The world of IT is advancing faster than ever before and we want things faster than ever before.  You click a button and if the content does not magically appear in 2 to 3 seconds you think something is wrong with your computer.  Kind of funny if you think about it.

Let’s take a look at what that means to us.  First, it means that we need to stay on the cutting edge in order to stay marketable.  Second, it means that we need to invest in ourselves and carve out time to learn new skills.  Third, unless we invent a pill to do this for us, then we have to make this happen for ourselves.

Now I know that what I have just said is not rocket science, but it seems that in this fast moving, fast paced society, we want it all and we want it without any effort.  We see it everywhere.  You want to loose weight?  Take a pill.  You want to lower your cholesterol?  Take a pill.  Exercise and diet have been thrown out the window for convenience and that’s the world we live in.  So when a friend said this to me it really made me stop and think:

“It’s not about what you are capable of doing, it is about what you are willing to do that will change the quality of your life.”

So what are you willing to do to change the quality of your life?  In the world of IT the job market for 2012 is opening up and,  “IT pros with programming skills will be first in line for the jobs” – Computerworld September 26, 2011. Here is a look the list of opportunities:

• Programming and Application Development
• Project Management
• Help Desk/Technical Support
• Networking
• Business Intelligence
• Data Center
• Web 2.0
• Security
• Telecommunications

So the question becomes – what are you willing to do to get the skill set that you need to change the quality of your life?  In 2012 it means evaluating the skills you have, the skills you need and then creating a plan to bridge the gap.  With these new skills in place you will be able to write your own ticket.

If you have questions or need help mapping out you skills gap analysis, you can reach me at 1.877.546.4446 or send me an email.

I don’t like to be scared at all and with Halloween around the corner I started to wonder why fear sells when I ran across an article in USA Today that quantified how important fear is to the economy.  Apparently, according to the website 24/7 Wall street, “the undead pump more than $5 billion of life into the nation’s economy and even more globally.”

Zombies sell at the movies, in video games, comic books and magazines, Halloween costumes, and the digital world.  For example, did you know that there is an Android App that shows you how you would look as a Zombie called ZombieBooth?  Then there is the  Stupid Zombies app where you are humanity’s last hope to keep them brainless.  And how about Outbreak!  Zombie Apocalypse?

If you are ready to get into the world of fear and fun, then it is time to start writing cool Zombie Android Apps.  Whether you are brand new to programming or a Java  Pro, you can start your Zombie App Writing Career Today!!!

Remember, FEAR SELLS!   If you are tired of doing the same old thing, then now’s the time to act.  Don’t miss out on your opportunity to start writing Android Apps Today!

If you have any questions on how to get started, call us at 1.877.546.4446 or email us today!

US News and World Report says the economy still sags, but the market for programmers is HOT!

Used to be that when you joined a jobs group that job seekers made up the majority of updates.  Not so in the Tech Jobs Groups.  The  DC Tech Jobs group on Facebook has companies posting jobs daily.  Turns out that programmers/developers are in high demand and short supply and they are being courted by companies that want to bring them on board even when they are already employed.

Alice Hill of Dice says that, “It is a really good time to be an engineer.”  Techies are in demand at more than technology companies too because all industries have gone digital.  That means that Web and code savvy employees are needed everywhere.

If you are not a programmer and want to see if programming is for you a good way to get started is to try an Introduction to Programming course.

What to give programming a try?  Be one of the first 100 to register for a free account and email us and tell what type of programmer you want to be and we will email you a coupon that lets you take our Introduction to Programming for Non-Programmers course, a $98 course, for $1.00  Only catch is that you have to take the course and then tell us if you think programming is for you.

If you have any questions, give us a call at 1.877.546.4446 or email us today!

The most popular programming languages are Java and C with Java holding 17.913% and C a very close second with 17.707%.  What is interesting about this is that Java lost almost 1% of its popularity in September and if this trend continues, C will hit the number one position next month.

The next most popular take a jump down in popularity with C++ at 9.072%  and PHP at 6.818%. In terms of those moving up the scale we have C#, Objective-C, JavaScript, PL.SQL and Lua.

This report is put out monthly by TIOBE Software.  The TIOBE Programming Community index is an indicator of the popularity of programming languages.  The index is updated once a month and the ratings are based on the number of skilled engineers world-wide, courses and third party vendors.  The index is not about the best programming language or the language in which most lines of code have been written.

TIOBE says that “the index can be used to check whether your programming skills are still up to date or to make a strategic decision about what programming language should be adopted when starting to build a new software system.”

To see the full chart for October 2011, click here.

If you would like to hone your programming skills, here are some great courses to get you there:

• Introduction to Programming for Non-Programmers
• Introduction to C Programming Part 1
• Introduction to C programming Part 2
• Programming in Java 6 with Swing and Servlets Part 1
• Programming in Java 6 with Swing and Servlets Part 2
• C# Programming
• Objective C Programming
• Introduction to Perl Part 1
• Introduction to Perl Part 2
• Python Programming Essentials
• Advanced Python Programming

If you have any questions on where to start, give us a call at 1.877.546.4446 or email us today!

Dice.com reports that as of this September there were 82,836 jobs available in technology. Of these 50,659 were full-time positions, 35,378 were contract positions and 1,565 were part-time positions.

“Alice Hill, managing director of Dice, said that jobs connected to mobile application is one of the fastest growing hiring requests on Dice.”  In addition, Gartner reports that mobile applications are expected to generate over $15 billion in revenue this year.  However,  less than 17 percent of technology professionals have published a mobile application.

