Archive for June, 2008
Hot Topics – Finance
Add comment June 30, 2008
5 Things to know about Certification
There has been some interest in learning about professional certification programs. This post is in response.
5. They are expensive
Professional certification programs cost a lot of money. Registration alone for CFA Level 1 costs nealry US$1,000. Add another US$1,000 for preparation material and your’e looking at a significant outlay. Be prepared for this.
Better yet, try to get your employer to pay for it. Many companies reimburse fees for education programs. Reach out to your HR representative and get the details. Having said this, make sure you’re asking about the right program from your company – you don’t want to ask Microsoft to pay for your Linux certification!
4. Choose the right one
There are so many certification programs out there, from SAP to Cisco to Oracle. And this leads to tremendous confusion. DO NOT start a program because your friends/cousins/brother’s in-laws are doing it.
Choose a program that meets your career goals. One way to do this is to have an end in mind before you start – think first about what you want to do after a program and then decide if a particular program is the right one for that end.
Be personally investing in the program.
3. Take the program seriously
Professional certification is not just about the certificate, but more about the knowledge and skills behind it. As a certified professional, you’re expected to know your stuff in the specific field. So be serious with your preparations.
In college, it may have been enough to go through old question papers before an exam. However, in the real world, its what happens after exams that count.
2. Try it out
Just like at the shoe store, its always best to try out a number of training/coaching programs before formally enrolling in one. Try to get materials online or from a friend and have a feel of them. See if you can handle the time and workload. Try it for a month on your own – if you can devote the time, then enrol fulltime.
1. Be committed to it
There are too many people out there who have started certification programs and have quit in between. They buy course materials, join classes and then drop out after a few months. Do not join this group.
One, its a waste of money if you quit. But more importantly, its a waste of time and you won’t get this back.
Be committed to a program and make sure you take it to completion.
2 comments June 24, 2008
Certification Programs
Some notes on the popular professional certification programs.
Finance
Who its for: Folks interested in specializing in finance a.k.a. folks who want to make a lot of money
What comes next: Asset management, Investment banking
Difficulty: Really hard
Software
SCJP – Sun Certified Java Programmer
Who its for: Folks seeking to become Java gurus although this is just the first step
What comes next: Another program! SCJD – Sun Certified Java Developer
Difficulty: Think 3rd year programmer, except you have to study better
Microsoft Certified Professional
Who its for: Folks who think Bill Gates is the best role model
What comes next: Lots of specializations depending on your preference. Check them out here.
Difficulty: Bit more than final year project – assuming you really did do your final year project
Who its for: People who believe quality of data is better than quantity of data
What comes next: Jobs in most large corporations
Difficulty: Manageable
Networking
Who its for: Folks who want to be network administrators, network designers and those who want to be called in on weekends
What comes next: Network administrators, network designers and work over weekends
Difficulty: More tedious than difficult
Process
Who its for: Folks who know a thing or two about certain business functions
What comes next: Open doors at large corporations with a fair amount of long hours
Difficulty: More on your wallet
Who its for: Folks who realize they are better at telling others what to do than doing it themselves
What comes next: Lots of job offers
Difficulty: Just look at your manager’s face 2 hours before a deadline
1 comment June 23, 2008
Hot Topics – Wireless
Add comment June 19, 2008
Hot Topics – Web Development
This is the debut post on a series of hot topics in different fields. The goal is to provide a starting point for students / practitioners interested in these fields. These key words should help launch further study. Feel free to add / debate to the list through comments.
Web Development
- ASP.NET 
- AJAX 
- Web 2.0
- Tags
- Wiki
Add comment June 17, 2008
What next?
One of the best things about college is that it provides so many options for the future. Developer, scientist, professor, banker, salesman and what not. All are feasible possibilities when we graduate. There is so much choice.
Too many choices however, can make for a difficult decision. Even worse, we may not know all that’s available to choose from. So here’s a first attempt on your broad choices after college. We’ll look at details in other posts. Feel free to pursue one or more or none.
In general, there are 4 things to do after college;
- Study some more
- Get a job
- Work for yourself
- Do nothing
Let’s look at them one by one.
1. Study some more aka “Higher Education”
It is probably never a bad thing to study for another degree and there are many students who believe in this. Higher education gives you the chance to specialize in a field (e.g. bio-mechanics), get grounding in a completely different field (e.g. financial engineering) or gives you a few more years of protection before going out in to the world.
