Sunday, July 31, 2011

The BDPA Insider - July 31, 2011


 
The BDPA Insider - July 31, 2011

What better way to start the day than with your weekly message from BDPA!

In this issue:
Fundraising Tip: Make Specific and Direct Asks for Money
Fundraising Tip: Never Apply for a Grant Without Contacting the Foundation First
Is Your Digital Tattoo Attracting or Repulsing Customers?
Job Seeker Mindset Training
The future of IT will be reduced to three kinds of jobs
BDPA CHICAGO CHAPTER'S FANTASTIC VOYAGE - 8/5/2011
2011 BDPA Technology Conference Video
BDPA Conference Workshop: 'Everybody Matters' (LaShawn Sithole)
BDPA Conference Workshop: CyberLife Tutors, 7/26/2011 (April Williams)
Blacks Gone Geek Live! 2011 National BDPA Conference
BDPA National Conference Career Fair Registration Now Open

Click here for the latest issue of "The BDPA Insider":
 
Click here for "The BDPA Insider" Archives:

 
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) spends a good deal of time talking with people about BDPA programs and services. We think that the worthiness of these programs is so self-evident that the money should be flowing in from donors to help us expand them. Of course, we've learned over time that we're just having a 'pleasant conversation' if we don't close the deal. I think that the following fundraising tip may be a helpful reminder to all of us that work with nonprofits that are doing good works.

Make Specific and Direct Asks for Money:

Click here for more:

 
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) spends a good deal of time writing grant proposals. Our success rate isn't very high. I think that the following fundraising tip may be helpful to us as we move forward in our grant-writing campaign.

Never Apply for a Grant Without Contacting the Foundation First:

Click here for more:

by Tonya R. Taylor
 
It’s a fact, love them or hate them tattoos are popular and (almost) permanent. The tattoo design choice, or body art, says something about you; well actually a lot about you. It may convey your mood at a particular moment in time, it may have a deep personal meaning, you may like the artwork or some may think they're just stylish.

Even though tattoos have become incredibly mainstream the kind I am talking about has nothing to do with body art. This type of tattoo is about your business or career; yes even if you have a small business, be a college student or work in corporate America. Let me ask you a simple question, what does your digital tattoo say about your business?

Before you can answer that, I need to explain exactly what a Digital Tattoo is.

Click here for more:

 
When you think about it, you truly are an amazing being. How you think causes how you feel (emotions), which in turn urges what you do (performance), thereby creating your results and how others perceive you (impressions). It all begins with how you think. Your thoughts, about 60,000 per day, arise from what you believe and how you choose to observe and interpret the world. In effect, you keep making thoughts up and believing they are real, without realizing you are the master of how you made yourself feel and what you achieve. Each minute of every day, you have the option to think in a manner to produce joy, optimism, enthusiasm, gratitude and love, or just as easily, you can produce fear, worry, envy, doubt and anger. No one controls how you think but you, and you can produce either of these emotions at will or without regard to your actual circumstances. For example, you can cause yourself to feel upbeat during bad times, or you can allow yourself to feel beat down during good times. The biggest challenge you face every day is controlling how you think in order to self-motivate your best performance, results and impressions. So how is that working out for you?

Click here for more:

from BDPA Detroit TAC by Cliff Samuels Jr
By Jason Hiner
 
Takeaway: The IT profession and the IT job market are in the midst of seismic changes that are going to shift the focus to three types of jobs.

There’s a general anxiety that has settled over much of the IT profession in recent years. It’s a stark contrast to the situation just over a decade ago. At the end of the 1990s, IT pros were the belles of the ball. The IT labor shortage regularly made headlines and IT pros were able to command excellent salaries by getting training and certification, job hopping, and, in many cases, being the only qualified candidate for a key position in a thinly-stretched job market. At the time, IT was held up as one of the professions of the future, where more and more of the best jobs would be migrating as computer-automated processes replaced manual ones.
Unfortunately, that idea of the future has disappeared, or at least morphed into something much different.

Click here for more:

 
AFTER A PRODUCTIVE DAY AT THE NATIONAL BDPA TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE...

Join your host chapter for a

FANTASTIC VOYAGE ABOARD THE ANITA DEE II

Click here for more:

 
This video provides a preview of the 33rd annual BDPA Technology Conference set to take place August 3-6, 2011 in Chicago, IL.

