Chapter 16 - Computer Careers and
Certification
Careers in the Computer Industry
What
is the expected demand for computer professionals?
° A great
demand for computer and information technology (IT) professionals in today’s
technology-rich world
° Incredible opportunities increase daily as reported by
the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics
What
are the four primary areas where job opportunities are found?
Where
can you find information on specific computer-related careers?
° Through typical job-searching methods
° Career-
oriented
sites on the
World
Wide Web
What is the computer hardware
industry?
° Consists of manufacturers and distributors of
computers and computer-related equipment
° Some are huge organizations with thousands of
employees
worldwide
° Others are
start-up
companies that
appear each
year
• Often offer
stock options
to induce
college
graduates to
join their firms
What are some of the more popular
job titles in the computer equipment industry?
° In larger companies there are several levels to each
job title, including management careers
What
are the Web site addresses for some major computer companies?
What is the computer software
industry?
° Composed of companies that develop, manufacture, and
support a wide range of software products
° Some companies specialize in a particular type of
software product
° Others produce and sell multiple software products
What
are some career opportunities in the software industry?
° Involve designing and programming all kinds of
software products
What is an IT professional?
° Sets up and manages the computer equipment and
software in an IT department
° Includes programmers and systems analysts
° Job titles are not standardized
What
are the categories of jobs in an IT department?
What
are some of the jobs in a typical IT department?
Technology Trailblazer
Marc Andreesen
° While a computer science student, he worked at the
University of Illinois’ National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA)
° Worked with a friend to create NCSA Mosaic, which gave
users a user-friendly graphical tool to browse the Web
° Later founded Netscape Communications with other NCSA
colleagues and developed the Netscape browser
Company on the Cutting Edge
divine interVentures
° Andrew “Flip’ Filipowski is the head of divine interVentures,
an Internet holding company
° Goal is to create an Internet Zaibatsu™ community, a
family of businesses working collaboratively to create mutual opportunity and
gain
Careers in the Computer Industry
What
are career opportunities in education and training?
° Schools, colleges, universities, and private companies
all need qualified instructors
What are careers in computer sales?
° Sales representatives must have a general
understanding of computers and a specific knowledge of the product they
are selling
° Some work directly
for hardware and
software
manufacturers
° Others work for
resellers,
including retailers
What
are some careers in service and repair?
° Challenging for individuals who like to troubleshoot
and solve problems
° Have a strong background in electronics
What is a consultant?
° An individual who draws upon his or her experiences to
give advice to others
° Must have strong technical skills in their area of
expertise
° Must have the people skills necessary to communicate
their suggestions effectively to their clients
Preparing for a Career in the
Computer Industry
What
are the first steps in preparing for a career in the computer industry?
° You first must decide on the area in which you are
interested
° Obtain education in that field
What
Web sites can help you identify prerequisites and opportunities?
What
are the three broad disciplines in higher education that produce the majority
of entry-level employees in the computer industry?
What is an articulation agreement?
° Ensures that if you transfer to a college or
university from a community college you will receive credit for most of the
courses you took at the community college level
Technology Trailblazer
Jerry Yang
° Came to the U.S.A. from Taiwan when he was 10 years
old
° At Stanford in 1993, he worked with David Filo to
create Jerry’s
Guide to the
World Wide
Web, a precursor
to Yahoo!
° Left Stanford's Ph.D. program to work on their growing
company
Preparing for a Career in the
Computer Industry
What is a trade school?
° An alternative to a college or university
° Offers programs primarily in the areas of programming
and maintenance
° Students can complete trade school programs in a
shorter time than college or university programs
How can you plan for career
development?
° Because of continuous change in the computer field,
experts must constantly
• keep up to date on industry trends and technologies
• develop new skills
• increase recognition among peers within their companies
° Several ways to keep up to date
What
are some organizations for computer professionals?
° Computer professionals with common interests and a
desire to extend their proficiency have formed computer-related professional
organizations
What
are benefits of a professional organization?
What
are the URLs for some professional organizations?
What is a user group?
° A collection of people with common computer equipment
or software interests
° Meets regularly to share information
What
is professional growth and continuing education?
° A way to stay aware of new products and services in
the computer industry
What is COMDEX?
° One of the larger technology trade shows in the world
° More than 2,100 vendors and 200,000 attendees
What
are computer publications?
° A way to stay informed about happenings in the
computer industry
° Hundreds of publications are available from which to
choose
° Some cover a wide range of issues
° Others are oriented toward a particular topic
What are some Web news sites?
° Most of the more popular publications have Web sites
What is Computer Certification?
