Studying Web Design?

CIW have made some exciting changes to their certification and I have just attended a presentation given by James Stanger who is the President and Chief Certification Architect at CIW. He spoke about the benefits these changes would bring to students and prospective employers.

For those that don’t already know the Certified Internet Webmaster – CIW – was created by a community of web professionals from around the world and has an advisory council made up of Industry, Academia, Government and Not-for profit organisations. I find it reassuring to know that the training and certification we provide is under constant review and evolves to reflect todays Web Design technologies and job roles and that’s what the changes are all about.

Several name changes have taken place along with the re-structure and will now consist of Associate, Specialist and Professional levels.

1D0-510 – This exam is still broken down into 3 sections and when passed you are awarded the CIW Web Foundations Associate certification.

• CIW Internet Business Associate
• CIW Site Development Associate
• CIW Network Technology Associate

1D0-520 – Previously known as CIW Site Designer. This exam continues to be split down into the following sections and when passed you are awarded the CIW Web Design Specialist certification.

• CIW Site Development Essentials
• CIW Web Design Elements
• CIW Basic Web Technologies
• CIW Advanced Web Technologies

1D0-525 – Previously known as CIW Ecommerce Designer. This exam continues to be split down into the following sections and when passed you are awarded the CIW E-Commerce Specialist certification.

• E-Commerce Site Development
• E-Commerce Technology and Security
• E-Commerce Business, Marketing and Legal Issues

Once you have gained the Web Design Specialist certification and the E-Commerce Specialist certification you will also gain the Web Design Professional certification.

Six Top Tips for Motivation- my favourites so far

Well you all know by now that I want to wing walk on my birthday and I agreed to get fit and give up smoking.  I can tell you it’s not easy but I have had some great feedback from some of the students and everyone here at Computeach (big thank you) and thought I would share my favourites so far.

1. Get a Buddy – someone who will work with you, share the experience and encourage you to keep going when it gets tough. My brother has been roped in for this one. If you’re a student the student forum is a great place to for you to do this. You can share, gain support and make friends.

2. Visualisation – close your eyes and imagine the end result – here I go - standing on top of a bi-plane and taking a dive – can’t wait.

3. Small Chunks – break your main goal down into small chunks of success.

4. Plan Ahead – plan what you are going to do and when. This is much easier to do once you have broken your main goal down into small chunks.

5. Time – plan your time and let people know what you are doing and why – it’s amazing at how supportive and encouraging everyone becomes.

6. Record Progress – keep a record of the progress you make and detail each success. I’m finding this is a great way to boost my confidence in my ability to stick with it when the going gets tough.

What do you think? Have you got any more?

Yes you can

It’s going to be my birthday soon –and I wanted to do something really fun like wing walking so, with best intentions decided to give up smoking and get fit. Did you ever wonder how some people find it so easy to remain motivated, positive and focused while others don’t? I know I do. Because it’s just not that easy is it?

When ‘’M’ returned from WPC (and still no gossip from the bond night) she was talking about the keynote speech given by President Bill Clinton. He asked everyone to think about the impact of the IT revolution and what part they can play in achieving equality around the globe. She said his enthusiasm was really quite contagious and everyone was talking about it afterwards. But how is he going to keep that momentum going? Clinton did say he is on Facebook and answers question on the social network site. “We actually do tweets from time to time to keep people up with what we’re doing, which I never thought I would do”, he said.

So, it got me thinking about the students I support and what I can do to help. We have student forums and I often pop in and out to offer a bit of advice and like President Clinton we actually tweet from time to time and the tutors are great when the students need a little more help as IT certification can be quite complicated at times.

But what else helps?

I would like your thoughts – what keeps you enthusiastic about the changes you have committed to? How do you keep yourself motivated when things get tough?

Add your comments and let me know.

It’s going to get cloudy……..

So, what is all this hype around Cloud computing, what is it and why is everyone talking about how it will revolutionise the way organisations operate.

With the global economy taking a bashing and technology evolving at an alarming rate having the technical infrastructure to operate in today’s business market can be a daunting prospect – it is not easy to forcast with accuracy the requirments needed to operate successfully and at the same time take into account the fluctuating demand on resource?

Well that’s where Cloud computing takes over. It has been described as hosting with a difference – the difference being you can have as little or as much as you want when you want for as long as you want. The infrastructure is there, developed, maintained and updated by a third party so all a user needs is a computer with internet access.


It was apparent at this year’s WPC that Microsoft see the Cloud as something to be taken seriously and it is the bed-rock of their strategy moving forward. CEO, Steve Ballmer and COO, Kevin Turner both addressed cloud-computing in their keynote speech with Turner stating that Microsoft’s big goal for the next couple of decades was “continuous cloud service for every person and every business”.