Video Credits: LeVern Danley (LAD4 Creations)

Click here for more:

 
Wayne Hicks & LaShawn Sithole
The 2011 BDPA Technology Conference begins next week. One of the people that I'm looking forward to seeing is LaShawn Sithole (owner, One In a Billion Consulting). I met LaShawn a few years ago at a BDPA conference (see photo) and have followed the growth of her business interests since. In fact, my hope is that the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation will work closely the Next Young Phenom Foundation in the coming weeks and months.

It is for these reasons that I'm looking forward to sitting in on LaShawn's workshop next week in Chicago.

Click here for more:

Black Data Processing Associates Conference Features April M. Williams. The 2011 National Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) Technology conference will feature April M. Williams, an executive coach and author of “Social Networking Throughout Your Career.” She will present two sessions, 'Creating Buzz Marketing for Professionals' and 'Facebook: Your Chapter PR Friend.'

During these 90 minute sessions, BDPA conference attendees will engage in interactive sessions to promote their professional careers using social networking tools. As a result of these presentations, participants will be armed to promote themselves effectively in the marketplace and demonstrate the value of their skills.

Click here for more:

  
Careers in Technology and much, much more

The objective of this workshop is to inspire you to embrace and effectively use Information Technology in your academic pursuits and professional career.

Careers in Technology and much, much more
  
Who: Milt Haynes, Founder, Blacks Gone Geek [bio]

Date: Friday, August 5, 2011 
Time: 2:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Where: Hilton Chicago
Room: TBD
Address: 720 South Michigan, Chicago, IL 60605

Click here for more:

 
Are you taking your career in a new direction?
...or are you just entering the workforce?
...or are you undecided about your career path?

Then this EXPO is for you!!
August 5-6,  2011
Chicago Hilton
720 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605

Click here to download the Career Fair Flyer to give to a friend:

Click here to register for the Friday event:

Click here to register for the Saturday event:

Please accept our invitation to join us in the City of the Big Shoulders by registering for the 33rd Annual National BDPA Conference, August 3-6, 2011 at the Hilton Chicago.

Click here to register for the 2011 National BDPA Conference today!



Hilton Chicago
720 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60603

Subscribe to the BDPA Foundation Blog via email: http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=649683
 
Subscribe to the BDPA Community Blog: http://bdpa.site-ym.com/members/blog_view.asp?id=637492

Subscribe to Blacks Gone Geek Blog via email:

Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BDPA

Find the buzz on Twitter BDPA: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=BDPA

This message has been brought to you by the BDPA Social Networking Team:  http://www.bdpa.org/?page=BDPA_SNet

 Contact the BDPA Social Networking Team: socialnetworking@bdpa.org

PS: Please share this information with your friends, co-workers, church members, etc so that they can help us pass the word. The key is that we must share what we know with others so we can all grow and prosper.



Join The Blacks Gone Geek Community http://blacksgonegeek.org/JoinTheBlacksGoneGeekCommunity.aspx

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Job Seeker Mindset Training

by Jobseeker Success Mindset Training 






When you think about it, you truly are an amazing being. How you think causes how you feel (emotions), which in turn urges what you do (performance), thereby creating your results and how others perceive you (impressions). It all begins with how you think. Your thoughts, about 60,000 per day, arise from what you believe and how you choose to observe and interpret the world. In effect, you keep making thoughts up and believing they are real, without realizing you are the master of how you made yourself feel and what you achieve. Each minute of every day, you have the option to think in a manner to produce joy, optimism, enthusiasm, gratitude and love, or just as easily, you can produce fear, worry, envy, doubt and anger. No one controls how you think but you, and you can produce either of these emotions at will or without regard to your actual circumstances. For example, you can cause yourself to feel upbeat during bad times, or you can allow yourself to feel beat down during good times. The biggest challenge you face every day is controlling how you think in order to self-motivate your best performance, results and impressions. So how is that working out for you?

Traditional job search training teaches you how to find jobs, but not how to deal with the turmoil caused by the lack of jobs. This course does. You learn how to create the mindset skills to persevere and perform well despite the difficult economy and job market. If you cannot perform well, there is no business justification to hire you - even if you have a great resume and interview skills.

Here are links to YouTube videos that explain the training program.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lysnU520H1g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM3jxYzZvUk

This is the link to information about the online training program called "job seeker mindset training". By following the steps outlined in this training program, believe it or not, your ideal job will find you!  

http://www.facebook.com/jobseekersuccessmindset
Check it out. It will change your life!




Join The Blacks Gone Geek Community http://blacksgonegeek.org/JoinTheBlacksGoneGeekCommunity.aspx

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The BDPA Insider - July 24, 2011


 
The BDPA Insider - July 24, 2011

What better way to start the day than with your weekly message from BDPA!