As an engineer, the gatekeepers for further studies are most likely to be GATE, GRE and CAT. Like all competitive exams, you will do well to start early with your preparations for these. In addition to these, there are recent trends indicating student preferences for universities in Europe – France, Switzerland, Scandinavia etc.
While there are a number of options for higher education, some student inevitably want to do all of them – at the same time! You probably think it is a great way to hedge your future by studying for GATE, GRE and CAT at the same time. Well, it’s not. Try to think about what interests you and then talk to your contacts about them. It is all too easy to miss the big picture when you’re cramming word lists and studying digital electronics at the same time.
Prioritize, prioritize and prioritize!
2. Get a job aka “Campus / Off campus”
One of the great things about finishing college is the ability to go out and fend for ourselves. We do this with a job that pays enough for rent, food and the occasional extravagance (like a Rs. 34,999 Nokia E90 Communicator). Campus / off-campus interviews are key for this.
Getting a job is not about how much you know, rather how well you can work with your colleagues. So don’t worry if you didn’t pay attention in databases class. Go ahead and try for that database administrator job if you think the recruiter sounds interesting.
Many people become tense come recruiting season and this is understandable. But realize that your first job is exactly that – a first. Your career is significantly more than this one job. Don’t put pressure on yourself to find your dream job straight out of college. There is more time for that.
Enjoy the process and stay positive!
3. Work for yourself aka “Start-up”
While a minority of students go out and start their business soon after graduation, it is nonetheless an option. Entrepreneurs can radically advance the state of business and in the process, redefine convention. Google’s founders are prominent examples of this.
Striking out on your own is a high stakes games – fabulous rewards with substantial risks. Even if you don’t plan to start your business immediately, college is an excellent time to think about it. You can start with your market research and test ideas on your fellow students. The planning process in itself will make you a better person.
Time is on your side when you start-up young. So go for it!
4. Do nothing aka “You have wealthy relative paying your bills”
There is no shame in not doing anything after college. Your parents/friends/folks-on-the-street may feel otherwise, but realize it is your life, your decision.
In some parts of the world, graduates take a “gap year” before starting work. It’s a time to explore new countries, learn to play an instrument or climb a mountain. The important thing is that it is not a time to relax – come on you’re only 22!
Do note that not everyone is open to this option and you have to really believe in your decision to make this work.
So there you go – 4 options for your immediate future after college.
1 comment June 14, 2008
5 Things to do when you’re online
One of the ironies of the Internet is that it teaches you everything but doesn’t teach what exactly is that everything. Here’s an attempt at this – 5 things you can do.
5. Read news from a variety of sources
Spice up your daily news – read a variety of subjects from a number of sources. Variety in news opens your mind while variety in sources gives you different perspective. These help open your mind to interpretation and encourages you to have your own opinion.
Find out about cocoa production in Ivory Coast, learn about medical trends in Panama and figure out what exactly is going on with the new Bangalore airport.
Try Google News – it gives you a great overview of what is hot and provides numerous sources. (Also, Alltop) Do not stick with Rediff alone – no matter how interesting you think it is that Shah Rukh Khan’s barber’s dog’s left ear’s Rs.80,000 ear ring.
4. Read somethings in details
Become an expert on a few topics. In addition to knowing a little about a lot, its always good to know a lot about a few. Pick a few news stories and find out as much as you can about them. Develop strong opinions on them. Try following a news story until you’re satisfied you know a lot – use Google News Alerts to help.
3. Stay in touch
Internet is THE most economical way to stay in touch. Take advantage of it in a meaningful way. Forwarding jokes and sending out emails to everyone in your address book about a job offer do not count as meaningful communication.
On a related note, maintain a regular email address. Its a fact of life that your business email changes often – that doesn’t have to be the same with your personal email. Switching email often is a great way to lose contacts, so don’t.
2. Check out a random article on Wikipedia
A good friend recently made an interesting comment – education isn’t about learning, its about giving you the tools to learn on your own. Well, Wikipedia is one such tool. Use Wikipedia to get ideas for your regular work.
1. Give back to the web
Web 2.0, user generated content whatever the jargon, the key is to share your insights and interests on the Internet. Give programming tips on a forum, write a blog on why you don’t like to blog or even comment on a blog (perhaps even on this one!)
1 comment June 11, 2008
