Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The Ladder to Success

When you think of success money, fame, fortune usually come to mind. Although this is not always the exact definition of fame in some people's eyes Josh Bambrick, a Neumont Grad, has obtained his version of success. Josh graduated in December of 2011 and was offered a few different positions with different companies. The one that struck him the most was the position of a salaried consultant specializing in java and IBM technologies for Ascendant Technologies(A tech). The process is as brutal as any other job search but Josh had the aspirations in order to help him achieve his goals.

The interview process started with an interview from Matt Dostal, a former Neumont student, who worked for REI Systems and moved to A tech shortly thereafter. Through Dostal A tech found out about Neumont and this led to Josh's initial interview along with several other students.

After the initial interview they had him take an online test to further his process. When the test had been graded A tech decided to fly him to Austin Texas and interviewed Josh for the second time. After a successful and impressive interview they gave him an offer and he accepted it.

He plans on enjoying the perks with the job that include working from home and reimbursed travel costs as well as getting paid regardless if he is "On the bench"(not on a consulting job) or not. Josh's future consists of a three month training program in Austin, Texas and moving back to California, his original home state, and enjoying a break from homework.

For those students looking for a future employer, Josh suggest figuring out exactly what it is you want to do and to work with Shawn Loutensock to find companies that offer that specific job. He also suggests to "Go fishing" which means to take all possible interviews given to you.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Proper Care and Feeding of Laptops

Based on past experience, we’ve listed a number of things you can do before, during, and after the upcoming winter break to make sure your laptop is working well when you return to campus.  Please carefully read and consider these recommendations.

Before you leave for the break:
  • Remove and/or backup any important files you may have on the public directory. The public directory is cleaned up during breaks.
  • Extract all important data from any project servers you may have checked out.  These servers are wiped during the break unless prior arrangements have been made.
 During the break:
  • Be extra careful with your laptop when traveling.  Laptops are frequently stolen in airports.  Keep it with you at all times.
  • If you have IT-related questions, visit our FAQ at http://it.neumont.edu
  • Store your laptop in a safe place during the break.  Never leave it in a car unattended.
  • Do not change the local administrator password or disable the local admin account.
  • Do not change your laptop’s domain membership.  It should be a member of the NUSTUDENT domain.
  • Do not delete or modify the nustudent or neumont wireless SSID from your wireless connections.
  • Do not change/reinstall the OS on your laptop.
  • Do not install file sharing (torrent) or other programs that violate the AUP.
  • Do not remove the TrendMicro Antivirus software from your machine.
  • Check your Neumont email daily for information on registration, class changes, etc.  Your email can be accessed by going to https://mail.student.neumont.edu and entering your network username and password.  If you would like to use the “Outlook Anywhere” feature rather than Outlook Web Access, see the instructions on the IT FAQ site.
 After the break:
  • If convenient, come to campus a day or so before class begins to make sure you can connect to the network and access any systems you will need.
  • During the first few days of class we are typically very busy with support issues.  During this time, we need to make sure our efforts are focused on students with critical support issues (can’t connect to network, laptop not functioning, etc.).  If you have an “optional” support issue (cleaning laptop, convenience re-imaging, odd desire to hang out with the IT team, etc.), please wait until the second week of class.
  • There are wired network connections along the wall near the 2nd floor kitchen area if necessary for internet access or if you need to reset your password.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Neumont Online Training Tutorials Available

A quick reminder about an excellent training resource available to all Neumont students, staff, and faculty.  This year we partnered with Lynda.com to improve our online learning resources.  This widely-recognized website includes many training videos/courses on widely used business and personal applications.  Some of the video lessons include:
  • Outlook 2010 Essential Training
  • Outlook 2010 Effective Email Management
  • Windows 7 Tips and Tricks
  • Excel 2010 Essential Training
  • Excel 2010 Advanced Formulas and Functions
  • Word 2010 Real World Projects
If you would like to take advantage of some of these training courses, go to http://my.neumont.edu/lynda and login with your NUID (network login username) and password.  Once you are on the Lynda.com site, you can browse the training resources by topic, software title, and release date.  If you run into any questions or problems using this resource, contact support@neumont.edu - happy browsing.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Demand for IT Talent Projected to Continue Growing in 2012

By Kimberley Donoghue
PBN Web Editor
: Published online Dec 14, 2011
Twitter: @ kdonog
 





NEW YORK – Demand for technology professionals will continue in the first half of 2012, with 65 percent of hiring managers or recruiters affirming they will be expanding their work force, according to Dice.com.

The career site for technology professionals conducted a survey from Nov. 14 to Nov. 18 of 1,200 information technology hiring managers or recruiters.

More than one quarter, 27 percent, of those hiring are looking to expand their staff by more than 20 percent in first six months of the new year.

