Interesting article on publicity in today’s American Express Open Forum publication entitled, “What Did We Learn from Chick-Fil-A?”  In the article the author, Rieva Lesonsky, gives a very valuable take away that can be applied to ABSOLUTELY everyone and everything we do and it goes like this:

“The business world is more transparent than ever. Whatever you (and sometimes your employees) say, whether in your business role or in your personal life, is going to reflect on your business. Before you speak, be aware that what you say can help or hurt your business.”

Whether this is right or wrong is really not the issue.  We don’t live in the days of the pony express anymore.  Our world is online, our learning is online, our friendships are online and news becomes news the moment you or someone posts it on the internet.  Whether you just created a new application or you said something about a competitor or you simply voice your thoughts, everyone in the world will know and the more important you are, the faster the world will know.

When you write a document you have spell check.  Take that concept out into the world with you.  Create a “spell check” system for communicating in business and in private and always, always remember to make sure it is on.

Wondering where the best places are for Tech Jobs?  Click Here and wonder no more!

eWeek.com reports that the list of states offering employment opportunities in the tech field is growing.  New players like the states like Massachusetts, Oregon, Maryland, Utah and Minnesota are not to be overlooked.  Here are some interesting facts:

• Maryland had 6% growth in computer systems design and related services jobs.
• Massachusetts comes in second to Maryland with 5.5% growth and over 3,500 job postings on DICE on any given day.
• Minnesota comes in at 4.2% growth and has “the goal of becoming one of the country’s top-five technology states by 2020.”
• Average Tech Salaries in Oregon are 80K+ and that outpaces salaries for software and chip development positions.

The leading states for IT employments like California, Virginia, Texas, New York and Florida remain on top with 15,000 positions being added this year so far.  All having experienced an uptick except New York which was down 5 percent from the same period last year, but still offered 8,951 positions.  Best locals overall were Chicago and Los Angeles.

Stay flexible, keep your skill set sharp and be on the look out for new markets, new communities and new opportunities.

Harvard Business Reveiw August 6, 2012 has a great article on, “Best Practices for Leading via Innovation” written by Rick lash.  When you look at companies that stay on top or companies that are able to rebound, you find that they all foster innovation and creativity.  Here are the 5 ways they do it:

• Creating a safe space of innovation
• Making sure that they allow for flexibility within organizations
• Allowing employees to think out of the box
• Promoting and rewarding collaboration
• Learning from mistakes and celebrating successes

All very simple things to say and sometimes harder to do.  I run into people and organizations all the time that say no, we can’t do it that way.  Or it won’t work, we don’t do it that way.  I have found that in these situations it is best to let them know that you understand that your solution is not for everyone and that if they change their mind in the future you will always be there to help them.  It is the great individuals and organizations that can see into the future and change with the times.

“Largest IT employment gains in four years reported” article in NETWORKWORLD reports that in the month of July there were more than 18,000 jobs created for people with significant IT skills and experience.  This in a jobs market that in the US is, “lackluster”, reinforces how important it is to have the right skills.

The most hard skills to find are Java Developers followed by Mobile Developers, then .Net and Software Developers.  The time to advance your skills is now.  Find the training you need at a price you can afford right here.

If you would like help planning your studies, contact us right now.

Looking at an American Express Open Forum article entitle, “10 Productivity Tips for the Dog Days of Summer” and I really liked the first tip:

• Improve your skills 🙂

What they said was that it is often hard to find the time to educate yourself due to your work schedule and that you should check into resources that provide flexibility and that many of them are free.  Now I don’t know if you know this or not, but at GogoTraining we offer over 500 FREE podcasts.  All you have to do to access them is to sign up for a free account.  You can listen to them on www.gogotraining.com or you can download them and listen to them when you are on the go.

Just read an article in NETWORKWORLD about how the signals your Wi-Fi system gives off can be used for surveillance to see through walls.  The article, “Stealthy WiFi Spy Sees You Through Walls Thanks to Your Wireless Router,” talks about how researchers in London have created a system that USES Wi-Fi to identify a person’s movements inside a building.

The system gives off no radio waves so it cannot be detected.  It uses Wi-Fi signals to find you and it has been tested and found to be successful through a 1 foot think wall.  There are other wireless networks that “see” through walls to detect and monitor breathing patterns helping to lower the costs of monitoring patients breathing.

Every day we venture into new frontiers.   What was science fiction yesterday is reality today.  Enjoy and beware.

It is time to go mobile.  It is coming to us every day in different ways.

GameIndustry International reports  that “Apple iOS and latterly Android have become the dominant platforms for growth in social gaming…not necessarily for social gaming itself, but all the growth is on mobile, not the web.”

Did you know, that globally organizations store about 2.2 zettabytes of business data and pay $1.1 trillion to store and secure it annually (Symantec 2012 Information Survey)?

• Stored data represents about 49% of an organization’s worth
• 42% of data is “duplicate” data – costing $462 billion to store and secure
• Problem:  There are just not enough Storage Professionals

Here’s How to Secure your Future

Get into storage today and be part of the solution.  One of the fastest growing segments in IT is Storage.  The growth in this area is exponential and the shortage of qualified professionals is severe.  In order to bridge the gap CompTIA and the Storage Network Industry Association (SNIA) have created a Storage+ Curriculum and Certification program.

Here’s How to Get Ready for Certification

• Train a group of people at your location – apx. $18,000 or
• Take a Public 5 day classroom course – apx. $2,500/person or
• Learn at your own pace  – 4 course series $1,400/person

Use The Only CompTIA Certified Online Learning Provider – GogoTraining

Get the training you need online at 1/2 the price with GogoTraining’s CompTIA Certified online training course – the only certified online course in the world.  Key features include:

• Save 50% – only $1,400 for all 4 courses
• Train for 1 Year
• Ask the instructor questions
• Get a set of course materials
• Practice with quizzes and solutions
• Order by July 31, 2012 and save $200 with coupon code: JulyStorage200

Have questions?  We are here to help:  1.877.546.4446

Need group pricing?  Give us a call:  1.877.546.4446

Rather email?  Reach us at:  customerservice@gogotraining.com

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2012/06/05/courageous-leaders-dont-make-excuses-they-apologize/