There are many ways to get any of the large number of network certifications now available. There’s not only software certification like those offered from Oracle, Java, Microsoft, etc. but there’s also direct network hardware certifications from strong companies like Cisco and then there’s the server administration, hardware repair, security and several sub category type certifications. All are available but the question is if these have any real value in the marketplace.
The answer, unfortunately is not simple. This is because while many companies demand a certain certification, they will also bend the requirement and allow you to get certified once you have the job. There’s also people in the marketplace who are strong proponents of certification or another. The reason for this is usually because they have that certification and by requiring it, they somehow believe it validates their decision to obtain the training and pass the tests.
The reality is that like a good resume and education pedigree, certifications help get you in the door. Think about it for a moment. If you were hiring a network administrator, you would probably ask for the usually experience and basic education and some type of networking certification. If 100 people claiming the same skills and experiences levels all apply and all have at least the single required certification while 10 have not only the network cert but also maybe several MS and a security certificate, which candidates applying would probably get scheduled for interviews? Right! It would be the ones with the better paper qualifications.
So the value of a certification can be measured by it’s recognition as important by employers, and the relative value they place on such training. If you’re applying in network shops that value certifications, then they will naturally place a premium on the fact that your have that training and will probably reflect that in an increased earnings range.
The real key however is to recognize that employers are NOT employing you because you have a certification. You must have the skills necessary to do the job and meet the requirements of the position. No amount of certifications can make up for a strong work ethic and solid experience. With today’s study materials, almost anyone can learn enough to pass the required tests and become certified. This however does not make anyone competent to work on a network anymore than walking into a garage makes one a mechanic. It’s skills, talent and knowledge that are truly desired.
Microsoft Certifications are one of the most widely pursued and acclaimed professional certifications in the IT industry. Preparing MS certification tests, however, is a significant undertaking whether you’re just out of college or have been in IT field for years. IT professionals are continuously demanded to acquire new knowledge in order to perform well on their jobs as new technology in the IT industry emerged at a pace that has never been seen before. Regardless what certifications (Microsoft Certified Professional or MCP, Microsoft Certified System Administrator or MCSA, Microsoft Certified System Engineer or MCSE ) you are pursuing, a thorough planning will increase the chance of success.
The importance of hands-on Experience, no matter if it’s your own little network at home or at your job, experience matters! Being able to apply the knowledge gained by the study necessary to obtain your certification is just as important as the exam itself.
When preparing for any certification test, have a network available to physically learn the principles being taught. You network might only be a couple of old PC’s and a switch but it’s enough to understand the principles and basic information. You gain valuable skills that cannot be obtained any other way except through hands on work.
Finally, consider using CBT’s or computer based training as part of your test preparation. These tools are a great way to take your level of understanding to a new level. This is also true of practice exams.
If you develop the skills necessary to support the certifications, all your training, costs and effort will pay off handsomely. With your knowledge and training, you can expect to be have an easier time getting considered for positions, moving up in a company, and enjoying a solid work career.
By: Abigail Franks
Archive for November, 2009
Valuing Network Certifications – Is The Time, Money And Effort Worth The Bother?
November 30th, 2009MLM Success Training: Why Some People Become Wealthy in Network Marketing and Others Don’t
November 29th, 2009Regardless of whether you watch the Oprah Winfrey show or not, the story of her success is fascinating. You can’t say where she is today is the result of any special advantages she had growing up.
In fact, she came from a broken family and she was abused as a child. She’s also African-American and a woman, so discrimination was likely a factor that counted against her somewhere along the way.
So why is she now worth a billion dollars while many Harvard-educated, white males who grew up with every advantage only make a comfortable living?
Ever wonder why success seems to come easily for some people while others struggle at everything they do? What makes the difference?
Success in Multi-Level Marketing (MLM), Network Marketing, or anything else in life is predictable and can be duplicated by following time-tested principles that all millionaires use.
In fact, if you don’t receive training in these principles of wealth, you can NEVER have it in your life. At least not for long. If you do somehow become wealthy in MLM without learning these principles, you won’t keep it.
Want proof? Just look at people who have won the lottery:
- William “Bud” Post won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988. Now he lives on his Social Security and food stamps which amounts to $450 a month.
- Ken Proxmire was a machinist when he won $1 million in the Michigan lottery. He moved to California and went into the car business with his brothers and he filed for bankruptcy within five years.
- Suzanne Mullins won $4.2 million in the Virginia lottery in 1993. Today she’s deeply in debt to a company that loaned her money using the winnings as collateral.
