Tim Heard, a veteran IT recruiter, is guest-posting this week to address some job-hunter frustrations and the reality behind them.

As an IT recruiter, I hear a lot of frustration from his clients in today’s economy. Here are a few emails I have received recently:

• “Look just because I am over 55 and have gray hair. It does not mean, I am brain dead or I can no longer troubleshoot an ‘IT’ issue or that I can do ‘IT’ work at all. And I could prove this if, someone would give me the chance at a JOB! Come on, try me out at minimum wage for 90 days.” (This was a comment on a personal blog from a frustrated job seeker.)
• “I curse my father for bringing me to this country. Hopefully I will be able to find a good job overseas.” (This comment was in an email I received from a US permanent resident, who has good solid experience and pretty marketable skills.)
• “Employers always want to seek PERFECT candidates. They want candidates who can, ‘Hit the ground running. They don’t want to train. They want experts all the time, candidates with no supervision.” (Online post from an unhappy job seeker.)
• Tim, Corporate Shared Service Job #5388 Sr. SAN Engineer has been withdrawn. Additional comments: This requisition is being withdrawn.  We apologize for the inconvenience. (Email from a client.  19 withdrawn positions from this client in the past 7 or 8 months.)
• “Tim, my nephew just graduated with a degree in Information Systems. He’s a really bright kid. He’s having trouble getting any interviews though. Do you think you could help him find something?” (I made this one up, but have gotten countless emails like it.)
• “I’m embarrassed to say how long I’ve been unemployed but I have figured out why. Our government is so corrupt…” (Another frustrated job seeker.)
• Hi Tim, Can you call me regarding XXXXXXXXX? I can be reached at XXX-XXX-XXXX. Thanks so much. (The ensuing conversation was about a recruiter with whom I had worked: A bright lady with a very contagious personality, who had taken her life.  I have subsequently heard of at least one other recruiter taking his life in the past year.)
• “Hi Tim, Busy studying for my certification this week. How are things with your business and XXXXXXXX? Touching base just to let you know I am still beating the pavement, hitting the bricks, shaking the trees…etc.” (From a candidate who I submitted to a client about two months ago. To date, they indicate they are still interested, but uncertain now whether there will be a need.)

Making sense of events in life

It doesn’t take much to see that there are a lot of frustrated job seekers in the market right now.  That frustration is summed up by the comments of the job seeker who vented that employers are only seeking “perfect candidates.”

Lacking additional information to help us understand what is taking place we try to fill in the gaps ourselves.  So depending on our circumstances might assume that we didn’t get the job because we’re too old, too inexperienced, foreign-born, because the recruiter lied, or because the system is somehow rigged.

This tendency to try and explain situations by attributing negative characteristics to people or organizations is called the fundamental attribution error.  David Creelman describes the fundamental attribution error in a recent article.

The fundamental attribution error, is assuming behavior is driven by personality rather than by the situation. If you see a sales representative arguing with an accounting clerk, it’s natural to assume it’s because one of them isn’t being nice – we attribute the behavior to the personality of the people involved. If you are in a nice profession like religious studies, you assume that this sort of thing simply won’t happen because everyone will work hard to be good. In fact, human behavior is frequently driven by the situation rather than personality. If a sale representative feels they need to entertain clients, while the accounting clerk has been told to be strict on allowing entertaining expenses, then conflict is bound to arise. Conflict usually arises because of the situation, not the personalities.

The second damaging assumption is that rules and structure are just annoying bureaucratic practices we are better off without. This assumption occurs because we notice when things go wrong, not when they go right. We scarcely notice when our computer operating system is working correctly, but when something goes wrong we are quick to curse it. The same thing happens in organizations: the rules, the structures, the hierarchies, all come to our attention when they get in our way. Nice people think they can get rid of these troublesome traditional features of organizations.”

This gets played out in a variety of different ways as frustrated job seekers seek to understand why they are unable to land positions for which they believe they are qualified.  It doesn’t necessarily help things, but I think that maybe it helps emotionally to be able to blame some of our circumstances on a person or entity who is “bad.” So the hiring manager didn’t select me because I’m old, or because she’s a racist, or simply because he has unrealistic expectations.  Or the recruiter wasn’t able to place me because he’s dishonest.  (There probably never was a position to begin with.)

