Building Your I.T. Career: A Complete Toolkit for a Dynamic Career in Any Economy Book

Introduction

Part I: Your Career

Chapter 1: The Toolkit Approach to Career Development

Justifying the Need for an I.T. Toolkit

Actions & Ideas

Chapter 2: Career Building Defined

The Danger of a Tool-Driven Mindset

A Job Is Not a Career

Perspectives on Career Development: Careers Are Nonlinear

Perspectives on Career Development: A Working Plan Makes Tedious or Unrewarding Jobs Bearable

Conclusion

Actions & Ideas

Chapter 3: Information Technology: A Great Career

Why I.T. Is a Great Career

Options

Performance-Based Advancement

Opportunities for Continuous Learning

Pay and Perks

What About Outsourcing?

Outsourcing Is About Value, Not Costs

The Jobs That Won’t Be Outsourced

Conclusion

Actions & Ideas

Chapter 4: Defining Yourself: Aptitudes and Desires

Considerations in Your Career Choice

Factors to Help Decide Your Career Path: Needs

Factors to Help Decide Your Career Path: Desires

Factors to Help Decide Your Career Path: Skills

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

The Origin of the Four Questions

Question 1: Do I Make My Employer’s Job Much Easier or Much More Difficult?

Question 2: If I Gave Notice Today, Would My Employer Have an Instant Sense of Relief or Dread?

Question 3: Do I Perform My Job Better Than My Employer Could Perform My Job If He/She Needed To?

Question 4: If Asked How I Can Improve in My Job, Do I Cite External Factors–People and Resources–or Do I Take Responsibility?

Conclusion: Making It Personal

Actions & Ideas

Chapter 6: Attitude

The Effect of Attitude on Your Career

Positive Mental Attitude

PMA Is Not a Panacea

PMA and a Plan

Beware: Two Pitfalls of Attitude

Unrealistic Expectations

Skill Deficits

The Role of Attitude

What You Think of Your Employer

The “Us Versus Them” Mentality

Management Got There by Luck or Schmoozing, Alone

Your Coworkers

Humble Arrogance: The Attitude of Personal Value

Ownership

The Myth of the Self-Made Man

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

General Guidelines

The Letter

E-Mail

The Well-Crafted Paragraph

The Well-Crafted Page

Online Presence/Social Media

Verbal Communication

Conversation

Presentations and Training

Don’t Wait Until You Are Asked to Speak to Learn This Vital Skill

Cover No More Than Three to Five Main Points

Work from an Outline, Not a Script

Maintain Eye Contact with Your Audience

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

Start with Concepts

Don’t Study What You Know

Don’t Worry About Catching the Latest Trend

Focus on Solutions, Not Technology

Conclusion

Actions & Ideas

Chapter 9: The Cover Letter

The Purpose of Your Cover Letter

Three Vital Ingredients in Your Cover Letter

Gratitude for the Opportunity

A Significant Accomplishment

Your Interest in Becoming a Producer

Conclusion

Actions & Ideas

Chapter 10: The Resumé

Your Ambassador to the Professional World

The Purpose of Your Resumé

Determining Who Is Looking at Your Resumé

Busy Employers

Disinterested Employers

Resumé Basics

Length: Brevity Is Key

No Paragraphs

Bulleted Lists

Documenting Your Professional Experience

Guidelines for Writing Your Resumé

Writing Your Resumé for Electronic Submissions and Online Optimization

Video Resumés

Conclusion

Actions & Ideas

Part III: Putting Your Toolkit to Use

Chapter 11: Breaking In to I.T.

Correcting Perception

I.T. Happens Outside of I.T.

Other Avenues into I.T.

Interning

Ask for What You Want

Ask for Advice

Beware Your Online Persona

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

Professional Networking and Social Media

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

Method 1: The Standard “Passive” Job Search

Method 2: The Proactive Job Search

Method 1 Versus Method 2

A Word About the Out-of-Town Search

Social Media and the Job Search

Gentle Reminders

Don’t Overfocus on Social Media

Conclusion

Actions & Ideas

Chapter 14: The Interview

Practice Your Interview Skills

Be Prepared to Answer Difficult Questions

Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?

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

Seek Legal Counsel

Assumptions

Deliverables

Bonuses and Performance Perks

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

Chapter 17: Your Career and Social Media

Social Media/Social Network Definition

Privacy Concerns

What Is Your Use of Social Media?