What is computer certification?
° A way for employers to ensure a level of competency,
skills, or quality in a particular area
° Demonstrates the mastery of a skill set and knowledge
base in a specific IT area
° Usually obtain certification by passing an examination
What
are some of the benefits of certification?
What is a sponsor?
° An organization that develops and administers each
certification
• hardware and software vendors
• independent training companies
• professional organizations
Types of Computer Certification
How are certifications classified?
° Usually classified based on the
computer industry
to which they are most closely related
• software applications
• operating systems
• programming
• hardware
• networking
• Internet
• database systems
A Guide to Computer Certification
What
are software applications certifications?
° Certify the proficiency of productivity software users
Who
may be interested in software certification?
° Helpful to anyone who works in the computer industry
What are operating systems
certifications?
° Certifications represent several different knowledge
levels
° Focus on particular skills – the user, the operator,
the system administrator, and the system engineer
Who
may be interested in operating systems certification?
° Beneficial for occupations such as an operating system
administrator or engineer
° May also benefit from networking, hardware, and
Internet certifications
What are programming
certifications?
° Usually supported with training programs that prepare
applicants for the certification test
° Programmers can add to their skill base
° Tied closely to certifications in networking and Web
design,
which can
broaden
employment
opportunities
Who
may be interested in programming certification?
° Programmers may also benefit from certifications in
networking an Web design
What are hardware certifications?
° Vary in scope from a narrow focus with an emphasis on
the repair of a specific device to an integrated hardware solution that
addresses a company's current and future computing needs
° Implies that
you have
achieved a
standard of
competence
in assessing
a company's
hardware
needs
Who
may be interested in hardware certification?
° Hardware specialists may also benefit from networking
and operating system software certifications
What are certifications in
networking?
° Implies that you have achieved a standard of
competence, enabling you to address the complex issues that arise when
planning, installing, managing, and troubleshooting a network
Who
may be interested in networking certification?
What are Internet certifications?
° Require technical expertise in networking hardware and
network configuration before enrollment in the training program
° For people interested in designing, implementing, and
maintaining Web sites
Who
may be interested in Internet certification?
° Those working in an Internet-related occupation can
benefit from certifications in hardware, networking, operating systems,
and programming
Company on the Cutting Edge
RealNetworks
° Producer of RealPlayer®,
the fourth most popular application among U.S. home users
° One of the 20 most popular Internet destinations
° Software delivers
audio, video, and
other multimedia
services to personal
computers
° Formats used in 85
percent of Web
pages using
streaming media
A Guide to Computer Certification
What are database systems
certifications?
° For professional staff supporting a large database
system
Who
may be interested in database certification?
Certification Benefits
What is a primary benefit of
certification?
° IT certification can enhance employees’ careers and
provide them with a better standing as industry professionals
° Certification can increase salary
What are benefits of certification?
What
are benefits of vendor-sponsored certifications?
° Often provide special access to technical and product
information
• secure online electronic resources
• special technical support
• automatic notification of updates
• access to beta products and early releases
Who
are
other beneficiaries of certification?
Choosing a Computer Certification
What
are factors to consider in choosing a certification?
° Reflect on your career goals and interests
° Consider your long term career path
° Assess your background and experience
° Research
certifications
Preparing for Computer
Certification
What
options are available to prepare for certification?
° Most certification programs do not require academic
coursework
° Test results determine certification entirely
° Most people prefer to follow a study program to
prepare for the test
What is self-study?
What are online training classes?
What is instructor-led training?
What are Web resources?
Computer Certification
Examinations
How can you find a testing center?
° Authorized testing centers provide most certification
exams
° Certification sponsors often have a link to the
testing company's site
° At the training company’s site, you can locate test
centers near you
What
are examinations like?
° Examinations are taken using computers
° Processes
the
results
as you
take a
test
° Most are
in a multiple-choice format
What
is computerized adaptive testing (CAT)?
° These tests analyze a person’s responses while taking
the test
° The number and order of the test questions are
modified to correspond to each individual’s progress and demonstrated ability
Career
Development after Computer Certification
How
can professionals keep pace with the computer industry?
° They must maintain and continually monitor
technological developments
° Sponsors
often provide
restricted-
access Web
resources
specifically
for certificate holders
Summary of Computer Careers and
Certification
° Careers in the computer industry
° Preparing for a career in the computer industry
° What is computer certification?
° Types of computer certification
° A guide to computer certification
° Certification benefits
° Choosing a computer certification
° Preparing for computer certification
° Computer certification examinations
° Career development after computer certification
Chapter 16 Complete