We all seem to be stretched so tightly from the stress of life that we’re ready to light into just about anyone who rubs us the wrong way, whether that person really did anything to deserve it or not.

Examples of supply and demand

I had a rather lengthy conversation by email with the person who was frustrated that employers always seek to hire “perfect” candidates.  I noted that in any situation they want to get the best value possible.  Before we look in detail and how this plays out in the job market, let’s look a couple of other examples.

Video games

Let’s pretend that you’re a parent of a teenage boy.  Some event is coming up which warrants giving him a gift.  You know he loves playing video games, but currently does not own a game system.  For the sake of discussion let’s assume that these are your options:

1. An old Pong game you dug out of your attic.
2. Xbox360
3. PlayStation 3
4. PlayStation 2
5. Wii

Just for the sake of discussion, let’s assume that the PlayStation 3 is the system he really wants.  One could argue that the Wii and Xbox360 are equally good game systems.  However, they aren’t what he wants.  His friends don’t have those systems, and so if you purchase another system for him, it wouldn’t meet his needs.  Let’s further assume that both the Pong game and the PlayStation 2 can be upgraded with proper conversion kits should they can be used to play PlayStation 3 games. Let’s assume that it takes about three months to upgrade the PlayStation 2 and six months to a year to upgrade the Pong game.

In this case, assuming that you don’t go with “none of the above” and buy him a skateboard or football, or maybe stock in some startup company, then the “right” gift to get him would be one of the options that would allow him to play PlayStation 3 games.  Your decision would be based on a combination of your budget and how long the two of you are willing to wait before he can play the games.

Let’s say that your budget only allows for the purchase of a PlayStation 2 and the conversion kit.  You’re on eBay about to make the purchase when you hear in the news that there has been a huge overproduction of PlayStation 3 games.  Analysts are predicting that the price of these games will drop considerably within the week.  Sure enough you wait and find that PlayStation 3 games are now selling for less than what the PlayStation 2 would have cost you a week ago.  When you go to the store to buy the game, do you demand to pay more than the asking price, or are you just thankful that you got such a sweet deal?  (Keep in mind that even though we’re talking about game systems, there are real people who work to produce and sell those systems and lots of people are either making less or losing their jobs because of the drop in price.)

Cash for clunkers

Setting aside the issue of whether the Cash for Clunkers program was a good policy, there were lots and lots of people who took advantage of the opportunity to turn in their rusting gas-guzzlers for down payments on cars that were already selling at rock-bottom prices.  I don’t know of anyone who was indignant at how low the car prices had fallen and who demanded to pay full price for the cars in order to help save someone’s job.

Macro and micro analysis

I want to be clear that I’m not trying to imply that there’s no moral component to any of this.  Just about anything we do, whether it be at an individual or corporate level, has a moral component.  For example, we like to drink cheap soft drinks here in the United States.  We also like to eat lots of grain-fed beef.  Add to those Federal and state requirements that we start using more ethanol for fuel and the net result was rioting around the world.  People were starving because there wasn’t enough grain to go around.  My penchant for flame-broiled Whoppers and a super-sized cola that I eat while I’m filling my SUV with ethanol makes life difficult for some kid in Bangladesh.

Does discrimination happen?  Undoubtedly.  Are employers unrealistic when establishing hiring criteria for their openings?  Sure, sometimes. Does this explain why you’re unemployed or in a job you hate?  Probably not.

Mostly what’s happening is that hiring managers who really need five are six people are being told that they can hire one or two people.  And typically they’ve been assigned projects with unrealistically short timelines.  These men and women are stretched really thin. (I have a couple of clients who regularly exchange emails with me past midnight.) Because of the mix of supply and demand, for the past couple of years, employers have been able to buy “PlayStation 3s” at “PlayStation 2″ prices.  This is happening at all levels up and down the food chain.  Big companies are telling suppliers that they have to reduce their fees.  Federal and state governments are doing the same to prime vendors.  Consumers in turn have less money to spend, and the cycle continues.

Thankfully, I think the job market is returning to the point at which a hiring manager at least has to pay full price for PlayStation 3 if that’s what he or she really needs.  I’m seeing and hearing about more instances in which candidates are fielding multiple job offers.  Also I’ve seen several instances just in the past couple of months in which candidates have accepted offers because other potential employers were too slow to act.  I think we will begin to see managers who are open to considering a broader range of skills and experience when trying to fill openings than they might have just a year ago.  Additionally, I think we will continue to gradually see a slight loosening of the purse strings with respect to approvals of new positions, which should allow for even more flexibility when it comes to position requirements.  Gradually at a macro level, if these things continue to happen at a micro level, the cycle will reverse.

