Deborah Rothberg

IT certifications are worth less than ever, and the value of non-certified technology skills has surged, according to the third-quarter edition of the “Hot Technical Skills and Certifications Pay Index” from Foote Partners, a New Canaan, Conn., IT workforce research firm, on Nov. 1. “Certified skills pay has not just flat lined, its in the […]

Across age groups, genders and ethnicity, the leading deal-makers in picking a new job were salary, benefits and opportunities for work-life balance, according to a survey released Oct. 30 by Monster Worldwide, the Maynard, Mass.-based online career and recruitment site. The study, titled “A Changing Landscape: The Effect of Age, Gender and Ethnicity on Career […]

By now, nearly everyone has heard the dismal account of what generational shifts in the technology work force will mean for the future of IT: The old guard is soon to retire, few want to join the new guard, and skilled workers are only getting harder to come by. A report, “CIOs: Avoid War Between […]

Ghosts and goblins, haunted houses, and smashed pumpkins—sometimes the most harrowing horrors are only steps away from your cubicle or office. Just ask Steven Calderon. Calderon was in his second week working as security guard for Frys Electronics when Anaheim, Calif., police walked in and arrested him for crimes including child molestation and rape. Frys […]

Management support of security policies is the most important element in effectively securing organizations infrastructure, according to the third annual Global Information Security Workforce Study, conducted by analyst firm IDC and sponsored by the (ISC)². The list of imperative ingredients for a secure infrastructure also included having users follow security policy, having qualified security staff, […]

One-quarter of workers among both Generation X (those born between 1961 and 1981) and Generation Y (born between 1977 and 2003) said that beyond formal reviews, they would like feedback from their bosses at least once a week, if not every day, in a survey released Oct. 18 by New York-based Hudson Index, a staffing, […]

The third quarter exhibited a sharp drop in IT worker confidence, as an increasing number of technology professionals say they believe that the economy is weakening, according to the IT Employee Confidence Index published by Spherion Corporation, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based recruiting and staffing company, on Oct. 24. Spherions employee confidence index, which measures workers […]

Starting salaries for IT pros are expected to increase an average of 2.8 percent in 2007 over 2006, and more than 4 percent in high-demand areas, according to the 2007 IT Salary Guide from Robert Half Technology, to be released Oct. 24. Larger increases in base compensation are expected in roles in higher demand such […]

IT security, once a subject of interest to a narrow group of techies and niche publications, has in the last year catapulted into mainstream media focus. On a tide of widely covered data breaches, laptop thefts and complex malware tactics—some of which require no user intervention whatsoever—general public interest is beginning to reflect what IT […]

Designed to attract computer science students and build advanced skills for the next wave of IT jobs, IBM and the University of Arizona will announce on Oct. 19 a Web 2.0 classroom curriculum. Offered to the MIS (management information systems department) and marketing students at The Eller College of Management, the program hopes to equip […]