In this issue:
BDPA CHICAGO CHAPTER'S FANTASTIC VOYAGE - 8/5/2011
Take Five: Osedra Siler (BDPA Indianapolis)
Take Five: Danielle Cauthen (BDPA New York)
Fundraising Tip: Stage a Board Member Thank-a-Thon
CIO Magazine - 7 Ways Job Seekers Self-Destruct
IT certifications have lost their pricing power
2011 BDPA Technology Conference Video
Blacks Gone Geek Live! 2011 National BDPA Conference
BDPA National Conference Career Fair Registration Now Open

Click here for the latest issue of "The BDPA Insider":
 
Click here for "The BDPA Insider" Archives:

 
AFTER A PRODUCTIVE DAY AT THE NATIONAL BDPA TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE...

Join your host chapter for a

FANTASTIC VOYAGE ABOARD THE ANITA DEE II

Click here for more:

 
Osedra Siler is a multi-talented IT professional currently employed by Eli Lilly & Company. Her skill sets include: Process Improvement, Change Management, Service Management, Project Management, Business Integration, Disaster Recovery testing and Security Access Management. She graduated in 2007 with a Information Systems degree from Florida A&M University.

I know Osedra has a passionate advocate for BDPA Indianapolis chapter ... particularly the youth education programs. She has worked for the past few years on the STEM-based training that the chapter provides to high school students.

Osedra agreed to participate in our ongoing 'Take Five' interview series.

Click here for more:

 
Danielle Cauthen works as a web developer for a major corporation during the day. She is also completing her studies to earn a Computer Systems Engineer degree from Columbia University.  Danielle is familiar to me because of her tireless volunteer efforts with BDPA New York chapter. I don't think that there has been a chapter event over the past few years that Danielle hasn't supported in one way or another. The most tangible evidence of her talents within BDPA shows in the work she has done over the past three years with HUMANWARE, the chapter's nationally-recognized newsletter.

It seemed only natural that we would seek Danielle out to participate in our ongoing 'Take Five' interview series.

Click here for more:

 
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is no different than any other nonprofit when it comes to fundraising. It is something that must be done constantly ... and it's hard to do! As such we thought it would be good to begin to share some fundraising tips.

Here is a tip on how to get your board more involved in fundraising:

Click here for more:

 
Ashburn VA, April 06, 2011: This market report of the IT jobs in the first quarter of 2011 is created based on the jobs posted in Corp-corp.com during this period and it shows some detailed statistics regarding the IT job market. The graph that shows the percentage of IT jobs posted every month in Q1, 2011 reveals the trending of the jobs in information technology.

The percentage of the IT jobs in the Q1, 2011 has been as follows: 18.1 % in January, 16.2% in February and 20.2% in March. These stats show that the demand for IT professionals has been increasing, as it had always been in the previous years.

Click here for more:

By Paul McNamara on Fri, 07/08/11 - 2:10pm.
 
Survey shows average starting salaries up 4.8 percent.

Of course, many a recent college grad would be unfamiliar with the concept of a pay window, but that's neither here nor there.

According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), starting salaries being offered to this year's college graduates are up 4.8 percent over this time last year.

Those with computer science degrees are doing just fine, too, although a shade less well than their counterparts in other disciplines.

Click here for more:

– Meridith Levinson, CIO
 

The IT job market is improving, and CIOs are once again looking to hire permanent, full-time IT staff. But because the labor market is saturated with IT pros looking for work, IT hiring managers are being choosey, say IT staffing industry experts.

Make one mistake on your résumé, and you can forget about being called for an interview. Fail to impress during the job interview, and the hiring manager may cut your meeting short. Go dark on a prospective employer after a job interview, and you can kiss your chances of getting a job offer good-bye. Yes, my friends, the stakes are that high.

Click here for more:

 
Foote Partners provides the industry's most unique and up-to-date benchmark research on IT salaries and skills/certifications pay and market demand.

IT certifications have lost their pricing power. Foote Partners reports that pay premiums for certifications are at their lowest point in 12 years, while non-certified skills are commanding more money. The IT Skills and Certifications Pay Index for the first quarter of 2011 shows 252 noncertified IT skills garnering a fifth consecutive pay gain, while 231 certifications saw declines again. “Being able to execute, work well as a member of a team, and prove that you have what it takes to get stuff done is what organizations covet most in their workers,” says David Foote, Foote Partners’ CEO and Chief Research Officer. “There are hundreds of skills that may not have certifications that are valued more highly by employers. If there is a choice between a worker with demonstrated experience or a person who is less experienced but holds a certification in the same skill, employers are choosing the experienced person and paying a premium for that experience. Ideally they’d probably like to have both.”

