How to train your assistant: Certification makes the minion

The senior management at my current employer has decided the databases I have created over the past five years are now critical enough to the business that it would be really inconvenient if I were to be hit by a bus. I have no backup, and no one else there has any idea how to …

Job Profile: Is Project Management certification right for you?

This feature first appeared in the Spring 2014 edition of Certification Magazine.

The field of project management has gained momentum over the past several years. The rising popularity of project management comes as no surprise. In 2001, the Project Management Institute in its PMI Project Management Fact Book estimated annual spending on projects inside the United …

Salary Survey PLUS — ISACA

A favorite question among certification candidates is the one about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: How much money will I make after I finish this certification? There are several factors that determine salary, of course, but a good certification can be a strong argument for someone seeking a raise or …

Salary Survey 2013 — What’s in your bank account?

This feature originally appeared in the Winter 2014 edition of Certification Magazine.

What’s your dream of the good life? For some it means a nice home and a family, a vacation to Disneyland or Yellowstone National Park, and a workshop with one of every power tool, or twin jet skis behind the garage. For others …

Salary Survey 2013 — Dollars & Cents

This feature originally appeared in the Winter 2014 edition of Certification Magazine.

Let’s talk about the most important part of the salary survey: salary. In a world where just about everything involves technology — whether it’s ranchers using wireless transmitters to remotely herd cattle, or a toddler playing Temple Run on her parents’ tablet — IT professionals are in demand everywhere. Employers have …

Salary Survey 2013 — Workplace

This feature originally appeared in the Winter 2014 edition of Certification Magazine.

IT is everywhere in 2013, and IT workers are literally all over the map. You can find them any place you look, not just in big glass-and-steel buildings where floor space is measured in cubicles. To get a better picture of where people work, however, we asked a few questions about …