially have major implications on your future employment.

9 Ways to properly prepare for an interview

Eric Bloom — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:58:04 +0000

In most human endeavors, preparation is the key to success. This could be running a marathon, negotiating the price on a new car, giving a speech, or as you may expect based on the title of this blog, putting your best foot forward in a job interview.