Win $25K: Dice Best Interview Ever Contest

What if we told you that by answering an interview question from David Karp from Tumblr or Jonah Peretti from Buzzfeed or Veronica Belmont from Revision3, you could win $25,000 and a trip to NYC to interview in person? We'll, it's true.  Head over to Dice.com/contest to enter. Oh, and you'll also have a shot at 6 Xbox Kinect bundles.

Now -it's 2011. Since it's already the third of the month and your New Year's resolution went out the window two days ago, we thought we'd recap the best tech jobs of 2010 (according to Money/Payscale.com).

Software Architect (2010 rank: 1st in IT, 1st Overall)
Background: These digital blue print makers are the true link between a company's technology and the staff. 



Why should you want to be one?  The pay is good and software architects partake in a variety of tasks from product strategy to coding.

Database Administrator (2010 rank: 2nd in IT, 7th Overall)
Background: DBAs have to be organized. Why? Because their main duty is to organize and manage the gargantuan amount of data that companies accumulate over time.  They are also responsible for updating software and troubleshooting problems.

Why should you want to be one? Companies are not accumulating data linearly, but rather exponentially. There is a demand for solving the complex problems of what to do with all these mega bytes - which is where the DBAs come in.  It's challenging work - so you better get your game face on.

Information Systems Security Engineer (2010 rank: 3rd in IT, 17th Overall)
Background: Think of them as a digital super hero. IS Security Engineers develop plans to keep your company's computer systems safe from harm (and bad guys).



Why should you want to be one? This challenging field requires acute planning and execution skills.  Please read the following to the theme of Ghostbusters: If there's somethin' strange in your security architecture - who you gonna call - IS Security Engineers. If it's somethin' weird and it don't look good - who you gonna call - IS Security Engineers.

Software Development Director (2010 rank: 4th in IT, 18th Overall)
Background: The software development director is like a conductor, but instead of the baton, they're armed with a Mountain Dew. He or she orchestrates the direction and the operation of software development organizations.



Why should you want to be one? Here's a riddle. What's a model with no insides? A mannequin. A software development director's job is to make that mannequin a model - to manage the team that builds the software that makes organizations function effectively, efficiently, and more importantly, profitably.

IT Manager (2010 rank: 5th in IT, 20th Overall)
Background: An IT manager is responsible for investigating and determining what technologies will help companies be the most productive and profitable. 



Why should you want to be one? Since technology advances faster than the national debt, IT managers have to always be on top of what technologies are emerging and determine which ones will be most impactful to their business.

Those might be the best tech jobs ever. And remember: If you need to dream a little about the best jobs out there, check this out.

-- Adam Fudala

Win $25K: Dice Best Interview Ever Contest

Backlink: http://career-resources.dice.com/articles/content/entry/the_5_best_technology_jobs

Introducing the Dice News Weekly Roundup

In its 2011 Technology Salary Guide, tech recruiter Robert Half Technology suggests it's people who can help companies grow and become more efficient will likely be in highest demand. (Then again, those people sound like the types of workers that you'd always like to have in the office.) The firm sees a rebound in hiring, albeit a cautious one.

That rebound may already be underway. TechServe Alliance, a collaboration of IT services firms, clients, consultants and suppliers, says IT employment in October rose to 3,903,000 workers. On a year-over-year basis, IT employment rose 2.2 percent compared to a 0.6 percent increase in total employment. Part of the explanation: Technology is often seen as a way to enhance productivity in companies looking to cut overall costs.

***

 One place we know is truly hot for hiring is the world of Android development. Global hiring marketplace oDesk finds that demand for developers with Android skills is up 710 percent - yes, you read that right ¿ between October 2009 and October 2010. oDesk's latest Online Employment Report jumps Android from number 110 to number 40 on the list of most in-demand skills. 

***

Google itself is on a hiring tear. It has job openings for 2,076 positions worldwide listed on its site. That's up nearly six-fold from March 2009. Reuters points out that the hiring spree is taking place alongside more than 20 acquisitions this year that have swollen Google's ranks to more than 23,300 employees at the end of September, 18 percent higher since the beginning of the year.

***

One of the most interesting findings of the week was the fact that 56 percent of Silicon Valley companies now have at least one woman director on their board, up from 51 percent in 2009 and 41 percent in 2003, according to executive search firm Spencer Stuart. A total of 20 percent of directors added to Silicon Valley companies over the past year were women. Maybe it's no coincidence that Mattel just released Computer Engineer Barbie, pointing out that the busy blonde is no stranger to science. Way back in 1965, she worked as an astronaut.

