System News for Sun Users

9 Things to Consider Before Accepting That IT Job Offer

2013-05-06T16:00:00+01:00

"In a competitive job market like IT, it's tempting to accept an offer as soon as a company makes it. However, at this crossroad careful deliberation is what's in order. Choose unwisely and you may wind up back at square one..."

Know What Motivates You
Know the Job History
Research the Company
Get It in Writing
Know the Company Culture
Who's the Boss?
Talk to Potential Peers
Know the Job Details
Know Where the Company is Headed With Technology

Read on for details.

20 People Who Changed Tech: General Georges Doriot

2013-05-06T16:00:00+01:00

"Nobody I knew ever called General Doriot "George" -- certainly not me, a young punk MBA (needless redundancy) when The General ran American Research & Development, the first venture capital fund and the grandfather fund to an entire industry. Greylock, Kleiner Perkins, Sequoia and the other 400 or so venture firms in the U.S. all borrowed expertise from those who went before them. Remember, back in 1949 there weren't venture capitalists because there wasn't venture capital. How do you find companies? Evaluate ideas? Recruit management? All these were skills not yet in evidence when Doriot began AR&D..."

A Nine-Inning Guide to a Winning Career

2013-05-06T16:00:00+01:00

"In the continuing seesaw ride that has defined the present job economy, IT employment opportunities appear to be on the wane, according to research published by Janco Associates. While 78,900 tech jobs have been added in the last 12 months, there was only a net increase of 5,400 positions in March. That's a steep decline from the 9,800 added in January and essentially the same as the numbers from February. This means you should continually strive to increase your value in the workplace, regardless of whether you are looking for a new job or are happy where you are..."

Stay Ahead of the Curve
Get Credentialed
Be Generous
Show Your Human Side
Put on Your Best Face
Elevate Your Expert Profile
Speak Out
Build Your Network
Make Users Love You

Read on for details.

Leave Early On Friday: Time-Saving PC Tips and Tricks

2013-05-06T16:00:00+01:00

"What's the best way to tell an expert PC user apart from a bumbling amateur? The expert doesn't waste time. Time is money, after all, and there are tons of ways to speed up even the most basic computing tasks.

We're going to contribute to your expert education with 21 simple things you can do to waste less time while you're using a PC. Even if one of these tips saves you just five minutes each week, it'll save you hours over the next year..."

Tame your email with Inbox Zero
Cut meetings down to size
Learn Microsoft Office keyboard shortcuts
Add a second monitor
Use a disk visualizer to speed up your PC
Disable the Windows 8 password screen
Create a separate user account on your PC
Speed up your boot time
Cut down on tab clutter in Chrome
Use a business card OCR app

Read on for details of these and many more tips.

Seven Traits of Effective Programmers

2013-05-06T16:00:00+01:00

"In order to be an effective programmer, you need to possess a combination of traits that allow your skill, experience, and knowledge to produce working code. There are some technically skilled developers who will never be effective because they lack the other traits needed. Here are seven traits that are necessary to become a great programmer..."

Learn new tech and non-tech skills of their own accord
Are pragmatic, not dogmatic
Know how to research for answers
Have passion
Leave their egos at the door
Have entrepreneurial spirits
Measure twice, cut once but do not measure more than three times

Read on for details.

Top 10 Programming Skills That Will Get You Hired

2013-05-03T16:00:00+01:00

"As a developer, you know that working in the same code day in and day out can get a little stale, to say the least. Adding new programming skills to your IT toolbox is essential in the struggle to stay relevant in the fast-paced tech world, but knowing which technology to choose isn't always obvious. Your time is limited, and with the multitude of languages and environments, picking the wrong area to focus your efforts can prove costly..."

SQL
Java
HTML
JavaScript
C++
C#
XML
C
Perl
Python

Read on for details.

10 Awesome Ways to Celebrate International Star Wars Day

2013-04-29T16:00:00+01:00

"May has come, so it's time for some 'Star Wars' fun. If you're not familiar, May 4 of each year is celebrated as International Star Wars Day (Get it: 'May the fourth be with you'?) With 'Star Wars' enthusiasts excited about the upcoming release of more 'Star Wars' movies, there are more ways than ever to celebrate this holiday.

Get ready for more "Star Wars" movies
"Vader" someone
Follow your favorite "Star Wars" characters on Twitter
Arts & crafts: Make lightsabers or a Death Star piñata
Trick your phone out with "Star Wars" stuff
Rock a "Star Wars" bow tie
Get your loved one some "Star Wars" jewelry or clothing
"Star Wars" decals
Get down to Disney World
Book your trip to Star Wars Celebration Europe

Read on for details

Does IT Have a Problem with Women?