Even though mobile developers prefer to work with iPhone applications that employers are searching for Android developers Hill says that,  “for every request in search of iPhone experience, users will find 1.4 requests for Android.”

The Mobile application market is clearly on a growth path and it is not to late to get started.  Whether you are new to app development or are ready to hone your skills, the Android and iPhone Paths have courses for you.

• iPhone Developer Training Program
• Android Developer Training Program

Click Here to read the full story.

Just when you thought you’d heard it all the, “I’m Getting arrested” Android Application was created.

Instead of hiding the fact that you have been arrested, now you can broadcast that fact to your family and friends thanks to the new Android Application, “I’m Getting Arrested.”

Apparently this application was developed with the Wall Street protesters in mind.  All you have to do is create a custom message before you plan on being arrested and then be sure to get arrested and your message to friends, family and your lawyer is all set to go.

Wish you had the skills to created Android Applications?  Whether programming is new to you or you know Java and are ready to jump right into Android programming, this Android Training Path has the course(s) for you.

Start Here if you are new to programming:

• Fundamentals of Operating Systems
• Introduction to Programming for Non-Programmers

Next step is C Programming:

• Introduction to C Programming Part 1
• Introduction to C Programming Part 2

Now it’s time for Java:

• Programming in Java 6 Part 1
• Programming in Java 6 Part 2

Android Programming here I come:

• Introduction to Android Programming
• Advanced Android Programming

Do you remember Hal 9000 from 2001 Space Odyssey?  The artificial intelligence that interacts with the astronaut crew, decides to take over  and is eventually shut down.  It has been 43 years since 2001 Space Odyssey was released.  If you were alive in 1969 think back to what you were doing and try to imagine this:

• Today there are more wireless devices than people in the United States
• Wireless customer connections are up 9% to 327.6 million or 103.9% of the United States population
• Revenue from data services rose 21.2% to hit $30.1 billion
• Phone networks carried 341.2 billion megabits of traffic in the first half of 2011
• By the end of 2010 there were an estimated 5.3 billion mobile phone subscribers around the world
• Machine to Machine (M2M) communications are expected to number 412 million globally by 2014

Wireless communications has rocked our world in a good way.  We can access almost any bit of information anywhere and this capability allows communications between people and people, people and machines, and between machines.   Access to data wherever and whenever you need it allows us to make better decisions and benefits the environment by the reduction of resources required for each task and fewer things needing to be discarded.

For those of you who would like to learn more about networking and wireless communications, here are some courses to get you started:

• Datacomunications Essentials sets the foundation on Networking.  From Local Area Networks, to Wide Area Networks to Wireless Networks
• Wireless Wide Area Networks requires a background in networking equivalent to that found in the Datacommunications Essentials course

To read more about whats going on in the world of wireless communications and devices:

• The New York Times October 14, 2011 – More Wireless Devices Than People
• CTIA report – Wireless and the Environment Report

Think beyond the present into the practical and you will find a new home for mobile device growth.  Connecting to the internet is big business and it is getting bigger by the moment.  All you need to do it think of all the ways mobile connectivity can improve an existing product or service and create the application to make it happen.

Take cars for example.  Glen Lurie, president of AT&T’s Emerging Devices business believes that within three to five years that 100% of all new vehicles will be connected to the internet as compared to only 5% today.  Lurie says, “you’ll see diagnostics, calls when the airbag goes off, real-time traffic reports and entertainment in the back seat.”

Both General Motors and Ford are adding key features in the 2012 models.  GM Cadillac brand will be offering models with safety monitoring features, 8-inch touch screen that will show maps, climate controls, weather and test messaging.  Ford’s s enhancing their electric cars to include these features and a monitoring information system that helps drivers find the nearest charging station.

But don’t stop with cars.  Tractor’s are going mobile too.  AT&T’s business solutions group is working with tractor manufacturers to enable wireless monitoring of engine data and with crane makers to measure use and inform people when good are loaded.

Mobile devices and applications for mobile devices are staring at us every day.  They exist in moving the non-mobile to the mobile and inventing the future.  If you have a passion for technology, then mobile device market is a great place to be.    Click Here to read the full article.

If you are interested in enhancing your programming skills or getting into mobile device programming from the ground up,  here are some programs you may find helpful:

• Android Programming Path
• iPhone Programming Path

If you have any questions, be sure to let us know.  You can reach us at 877.546.4446 or by emailing us at support@gogotraining.com.

2012 is just around the corner and it looks to be a very strong year for developers. Peter Noblet, regional director of the IT recruitment firm Hays Information Technology believes that this is, “a result of iPhone/Android technology and the boom in Cloud related applications.” The latest Clarius Skills Index reports a shortage of 2,200 IT works in the U.S. alone. While there are shortages across the board, tablets and the cloud are two areas in high demand.

Don’t Get Left Behind!

It is easy to talk about all of the things you need to know to stay competitive in the job market, but we all know how time consuming and expensive it can be to stay up to date. Instructor-led classroom courses are great, but they cost the most and require you to take time off of work and many times also involved travel expenses. If you are looking for classroom courses taught by experts at a price you can afford, then you will want to investigate video courses. Video courses allow you to train when you have time to train. Repeat and rewind to master topics and are usually 50 to 70% less than classroom courses.

There are many options available and we are here to help. If you have any questions, contact the GogoTraining support team at 877. 546.4446 or email us at support@gogotraining.com.  To view the full Jobs in 2012 Article, click here.