Beyond Certification – Invitation For Those Looking For Professional Development

You are cordially invited to join the new network for IT Technologists: Beyond Certification.  This a network for professional development, particularly for job seekers.  As an unemployed IT Manager, I’ve explored the job market thoroughly and have noticed these trends:

1)      There is an abundance of very talented IT Professionals looking for work.

2)      Employers can afford to be picky. They want to see evidence of experience “beyond certification” in the latest Technologies, such as Agile and Automation.

3)      Technologists want to learn the latest trends and technologies. Weekend Testing is a popular group, for example, that hosts events in which testers can use their exploratory testing skills to test open source software.

4)      Telecommuting is a viable option for software development teams. Distributed Agile environments are growing thanks to the many tools and technologies available to allow us to be effective with distributed teams.

5)      Crowdsourced testing is becoming more popular, thanks to the ability to reach people around the world.  uTest.com, for example, is a successful model of crowdsourced testing.

The ultimate goal of Beyond Certification is to gain professional experience with real-life projects leading to long-term employment.  I will be looking for sponsorship amongst tool vendors, such as Rally Software,  and HP.   Then I will be looking for clients who would give us real-life short-term projects.  Initially the focus will be on the test cycle, though I would like to have involvement from project managers, development and business, since I believe effective projects require strong communication from each of these areas. I will also need to have mentors who have experience in the tools and technologies that we will be highlighting for each project.

I will market this group to organizations that are looking to augment their staff or find talent “beyond certification.”  They will give us a short-term project and then I will recruit from the group for people that feel they have the skills and interest to perform the work. At the end of the project, the organization will review the outputs, with the potential of a job offer.  Those that participate in the project will be offered feedback from organization leaders, mentors and tool experts so that they will be able to continue to learn and grow their skills. Besides professional development and feedback, testimonials will be offered for high-performers. And though long-term employment is not guaranteed, participation will improve visibility and give an opportunity to network with hiring organizations.

Benefits

Benefits for Technologists

• Professional Development
• Chance to learn and work on latest tools and technologies
• Potential for Long-term employment
• Networking opportunities
• Potential for Freelance Telecommuting

Benefits for Employers

• If transitioning to new technologies, allows for trying it without committing to changing entire infrastructure
• Exposure to tools and processes to facilitate distributed Agile practices
• Get many testers for a short-term project for a much lower cost than outsourcing or hiring a QA staff
• Potential to find talented candidates for hire based on evidence of good work rather than on resumes, interviews or certifications
• Low-risk
• Low-cost

Benefits to Vendors

• Exposure to their tools, technologies, and services leading to more customers