Tech Jobs in Demand

Although total unemployment continues to hover around 9 percent, there’s another employment problem happening nationwide.

Employers are struggling to keep up with job demand for technical professions. The issue at hand: a lack of qualified workers in technical fields.

In a story published on July 28, the Boston Globe reports many qualified workers are leaving the state to accept higher-paying jobs elsewhere, creating a labor shortage for the state’s large and small businesses:

Massachusetts has developed a technology labor shortage, one that could undermine a vital sector that helped pull the state from the last recession and is driving its recovery. Demand for high-tech talent is so great that workers are turning down six-figure salaries and companies are offering five-figure cash bounties for successful referrals — a stark contrast to lackluster hiring that has created a large pool of long-term unemployed and kept the state jobless rate at historically high levels.

            Read the full story here.

A similar story was reported in the Columbus Dispatch in Ohio on July 24:

In a dramatic reversal from the darkest days of the recession, thousands of high-paying information-technology jobs are going unfilled in central Ohio. ... "It's a mismatch between the need of the industry and the skills of the workers," said Bill LaFayette, vice president of economic analysis at the Columbus Chamber. … Today, the supply of newly trained workers is still catching up with the jump in demand. 

In a June 2011 report, Dice.com reported, “According to nearly 900 hiring managers and recruiters that source, recruit and hire IT professionals, 65 percent anticipate hiring more technology professionals in the second half of 2011 than the preceding six months.”

Read the full story here.

Job demand for technical professionals isn’t projected to ease up anytime soon. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports overall employment of computer network, systems, and database administrators is projected to increase by 30 percent from 2008 to 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations. Related technical professions, such as computer and information systems managers, computer support specialists and graphic designers, are also expected to grow at pace with or faster than average for all occupations.

According to Wanted Analytics, IT hiring has been increasing throughout the first half of 2011, up 56 percent since January.

ITT Technical Institutes are helping students prepare for success in the 21st century. With the BLS and other sources projecting faster than average job growth in technical fields, ITT Technical Institute students are positioned to fill growing job demand.

 

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Author: Charmaine Alexander is an admissions representative for ITT Technical Institute in Kennesaw, GA, and is dedicated to helping people obtain a degree in technical fields such as Information Technology, Electronic Technology, and Computer Drafting and Design.

Heres To Brand YOU!!!

With the economy being in such a turbulent climate to say the least, it makes securing a satisfying career position even harder. A lot of people are settling for less-than-desirable positions, and a barely-there pay check to match. A great counter action to this problem is to position yourself against the fierce competition that you must face in the job market. In order to position yourself correctly, you have to think of yourself as a brand. Like your favorite retailers, and clothing brands, you must make yourself indispensable to any employers. Below are 5 great starts to building your personal brand!

1. Know Your Unique Selling Points

What makes you different? Better? Do you do things faster than your competition? Do you provide superior quality? Are you very sociable and emotion-oriented? Do you have a knack for making complex things simple? Do some soul-searching, and ask a few friends and colleagues what single quality stands out to them.

2. Competitive Analysis

Use your competition to your advantage. Look at how other people offering similar services portray their brands. Then build on them to create an even more compelling one for yourself. For example, if you’re an artist, browse artist galleries on the web to see how they’re showcasing their abilities. Then take the best qualities of each one and mix it with your own style.

3. Impressions are EVERYTHING

 Strengthen the association between your face and what you excel at with everyone you meet. You want your name to be seen in a positive light by as many people as possible. That means every time you post a comment on a blog or forum, every time you send an email, every time you complete a project or presentation, put your name on it. Anonymity is not your friend. Take pride in all your work and connect it back to your brand. The more people come across these “digital breadcrumbs,” the more you convince them that you can deliver on your brand promise. So include your name, your tagline (what you do and who you do it for) and your contact info in all your work.

4. Build up your credibility

In whichever field or industry you’re in, aim to be the best you can be and to offer the best you can give. Make use of every opportunity to learn and hone your skills. Become the expert whom people in your professional field go to for help and advice. A great way to do this is to look to see if you can update your skills acquired from post-secondary school, or look into continuing your education completely. A degree in your designated field as well as industry experience can make a world of a difference to your brand. As always feel free to contact me for more information about continuing your education, I am always here to help!

