LearnKey Blog

Tech jobs are the most popular among veterans

A recent article by PayScale recognizes the difficult task of returning to civilian employment after military service, and in an effort to ease the confusion, asked the question, “Where do military veterans usually work after finishing their service?

The result? Veterans typically go to jobs where they can apply the skills they learned in the military, which turn out to be mainly tech jobs. PayScale measured the top fifteen most common, well paid, and quickly growing professions veterans choose, and also the top ten job skills veterans report having, and found that while some of the jobs were leadership and medical positions, many of the jobs and skills had one thing in common – they were mostly in information technology or other tech-related fields.

Here is a sample of the data – the top five job skills veterans report having:

  1. Emergency Room (ER)
  2. Computer Security
  3. Microsoft SQL Server
  4. Electronic Troubleshooting
  5. Security Risk Management

Read the full article for more information, including the full list of top job skills, and the titles, average salaries, and projected job growth of each of the top fifteen job roles.

Tech Hiring Drastically Improves California’s Economy

In the first quarter of 2011 California added 90,600 jobs, which was an increase from 82,600 over all of 2010. Just a few weeks ago California’s deficit was an astounding $26 billion, but the state recently cut $11 billion. If this trend keeps going, it could potentially shave off another $6 billion. The added jobs in the state are making it a reality that one day, California might actually be able to get out of debt – and it might be sooner than everyone thought.

This drastic improvement comes largely from the tech industry. Information technology jobs grew by 5.3% in March, outpacing all other industries. This is affecting the San Francisco Bay area and the Silicon Valley with many local companies doubling and even tripling their workforce. This is good news for the technology industry, and for California.

To read the full article visit The Wall Street Journal.

New Course: CompTIA Strata IT Fundamentals

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The CompTIA Strata IT Fundamentals exam FC0-U4, is designed for individuals that are new to the IT industry and who are looking to prove their knowledge and understanding of technology and computer hardware basics, compatibility issues and common errors, software installation and function, security risks and prevention, Green IT and preventative maintenance practices. This is a great starting point for anyone starting out in IT including students, people looking to switch careers or those looking to solidify their knowledge by achieving certification.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, we just released Strata IT Fundamentals video training to help you prepare for your exam. Check out the product details:

CompTIA® Strata IT Fundamentals

Training Course

Covers exam FC0-U4
3 sessions | 9 hours of content
Available on CD-ROM and OnlineExpert formats

View product page

JavaScript Fundamentals Course Available!

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If you read the recent post about Dice.com’s jump in ITIL requests, you should definitely finish reading this. JavaScript skills requests jumped by 98% to nearly 7,919 postings. In a recent article on Dice they talked about how there were 1,100 positions availble for people with JavaScript experience in the Silicon Valley alone.

If you are looking for a new career path to follow, with so many positions available, this may be the one! LearnKey has just released our newest JavaScript Fundamentals Course – for more information visit the product page at www.learnkey.com/js_fundamentals.

New Year, New You – Certification Maps for 2011

If you are like me, you profess every New Year that you are going to make changes… Well it is almost February, and I haven’t even started to make any changes yet. If this sounds like you and certification is on your list this year, we have something to help you get started.

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If you are like me, you profess every New Year that you are going to make changes… Well it is almost February, and I haven’t even started to make any changes yet. When you decide to make these changes you usually do not take into consideration that figuring out what steps to take next can be so overwhelming, you quit before you start. For example, every year somewhere on my list is to be healthier (I am sure like many of you), but more often than not, sifting through all of the diets and exercise programs out there overwhelms me, and I just continue with my same routine.

If this sounds like you and certification is on your list this year, we have something to help you get started. Continue reading “New Year, New You – Certification Maps for 2011”

Most in Demand IT Certifications for 2011

The Robert Half Technology Salary Guide 2011 has found the most in demand job titles, skill sets, and certifications for the coming year. If you are looking to change careers or add to your skill set you need to read this to make sure you are looking at career paths that are in demand.

There will be high demand for application developers, .NET developers, systems administrators, database administrators and desktop support professionals.

In demand skill sets for the coming year include; programming , business mindset, technological proficiency, security, networking, infrastructure support, and electronic medical records.

Certifications in demand- Cisco certifications (Cisco Certified Network Associate), Linux (Red Hat Certified Engineer), Microsoft certifications (Microsoft Certified Applications Developer, Microsoft Certified IT Professional, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, and Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Security certifications (Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Check Point Certified Security Administrator, and Check Point Certified Security Expert).

Check out the training LearnKey has available to help you get certified!

Do You Know Your Company Security Policy?

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IT Security is a big issue these days, and it doesn’t surprise me that a large number of employees have not been trained on their company’s policy, and those that have been trained have not received current training. Many companies inform or train employees on their security policy when they are hired, but what about the ones that have been with the company for 10+ years? It is important to have recurring trainings to keep employees up to date on this issue. Up-to-date training is important because it will keep employees abreast of current policy and also help prevent confusion on the policy.

Internet Security Policies are more important now than they ever have been, because they are intended to safeguard data and IT Security as well as sustaining employee productivity. There are new threats every day, and apart from the security software on your computer, the best line of defense is practicing safe computer usage.

Are you aware of your company’s policy? How well do you know the policy? How were you told about the policy and do you have regular trainings about the policy?

Doing More With Less

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Computerworld’s 2011 Forecast survey of IT executives found that most viewed spending restraints as the biggest challenge for the upcoming year and few expect to reverse the cuts made over the last two years.

So what does that mean for the future of today’s businesses? This kind of situation can be handled many ways. Companies can start charging more for their products and services, they can cut the more costly products and services they have to offer – but in the end all that does is hurt the end user. The way to produce quality results is to do more with less – re-evaluate the way you do business instead of just looking at the cost of the end result. Are there ways to implement technology you are currently using to automate processes and cut down on your workload? Are there new technologies that are more efficient at doing what you need to do?

Continue reading “Doing More With Less”

LearnKey’s Fast Track to CompTIA “Certify for Life”

If you are looking to start a career in IT and have decided on CompTIA certifications you should be aware of the changes that will be implemented in the coming year. Starting January 1, 2011 when you earn a CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, or CompTIA Security+ certification you will have to renew your certification every three years. In the past, earning one of those three certifications guaranteed you “Certified” status for the rest of your life. This seems good for the people earning certifications, but the drawback is that you aren’t required to keep up on current technology – earning your A+ Certification ten years ago meant learning a whole different set of skills than what you would need today. With the new policy, the certified must keep their certifications current by either retaking the current exam or earning Continuing Education Units (CEUs). CEUs are earned a number of ways – attending industry events, teaching/lecturing on relevant industry topics, taking *ahem* computer based training courses

Continue reading “LearnKey’s Fast Track to CompTIA “Certify for Life””

10 Commandments of a PC Tech – Free Desktop Wallpaper

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A few months ago we released this video featuring Mike Meyers titled The 10 Commandments of a PC Tech. If you didn’t see it, we definitely recommend checking it out!

If you did see it (those who still haven’t, seriously, go watch it already!), we decided to summarize the message of the video into a free desktop wallpaper in a variety of screen resolutions. Enjoy!

1024 x 768 | 1280 x 800 | 1280 x 1024 | 1440 x 900 | 1680 x 1050 | 1280 x 800