Corporate VP Jon Roskill, taking over the Microsoft Partner Programme this year from Allison Watson, spoke passionately about Microsoft’s collaboration with partners saying that “together we're going to succeed in this transformation to cloud”.

Computeach will be following progress in this area closely over the next few months and as always we will keep you all in the loop.


Drop your comments in the box as we would like to have your thoughts.

Computeach go to the Microsoft World Partner Conference (WPC)

All go here today – our boss has just returned from the Microsoft World Partner Conference (WPC) in Washington DC, a bit bleary eyed (jet lag) and full of innovation.. So far she has not mentioned the themed Bond night but we are calling her ‘M’ and I am sure she will reveal all at some point.


The WPC happens every year and provides the opportunity for Microsoft Partners to get together with each other and Microsoft (over 14000 registered attendees from more than 130 countries this year) to exchange ideas and learn from one and other whilst being updated on all the latest technologies and strategies from sessions run by Microsoft.


With over 500 sessions taking place at the event we will provide highlights from the best bits going into much more detail on each subject but Just to give you an idea of some of the subjects that were hot:

• Cloud computing and Mobile working
• Using technology for global aid and development

• Enterprise-class computing for the smaller business

• Education

• Government

• Health and public safety

• National security

• The hybrid organisation

Drop a comment if you have any preference to what would interest you the most.

What Next………

He really would like you to believe he can leap from tall buildings in one bound………


Anyway, while my meek and mild mannered friend is off saving the planet (well he is doing his bit and putting bottle tops in the golden box) I thought I would introduce myself – I’m the colleague (AKA Lois) and have to agree this is going to be a great place to keep you all updated.


Last week proved very busy with CIW announcing changes to their certification and Microsoft running their World Partner Conference in Washington DC.  We have participated in lots of events and will be able to update you with all the interesting news in the weeks to come.  So, watch this space and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

It’s a bird……..It’s a plane………….

Seriously, I’ve just been asked to take over this blog along with my colleague (who for the record I’m now calling Lois) and I’m really excited. It reminds me of the first time I went Zorbing – no idea what to expect and no idea what I am going to do but ready to try. So, like all dedicated Zorbonauts let’s get this ball rolling.

My real job here in Dudley is to support students with their studies keeping them informed and on-track. This is going to be a great place to keep you up to date, provide lots of information on all the programmes, plenty of hints and tips and not forgetting all the latest office gossip. You can even add your own comments and let me know what you think 

Up Up and Away…………………

IT jobs salaries have increased, figures indicate

The salaries of workers in the UK's IT industry rose by two per cent between 2009 and 2010, new figures indicate.

According to statistics released by recruitment firm CVScreen which surveyed almost 7,500 IT jobs posted online, the average salary stood at £36,818 at the beginning of the year, CIO reports.

IT directors, programme managers and software development managers were found to be the highest earners, bringing in between £55,286 and £95,000.

Despite boasting smaller salaries, positions involving PHP development, SharePoint and .Net were found to be most prevalent.

PC support and VB development were found to offer fewer vacancies, while demand for SAP, Lotus and DB2 skills also declined.

In other news, figures from the Ashdown Group Jobs Index show that almost three per cent more computing and technology jobs were advertised last month compared to April.

Ashdown Group director John Lynes said that despite government cuts, the private sector is still particularly interested in employees with "in-demand development skill sets".

For more information on IT jobs, CIW courses and web design courses visit http://www.computeach.co.uk

Careers in IT

SEO in Web design

Website design is an art form in itself. In order to make sure that the site you are designing achieves all that it has set out to do, the designer has to achieve a dual mindset, embracing what the client wants to project along with what it is that the consumer wants to see. To help strike this balance, we have compiled a list of the top five fundamental 'do's and don'ts' of website design because, in the complicated arena of web design, it can often be these fundamentals that get overlooked.

1) Bigger isn't better
This rule of thumb is applicable to graphics, text and audio effects. The bigger the file size, the longer it will take to download. Google research has found that consumers expect a website to download in full in around 30 seconds. After this time, browsers tended to move on or 'bounce' to another site if the website was not ready for them to use. Where graphics are concerned, if your website has graphics involving a wide range of colours, the file is best saved as JPG files. However, if there are few colours, GIF files are more appropriate. GIF palettes are also available with optimized colours, which can reduce file sizes by around 50%.

CIW Courses Becoming More Popular

CIW or Certified Internet Webmaster is aimed at providing Internet professionals with the technical know-how and the skills to use the very latest web development tools. In a society that increasingly relies on the Internet for both business and pleasure, CIW certification is one of the most advanced and cutting edge qualifications - and it's one that's highly sought after in the business world.

