Donald Sears

If you read all the headlines for studies about IT worker confidence and technology spending expectations like I do for this freelance writing gig, 2010 would seem like the year technology workers are on a full jobs rebound. Yet, when you get into the meat of those reports, there is usually an underlying thread of […]

A January Forbes article got me thinking on what is considered low-level work in technology these days. Ed Sperling’s piece “Rebalancing Your IT Staff” is a smart article aimed at CIOs explaining to them that the real value of outsourcing is the ability to free your technology staff to become a richer part of a […]

Does your career feel stagnant? Recent research from the Conference Board showed job satisfaction levels at the lowest levels in 22 years. Only 45 percent of 5,000 respondents are satisfied in their jobs, compared with 61 percent back in 1987. “While one in 10 Americans is now unemployed, their working compatriots of all ages and […]

Two recent Forrester research reports point to increased spending in security in 2010. What are the security skills companies need? Forrester’s research points to demands for the enterprise in network security, mobile systems, and device management and compliance. The insecurity of smartphones is of particular concern to small and medium-sized businesses. Technology analyst David Foote […]

In tougher economic times where competition for full time work with benefits is fierce, how do you stand out from a crowded pack of IT workers? For starters, you need a resume that speaks results, say resume writing experts. It’s not enough anymore to simply rest on your skills and experience, you need to put […]

Bob Lewis, president of IT Catalysts and a prolific writer on technology issues, is not afraid to tell you what he thinks is wrong with how most IT shops are run, and how CIOs and the business side are asking for the wrong things from IT. In his recent article for InfoWorld, “Run IT as […]

Claiming an abundance of jobs in Linux, the Linux Foundation is launching a new job board specifically for open-source-related employment on the Linux.com site (jobs.linux.com). Since 2005, jobs in open-source technologies have grown some 80 percent, according to online recruiter JobThread, which the Linux Foundation has partnered with for job postings. “Linux’s increasing use across […]

The annual RSA conference in March is generally considered the largest vendor-centric security conference for technology professionals of the year. In an effort to show its understanding of those who have been afflicted by the recession, RSA is giving away 25 free attendance slots to the event held at San Francisco’s Moscone Center to unemployed […]

Industry organization CompTIA is promoting a new program to promote technology certifications–including a specific program called “Getting America Back to Work” targeting unemployed IT workers. “The current employment market for high-tech workers can best be described as a paradox,” said Todd Thibodeaux, president and CEO of CompTIA in a statement. “At a time when unemployment […]

Failure in technology projects is as sure as the setting of the sun. Trying to estimate what it costs businesses on a global scale, however, is a bit more of a guess game than an exact science. A recent white paper on global tech failure and its monetary costs has been getting a fair amount […]

Dennis McCafferty over at Baseline has an excellent question and answer interview with the CTO of the U.S. government, Aneesh Chopra, who works with President Barack Obama daily. Be sure to read the full interview for insight in to what a day in the life of a CTO in government is like. One interesting bit […]

Plain and simple: Good job references are like precious gold jewelry. Treat them with great care, career experts advise. One of the last duties a human resources professional or recruiter will carry out is reference checking, and the impression your references give about you can be more significant than you might have thought–especially in a […]