2013-04-29T16:00:00+01:00

"If we can shed some of the industry�'s juvenile past, while maintaining this merit-based culture, IT will attract all comers, regardless of gender.

You've likely heard about the kerfuffle over SendGrid's former Developer Evangelist Adria Richards. The short story is that Ms. Richards overheard comments made in poor taste at a Python developers conference, most noteworthy of which were some puns on the word 'dongle', an unfortunately-named hardware 'key' of sorts used to unlock software features by being plugged into a computer..."

How to Convince Your Boss That You Deserve a Raise

2013-04-29T16:00:00+01:00

"In this economy, count yourself as one of the lucky ones if you have a job. But what if you've had this job for some time and you feel you're overdue for a raise? How do you convince someone to give you more money when there are five other people lined up for your job who would do it for less in a heartbeat?

First, put yourself in your manager's shoes. Would you give yourself a raise? Do you really deserve one, or just want one? Be brutally honest with yourself and about yourself. If you ran the company, would you give your money, your hard earned profits, to you?

If you can honestly say "yes," then move forward with these seven steps:.."

Coping With Unlikeable Tasks: You Just Gotta Take Ownership

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

"Have you found that perfect job yet?

Of course not, because the perfect job doesn�'t exist. Every job in the world includes unpleasant tasks that may bore you to death, strain your capacities, or require such brainless repetition you�'d rather go hide in the nearest swamp..."

IT Candidates Unlikely to Negotiate Salary Offers

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

"In prior features, we've reported that CIOs and other tech managers are struggling to remain competitive in the recruiting game. And, as the laws of supply and demand dictate, IT salaries are rising as a result. Surprisingly, however, the majority of tech job candidates accept the very first offer they get, without even attempting to negotiate for a bigger salary .."

"YEEEES!"
Raising the Stakes
Short List
Sweetened Pot
Work Opp
Hired Guns
Phoning it in
Top Tech Metro Areas for IT Work

Read on for details

Nine Things to Consider Before Accepting That IT Job Offer

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

Know What Motivates You
Know the Job History
Research the Company
Get It in Writing
Know the Company Culture
Who's the Boss?
Talk to Potential Peers
Know the Job Details
Know Where the Company is Headed With Technology

Read on for details.

The 21 Worst Tech Habits -- And How to Break Them

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

"Are you guilty of a bad tech habit? Here are 21 of the worst technology-oriented habits, plus potential fixes for all of them. (And we have a bonus at the end, on mending bad email habits.).."

Leaving equipment in plain sight
Oblivious gadget usage
Using your devices with dirty hands
Not cleaning your equipment
Sitting with bad posture at the computer
Not taking breaks
Working with your laptop on your lap
Failing to back up data
Reusing passwords over and over
One account, multiple users

Read on for details and many more bad habits!

Wanted: IT Staffers with Vertical Industry Chops

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

"Fast-changing business processes and ever-mounting government and industry regulations are complicating day-to-day operations -- and making deep vertical industry expertise a must-have.

One out of five IT staffers on the clinical applications team at Continuum Health Partners in New York is also a nurse, a pharmacist or another type of clinical specialist. For IT managers and directors, a clinical degree is a must..."

Do Your Co-workers Resemble Sci-Fi Characters?

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

"In a recent story on Baselinemag.com, we reported that Star Wars and Star Trek remain at the top of IT professionals' list of all-time great science fiction movies and television shows. Also popular are Alien, X-Files and�'just to demonstrate that geeks like to laugh about themselves�'The Big Bang Theory. That affection for sci-fi characters made us wonder: What would it be like to work with some of the most enduring, iconic characters from these and other sci-fi movies and TV programs?..."

Don't Let Poor Business Writing Kill Your Career

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

"Regardless of your job, it's important to know how to communicate effectively in all types of business documents�'and that includes using the proper grammar, word usage, style consistency, etc. As indicated in a recent blog from the Harvard Business Review, a lack of attention to such details can hurt your chances for career advancement. In the post, Grammarly CEO Brad Hoover summarized his company's study of 100 LinkedIn profiles. Here are some of the highlights: Professionals who failed to make a director-level position within the first 10 years of their careers made more than twice as many grammatical mistakes as those who did obtain a director's position..."

Tight Fit
Punchy Verbs
Show, Don't Tell
Organize Logically
Cut It Off
Know Your Audience
Revise, Revise, Revise
Font Issues
Capital Crimes
Be Yourself

Read on for details.