Just Personal

Just Business

The Crossover: Business and Personal

Not a Professional Networking Replacement

The Seven People You Cannot Be Online

The Angry Individual

The Conspiracy Theorist

The Party Animal

Vulgar Vicky or Lewd Larry

The Unwanted Kisser

The Used Car Salesman

The Family Strife Poster

How to Use Social Media Effectively

Share Knowledge

Share Opportunities

Put Relationships In Context

Assessing Your Use of Social Media

Social Media Conclusion

Actions & Ideas

Part IV: More Options to Build Your Career

Chapter 18: Telecommuting

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

Project-Based/Free-Agent Mindset

Apply Discipline

Clear Expectations

Technologies for the Telecommuter

Resources for the Home Worker

Conclusion

Actions & Ideas

Chapter 19: Consulting

The Consulting Life

The Benefits

Respect

Schedule

Exciting Projects

Compensation

The Pitfalls

Business Planning: Taxes, Legal

Billing

Trading Time for Dollars

Schedule

Ongoing Marketing

Resources for the Consultant

Online Supplements for the Consultant

Conclusion

Actions & Ideas

Chapter 20: Management

Leadership

Process and Time Management

Critical Skills You Need Now

Presentation and Meeting Skills

Team-Building Skills

Conclusion

Actions & Ideas

Part V: The Value-Added Toolkit

Chapter 21: 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 22: Concept Over Process

What to Expect

What Not to Expect

COP Objectives

COP Origins

What Is a Process-Driven Mindset?

The Role of Technology

Moving from Process Driven to Concept Driven

A Concentric View

A Note About Time

Developing Proactive Solutions

A Warning/Suggestion

COP Is Not About Technology!

Start with the Goal of Business

Understand Your Objective as an Employee

What About Mission Statements?

From Goal to Analysis

Understand the Industry

Understand the Business: The Organization’s Role in Its Industry

Understand the Workflow

Understand the Relationships: Interactions/Dependencies

Workflow Analysis

Project Definition

Congruencies: What Currently Works

Incongruencies: What Currently Does Not Work

Omissions: What Is Currently Excluded or Not Addressed at All

Conclusion

Actions & Ideas

Chapter 23: The Role of Mentoring

Mentor Characteristics

Mentoring Others

What Qualifies Me as a Mentor?

The Role of Mentor Is Not a Power Position

Conclusion

Actions & Ideas

Chapter 24: Career Coaching

Career Coaching Topics

What to Look for in a Career Coach

What to Expect from Your Career Coach

A Methodology or Approach

Coaching Styles

An Initial Assessment

A Positive Attitude

Clear Communications

The Limitations of a Career Coach

Fix Irresponsible Career Mistakes

Improve Your Skill Set

Land You a Job

Individual Coaching Versus Group Coaching

Group Coaching

Individual Coaching

How Coaching Is Structured

How Much Does Coaching Cost

Coaching as a Career Path

The Traits of an Effective Career and Business Coach

The Benefits of Being a Career Coach

Getting Started as a Career Coach

A Final Word on Coaching

Topics of Discussion

Chapter 25: 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

Defining a Basic Budget

Creating Your Budget

Cash-Flow Summary: A Weekly Plan

Conclusion

Actions & Ideas

Chapter 26: A Professional Blog

What Is a Blog?

Really Simple Syndication and Notifications

How Do Blogs Work?

Why You Should Blog

Sharing Expertise

Search Engine Ranking

Be Positioned As an Expert

Blogging Basics

Schedule

Quantity or Length

Multipart Blog Post

What to Write About

Writing Style: Tone and Voice

Blogging Multimedia

Energy, Energy, Energy

Using WordPress

Content Management

Hosting Options

Domain Registration and Hosting

Themes (Layouts)

Plug-Ins

Sidebar Widgets

Customizations

Getting Started with WordPress

Actions & Ideas

Chapter 27: 12 Weeks to Profitable Consulting

About 12 Weeks

A Week-by-Week Overview

Your Starting Point

What Does Profitable Mean?

The Profitable Consulting Toolkit

A Website/Blog

What You Need on Your Website

Home

Services

About

Transition from Selling You to Selling the Company

Contact

Other Web Content

My Website: MatthewMoranOnline.com

Business Cards

Mailing List/Newsletter

Don’t Advertise, Teach

What to Include

Newsletter Distribution

Your Services

Exercise 1: Why Do You Want to Be a Consultant?

Exercise 2: What Can You/Should You Be Paid For?

Sales and Marketing Basics

The “I’m a High-Value Solution” Perspective

Developing Your Pitch

Your First Case Study

The Case Study Framework

How to Use Your Case Studies

Tools for Tracking Your Business

Managing Your Time and Tasks

It Isn’t the System But Being Diligent with a System

Clarity and Reduced Mental Noise

Establish a Routine: Your Ideal Day/Your Ideal Week

Using Google Calendar

Pre 12-Week Kickoff: Getting You Ready

Let’s Hang a Shingle and Win a Client

How to Use the 12 Weeks

Review Constantly

Actions & Ideas

Chapter 28: Be Proactive! Be Positive! Add Value! Share Opportunity!

No Job Makes a Career, No Job Breaks a Career

Adversity Happens

Overcoming Adversity

Talk to Someone

Look at What You Can Be Grateful For

Set a Schedule

Find Someone You Can Be Accountable To

Find an Easy Success

Staying Engaged with Your Career

Always Have a Pet Project

Surround Yourself with Positive People

Take a Leader to Lunch Once in Awhile

Spread a Little Bit of Passion or Excitement About Technology to Youth

You Make a Difference

Where Do You Go from Here?

Appendix: My Reading List

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