- “Winning the lottery isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be,” says Evelyn Adams. She won the New Jersey lottery not just once, but twice (1985, 1986), in an amount of $5.4 million. Today she lives in a trailer and all the money is gone.
- Janite Lee from Missouri won $18 million in 1993. She generously gave her money to a variety of causes including politics, education and the community. According to published reports, eight years after winning, Lee had filed for bankruptcy with only $700 left in two bank accounts and no cash on hand.
- Willie Hurt of Lansing, Mich., won $3.1 million in 1989 and two years later he was broke and charged with murder. His lawyer says he spent his fortune on a divorce and cocaine.
- Charles Riddle of Belleville, Mich., won $1 million in 1975. Later he got divorced, faced several lawsuits and was indicted for selling cocaine.
People have a “financial thermostat” and just like the thermostat that controls the heating or cooling in your house, your thermostat is currently set for the amount of money you have.
If you somehow receive more money from your MLM business than your financial thermostat is set for, like the lottery winners above, you’ll waste it away until you are back to your set level.
If you want more money from your Network Marketing business, or you want to keep the money you are receiving, you have to raise your financial thermostat. It’s that simple.
How do you raise your thermostat? By learning and practicing the principles of wealth. All self-made millionaires live by these principles.
If you’re not currently having MLM success, it’s likely because you aren’t applying the same principles that Oprah and all other billionaires and millionaires apply to achieve their success. All that’s standing in the way between you and success is the application of these general principles.
So where do you learn these success principles?
The best place is directly from people who understand the principles and have had success using them. There’s no quicker way to get where you want to go than to find a mentor to guide you along your way.
The person you want is someone who is currently where you want to be, and is willing to teach you the wealth principles. Of course, not all successful people fully understand these principles even though they naturally apply them.
Another good way to learn the principles of wealth is through the greatest success book of all time, Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. The principles you need to understand are in this book. You’ll need to do some work to uncover them, understand them, and put them into practice, but they are in the book.
Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich is all about using the same resources that millionaires use to get the same results as them.
If you are not experiencing the kind of financial success you desire, perhaps all you need is a little MLM success training from a mentor or by learning and practicing the principles in Think and Grow Rich. Sometimes all it takes is few subtle shifts in your thought processes to create a GIANT difference in your results!
By: Anil kumar yadav
Understanding The Importance Of International Business
November 23rd, 2009International business is all business transactions-private and governmental-that involve two or more countries. Why should one be interested in studying international business? The simplest answer is that international business comprises a large and growing portion of the world’s total business. Today, almost all companies, large or small, are affected by global events and competition because most sell output to and/or secure suppliers from foreign countries and/or compete against products and services that come from abroad.
More companies that engage in some form of international business are involved in exporting and importing than in any other type of business transaction. Many of the international business experts argue that exporting is a logical process with a natural structure, which can be viewed primarily as a method of understanding the target country’s environment, using the appropriate marketing mix, developing a marketing plan based upon the use of the mix, implementing a plan through a strategy and finally, using a control method to ensure the strategy is adhered to. This exporting process is reviewed and evaluated regularly and modifications are made to the use of the mix, to take account of market changes impacting upon competitiveness. This view seems to suggest that much of the international business theory related to enterprises, which are internationally based and have global ambitions, does often change depending on the special requirements of each country.
Another core issue is the company’s growth and the importance of networking and interaction. This view looks at the way in which companies and organisations interact and consequently network with each other to gain commercial advantage in world markets. The network can be using similar subcontractors or components, sharing research and development costs or operating within the same governmental framework. Clearly, when businesses formulate a trading block with no internal barriers they are actually creating their own networks. Collaborations in aerospace, vehicle manufactures and engineering have all sponsored the development of a country’s or a group of countries’ outlook based on their own internal market network. This network and interaction approach to internationalisation shows the substance of being able to influence decisions when knowing how the global network players work or interact.
For example, a crucial market network is that of the Middle East. Middle East countries are rich, diverse markets, with a vibrant and varied cultural heritage. This means that although there has been a harmonisation process during the past few years, differences still exist. Rather than business being simpler as a result, it should be recognised that because of regulations and the need those countries have to restructure as they enter the global market, performing any kind of business can be highly complex. It should be remembered though that the Middle-Eastern countries have a low-income average and like to have their cultural differences recognised. Those firms that will or have recognised these facts have a good chance of developing a successful marketing strategy to meet their needs. Fortunately some firms have realised these important differences and reacted adequately when strategic decisions had to be made regarding their penetration to this kind of markets.