Ten Tech Skills Heading the Way of the Dinosaur - 2013 Edition

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

"IT is a very fast changing industry - what is hot today may be a tiny niche market in only a few years and things that few have heard of may be huge trends in the same timeframe. There are many new technologies on the way, and that means opportunities for those who watch the coming trends, prepare themselves early on, and thus have experience when the demand picks up... This year's top 10 skills that are going the way of the dinosaur (in no particular order) include the following:"

Windows XP / 2003 and Earlier
Silverlight
Adobe Flash
COBOL, FORTRAN, and other Mainframe Languages
Lotus Notes Administrator
Novell GroupWise Administrator
Traditional Telephony
Those with only Server Administrator Skills
Help Desk Technicians / Level 1 Support
PC Repair Technicians

Read on for details.

The Tech Canon of Today Is the IT of Tomorrow

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

"If you want to learn about tomorrow's science, read today's science fiction. But what if you want to learn about tomorrow's tech trends? Start with the books that make up the modern canon for IT. InfoWorld surveyed its pros and readers and came up with the following 15 picks for the first Tech Canon..."

"The Art of Computer Programming, Volumes I-IV" by Donald E. Knuth (1968, 1969, 1973, 2011)
"The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering" by Fred Brooks (1975)
"The C Programming Language" by Brian W. Kernighan & Dennis Ritchie (1978)
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams (1979)
"The Soul of a New Machine" by Tracy Kidder (1981)
"Neuromancer"/"Count Zero"/"Mona Lisa Overdrive" by William Gibson (1984, 1986, 1989)
"The Media Lab: Inventing the Future at MIT" by Stewart Brand (1987)
"The Cuckoo's Egg" by Clifford Stoll (1989)
"Envisioning Information" by Edward Tufte (1990)

Read on for more titles and details.

Three Interview Questions You Need to Be Ready to Answer

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

"Here are the three questions that Forbes says all other interview questions boil down to.

Employers are no longer relying on standard interview questions like �'Where do you see yourself in five years?�' To ace your interview, you need to be ready to answer a whole variety of new questions, including some rather odd ones, like 'How many quarters would you need to reach the height of the Empire State building?.'

But an insightful article on Forbes says all those questions really boil down to three:

Can you do the job?
Will you love the job?
Can we tolerate working with you?

Here's why they�'re so important..."

10 Essential Geek Skills

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

"Geek is a label people wear proudly, and if you're on this website, chances are you're a geek yourself. Either that, or you made a serious typo while searching for porn.

However you got here, it's time to evaluate your personal level of geekdom. Geek skills are life skills, after all -- and it's your responsibility to maintain your virtual toolbox..."

Pick a lock
Be a human compass
Beat a lie detector
Install a new hard drive
Securely wipe your data
Break out of handcuffs
Get around Web content restrictions
Root an Android phone
Get around your computer using nothing but a keyboard
Set up a home entertainment system

Read on for details.

10 Tips for Making Self-Evaluations Meaningful

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

"Whether you're a manager or employee, reviews aren't a particularly popular subject and with them comes the often-despised self-evaluation. You may ask yourself: "How can I shine the best spotlight on my performance without coming off like a braggart?" And you also may justifiably wonder, "What is it used for." Never fear: We've talked with experts and done the research to take the mystery out of this oft-misused piece of HR paperwork..."

Talk About your Career Map
Keep an Open Dialogue
Ask How the Self-Evaluations Are Used
Ask Yourself the Hard Questions
Stay Positive
How to Handle Your Shortcomings
Ask for Training
Document Your Achievements
Differing Points of View
Ask for Guidance, Direction and Mentoring

Read on for details.

Best Tech Careers for Introverted IT Pros

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

"Being an introvert isn't easy in the constantly evolving and networked world of technology. The banter that comes so easy to some is a mystery to the shy. Those who are able to 'fake it' spend a great deal of time recharging their batteries after social interactions. That said, don't let the fact that you�'re an introvert stop you from achieving your career goals. Here are some tech jobs that are a natural fit..."

Computer Systems Analysts
Database Administrators
Information Security Analysts
Web Developers
Computer Network Architects
Network and Computer Systems Administrators
Software Developers
Computer and Information Research Scientists
Computer Programmers
Computer Hardware Engineers

Read on for details.

Is There Any Real Measurement in Monitoring?

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

"There's less useful measurement in monitoring than you think. You might say, "What are you talking about? There�'s plenty! There are events per second, transactions per second, [mega|giga|tera|peta|exa]bytes of data, millions of malware samples, millions of botnet victims, number of false positives "

But that's not all that goes into marketing these days. Tell me, just how big do you have to get before you get to call yourself "Big Data"? What�'s the number, and can we tell everyone who doesn't meet that number, "Thanks for playing"? Or is the race just about "Whatever number they have, ours is bigger" ad infinitum (and ad nauseam)? Maybe everyone should just claim to be storing LOTTABYTES and be done with it..."