OK, but what can we do in the meantime?

If you look on LinkedIn and elsewhere you’ll notice of it has been an explosion in recent years of people who call themselves life coaches or career coaches.  You might read about tapping into “hidden job markets,” or steps that you can take to guarantee career success.

First, there are no guarantees.  Things happen that sometimes are completely out of our control.  Second, there’s no hidden job market.  There’s not a secret website where recruiters can go and magically learn about open positions that nobody else knows about.  We learn about open positions by spending time developing relationships with hiring managers.  It is true that not all jobs have posted on job boards, and especially in the case of smaller companies, some positions may not be posted at all.

Rather than fork out whenever the going rate is right now for a life coach, or paying $19.95 for a copy of ” How to find your next job, inner peace, and your lost car keys, in 10 easy steps,” most of the job search advice you need can be found free online in articles like this: http://www.quintcareers.com/job-search_refresher.html.

In addition, consider the following suggestions:

1. Stop being so snarky online; especially in your blogs and other public forums.  Making it personal or making someone out to be the bad guy isn’t productive.  Even if you are 100% certain that you are not being selected because the hiring manager can somehow tell from your resume that you’re a left-handed Lithuanian gypsy, why complain adamantly about how unfair it is online?  It boggles my mind how job seekers can sabotage themselves by publicly insulting huge segments of the population.  I know of an unemployed person who was a staunch Democrat, which was fine, except that just about everything he posted in public essentially was to say that all Republicans were morons.  (I privately reminded him that many hiring managers might be Republicans, and might not take kindly to the implication.)  I know a person who regularly blogs about Christian “fascists.”  I have hinted to him that the Christians who *aren’t* fascists, who spend a lot of their time and money trying to help others in need, might not quite understand that he doesn’t mean them.  (Or maybe he does…)  One of the individuals who I referenced in the beginning quotes sent me several “letters to the editor” he has written, all which can be found online.  The general theme of the letters is how terrible America is and how uncaring American companies are.  All of these are the equivalent, from a hiring manager’s perspective, of the college student who posts photos of himself unconscious on the beach wearing nothing but sunscreen.  They are the equivalent of the report card the teacher sends home with a child that says, “Does not play well with others.”
2. DO post a resume online.  Post a copy on your personal home page, as well as one on at least one major job board.  Refresh the one on the job board at least every couple of weeks.  The recruiters who don’t post jobs, but do use resume databases look first at resumes that have been posted recently.
3. DO create a LinkedIn profile.  Use it.  Network with people.  Get some meaningful online references.  There are many recruiters today who utilize LinkedIn as much or more as a recruiting tool than any job board. Also join some discussion groups.  See if maybe there are career options that you could tap into that you haven’t previously considered.
4. Thankfully, life is not quite so black and white as to allow us to be classified as simply as Pong games, PS3s, and Wiis.  We all have valuable skills that we can offer the right employer.  We just have to stay persistent as we look for those jobs.  I know how deflating it can be to be unemployed, and I really do know how hard it has been the past few years.  Seriously.  Hang in there.  It’s getting better.

By Toni Bowers

Lately I’ve been writing a lot about online reputations and how they can affect your career. I’ve suggested that people Google themselves to see what prospective employers might see. Many people who did this reported finding others with their same name. This can be problematic if the person with your name happens to be, oh I don’t know, in the porn industry or is on a Jersey-based reality show.

I kind of got lucky in that respect. My online doppelganger, who actually shows up before me in a Google search, is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania with a list of scholarly writings that is longer than my leg. One is called The Achievement of Scholarly Authority for Women: Trends in the Interpretation of Eighteenth-Century Fiction. (Compare that to one of my writings, Five signs that your layoff-spared job sucks, and I think you can see how I wouldn’t object if anyone mixed us up.)

In preparation for this blog, I contacted the other Toni Bowers via email. You have to be careful with that kind of thing-I didn’t want her to think I was some kind of stalking weirdo. But she was very gracious, as we Tonis tend to be, and responded to my email. We discussed the hardship of having a name that, particularly in the U.S., is associated mostly as a shortened version of Anthony (despite the “i” ending) and that we’ve both had to deal with being addressed as “Mister” because of this.

