Past installments of Career Opportunities for the 4th week of January.

2000 It pays to know Macintosh

Don't ignore the Macintosh if you want to widen your career

2001 Digging in

Whether you are designing a new payroll system, web site or a point-of-sale system for a new cash register, as a high-tech careerist you will have to face one issue again and again. Too often high-tech projects are instituted and managed by those people who will use it the least. If you want to develop truly useful products and systems, you have to dig down into a company's structure and find out what the workers really need, not what management thinks they need.

2002 Driving or Driven?

When you go to work each day, whether for a large corporation, a small company or as an independent consultant, you have to decide how you are going to approach the technology decisions you will face. Do you feel like you are constantly trying to keep up with all the new technology available or are you in control of this information and making well-informed decisions that help support your company and your high-tech career?Stated more simply, are your driving technology choices or being driven by them?

2003 Security

Of all the issues facing the high-tech careerist in the coming year, security, in all its forms, should be the top priority on everyone’s list. I am not just talking about Internet firewalls, VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and encryption, though. While all these are important, security involves the entire company, not just a few pieces of computer equipment. As a high-tech careerist, it will be your responsibility to convey the importance of technology security to everyone. This is simple self-preservation. Regardless of who might be at fault, if security is breached at your company, you will quickly find that everyone will hold you responsible.

2004 Up and Out

As your high-tech career matures, you will have less and less desire to climb under desks, pull cable through ceilings and experience the mind-numbing stupor of watching software install. As the years pass, you will want to find new ways of using your knowledge and experience, while still maintaining a quality of life and career. While it might not be easy, here are few thoughts that can guide your journey from technology installer to technology manager.going astray.

2005 Return

As I write, I am finishing the last few days
of a holiday vacation to my home state of Ohio and learning that returning
from a vacation can be just as stressful as preparing to leave for one.
Despite doing my best to complete any necessary tasks before I left, a
host of new challenges await my return. The same will probably be true
of your next vacation. If you want to ease your re-entry into the work-a-day
world after the holiday break, here are a few guidelines to keep you on
the right track.

2006 Thinning the herd

No, I am not speaking of layoffs, plant closures and terminations, but rather thinning your “herd” of out-dated projects, failed initiatives, worthless bureaucracy and old hardware and software. The New Year is a great time for taking a hard look at your work and getting rid of everything that no longer fits with your current vision, workload or budget.

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