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The IT Career Builders Toolkit

ISBN: 1587131560
EAN: 2147483647

Year: 2004
Pages: 215

Authors: Matthew Moran

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• The IT Career Builder s Toolkit
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• About the Author
• About the Technical Reviewers
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Who Should Read This Book?
• How to Use the Toolkit
• What Is the Toolkit Approach to Career Development?
• How This Book Is Organized
• Part I: An Introduction to Career Building
• Chapter 1. The Toolkit Approach to Career Development
• Justifying the Need for an IT Toolkit
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 2. Career Building Defined
• The Danger of a Tool-Driven Mindset
• A Job Is Not a Career
• Career Building Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 3. Information Technology: A Great Career
• Why IT Is a Great Career
• What About Outsourcing?
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 4. Defining Yourself: Aptitudes and Desires
• Considerations in Your Career Choice
• Beware: Analysis Paralysis
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Part II: Filling Your Toolkit
• Chapter 5. Self-Assessment
• The Power of Self-Assessment
• The Dangers of Self-Assessment
• Four Questions of Self-Assessment
• Conclusion: Making It Personal
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 6. Attitude
• The Effect of Attitude on Your Career
• Positive Mental Attitude
• Beware: Two Pitfalls of Attitude
• The Role of Attitude
• Attitude Checks
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 7. Communication Skills
• Defining Communication Skills
• The Benefit of Communication Skills: An Effective Communicator Is Viewed as More Intelligent
• Written Communications
• Verbal Communication
• Presentations and Training
• A Brief Note on Listening
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 8. Technical Skills
• Your Technology Skills
• The Role of Learning
• The Fear of Obsolescence
• Another Perspective: Transcendent Skills
• Reducing the Parts
• Tips to Speed Up the Learning Process
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 9. The Cover Letter
• The Purpose of Your Cover Letter
• Three Vital Ingredients in Your Cover Letter
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 10. The Rsum
• Your Ambassador to the Professional World
• The Purpose of Your Rsum
• Determining Who Is Looking at Your Rsum
• Rsum Basics
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Part III: Putting Your Toolkit to Use
• Chapter 11. Breaking into IT
• Correcting Perception
• IT Happens Outside of IT
• Other Avenues into IT
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 12. Building an Active Contact List
• Enjoy People
• Develop a Personality
• Have Other Areas of Interest
• Engage in Conversation
• Track and Remember Your Contacts
• Share Opportunity
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 13. The Job Search
• Getting What You Want Requires Wanting Something
• Defining the Job Search
• Remember: Looking for Work Is Work
• The Toolkit Approach to Finding a Job
• Job Search Outline
• A Job Search Comparison
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 14. The Interview
• Practice Your Interview Skills
• After the Interview
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 15. Salary Negotiations and Employment Agreements
• Start Early
• Know What You Want
• Understand the Employer s Perspective
• Be Creative
• Be Firm
• Your Worth to the Company
• Negotiations Never Fail
• Be Flexible
• Employment Agreements
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 16. On-the-Job Promotion
• On the Job
• Maintaining and Building Your Network
• Identifying Areas for Success
• Attitude
• Working for a Tyrant and Other Joys
• Determine Whether Your Boss s Actions Are Personality or Personal
• Understand That People Are Where They Are
• Take an Objective Path to Evaluating What They Say
• Handling Criticism
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Part IV: More Options to Build Your Career
• Chapter 17. The Boundaries and Benefits of Working at Home
• Careers That Lend Themselves to Telecommuting
• The Benefits for the Employee
• The Benefits for the Employer
• The Concerns for the Employee
• The Concerns for the Employer
• Conclusion: Next Steps
• Keys to Successful Telecommuting
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 18. The Toolkit Approach to Consulting
• The Consulting Life
• The Benefits
• The Pitfalls
• Resources for the Consultant
• CD-ROM Materials for the Consultant
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 19. The Move to Management
• Leadership
• Process and Time Management
• Critical Skills You Need Now
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Part V: The Value-Added Technologist
• Chapter 20. Make Yourself Indispensable
• A Word About Value
• Being Proactive
• Understanding Technology s Role in the Organization
• Maintain a Business-First Mentality
• Create Standards, Automation, or a Programmer s Toolkit
• Create a Peer Knowledge Network
• Be Known As the Go-To Resource
• Be Ready and Willing to Take on the Necessary Responsibility
• Have Experts You Call On for Your Organization
• Be Passionate About Something
• Never Blame, and Always Have a Corrective Plan
• Adopt Concept Over Process
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 21. Concept Over Process
• What to Expect
• What Not to Expect
• COP Objectives
• COP Origins
• What Is a Process-Driven Mindset?
• Moving from Process Driven to Concept Driven
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 22. The Role of Mentoring
• Mentor Characteristics
• Mentoring Others
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Chapter 23. Financial Control
• The Impact of Finances on Career Building
• Financial Control Creates Options
• Financial Control Is Largely Mental
• Money Is a Tool
• Debt and Spending
• Some Basics of Financial Planning and Stability
• Conclusion
• Actions Ideas
• Index
• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• I
• J
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V