In This Issue:
News: Is IT Still the “Field of Dreams”?
Education: Happy Greeting Card Day
Education: Congrats To Our Students!
Tips: Tech Toys

Is IT Still the “Field of Dreams”?

Tech jobs are still available and in demand, believe it or not. Even with the slew of layoffs in general, Information Technology is still the industry least affected by the economy.

In fact, 853,000 jobs in all industries combined were lost between October and November, however, 9,000 were gained in IT (in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics categories of "Computer Systems Design and Related Services" and "Management and Technical Consulting Services”).

Many college students are hesitant to get into IT because it has faced a dot-com bust, H-1B replacements, offshoring, outsourcing, budget-cutting and now layoffs due to the economic global crisis. But tech is one of the safest fields to be in because it has two things that dream jobs are made of: salary stability and job security.

According to a study by Veritude, “business-intelligence skills”, expertise in C, C++, C# Programming”, SharePoint, .Net, Java, PHP, and versatile help-desk knowledge are the most sought-after IT skills in this economy. Make yourself useful in anything else that is getting the most attention from management, and you’ll ease their pain during these tough times and you’ll prove to be an indispensable team player. Volunteer for these high-priority projects, keep up a good attitude and always try to be the go-to employee.

The most important thing is to stay current in your IT knowledge, or you’ll risk being replaced by someone who is. Take an IT IQ test and find out where you rank compared to your competition. IT continues to be the “field of dreams”. And if you upgrade your skill set, jobs will come.

Happy Greeting Card Day

Bah-humbug, right? Not sure about you, but we think greeting cards and Valentine’s Day are things of the past. Who wants to spend five dollars now on a greeting card that was written by another person about their own feelings for somebody else? Then again, who wants to receive someone else’s feelings on paper? By signing your name, suddenly this card encompasses your deepest emotions?

This Valentine’s Day, give your love and yourself something real. Put all of your heart and your soul into a different kind of piece of paper – a certification. Get certification training in: Microsoft MCSE and MCITP, .NET, Java, Cisco CCENT, CCNA, CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ and much more.

Forget the lovey dovey stuff for Valentine’s Day. Show your love for your family by taking care of your career. Call 1-877-872-4646 by February 16th, mention the word “heart” and we’ll give you 25 percent off the regular price of the online course of your choice!*
*Online courses do not include Boot Camps.

Congrats To Our Students!

Our CBT XPress Certification Boot Camps continue to be the key to success for students who want to get certified FAST. We constantly receive success-story emails from them and since we are so proud of our students, we’d like to take this moment to congratulate them on a job well done! Here is what some of our students have been saying about their CBT XPress Boot Camp experience:

“I cannot recommend this strongly enough to anyone who is serious about their IT career."
Michael Jones
Birmingham, UK

“I am MCSE certified, thanks to the CBT XPress Boot Camp."
Toufik Bouzinou

“I am taking the Exchange 2007 training in February next. I can tell you the MCITP…is well worth it. I used CBTXPress.com….great company, EXCELLENT trainers and a beautiful, relaxing location conducive to STUDY STUDY STUDY.”
Oly Graham

“We have sent 11 people to your CCNA Boot Camp in the last 2 months, and we have achieved 11 CCNA Certifications (that is OUTSTANDING).”
Jorge Valiente
CPE Field Operations

"Just wanted to let you know that I passed and I’m an MCSE. I thought you guys delivered exactly what you said. The instructor was great! He really taught me what I needed and more to get the job done! The rest was up to me.”
Robin Howard

"The CBT XPress CompTIA A+, Network+ & Security+ 9-day Combo Boot Camp has allowed me to become certified! The course pace is fast and intense, but with the quality of the instructor and his extensive knowledge of the subject, I learned ways to simplify complex concepts and really helpful tips to pass the exams. It was most certainly enriching, interesting and even fun!"
Jeannine Robitaille
Information and Telecommunications Technology Superintendent
Ontario, Canada

CBT XPress Certification Boot Camps include CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ Boot Camps; Microsoft MCITP Enterprise Administrator 2008; MCSE 2003; MCITP Messaging Administrator; Cisco CCENT and CCNA Boot Camps; for certification at the luxurious Safety Harbor Resort and Spa in Tampa Bay, Florida. For advice on CBT XPress Boot Camps, call 1-877-872-4646 Monday through Friday, 9am-6pm.

Tech Toys