One of TechRepublic’s long-time bloggers, Scott Lowe, had an experience with a same-name person that was a little more complicated. The other Scott Lowe was also a technical writer. Our Scott said he was a little concerned at first: “I try to ‘manage’ my online reputation pretty carefully, so having an unknown out there worried me a bit. I’m very lucky in that he’s actually a brilliant, likeable guy so if a potential employer confuses us, I don’t have anything to worry about.”

He actually met his doppelganger in person at Gestalt IT’s Tech Field Day in Boston last May, where the other Scott was one of the EMC presenters.

“All the way there on the bus, everyone was wondering if there would be a world-ending paradox. The first ten minutes of our presentation time were spent getting pictures taken and talking to people about the whole situation. It’s pretty neat actually. Like I said, he’s a heck of a nice guy, brilliant–and I mean that–and a good resource. So, it could be worse!”

By Toni Bowers

According to early accounts, Microsoft’s new Office 2010 Web Apps are definitely worth checking out. Here’s a quick rundown of how you can put these free browser-based tools to work.

The Office 2010 Web Apps help create a seamless experience for you whether you are working at your desk, using your Windows-mobile smartphone at a coffeeshop, or toting your laptop from place to place. By saving your Office 2010 files to the Web, you can access and edit them using familiar tools. Here’s an introductory look at some things you can do with Office 2010 Web Apps.

Note: This article is also available as a PDF download.

1: Add files to Office 2010 Web Apps

The process of adding files to your Office 2010 Web Apps is pretty simple. First, you need a (free) Windows Live account, and you need to be a registered user of one of the Office 2010 versions. You can then log in. When the first window appears, click Add Files to choose the files you want to upload to the Web space.

2: Work on Office files from anywhere

Once a file is in your Windows Live SkyDrive account, you can open it, edit it, enhance it, and share it easily. The tools are almost identical to those you use in your desktop version of Office 2010 (some applications have fewer tools than the full program offers), and the program features work in the same way. Hover the mouse over the file you want and click Edit In Browser to begin working with the file online.

3: Create a new file

Not only can you add and edit files you’ve created on a desktop system, but you can also create new files in the Web Apps for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. After you log in to your Windows Live SkyDrive account, click the icon of the file you want to create on the right side of the browser window. You will be prompted to name and save the file. The program opens, displaying a new document, and you can choose a template, add content, and save and share the file as you ordinarily would (Figure A).

Figure A

You can add, edit, and enhance content in the Office 2010 Web Apps.

4: Use the Windows Live Sign-In Assistant

Windows Live offers a utility that signs you in automatically so that you don’t have to stop and log in each time you want to work with your Office 2010 Web App files. You will be prompted to install the Sign-In Assistant the first time you open a file in the Office 2010 Web Apps. Just click the link provided to start a wizard that walks you through the process of downloading and installing the tool.

5: Give users permission to share your files

The user permissions features in Windows Live SkyDrive lets you share your files with others. Create a folder to store the file by clicking New and choosing Folder. Add a name for the folder and click the Change link in the Share With selection (Figure B). Add the email addresses of those you want to share the file with or click Select From Your Contact List to display all your Windows Live contacts so that you can click the users you want to add. For each user, choose whether you want to assign the permissions that enable that person to add, edit, and delete files or simply view the files in the folder. Click Next to save your changes. The users you specified will be able to access the files you add to the folder you just created.

Figure B

You can share your folder and files with others in Windows Live SkyDrive.

6: Work collaboratively online

The Office 2010 Web Apps, including Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Excel, enable you to work online with others in real time. When you have given a user the necessary permissions for the file, the Office Web App lets you know when others are working with you in the file. You can click the lower-right corner of the status bar to display the list of others working in the file (Figure C).

Figure C

You can collaborative in real time in the Office 2010 Web Apps.

7: Download a file

You can move files from the online environment to your desktop and back. Hover the mouse over a file in the list in SkyDrive, click More, and then choose Download. You will be prompted to choose the folder where you want to store the file. While you’re working in a file in one of the Office Web Apps, you can click the File tab and choose the first option (which in Excel, for example, is Open In Excel) to open the file in your desktop application. When you save and close the file, any changes are synchronized with the online version.

