Allan Hoffman

Microprocessors are everywhere. Digital cameras have them. So do ATM machines, microwaves — even door locks. If you start to look around you, youre bound to realize youre surrounded by devices with computing power inside. But whats the nature of the digital gadgetry inside these devices? Rather than the multipurpose computing muscle of the desktop […]

Novell was once a name synonymous with technology certifications. The company pioneered certification programs as continuing education and a recognized credential for IT pros. Now, with certifications proliferating — just about every software company offers them — Novell is revising its certifications to gain renewed relevance in a certification-crazed marketplace. The changes in Novells certification […]

Object-oriented programming concepts have become accepted practice within the programming world, but thats not to say object-oriented programming — OOP, as its often called — is universally appreciated or understood. Whether youre new to programming or a pro at Visual Basic, you should be thinking about delving into the world of OOP. Heres our guide […]

System administrators and network engineers often yearn for a hot certification to make them more marketable. In reality, certification alone — without hands-on experience — isnt worth much. But a specialized credential can be a real asset in convincing employers youve got in-demand expertise beyond the scores of other applicants. For example, consider the Citrix […]

Wesley Jost didnt have to do much more than place his resume on an online job site or two to find his last job, working for a London software company with an office in San Francisco. Josts job-searching style was common among technology professionals. “I got interest from many different recruiting firms and companies — […]

During the boom, techies with in-demand skills might have been offered a job after a perfunctory interview. Now employers are increasingly selective, so technology professionals — even with years of experience — must face facts. To get hired you need to become a pro not just at coding Unix or C++, but at selling yourself […]

September 11 put a spotlight on job prospects in the defense industry. Applications surged from network engineers and embedded systems programmers looking to bounce back from layoffs or contribute to the fight against terrorism. What does it take to break into the industry? Do you need a security clearance to jump from dotcom to defense? […]

Youve gotten the same advice again and again: If youre out of work, youve got to network. Techies, like everyone else, often land jobs through colleagues, friends and other acquaintances. But how do you cultivate connections if you believe what you know — rather than whom you know — should determine whether youre hired? For […]

The database world may be dominated by Oracle, but its an arena with room for other players too. Are you working with Sybase? IBMs DB2? Maybe youre even an open-source guru whos a fan of MySQL. Whatever the case, your database of choice is likely to be associated with a certification. Here are some database […]

Certifications now exist for every available technology, or so it seems. A new tool or trend appears, and soon enough, everyone is wondering whether you can earn a certification for it. But imagine a different type of certification, providing a credential for IT expertise in a specific field — accounting, say, or the hotel industry […]