Ten Sci-Fi Quotes for 'Techies' to Live By

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

"In a recent Baseline slideshow, we played a little game of "What if ...?" and imagined how some famous science fiction characters would function if they were your co-workers. (The verdict: It wouldn't be as weird as you might expect.) Because the sci-fi genre inspires endless fascination among technology professionals�'it's OK to admit this addiction ... you're among friends�'we're following up here with these 10 great "sci-fi quotes to live by," taken from movies, television shows and legendary authors..."

12 LinkedIn Mistakes IT Pros Make

2013-04-22T16:00:00+01:00

"LinkedIn is the go-to place for IT pros to market themselves, connect with co-workers, find former colleagues, and meet-up with like-minded folks. Oh, you can also find your next job there too. But many of us, whether we're in IT or not, wait until we decide to quit our current job to polish our LinkedIn profile. Take a few minutes now to make sure your profile showcases your accomplishments, and skills. Here are some common mistakes to avoid..."

Funky or no portrait photo
No recommendations
Few or no endorsements of important, marketable skills
Lack of details on past and current job responsibilities
Typos and profanity
Overload on jargon
Not joining industry groups
Being hard to contact
Not listing program language proficiencies
Not adding website links
No public profile URL
Using the generic invite

Read on for details.

One of the Most Important Questions You Should Ask In an Interview

2013-03-27T16:00:00+01:00

"Any IT professional looking at an employment opportunity should ask one question during the interview process:

'Is technology seen as a revenue generator or a cost center in this organization?'

The answer to this question will tell you something important ..."

15 Common Resume Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

2013-03-25T16:00:00+01:00

"Your IT resume provides recruiters and hiring managers a first impression of who you are and what you offer. Working in a field as competitive as IT means you have to do everything you can to make your resume get noticed. "They [resumes] get eliminated for all sorts of reasons just to get the pile down to something manageable," says Rick Endres, president of the Washington Network and former CIO of the U.S. Congress, as well as deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Commerce for Technology Policy.

Typos, Misspellings and Bad Grammar
Too Much Technology Jargon
Poor Resume File Name
Resume Length
Not Having an Updated Career Brand
Unclear Positioning
Too Little Emphasis on Strategy
Using the Wrong Resume Format
Not Telling the Full Story of Achievements
Being Too Modest About Achievements
Not Aging Achievements and Skills Gracefully
Discounting Important Business Knowledge
Using a Job Title Instead of Describing the Actual Job Role
Not Having Your Resume in PDF Format
Not Enough Crisp Action Verbs

Read on for details.

13 Things You Should Never Say At Work

2013-03-25T16:00:00+01:00

"Darlene Price, author of Well Said! Presentations and Conversations That Get Results, concurs. 'Words matter,' she says. 'They are a key component of persuasive communication. Regardless of the audience, topic, or industry, or whether the setting is a stand-up presentation, sit-down conversation, telephone discussion, or an online meeting, a leader uses language to influence someone�'s mind in order to achieve a certain result. That�'s one reason they�'re seen as leaders; their words compel people to follow'..."

Ten Surefire Ways to Sabotage Your Career

2013-03-25T16:00:00+01:00

"You may bring the best technology talent to your company, but raw skills alone aren't enough to guarantee a successful career. In fact, there are a number of undesirable "soft skill" traits and behaviors that could very well earn you a pink slip. Even though the job market is improving, anyone who's looking for a position after getting fired (as opposed to being downsized) will be at a disadvantage compared to candidates who have a clean employment record..."

5 Tips for Ensuring Your Blog Doesnt Get You into Legal Trouble

2013-03-18T16:00:00+01:00

"More and more small companies are using blogging to promote their business. In fact, in 2012, 'small business' was one of the fastest growing categories in Technorati, a global blog search engine, with 20 percent growth that year alone (source: Small Business Blogging Proved Effective for the Year 2012 by Rahul Manekari).

Why? Blogs are a great tool for connecting with your customers and sharing your expertise. They also improve your company's search engine rankings. Search engines love fresh, relevant and local content�'and blogs deliver on this need.

Don�'t Get Slammed for Copyright Infringement
Don�'t Bash the Competition
Be Careful When Mentioning Customers by Name
Be Truthful About Any Claims You Make About Your Business
Understand Third Party Blog Terms of Service

Read on for details.