Click here for more:

 
This video provides a preview of the 33rd annual BDPA Technology Conference set to take place August 3-6, 2011 in Chicago, IL.

Video Credits: LeVern Danley (LAD4 Creations)

Click here for more:

  
Careers in Technology and much, much more

The objective of this workshop is to inspire you to embrace and effectively use Information Technology in your academic pursuits and professional career.

Careers in Technology and much, much more
  
Who: Milt Haynes, Founder, Blacks Gone Geek [bio]

Date: Friday, August 5, 2011 
Time: 2:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Where: Hilton Chicago
Room: TBD
Address: 720 South Michigan, Chicago, IL 60605

Click here for more:

 
Are you taking your career in a new direction?
...or are you just entering the workforce?
...or are you undecided about your career path?

Then this EXPO is for you!!
August 5-6,  2011
Chicago Hilton
720 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605

Click here to download the Career Fair Flyer to give to a friend:

Click here to register for the Friday event:

Click here to register for the Saturday event:

Please accept our invitation to join us in the City of the Big Shoulders by registering for the 33rd Annual National BDPA Conference, August 3-6, 2011 at the Hilton Chicago.

Click here to register for the 2011 National BDPA Conference today!



Hilton Chicago
720 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60603

Subscribe to the BDPA Foundation Blog via email: http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=649683
 
Subscribe to the BDPA Community Blog: http://bdpa.site-ym.com/members/blog_view.asp?id=637492

Subscribe to Blacks Gone Geek Blog via email:

Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BDPA

Find the buzz on Twitter BDPA: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=BDPA

This message has been brought to you by the BDPA Social Networking Team:  http://www.bdpa.org/?page=BDPA_SNet

 Contact the BDPA Social Networking Team: socialnetworking@bdpa.org

PS: Please share this information with your friends, co-workers, church members, etc so that they can help us pass the word. The key is that we must share what we know with others so we can all grow and prosper.



Join The Blacks Gone Geek Community http://blacksgonegeek.org/JoinTheBlacksGoneGeekCommunity.aspx

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Top IT jobs in demand in 2011-Q1

Ashburn VA, April 06, 2011:This market report of the IT jobs in the first quarter of 2011 is created based on the jobs posted in Corp-corp.com during this period and it shows some detailed statistics regarding the IT job market. The graph that shows the percentage of IT jobs posted every month in Q1, 2011 reveals the trending of the jobs in information technology.

The percentage of the IT jobs in the Q1, 2011 has been as follows: 18.1 % in January, 16.2% in February and 20.2% in March. These stats show that the demand for IT professionals has been increasing, as it had always been in the previous years.

Java/J2EE jobs were about 14% of the total IT jobs posted in our site in Q1, 2011. The top five skills during this period were Java/J2EE, Dot Net skills (Dot Net, VB, C# and ASP), SAP, System admin / Network and QA / Testing. The jobs for these top 5 skills cover 53% of the total IT jobs posted in this period.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its March numbers confirming solid job growth across the country. Nonfarm payroll employment rose 216,000 for the month. That's the largest number of jobs added in a month since May of last year. Additionally, the unemployment rate is at 8.8 %, down a full percentage point from November - the largest decline in a 4- month period since 1984.



For more info:
http://www.corp-corp.com/it-jobs-trend-2011Q1.aspx



Join The Blacks Gone Geek Community http://blacksgonegeek.org/JoinTheBlacksGoneGeekCommunity.aspx

Monday, July 18, 2011

IT certifications have lost their pricing power




Foote Partners provides the industry's most unique and up-to-date benchmark research on IT salaries and skills/certifications pay and market demand.

IT certifications have lost their pricing power. Foote Partners reports that pay premiums for certifications are at their lowest point in 12 years, while non-certified skills are commanding more money. The IT Skills and Certifications Pay Index for the first quarter of 2011 shows 252 noncertified IT skills garnering a fifth consecutive pay gain, while 231 certifications saw declines again. “Being able to execute, work well as a member of a team, and prove that you have what it takes to get stuff done is what organizations covet most in their workers,” says David Foote, Foote Partners’ CEO and Chief Research Officer. “There are hundreds of skills that may not have certifications that are valued more highly by employers. If there is a choice between a worker with demonstrated experience or a person who is less experienced but holds a certification in the same skill, employers are choosing the experienced person and paying a premium for that experience. Ideally they’d probably like to have both.”

