Surviving these uncertain times requires continual retooling of skills.
Best of Times, Worst of Times
Surviving these uncertain times requires continual retooling of skills.
- By Linda Briggs
- June 01, 2000
In some ways, this is a challenging time to be an IT
professional. Oh, sure, salaries are soaring, demand is
high, Y2K was successfully negotiated by anyone's standards
and--except for Nick the IT Guy on Saturday Night Live--you're
finally getting the respect you deserve. But there's also
a downside to being a tech guru these days. As I write
this, technology stocks are taking a beating on Wall Street,
many of the dot-coms are reeling, and Microsoft is feeling
the pain from a federal judge's decision that the company
did, indeed, compete unfairly for its gigantic market
share. Smelling blood, other plaintiffs are circling,
preparing for their own legal attacks. Whatever the outcome,
the lawsuits will at best be a major distraction to Microsoft
for years to come.
On another front, Linux, that once-rogue operating system,
is making serious inroads into corporate server rooms.
Sure, server software from Microsoft gained significant
market share last year (according to IDC, NT held 30 perceont
of the worldwide server OS market share in 1999), but
Linux jumped to a startling 25 percent. And analysts are
starting to advise that, because of the legal uncertainties,
management avoid locking in on Microsoft solutions alone
in future buying decisions.
It all adds up to a nagging feeling of uncertainty from
time to time. You have to wonder--just how long will your
current sizzling skill set remain on the most-wanted list?
We see it in the email queries we get for our "Professionally
Speaking" column all the time. Many of the readers who
write for advice have some very marketable skills, thank
you, and are using them well. What they want to know is,
what's around the corner? What might blindside them suddenly?
What should they add to their resumes? Do they have the
tools to stay as successful and in demand as they now
are, well into the next few years?
The answer reads in large letters, "Retool Continually."
For some of you, that means pursuing new certifications
as they come along. It's a rigorous, disciplined way to
make yourself study new products and technologies. Staying
current can also mean testing out new products at home
or in labs, reading everything you can, attending conferences,
networking with peers, and more.
However you choose to do it, the answer to today's technical
uncertainty is to continually learn new stuff. You already
know that if you're an MCSE or MCSD. Certifications from
a variety of vendors are one excellent way to polish up
your skill set, add new tools, stay light on your feet,
and show employers that you're working to stay on top
of the latest.
What do you do to prepare for tomorrow's market? What
hot new skills are you adding to your resume? I'm at [email protected].
About the Author
Linda Briggs is the founding editor of MCP Magazine and the former senior editorial director of 101communications. In between world travels, she's a freelance technology writer based in San Diego, Calif.