Bringing the web up to date
The web is constantly evolving and those working behind the scenes can no longer just rely on a good knowledge of computer languages such as Java, Flash or even basic html to see them through. Now, webmasters need to know much more, not just about the technical aspects of web design and maintenance, but also how subjects such as marketing and security fit into the plan. CIW has set itself as the benchmark by which other computer certifications are measured, which makes it a must-have for anyone serious about a career in IT.

Getting a Job With an MCSA Certification

The MCSA is the fastest-growing Microsoft certification; within the first five months of its launch over 22,000 people had earned the certification as this program has become the required skill for professionals who are seeking a job for their career in the information technology industry. Microsoft is a global leader in computer networking, so you can set your sights on a high flying career with long term prospects and the potential to travel nationally and internationally.

In the IT industry, you will often hear qualifications referred to as 'Certifications':

o 75% of managers believe that the certifications are important to team performance
o The added market value that a certification brings can be as high as 30 - 40%
o The Average salary uplift reported all certifications in the study were in the 5-11% range.

Job roles with MCSA

Today's networking challenges could be within an organisation's internal network, a network connecting regional offices or a wide area network supporting international operations. The networking role is diverse and highly rewarding.

Job roles for people chasing this certification usually include: systems administrator, network administrator, information systems administrator, network operations analyst, network technician, or technical support specialist.

To achieve a Windows 2003 MCSA, a candidate must pass four exams. There are 3 core exams and one elective exam.

Take your time to understand your learning's around salary potential, career prospects, plus your ambition. It's vital to know what this industry expects from you, what kind of qualifications will be required and how to broaden your experience. Have a conversation with an experienced advisor that has a background in the industry you are considering, and provide detailed descriptions of what you want to do in that role. Getting to the bottom of this all well before beginning a training course will save you both time and money.

Exchange 2000/2003 Database Files 101

Exchange data is stored in a database system known as Extensible Storage Engine (ESE) which is a variant of Microsoft Joint Engine Technology (JET). Some of you may be asking why Microsoft doesn’t use SQL Server as the database engine for Exchange. Microsoft have looked into this and ............

Do "real" techies use help?

At home I have books everywhere.  Shelves full of manuals for the various products I have used over the years. This Christmas I bought my wife a new camera. There was a very small leaflet to get you started but no longer a big fat book.  The manual came on a CD.   This is great for the trees and much cheaper for the companies that need to send out the manuals.  Even better, often you don't even get the CD - you can just download the manual from the Internet!

Having got the manual from wherever it might be, one of the questions I ask people, especially techies, is ‘Do you use help’? Although you'd think the standard response would be a sharp "No", strangely a small number say that they do.  And good on them, because within the windows operating systems there are a lot of hidden gems tucked away in help and support.  The belligerent and misguided refusal to rely on the help crutch means that you might miss them.......

Learning to Learn

So..... it's still snowy and my eldest daughter's school is still closed. She's at home and really would like to spend all day watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer but I (and the school) don't think this is a suitable addition to the National Curriculum!

I'm really impressed with the use of technology at her school. They have constantly updated their web site to let us know what's happening snow wise and, to make sure that the children keep up with their work, each year has a section on the site with their own special homework assignments.

What has been really interesting today though is watching how my daughter approaches this work......

So who did invent the Wibbly Wobbly World?

Before joining Computeach I used to work with a very clever chap called Lawrence O'Connor who always called the World Wide Web the Wibbly Wobbly World. Now that's got no bearing on anything really but everytime I write WWW it makes me think of him.

I'm an avid Radio 4 listener and over the last few days I've heard the trails for some of the "Moments of Genius" that they've been featuring.

Today, as I went in to the kitchen to make a cup of tea because my internet connection had just gone down (probably something to do with the"wrong" type of snow) I just happened to hear Martha Lane Fox giving us her chosen Moment of Genius (if you don't know who Martha Lane Fox is and you want to then you can click here).

She was thanking Tim Berners-Lee for inventing the Internet. You can hear the broadcast at the BBC website...........

IT Staff most sought-after in December

So it seems that IT may be riding out the recession and still remains one of the areas where employers are seeking new talent.

In this article from computing.co.uk Nicola Britton references research sponsored by the major consulting firm KPMG that shows that in December IT was ranked second and third most sought after for permanent and temporary staff respectively.

Good news for all of you studying towards your IT qualifications with a view to getting in to the world of IT.

Happy studying
Lucy

It's nice to hear from our students.....

See this article for a review of the Computeach experience by one of our former students.

Thanks Mike.

Lucy