8: Grab a snapshot of a workbook

If you want to download only a portion of the file you’re working on, you can click the File tab (in the Excel Web App) and choose Download A Snapshot. This downloads a copy of the workbook to your computer that includes only the values and the formatting so you can review the workbook as needed.

9: Get more room onscreen

Similar to the Ribbon controls in your desktop version of Office 2010, you can hide the Ribbon in the Office Web Apps by clicking the Minimize The Ribbon button on the far right side of the Ribbon. Return the Ribbon to normal display by clicking the Maximize The Ribbon button. In Word, you can also click the View tab and choose Reading View to hide the Ribbon and show the document in full-screen view. To return to editing the document, click Edit In Browser.

10: Share your thoughts

Because the Office Web Apps are new, your feedback is especially important for helping developers fine-tune the workings of the programs. You can send feedback to Microsoft about your experience with the Web Apps by clicking the File tab and clicking Give Feedback. A Web form is displayed so that you can send comments (with or without your e-mail address). Whether your experience has been good or bad so far, sharing your experience will help improve the service for all users — so don’t hold back.

Katherine Murray is the author of Microsoft Office 2010 Plain & Simple (Microsoft Press, 2010), Microsoft Word 2010 Plain & Simple (Microsoft Press, 2010), and Microsoft Word 2010 Inside Out (Microsoft Press, 2010). You can reach Katherine through her blog, BlogOffice, or by e-mailing kmurray230@sbcglobal.net.

By Katherine Murray

You may be a brilliant developer, a highly skilled net admin, or a crackerjack DBA — but if you’re unprofessional, your career is likely to fall short. Alan Norton offers some attributes to strive for.

The term professional is thrown around quite a bit these days, perhaps too much. I do it myself. But what exactly does it mean to be a professional? As you read through the items below, consider how you compare with each trait.

Note: This article is also available as a PDF download.

1: Put customer satisfaction first

Understanding and satisfying your customer’s needs are the cornerstones of a successful business. Do what is necessary to meet those needs. After all, without the customer, there is no professional.

You may not view those you work with as your customers, but in many cases, they are. I remember when one of my managers perceived that I was overly stressed. He pulled me aside and sat me down in his office where he told me stories and jokes for the better part of half an hour. He recognized my needs and acted accordingly.

Professionals identify and satisfy their customer’s needs.

2: Make expertise your specialty

The very word professional implies that you are an expert. Technical competence is essential in IT.

• Become an expert in the skills and tools necessary to do your job.
• Always perform to the best of your abilities.
• Keep your knowledge up to date.

Professionals know their trade.

3: Do more than expected

Professionals aren’t bound by a time clock. They are given wide latitude in their daily self-management. They are expected to manage their time and work habits. Don’t abuse the privilege. If you take an hour for personal needs, give back two hours.

The reality is that professionals are expected to exceed the standard 40-hour workweek. There are times when you may be asked to work weekends. You may have to forego a vacation or work 12-hour days to complete an important project. All are part of the job description of most professional positions.

Professionals are expected to produce results. Strive to complete deliverables before their due dates and under budget.

Professionals meet or exceed expectations whenever possible.

4: Do what you say and say what you can do

This is one of my favorite sayings especially in view of the fact that talking the talk is so prevalent and walking the walk so rare in this age of sound bites. You should “engage brain” before speaking — can you really do what you are about to say? If you can’t, the wizard behind the curtain will eventually be revealed and hard-earned trust can be lost.

Professionals deliver on promises made.

5: Communicate effectively

I go out of my way to patronize a dentist who has excellent communication skills. He takes the time to explain the available options, make recommendations, state the total costs, and promise a date when the work can be completed. I then feel empowered to make the right decisions.

I recently ordered Internet and phone service from the cable company. I told the salesman that the existing cable had been ripped out during a landscaping project. Perhaps I wasn’t clear or perhaps the salesman wasn’t listening — it doesn’t really matter. The message didn’t get through and the wrong person was sent to do the installation. As a result, Qwest, not the cable company, got my business. Not only did the commissioned salesman lose his sale, he and his company both looked unprofessional in my eyes.

Resist the urge to blame the customer when communication goes awry. Effective communication is ultimately your responsibility — not your customer’s.

Whether verbal or written, professionals communicate clearly, concisely, thoroughly, and accurately.

