May Day is Lei Day
Listed here are PCATT courses for the month of May with excellent trainers and hands-on practice to reinforce your knowledge. |
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Contact Us (808) 845-9296 |
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Greetings!
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Mathematical symbol for half-life
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Greetings!
Have you thought of your technology skills having a two year half-life? Eric Bloom, noted author, keynote speaker, and former CIO, says "the exact set of skills you have today will only be half as marketable two years from now." He provides good ideas about how to keep up with changing technology to maintain your technical marketability. Most of these ideas involve time but no dollar investment. Whether you come to PCATT for training or learn on your own, we encourage you not to dip below your two year half-life of technical knowledge.
All the best,
Beryl Morimoto
Program Manager
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Salary Survey Results
Computer World's annual salary survey results are out and their site is a good one. You can compare your pay with others in the field, you can view what folks at staff, mid, and senior levels earn, view salaries by region, and even comment in the "Sound Off forum". The good news is average salaries are increasing by 2.3%, 57% of respondents say their received a raise, and if you're lucky enough to have a bonus, that increased by .9%. The IT skills in highest demand are application development, help desk/IT support, security, and network administration. More details are available in the full report.
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May is Military Appreciation Month
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Image from militarybenefits.info
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Every month we appreciate our military but especially during May, we honor our active duty military personnel, reserve, and military veterans. Here are a dozen ways to support our military and veterans such as hiring a vet, adopting a hero, or expressing a personal heartfelt thanks. For military folk, here's a smartphone app for military discounts. PCATT is offering a 10% discount to active duty and military veterans for most technical courses offered by Honolulu Community College registered and paid for in May. We salute our heroes.
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Trends in Hiring and Job Interviews
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Career Fair 2013 @ HonCC
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The hiring process for jobs is changing, in some ways for the better. Here are 4 trends to note.
Challenge-Based Interview
During or prior to the interview, you will be expected to prove your skills. If you say you can code, you'll be asked to complete a coding challenge, for example.
Non-Standard Interview Questions
During the interview, you can expect questions that are out of the ordinary. For example, "How many cows are in Canada?" - Asked at Google, Local Data Quality Evaluator candidate. Although the question may seem unusual, there is usually a purpose for each "oddball" interview question.
Post-Job Interview Assignment
Some companies give applicants a homework assignment after the interview. Again, this is their attempt to learn about your capabilities.
Using Big Data for Screening
Finally, you may not even get an interview based on how you match up with data the company has about candidates likely to succeed in various positions.
The bottom line, be prepared and honest about your abilities.
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PCATT 11th Annual IT Summit
 Thinking Ahead is the theme for PCATT's 11th Annual IT Summit. An exciting local speaker is scheduled for each day. The breakout sessions feature practical and engaging learning topics. The sessions for May 16 are targeted to teachers from K through 12 involved in technical support and training. On May 17, we invite people from the tech business community to join our educators to share ideas and network. If you would like to attend this event, please contact Wayne Lewis.
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Microsoft Second Shot is Back
 Microsoft's Second Shot allows you to retake a certification exam for free should you need that second try. Just remember to do that before May 31, 2013. There's also a 15% discount off the certification packs which help you prepare for the certification exams. You probably won't need it but in just in case, Second Shot offers peace of mind. Be sure to read the fine print.
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May Day is Lei Day
Every elementary school child in Hawaii has participated in a May Day program. Children learned a new song or dance and mastered it with the guidance of a good teacher and through practice. Listed here are PCATT courses for the month of May with excellent trainers and hands-on practice to reinforce your knowledge, just as you learned your May Day performance. We encourage you to continue learning.
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And Finally...
Our regular readers know we end with something light or amusing. Actually, this one may feel a bit "heavy" with John Cleese explaining, quite convincingly, how our brain works.
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