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Author: Charmaine Alexander is an admissions representative for ITT Technical Institute in Kennesaw, GA, and is dedicated to helping people obtain a degree in technical fields such as Information Technology, Electronic Technology, and Computer Drafting and Design.

Five Ways to Help Avoid a Dead-End Job

People in dead-end jobs may be frustrated because they are not moving up the ladder and obtaining a higher position, and better pay. Below are 5 helpful tips you can use in avoiding the dead-end gig, and gaining better work opportunities.

1. Identify What You Like To Do

Work can be more satisfying when the things we get paid to do. If you are interested in electronics, computers and the Internetm a career involving electronics or information technology may suit you. If you are artistic or interested in computer designm careers involved in drafting and design may be a better option. If you're working a job just to pay the bills, chances are you will end up resenting it.

2. Choose a Career Path That has a Future

Changes in the economy and technology affect employment opportunities. With some foresight and planning, however, you can find a career position that can outlast any economic climate. Do some research. Check statistics, be aware of current events within a field that interests you. Keeping your skills updated, and a higher education always helps in this right as well.

3.Know Your Strengths

One way to find fulfillment through work is to have a job that allows you to do the things you are good at doing, and to be rewarded for doing them. When you work a job you enjoy, its seems much less like work. What are you good at? What are you recognized for most? Be sure to ask yourself these types of questions.

4.Attitude Is Everything
Always maintain a positive attitude no matter what. I am somewhat a firm believer in Karma, you get what you give out. Sometimes we can get in our own way while trying to achieve success. If your attitude is always negative, you will not only miss out on great networking opportunities, but it prevents yourself from making a change for the better.

5. Continue Your Education
It is unlikely that coming out of school that you will go in one area and stay there. Be diverse, and open your horizons as opportunities presents themselves. My background was Fashion Design before becoming an admissions representative at ITT Technical Institute, but I love helping people. In addition to that I have transferable skills that I can use when helping people help themselves. A high school diploma just won't cut it any more these days. Higher education is an absolute MUST to successfuly compete for a career position.


Be Sure to leave me a comment, and contact me if you ever need any advice for going back to school.

Charmaine C. Alexander

ITT Technical Institute

Educational Representative

2065 ITT Tech Way , N.W.

Kennesaw, GA 30144

(770) 426-2300 ext. 2302

SAlexander2@itt-tech.edu

Top 5 Tips For Choosing The Right College For You

 1. Start with who you are and why you are going.

You need to examine yourself and your reasons for going to college before you start your search. Think about what is driving you continue your education? What are your abilities and strengths? What are your weaknesses? What do you want out of life? Do you want a swank high-rise in midtown or a corner office in a big corporation making a name for yourself?

Talk with your family, friends and high-school counselors as you ask these questions. The people who know you best can help you the most with these important issues.

 2. Size matters: Your school does not have to be bigger than your high school.
Most good liberal arts colleges have a population of fewer than 4,000 for a reason; college is a time to explore, and a smaller community is more conducive to internal exploration. It is not the number of people, but the people themselves and the kind of community in which you will learn that really matters.

3. A name-brand college will not guarantee your success.
Employers and graduate schools are looking for outstanding skills and experience, not college pedigree. As you search for colleges, ask about student outcomes; you will find many colleges that outperform the Ivies and "name brands," even though you may have never heard of them!

4. You can afford to go to college.
If you make the assumption that you cannot afford college based on the “sticker price” of tuition, you will miss out. It is difficult to talk about money, but if you investigate all the options and ask for help and advice, you will find affordable choices. Online resources, as well as financial aid workshops are widely available to get you started.

5. The most important factor in choosing a college is fit.
Choosing a college because your friends are going there or because of where it ranks on a list does not take into account who you are and who you will become. College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won. Finding a good fit requires time and thoughtfulness. To set an appointment to see if ITT Technical Institute Kennesaw is the right fit for you contact me any time at my information below!

Charmaine C. Alexander
ITT Technical Institute
Educational Representative
2065 ITT Tech Way , N.W.
Kennesaw, GA 30144
(770) 426-2300 ext. 2302

SAlexander2@itt-tech.edu