When it comes to the world of certifications there are many important things to know before you jump in.

Secret #1: Certification Is A Business

Before you take the plunge, make sure you know all there is to know about what it takes to get certified in a particular area.  Do you need formal training to sit for an exam?  Do you need to have worked in a field for a certain amount of time?  What is the cost of the exam?  What is their re-take policy?  Here is a link to the GogoTraining Certification pages that give you the inside scoop on many certification programs.

Secret #2: Formal Training May Not Be Required

Not every certification program requires you to take a formal course before taking their exams.  For example, ITIL Foundations certification does not require you to have taken the ITIL Foundations course before you take the exam.  However, all intermediate ITIL exams require you to take an officially sponsored courses.  Make sure you do your homework before you take training that you may not need.

Secret #3: Training Can Be Helpful

Training is a great way to get into a field and it is a great way to refresh prior to an exam.  One of our students told us that he had over 10 years experience in his field and answered all the exam questions based on his experience and failed the exam.  He was very surprised so he took a course and immediately understood why he did not pass.

If you have any questions about certification or training, give me a call at 1.877.546.4446 x 707 or send me an email.

Marianne

P.S. Don’t Miss OUT – This February ONLY – Certification Special: Buy 2 Courses and get your 3rd course for FREE. (Send me an email and I will send you the secret code).

Based on a NetworkWorld November 2011 survey, the answer is YES.  Of the 700 network professionals surveyed 60% said certification led to a new job; 50% said they earned more pay, 40% said their pay increased by more than 10% and 29% said that getting certified led to a promotion.

The other fact that came out in the survey is that EXPERIENCE is mandatory.  Taking courses and passing exams alone will not do the trick. I’ve been in the field of technical training for 22 years and think that certifications help employers and perspective employers asses candidates.  If you are employed and up for a pay raise and can show certifications among your accomplishments that may boost your bottom-line.  If you are competing for a job and show certification in key areas, that may boost your chances when compared to the other candidates.

My bottom-line where training is concerned is to make sure that whatever is being taught that learning actually takes place.  If you decide to get certified make sure you pick a training partner that uses instructors that work and teach in their field.  Make sure the courses teach by example and include hands-on labs so you get to work with the technology and implement what you are learning.  Make sure your training provider offers after class support.  This is especially important if you are taking a live classroom course.

If you have any questions or I can help in any way, you can reach me at 1.877,546.4446 x707 or by email at marianne@gogotraining.com.

View full article:  http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/111411-it-certifications-lead-to-higher-pay-252852.html

The Robert Half Technology Survey says that the place to be in 2012 is Network Administration, Windows Administration and Desktop support.

Executives also noted several hard to find skills in demand:

• Networking
• IT Security
• Applications Development
• Data/Database Management
• Help Desk/Technical Support

Looks like Q1 is a good time to job hunt if you have these skills.  Here is the link to the full report.

Wishing you fun in technology,

Marianne

Looking forward to your comments and questions.  Contact me directly at: 1.877.546.4446 x707 or via email at marianne@gogotraining.com.

Google reports over 10 billion app downloads today with a growth rate of 1 billion app downloads per month!

If that’s not enough reason to become an Android App Developer, here are 5 more reasons to Android App Developer NOW!

1. About 550,000 new Android activations happen every day = lots of users to buy your apps.
2. Over 200 million Android smartphones and tablets have been sold = lost of users to buy your apps.
3. Whether you are an experienced Java Programmer or are starting at the beginning, the Android Fast Track has the program for you.
4. The Android Fast Track is fast, affordable and effective.
5. You will receive $300 in Amazon Gift Cards with every 2 course purchase this December.

Wishing you fun in technology,

Marianne

You can contact me directly at:  1.877.546.4446 x 707 or email me at marianne2gogotraining.com.

I read today that Nasa’s planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft has identified 2,326 potential alien worlds and they believe that 99.9 percent of them are properly identified.  So what does this mean to us?