6: Follow exceptional guiding principles

Appreciate and support those you work with. Practice good manners and proper etiquette. Have high ethical and moral standards. Be honest and fair in all of your dealings with others. Obey the law. These may sound like the attributes of a Boy Scout, but they are basic values that all professionals should follow. Many companies have a document that outlines their operating principles. Have you read yours?

Professionals adhere to high values and principles.

7: Praise your peers not yourself

Respect and acknowledge the talents of your peers. There is nothing more unprofessional and self-serving than telling others how wonderful you are.

Professionals are humble and generous in their praise of others.

8: Share your knowledge

When I was hired at Hughes Aircraft, a second person with similar skills was hired with me. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that one of us wasn’t going to survive. The competitive nature of the situation was palpable. I am no stranger to the belief that it is not in your best interest to share your knowledge with your associates, AKA the competition.

It is easy to find yourself in that comfortable place with “unique” knowledge. If you are a hoarder of information and are of the opinion that all of the nuts you have squirreled away grant you immutable job security, think again. The harsh reality is that nobody is irreplaceable.

Information isn’t a limited resource. Contrary to what some might think, your mind won’t be emptied by giving away kernels of wisdom or experience. Think of knowledge as an ocean of facts and not a stream of data. It is possible to share what you know and still keep one step ahead of the competition — simply apply yourself and learn something new daily.

Professionals help their peers and are respected for doing so.

9: Say thank you

I always tried to find a way to thank others for their help. When their help was above and beyond the call of duty, I would buy them a Coke – a testament to the marketing power of Madison Avenue and Mean Joe Greene.

The items I value the most in my personnel file from Hughes Aircraft are two AVOs (Avoid Verbal Orders memos) to my manager from frontline employees. The AVOs thanked me for the support I provided that helped them do their job better.

Silly me — what was I thinking? I was sharing a Coke when I should have been sharing my thanks in a printed internal document to the employee’s manager.

Professionals thank others in a meaningful way that most benefits the recipient.

10: Keep a smile on your face and the right attitude in your heart

This has been the hardest item for me to do consistently over my working years. I believed I was lying to myself and the world by smiling when I was miserable or unhappy with an ongoing issue at work.

I now realize it’s not dishonest to be pleasant when you are having one of those lousy days. It is in fact thoughtful to care about how your attitude affects those you interact with. Share your unhappiness with your manager only. “Share the misery” is not the mark of a professional.

Professionals are pleasant even during trying times.

The final word

Working with professionals is a pleasure, and I have been fortunate to work with some truly exemplary ones. There have been a few who liked to be treated as professionals without having to work and act like one.

You don’t have to look any further than the medical profession to see examples of true professionals. Think back upon those doctors you’ve liked the most and model your professionalism after theirs.

So, how do you measure up? Don’t feel bad if you need some work in one or more areas. Demeanor that is less than professional can lead to an image problem for you and your company. Negative images are hard to shake. Recognize any shortcomings you might have and begin working on your professional image today.

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By Alan Norton

Austin, Texas has been in the news a lot lately but only because it is the home of Sandra Bullock, America’s Most Recently Scorned Sweetheart. Austin may also be the place to be for techs.

According to BNET.com, the city has seen tremendous growth in digital media. And according to a survey done in 2009 by the city’s Chamber of Commerce, the area is a hotbed for video game developers-it’s currently the home of 80 video game shops employing about 3,000 employees.

Among the tech companies with locations in Austin are Dell Inc., Electronic Arts, IBM Corp., and Advanced Micro Devices. Austin is also home to the University of Texas, one of the leading research institutions in medicine, tech, and engineering.

Here’s a job board that lists some of the openings:

http://www.jobserve.us/JobListing.aspx?shid=366B8CAD09D11DEC36&lid=101382

By Toni Bowers

If you’re looking for an interesting field to get into that has some job openings, you might want to consider cyber security. Last week, NPR’s Tom Gjelten reported on the shortage of cyber technicians and engineers.

According to Jim Gosler, CIA, a veteran of CIA, the National Security Agency, and who is currently working for the Energy Department, there are currently only about 1,000 people in the U.S. with the skills needed for frontline cyber defense and that 20 or 30 times that amount are needed.

A report soon to come from The Center for Strategic and International Studies says the shortage is now desperate, with the United States losing ground to China.

To answer the need, officials are looking in a couple of places. First, they’re turning their eyes toward cyber-criminals. After all, who better to find flaws in your system than someone who can hack it?