By: Kadence Buchanan
Information Security & Compliance “Made Easy”
November 23rd, 2009There is no mystique about Information Security and Compliance. Most of what you are told by many security specialists would not lend you to believe that Security & Compliance is something that anyone can understand (Common sense plays a big part). We (security specialists) tend to throw out the typical buzz words to dazzle those with whom we are speaking with, such as: Mitigation, Vulnerabilities, Risks, End Point Security, Perimeter defenses, BCP, DRP, VPN, IPSec, Encryption, IDS, IPS, Firewalls, Anti virus, Worms, Routers, Switches and so on………………. In a room full of security geeks this is fine, but in a room of doctors, lawyers, business executives it just doesn’t fly. They just want to know that they are protected from all the bad people. As a security specialist you are expected to show senior executives what types of risks that can impact their environment and level of probability with a bunch of charts and pictures. Present an assessment of where they stand today. Show a staged plan for remediation of those risks that are impacting and progress reports (score cards) on a monthly basis of your remediation efforts. Keep everyone informed (Open line of communication). But the most important thing is to show business leaders WHY they need to have a security program in place. HOW it will affect them not only from a regulatory obligation but also from a business reputation standpoint. Word spreads fast if your business is compromised by outside or inside attacks.
Where do I start?
With a competent security leader in charge, he/she will be able to create a security program using multiple certified frameworks (there is no magic involved). Competent is someone who understands security from both a strategic and tactical approach. This person needs to have both a business and technical aptitude as it relates to security mitigation controls (hardware, software) along with procedural and policy driven controls for data security. Does this person need to be a college graduate from an accredited university in computer science? NO! This need’s to be someone who has been in the field of technology; Operational infrastructure, Network Controls. Someone, who at one time touched these structures and understands fundamentally the functions of both the hardware and the application side of Information Technology, along with an understanding or Compliance (regulatory requirements) such as; HIPAA, PCI, GLBA, SOX. And, if this person happens to have a college degree on top of this, then that is considered a plus and not a first requirement.
There are many frameworks that are industry certified to help define your level of security risks in regards to types of risks you may be susceptible too. Frameworks such as ISO27001/2, BS17799-1/2 are key to helping you build your security program and sustain a level of confidence when it comes to data protection. These frameworks cover areas of: Security Policies, Organizing information Security, Business Continuity Management, Communication and Operations Management, Compliance, Physical and Environmental Security, Asset Management, Human Resources Security, IS Incident Management, Information Systems Acquisition/Development and Maintenance, Access Control.
What does it take to understand my business environment as it relates to security risks and required protection? How do I succeed?
One key element for determining risk to your data is to ‘KNOW YOU DATA!’
Without elaborating on how to know your data (Data Classification), this alone is a topic for another session, but one that is key to Data Protection. I will touch upon this topic briefly (my paper on ‘The Plan Before The Plan’ details the need for data classification).
Data is an asset. It has value. It therefore follows that somebody must own it.
For example, the Federal Financial Institution Examination Council (“FFIEC”) guidelines state that data classification should be an element of an enterprise’s risk assessment process. Other examples abound, and are continually growing in number. Virtually every organization has some obligation – from one or more regulatory sources — to ensure that stored data is protected from deliberately or negligently unauthorized disclosure, misuse, or modification.
Such mandates help when identifying the relative value of data. Every organization must find ways to deploy its resources to protect data. And you must always make choices: The higher the value, the higher the risk to your organization if that data were to become nonrecoverable.
The reason that most industries are in panic mode for protecting their data, is because of regulatory controls that are driving data protection. If you are in the finance business, along with SOX, you may be held to the GLBA (data privacy) and PCI(Payment card) requirements of how consumer data is to be safeguarded. There are specific controls around PCI alone that are mandated by Visa/Master Card that if not met can result in stopping you from processing Credit Card transactions. PCI has what we call the Dirty Dozen controls list of requirements. Each one of these controls have unique requirements on how you process and store consumer data. If you are in Health Care in anyway shape or form(Hospital, Business Associate, Doctors Office, Medical billing vendor), you may be held to the HIPPA requirements for protecting patient data.
It all comes down to protecting the data. No matter the industry. If there are regulatory requirements that are the drivers or corporate mandated controls, the same types of mitigation processes will do the job. Buying hardware and software to mitigate against internal and external compromises is the easy part. The hard part will be changing your culture. We don’t do things the same as we did 20 years ago. The business changes and the level of risks also increase. A strong governance body is needed to drive the enforcement of security. Without this piece, there is no need for a security team.
By: Peter Gallinari