From a scientific perspective, our world as we know it continues to grow and change daily.  Inventions happen overnight.  You have an idea, you create it.  It is fun.  It is fast.  And it is the best time ever.  Data lives in the Cloud and new apps to help manage your data and have fun are created daily.

Mobile App downloads are exploding.  The Apple app store hit 15 BILLION Downloads in July.  Are you ready to enter the fun, fast and exciting world of iPhone and iPad App creation?  Yes?

Get the best online iOS5 Programming course and get a $100 Amazon Gift card right now! Not interested in iOS 5?  No worries. All December course purchases qualify for the $100 Amazon Gift Card.

Ok, enough with the self promotion :).  Look at how much things have changed in the world of inventions:

Top 10 Everyday Inventions:

1. Toilet Paper – 6th Century AD
2. Soft Drinks – 17th Century France
3. The Toaster – 1893
4. Velcro – 1948
5. The Zipper – 1851
6. The Vacuum Cleaner – 1868
7. The Milk Bottle – 1878
8. The Tin Can – 1810
9. Peanut Butter – 1890
10. The Safty Razor – late 18th century

Top 10 inventions for 2011:

1. The Stark Hand – Mechanical hand
2. The BodyGuard – A crime-fighting armored glove
3. The PrintBrush – Handheld printer
4. The Katal Landing Pad – Helps make landings for snowboarders safer
5. Dynamic Eye Sunglasses – block glare instantly with liquid crystal lenses
6. The Bed Bug Detective – no help necessary here in describing it’s purpose
7. A Prenatal Marker to Screen for Pregnancy Complications – designed by a college student
8. The Zero Liquid Discharge – Completely oxidizes and evaporates sewage from boats, airplanes and RV’s.
9. Kymera Motorized Body Board – cool if you are a body boarder
10. The Medical Mirror – Tells you your heart rate…very cool!

Wishing you fun in technology,

Marianne

You can contact me directly at:  1.877.546.4446 x 707 or marianne@gogotraining.com

P.S.

The first 100 people to purchase the iOS 5 Programming course will automatically get a seat in a live online iOS 5 Q&A session with our TOP iOS 5 Team.  This session, valued at $150 per person is yours Absolutely FREE.  Hurry as seats are limited to the first 100 to purchase.

Link to the article on the planets:  http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/12/06/many-earths-out-there-nearly-all-kepler-planets-may-be-real-deal/

Link to the article on the Everyday inventions:  http://listverse.com/2007/10/30/top-10-everyday-inventions/

Link to the Top 10 Inventions for 2011:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43312559/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/t/top-inventions/

Link to the article on Apple reaching 15 Billion Downloads:  http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/apples_app_store_reaches_15_billion_downloads.php

Cyber Monday is Here!

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• Business Intelligence
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• The ENTIRE technology library
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Have questions?  Give us a call at 1.877.546.4446.

Need Assistance?  Send us an email with your phone number and the best time to call.

Need cash for the holidays?  Need great training too?

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Have questions?  Give us a call at 1.877.546.4446.

Want help selecting your courses?  Send us an email with the best time to give you a call.

If you want to be in demand in 2012 and earn top pay, here are 7 jobs and  that will get you there:

1. Mobile Applications Developer – $85,000 to $122,500
2. Data Warehouse Analyst – $71,750 to $119,000
3. User Experience (UX) Designer $71,000 to $104,000
4. Data Security Analyst – $89,000 to $121,500
5. SEO/SEM Specialist – $63,750 to $87,500
6. Network Engineer – $75,000 to $107,750
7. Web Developer – $61,250 to $99,250

To find out more about each job, check out the full article in NETWORKWORLD.

Want to become a Mobile Apps Programmer?  Need a great way to get there?  Check out the Android Developer Path and the iPhone Developer Path.

Have questions?  Give us a call at 1.877.546.4446.  Prefer to email?  Send me a note.

Looking for top pay?  Check out this list on CNNMoney.