Second, some members of Congress are promoting a U.S. Cyber Challenge, a national talent search to find up to 10,000 potential cyber warriors, ready to play both offense and defense. This would entail schools around the country to create technical teams that would compete against one another on being able to hack into other systems.

Makes sense. If you want to know where your vulnerabilities are, tap those who are the best at finding them through the same means as terrorists would.

By Toni Bowers

I’ve encountered a lot of people over the years who, when it comes review time, expect to be promoted simply because they have occupied space in the same company for months of years. The truth is, even people who are deserving of promotions often don’t get them. In fact, according to Landy Chase, author of Competitive Selling: Out-Plan, Out-Think, and Out-Sell to Win Every Time, feeling “entitled” to a promotion is probably the worst career mistake you can make, because in most cases it simply doesn’t work that way. The way it works, according to Chase, is all about politics.

So how does one learn to play — and win — at the game of promotional politics? Listed below are the most important political factors that come into play when evaluating a person for promotion, according to Chase:

1) Are you dependable? Next to loyalty, dependability is the most desirable attribute that an employee can have. For example, when your boss asks you to do something, does it always get done — on time, every time? Or do you have to be repeatedly asked, over and over, to get a task completed? All things being equal, the employee who has demonstrated dependability has a huge advantage over their peers when promotions become available.

2) Do you get along well with others? I once had a sales person on our team whose customers loved her and who was our top producer — and was a walking, talking nightmare to every other department in our office. Guess who, in spite of their sales performance, was always at the bottom of the list for promotions? I rest my case.

3) Are you a problem-solver? Companies today place a premium value on take-charge, motivated employees who confront problems in an organization and make a positive impact. Conversely, negativity is simply not tolerated, and for good reason.

4) Do you demonstrate leadership within the office? Are you looked at as a “go-to” source by the others who work with you? Do peers come to you for advice and counsel? Are you willing to take risks, even when the chance of failure exists? Are you fair and ethical in your dealing with your peers?

5) Is your workspace well-organized? My rule of thumb for promoting an employee into management is to take whatever is on their desk, multiply it by a factor of 10, and use this new figure to arrive at a reasonable estimate of what their desk will look like with the new responsibilities. How would your work-space measure up?

6) Never forget that the most important job that you have is to please the person that you work for, because no one has a more direct impact on your career advancement than your supervisor. Too many employees forget this simple but important point. Don’t be one of them.

By Toni Bowers

Journalism purists have in the last couple of years publicly denounced bloggers as being nails in the coffin of journalistic integrity. While there is an advantage to having eyes and ears everywhere–like video evidence of a crime–it can also be a convenient tool for those with ill intent. This was in evidence this week in the Shirley Sherrod case, the Agriculture Department official who was forced to resign when a part of a speech she made was taken out of context. Creative editing is we call it in the business.

“Get it first, but first get it right.” That was the credo of the old United Press International wire service. But with the actions of some bloggers, like Andrew Breitbart, the guy who released part of Sherrod’s speech to the public, perhaps the credo should be changed to “Get it how you want it first.”

In a world of “news” talking heads that blather on day and night until you want to slice your own ears off, it’s pretty much par for the course to skew stories to fit the desired viewpoint. But if there is increasingly oversight going on in these “officially sanctioned” forums, then there is absolutely none in the poor man’s land of YouTube and Facebook.

My question is why people who should know better (in this case, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack) are reacting instantaneously to these kinds of stories by firing people. Maybe because the latter avenues of expression are still in the formative stages? Is everyone is so overwrought with political correctness that it’s more prudent in their minds to fire someone before asking the person, in this case the victim, about what he or she is accused of? Or is it just that there are still people out there who naively believe that “if it’s on the Internet, it’s true.”

The really scary part is that anyone could purposefully lie in a blog or Internet forum about another person. The story might be proven untrue somewhere along the line, but with the all-news, all-the-time mentality of network news, the story gets out there and casts a doubt about the person who was targeted. A reputation can be tainted and spread online faster than it would be in a small-town beauty shop on a Saturday morning.  Gossip cannot really be undone. And if your boss is dumb enough to take that gossip on face value, then it’s a sad commentary.

By Toni Bowers

With the new Live format, Microsoft pays a great deal of lip service to maintaining your privacy; but my tests show you can’t trust what you see on the screen.
By Woody Leonhard