I am not a number! I'm an MCSE!! (and so is he...)

Recently I found myself giving some impromptu careers advice to a handful of Servicemen who were about to leave HM Armed Forces as a result of injury, some sustained on Active Service in Afghanistan. They were looking at "getting into IT", a less physically-demanding job with sound long term propsects.

"Is an MCSE a good thing for getting a job?" was the typical question. My
take was 'yes' and 'no'.

Yes - if this is your first foray into IT training and certification, then getting an MCSE would be a good introduction into basic IT principles and understanding the role certifications play and their shelf-life in the IT industry.

No - if you think it's enough to bag just this one qualification and then sit back and let your career take off. I didn't have the statistics at hand but my point to them was there are 2.3 million Microsoft Certified Professionals in the world today. 878,000 of them are MCSE's. No need to feel lonely then...

If you want a strategy for your career then you need to realise two basic truths:
1. Certifications are like fish - they are best when they are fresh and definitely go off after a while.
2. Certifications are like fish - if you want to catch a worthwhile one then you need to go fishing where other people aren't.

Analyse the latest certification statistics from the likes of Microsoft and Cisco and see where the there is currently a glut and a famine of talent.

A few statistics standout from Microsoft:

• There are just under 1.4 million MSCE's & MCSA's in the world today.
• But there are only 2 people with Microsoft Certified Master: Microsoft SQL Server 2008; and
• "Microsoft Virtual Earth 6.0: Developing Applications" is a club with only 39 members
  
• In fact there are 11 Microsoft certifications with less 100 qualified people in the world.

As for Cisco and their hallowed "CCIE" qualification:

• 18,674 CCIE's worldwide, yet;
• Only 140 are Storage Networking CCIE's

But when you look at the regional dispersion of those 18 thousand people, you find a few other interesting facts:

Like there is only 1 CCIE in the whole country of:

• Barbados
• Guadeloupe
• Cayman Islands
• Ecuador
• Uruguay
• Guatemala
• Albania
• Andorra
• Belarus
• Moldova
• Angola
• Botswana
• Chad
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Lesotho
• Mauritius
• Yemen
• New Caledonia
• Kirbati
• East Timor
• Georgia
• Laos; and finally...
• good ole Uzbekistan

The point to all this is that there are a raft of niche applications and solutions out there that have their market cornered and need competent, certified people to work with them.
My parting advice to these young guys was to:

• Understand that certifications were going to be a constant requirement through any hands-on career in IT; so
  
• Look for something to get you started and then look to manoeuvre yourself into developing areas of technology where niches exist, but, as always, keep mobile.

Negotiating your next salary package - some real advice from an expert

I recently received a great insight from a master of career management, John Baker, Senior Vice President at Right Management.

My Question: Whats the best way to say you want to work from home in a job interview?

JB - Before raising your work/life concerns with the employer, you'd best be convinced that they are on your side. I'd hold the question until you know that you are the one they want. Then I'd raise it in an exploratory fashion, but load it with all your rationale from your previous assignments. My clients have their best negotiating success when we attend to both the content and timing of their requests.

RG - I'm also curious as to how to enter into a negotiation dialogue once an employer makes a job offer. In my experience the actual offer comes from someone lower down in HR with a "take it or leave it" attitude, or a suggestion that it will take a mountain of bureaucracy to change their standard terms.

JB - Getting to the negotiation discussion is a bit of a tricky transition, as you rightly sense. If your scenario holds true, then it's important to remember that the HR rep's presentation of the offer with Take It or Leave it attitude is simply that, attitude. To be fair, it's not just that they might be trying to attain your talent at the lowest possible cost (as is their corporate mandate), but that, in HR, they simply want to get the deal done, so they can be on to the next thing.

In fact, it's often the case that when HR and the hiring manager get to the offer stage, they start to fantisize that their work is over. They've done all the screening, the interviewing, the selection and they've chosen you! So, of course your continued engagement on questions about the job as well as questions about the offer itself represent a escalating inconvenience, and unnecessary delay.

Nevertheless, your right to pursue your request for adjustments to the offer is well understood among professionals, especially in your field.

The key steps to getting to a negotiation meeting are these:

1. Once the offer is delivered (frequently by phone call), express your appreciation and enthusiasm.
2. Gather any additional data about the offer that you may have been curious about, including details of the retirement, bonus, incentive and medical provisions, etc. The person delivering the offer may not have ready access to this level of detail, so you may need to establish how and when they might get that info to you. But remember, this is just you asking for more detail from them. DO NOT NEGOTIATE anything at this time.
3. Thank them for allowing you to pursue your questions, thank them once again for the offer, and ASK FOR SOME TIME to consider it more thoroughly. After all, this is an important decision for you, and you have some important people in your life to include in the news before you give your response, etc. How much time you ask for is largely dependent upon cultural and industry norms. In the US, you can always ask for 24 hours, but often you should ask for 2-3 days before responding.
4. ASK FOR AN APPOINTMENT to deliver your answer; in person, if possible. In other words, don't settle for just a time when you will call them back with your answer. You deserve a full discussion of the offer, and these things are always much more effective if conducted face to face.
   

It's during this appointment that you will conduct your negotiation session. And your question about flexibility and working from home might be one of several items on your list to raise with them at that time. The actual details of conducting the negotiation meeting is a much more lengthy topic. But remember, if you are successful in setting the appointment, then this is now your meeting. You will control the agenda and set the tone. They are simply providing you with the time you asked for, often thinking that you're just coming in to give them your answer. How you set the stage for this meeting and conduct the various elements of it can determine not only the immediate outcome, should you accept the offer, but also your professional standing with that employer for the duration of your tenure.

RG - Take that to the bank! Fantastic advice John thanks very much.