“The tech recruiting market is active, although the pace of improvement has been impacted by broader economic concerns,” said Alice Hill, managing director of Dice.com. “Many companies are chasing mid-career talent. The elevated economic uncertainty makes it tougher for hiring managers to lure tech professionals into leaving their current position.”

Other highlights from the “Special Edition, Hiring Survey” included:
  • 42 percent predict salaries for new hires would grow, down from 47 percent in May 2011.
  • 48 percent said that time to fill vacancies is longer this year.
  • 57 percent said it takes longer to hire new professional due to a lack of qualified talent; 31 percent attributed it to the economy.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Free - Scrum Utah Training for Neumont Students

ScrumUtah is offering a free Scrum training course to Neumont students.  ScrumUtah is a training company that offers courses to become a certified Scrum Master, Scrum Developer, or Scrum Product Owner.

There will be a two night course held next Wednesday and Thursday (12/14 & 12/15) from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. The course will be held at the Rice Eccles Tower at the University of Utah.  They will take the first ten students from Neumont that would like to participate.  There will be no cost to the student, but it is encouraged you attend both nights.

Please refer to the attached flier.

ScrumUtah
801-819-3909

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

It's Time for Education 3.0

Excerpted from: It's Time for Education 3.0: Public-Private Partnerships to Align K-12, College, and Careers - December 6, 2011, Citizen IBM
Posted by Cordell Carter, Director of Public Policty at the Business Rountable

The United States is at the beginning of a critical transformation of how we prepare our students for postsecondary success. In brief, the movement to reform K through 12 education will continue to miss its objective of meeting America’s workforce needs if it does not properly engage employers. Such engagement must extend far beyond “career days” and corporate philanthropy to develop programs that equip students with the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed in college and the workplace.

Long gone are the days of the one-room schoolhouse, where a student’s education was secondary to his or her value as agrarian or domestic labor. Equally obsolete is the “tracked curriculum” classroom and its contemporary manifestation distinguished by benchmarking, state standards, and systematic testing driven by No Child Left Behind. Agrarian and industrial sensibilities – such as the “seasonal” school year calendar that we still cling to – have little relevance in the global information economy. It’s time for public-private partnerships to align education, skills, and jobs. It’s time for what I call Education 3.0.

Education 3.0 leverages the power of public-private partnerships to equip all students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in college and careers. Education 3.0 aligns K through 12 education with the expectations of the postsecondary and workforce worlds – providing students with more options and greater opportunities for their futures while helping to sustain our nation’s competitive edge in the global marketplace.

We need to reassess the reasons we provide public education, and redefine the key stakeholders. At the national level, stakeholders include both students and employers. Therefore, to keep the national economy growing and competitive, our schools need to give young people the skills and knowledge they’ll need to engage in economically viable activity.

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills are key – not just for the benefit of our economy and competitive edge, but for individual advancement as well. A new study from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce reports that STEM jobs are among the nation’s fastest growing and highest paid. Despite this, a recent Society for Human Resource Management survey says that 52 percent of U.S. employers have difficulty finding employees for job openings in areas requiring training in engineering and science.

Education 3.0 public-private partnerships are moving forward to close this skills gap. The Business Roundtable’s JobSTART 101 program offers a free online course for college students and recent college graduates that introduces the professional skills necessary for entry-level employees to succeed in the workplace. At the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, STEM students are provided an opportunity to work at innovative companies on campus. And in Brooklyn, New York, IBM’s Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) is a grades 9 through 14 institution from which students earn both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree in a computer-science-related field. P-TECH graduates will be prepared for entry-level employment in the growing technology industry, and will be first in line for jobs at IBM.

Similarly, United Parcel Service (UPS) has partnered with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, and the Jefferson Community & Technical College to create Metropolitan College in Louisville. Metropolitan College provides eligible Kentucky residents access to a tuition-free postsecondary education, and schedules its classes to enable UPS employees to study and sleep during the day while continuing their UPS careers at night. This public-private partnership was created to meet projected workforce and educational needs in Jefferson County, and it is serving as a model for other regions.

These are just a few of the many great public-private partnerships that are helping align education with skills and jobs, and we need more. It’s time for the next generation of educators, employers, and students to embrace Education 3.0.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Wanted: Academic Coach

Student Affairs is looking for new Student Workers to fill positions as Academic Coaches.

Duties Include:

  •  Be a problem-solver in the classroom and assist students as needed
  • Meet with supervisors to discuss students' grades, and to complete required grade-related tasks.
  • Schedule and maintain regular office hours to meet with students.
  • Evaluate and support faculty with grading examinations, assignments, and papers, and help instructos record grades with timely and effective feedback.
  • Attend lectures on a regular basis given by the instructor whom they are assisting.
  • Attend Orientation and other relevant campus events
  • Maintain the highest levels of confidentiality and discretion
For more information contact Alice Nguyen in Student Affairs.

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