Taming the Technology Tidal Wave: Practical Career Advice for It Professionals

by Jacquie Barker

A light-hearted career guide for IT professionals, aimed at helping folks to maintain leading-edge technology skills without becoming overwhelmed. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0974479888
• ISBN13: 9780974479880
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: Objectstart Press
• Length: 142 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable and Informative

This is a great read! It's jammed with practical pointers, some of which you might think are common sense, but never really thought about. When the time comes for you to ponder career decisions, having read this book will be a real timesaver. The light weight and larger print make it ideal reading material while on an exercise bike or treadmill. The book is loaded with "Sound 'Bytes'" which add "candy" to the experience.

Steer your career out of a dead end without being overwhelmed

Outstanding book. If you are in a position where you see your current project heading into a dead end and are trying to turn around and steer your career in a new direction but do not know where to start then this is the book for you. Extremely helpful but also an easy read.

Best advice for IT Professionals I've read in a long time!

Ms. Barker hits the mark with each of her 30 tips. I found myself saying, "yes, that sounds like what happened to me" or "that's exactly how I feel". Taming the Technology Tidal Wave reminds us why we chose a technical career path - because we were passionate about it, it was stimulating and it was downright fun! After 12 years in technology, I found myself asking - why am I not having fun at this anymore? The tips Ms. Barker provided for reenergizing, regrouping & refocusing an IT career were invaluable to me. Her insights about not chasing after the newest technology that comes along and focusing on mastering paradigms are good lessons for both recent college graduates and veterans in the IT field. In the world of bits & bytes, Ms. Barker has interjected a warm, human approach to this issue with tips such as being generous with your knowledge and volunteer your time. As a guest speaker in a graduate-level IT course I'm teaching, Ms. Barker led a lively discussion around the pros and cons of choosing a technical track versus a managerial track. One student found the discussion of such value, he purchased Taming the Technology Tidal Wave. Based on student feedback , I will incorporate Taming the Technology Tidal Wave as required course reading. I highly recommend to other IT instructors to include this book in your course!

A must read book for people who are in Information Technology and want to be a part of it.

A must read book for people who are in Information Technology and want to be a part of it. Information Technology keeps growing so fast that most of us find it difficult to keep pace with it. Many developers remain in the same position for most of their careers. What do we need to do to go "upstairs" in the management ladder? .My technical career, the one I used to enjoy and be thrilled about, has become a burden. I felt as if I was drowning in the ocean of my work This book helped me find answers I was looking for ever since I started working in this field. Author with her 25 years of experience in IT industry has done an excellent job in guiding people to take the right path when they are confused with their career development.

Invaluable advice for technical professionals!

Although this book is beneficial for any technical professional, it is particularly valuable for those reentering the workforce after taking time off. The challenge of returning to work as a software engineer after a hiatus to raise kids is overwhelming! The sheer number of new web-based technologies introduced in the last decade is mind-boggling. However, "Taming the Technology Tidal Wave" helped me recognize that despite significant technological changes, my formal education and previous job experience are still relevant. It provided concrete (and relatively inexpensive) methods for me to get back up to speed after falling behind. The ideas on resume crafting were particularly helpful, as were the numerous suggestions on how to begin learning the newer technologies (and how to select which ones of the many to actually focus on!). Most important, it helped boost my confidence. You probably feel the same way that I do if you're currently working in IT but have been stuck using out-dated technologies or are shifting from management back into a more technical position. This book's recommendations are relevant to these situations as well. Word to the wise: if you're just starting out in a technical career, this book will steer you in the right direction so you avoid making the wrong choices that could lead to technical obsolescence!