[Tarpon]

The smart engineer will always be on top of whatever technology is needed for the job at hand. It always changes, after 40 years, that’s about all I can say about IT.

[SeekAndFind]

http://www.cheezhead.com/2009/07/15/jc-top-tech-skills-in-demand/

Here are the top skills and positions in demand:

* Security - Technology professionals with security skills continue to have bright prospects. Employers frequently look for candidates who’ve earned the CISSP, or Certified Information Systems Security Professional. Candidates for the CISSP must have at least five years of experience in information security.

* Virtualization - Virtualization allows data centers to run multiple servers on a single physical machine, thus reducing hardware and operating costs as well as reducing energy consumption. VMware, the leading vendor in virtualization technology, offers the most highly sought certification – the VCP, or VMware certified Professional.

* Java/J2EE - Sun Microsystem’s Java and its enterprise edition, J2EE, are the industry standards for developing online applications. By earning Sun’s Certified Java Programmer, or SCJP, title, programmers demonstrate their proficiency in the Java programming language.

* SAP - SAP bills itself as the world’s largest business software company providing enterprise software to clients in every major industry and every major market. Tech professionals who want to work with SAP can take advantage of a variety of programs, but to many hiring managers, hands-on experience is more valuable than certification. However, having the right credentials can make even experienced candidates stand out.

* .NET - Microsoft has a variety of levels of certification, but the most bang-for-the-buck probably comes from the Microsoft Certified Professional Developer, or MCPD, which allows professionals to show their efficiency with Microsoft Visual Studio and the Microsoft .NET Framework. It requires at least two years of relevant experience.

* Database Administrators/Administration - Because a number of database solutions are on the market, hiring managers focus on the certifications that apply to their particular implementation. IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL and Oracle Database are among the most popular, and each offers companion certifications.

* Oracle - Focused on its database packages, the Oracle Certified Professional, or OCP, is probably the most popular of the company’s certifications. But it’s only one of many offered by the JD Edwards, Siebel, BEA Systems and other stand alone brands owned by Oracle offer certifications designed to show mastery of their products. Sun Microsystems will soon join that group.

* Project Manager/Management - The Project Management Institute offers certifications for professionals with different levels of experience. Its Project Management Professional, or PMP, remains the gold standard for project management certification.

* Sharepoint - Microsoft’s server-based collaboration tools allow companies to share information through an environment that streamlines administration and growth. Earning the Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist, or MCTS, demonstrates a candidate’s knowledge of implementing, extending and troubleshooting Sharepoint’s components.

[Lurker]

30 years ago I was running a state of the art business computer system. It was the size of my refrigerator. The drives were separate with 6 megs of storage. The disks were the size of LP's and there were 6 of them in one array IRC.

It had a blazing fast 9800 baud acoustic modem.

Now my cell phone has more computing power. If you spend the time to keep yourself current, you'll be alright.

[gura]

Just learn to love and embrace UNIX in all of it’s forms and grow a beard.