Click here for more:




Join The Blacks Gone Geek Community http://blacksgonegeek.org/JoinTheBlacksGoneGeekCommunity.aspx

Sunday, July 17, 2011

The BDPA Insider - July 17, 2011


 
The BDPA Insider - July 17, 2011

What better way to start the day than with your weekly message from BDPA!

In this issue:
2011 BDPA Technology Conference Video
[BETF] Why Yo' Momma Won't Use Google+
Blacks Gone Geek Live! 2011 National BDPA Conference
Bemley Scholar Nia Love Heads to Valdosta State University
HSCC Testimonial: Naomi Matthews (Washington DC, 2010)
What Does the Invisible Thought Bubble From Your Members Say?
Newsletter: BDPA Washington DC (Jul 2011) 
Never Give Up
BDPA National Conference Career Fair Registration Now Open

Click here for the latest issue of "The BDPA Insider":
 
Click here for "The BDPA Insider" Archives:

 
This video provides a preview of the 33rd annual BDPA Technology Conference set to take place August 3-6, 2011 in Chicago, IL.

Video Credits: LeVern Danley (LAD4 Creations)

Click here for more:

BDPA Foundation News, Tuesday, July 12, 2011
by Wayne Hicks
 
In This Issue
Why Yo' Momma Won't Use Google+
Bemley Scholar: Francisco Nunez
BDPA Calendar of Events
President Profile: Toni Love
Career Center (224 Jobs!)

Click here for more:

  
Careers in Technology and much, much more

The objective of this workshop is to inspire you to embrace and effectively use Information Technology in your academic pursuits and professional career.

Careers in Technology and much, much more
  
Who: Milt Haynes, Founder, Blacks Gone Geek [bio]

Date: Friday, August 5, 2011 
Time: 2:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Where: Hilton Chicago
Room: TBD
Address: 720 South Michigan, Chicago, IL 60605

Click here for more:

 
BDPA Atlanta chapter had its greatest finish in the National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships back in 2008. The members of that team came in fifth place and earned Jesse Bemley Scholarships.

One of the talented members of that team was Nia Love. She is a multi-dimensional graduate who played basketball, golf and softball at Mt. Zion High School in Atlanta GA. She plans to use her Bemley Scholarship to study criminal justice at Valdosta State University.

Nia shared thoughts about her BDPA experiences:

Click here for more:

 
Naomi Matthews was a member of the HSCC team trained by BDPA Washington DC chapter that earned a silver medal at the 2010 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) Championship held in Philadelphia. In the process Naomi also earned a Jesse Bemley Scholarship which she plans to use to study computer science in college.

Here is her HSCC testimonial:

Click here for more:

 
Have you ever wondered what your members are thinking? Remember the 'invisible thought bubbles' that are drawn about the heads of your cartoon heroes? Ever wonder about the 'invisible thought bubbles' running over the heads of your chapter members? Perhaps they are thinking about things without telling you.

Click here for more:

 
Click here for more:

 
If you are unemployed or underemployed, this post is for you.  

I was laid off from my job on in mid-January of this year and I’m still looking. It’s been 6 months but I’m not worried. I’m willing to put in the extra time and effort to find my ideal job. What keeps me motivated? Check this out!

Are You Motivated? by MicroTrain Career Services

Click here for more:

 
Are you taking your career in a new direction?
...or are you just entering the workforce?
...or are you undecided about your career path?

Then this EXPO is for you!!
August 5-6,  2011
Chicago Hilton
720 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605

Click here to download the Career Fair Flyer to give to a friend:

Click here to register for the Friday event:

Click here to register for the Saturday event:

Please accept our invitation to join us in the City of the Big Shoulders by registering for the 33rd Annual National BDPA Conference, August 3-6, 2011 at the Hilton Chicago.

Click here to register for the 2011 National BDPA Conference today!



Hilton Chicago
720 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60603

Subscribe to the BDPA Foundation Blog via email: http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=649683
 
Subscribe to the BDPA Community Blog: http://bdpa.site-ym.com/members/blog_view.asp?id=637492

Subscribe to Blacks Gone Geek Blog via email:

Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BDPA

Find the buzz on Twitter BDPA: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=BDPA

This message has been brought to you by the BDPA Social Networking Team:  http://www.bdpa.org/?page=BDPA_SNet

 Contact the BDPA Social Networking Team: socialnetworking@bdpa.org

PS: Please share this information with your friends, co-workers, church members, etc so that they can help us pass the word. The key is that we must share what we know with others so we can all grow and prosper.



Join The Blacks Gone Geek Community http://blacksgonegeek.org/JoinTheBlacksGoneGeekCommunity.aspx