Upcoming Tech Events

K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart) Social Media Training Seminar

November 20 - Los Angeles

Clear the confusion surrounding social media marketing and get information, coaching and hands-on tutoring to carry out an effective marketing campaign on social media 

Oracle Solaris Day

December 1 - New York

Learn Solaris integration into Oracle software portfolio, installation modernization with Automated Installer, Solaris Infiniband capabilities and more.

Cloudstock

December 6 - San Francisco

Top cloud developers and top cloud technologies get together to learn from each other, collaborate, innovate, and drive the future of cloud computing.  

D: Dive Into Mobile

December 6-7 - San Francisco

A Wall Street Journal conference drilling down to the innovations influencing the mobile space in the near-term¿and the implications for strategic directions over the next year to 18 months.

Gartner Data Center Conference

December 6-9 - Las Vegas

Tactics and strategies to address next-stage virtualization, the impact of cloud computing, best practices in cost optimization, managing escalating energy costs, the aging infrastructure, and more.

-- Don Willmott

 

Post originale: http://career-resources.dice.com/articles/content/entry/introducing_the_dice_news_weekly

The Dice Resume-Writing Checklist

By Leslie Stevens-Huffman

In your quest to create the perfect resume, you have to slog through reams of information. But it's hard to read every blog post, article and book, then incorporate the opinions of multiple experts. What you really need is a checklist to make sure you've mastered the basic techniques and incorporated key concepts before you hit the submit button.

So, here's our checklist, to help you do just that.

Format, Theme and Appearance

___Format

Full-time employees with a stable work history often select a chronological format, while contractors, career-changers, job hoppers and recent grads are best served by a blended or functional resume format. Select a style that highlights your strengths and diminishes your weaknesses.

___Multiple versions

One-size does-not-fit-all. Create several versions of your resume, and then customize the information to match the company and the job description before you submit.

___Length

Maximum of two to three pages limited to the last 10 years. Offer an addendum covering your additional work history upon request.

___Visual appeal

Use white space or text boxes to separate major sections. Draw the reviewer¿s eye to critical experience and keywords using boldface type, varying font styles, capital letters and bullets. But don't overdo it.

___Screening software

Make sure your resume survives the electronic screening process by repeating the keywords from the job description.

___Audience appeal

Speak to the reviewer by mirroring the language in the job description, excluding superfluous data and focusing your presentation on the employer's needs and environment.

___Flawless spelling and grammar

Don't rely on spell check. Ask someone you trust to proofread your resume. General rules to follow: first person is assumed, so avoid it. Bullets should begin with past tense action verbs, unless they describe your current position. Incorporate descriptive adjectives, capitalize proper nouns and spell-out acronyms on first reference.

___SEO optimization

Include links to your personal Web page, professional portfolio, blog posts, articles and profiles on professional networking sites. Don't link to external information that opposes your personal brand.

Opening Summary

___Contact information

Professional handles only, avoid "funny" e-mail addresses and voicemail greetings.

___Headline and qualifications summary

Tell the employer why you're the best candidate for the job and specify the position you're seeking. Follow with a bulleted summary of your key competencies, illustrating your match with the critical job requirements. Reviewers often separate the wheat from the chaff when reading this section.

___Skills summary

Provide a list of your technical and non-technical skills and certifications, duplicating the priority from the job description. Be disciplined; avoid outdated technology and unrelated skills.

Work History  

___Generic job titles

Make sure the reviewer understands your prior roles by avoiding company-specific job titles.

___Position summaries

Provide a brief narrative describing each company or project, your responsibilities and the challenges you faced. This paragraph provides the reviewer with a backdrop as they analyze your accomplishments.

___Responsibilities, tasks and accomplishments

Segment bullets by type under each position or skill category, if you've chosen a functional or blended resume format. Order matters! Always place the most significant items at the top of the list. Squeeze in "extra" tech skills by providing a short summary under each position.

____Supporting examples

Validate your brand and the claims in your qualifications summary by providing numerous examples in your task, responsibility and accomplishment statements. Quantify your accomplishments and illustrate key points using charts and graphs.

____Consistent dates

Choose an advantageous format and stick with it.

Conclusion

___Education, affiliations and awards

Exclude degree dates, unless you're a recent grad. New grads should list GPAs of 3.0 or higher and help reviewers understand your qualifications by providing a list of your courses. Include personal affiliations if they bolster your brand, like being a community leader. Explain professional awards and why they're significant.

___References etc.

State that references and additional work history are available upon request.

___ Keyword summary

Conclude with a keyword list that incorporates alternate spellings and job titles like: database administrator, data base admin and DBA.

Post originale: http://career-resources.dice.com:80/articles/content/entry/achieve_perfection_by_auditing_your1