I was invited to keynote the Career Professional Development Event this week hosted by CIPS Vancouver and held at BCIT (British Columbia Institute of Technology). With proceeds going to scholarships, Neil Johnson, President of CIPS Vancouver provided a convincing argument [to reschedule my existing conflicting commitments] when he requested I share my experiences, and provide career lessons. The event also provided a great opportunity to dialogue with the organizers, speakers, and guests. I would recommend putting the event on your calendar for next year. I would also recommend attending this year’s biggest educational event for IT managers and professionals, the CIPS INFORMATICS conference held in Victoria May 28th to May 30th. I'll be there as well as resident bloggers Barnaby Jeans and Bruce Cowper. It would be a great chance to talk and collaborate.

Back to the Career Day; I enjoyed the experience and ended my talk with career tips from international experts that I contacted the prior week, asking them to share their experiences. I thought--why not share them with you in a series of blog posts. So here we go:

"All too often technologists receive ample training in their field (of technology) but fail to seek training in the all important area of communications. If you are unable to explain your vision for the technology you are using to the all-important decision-makers in your organization, you are likely to fail. Use your free time to take a course in public speaking or business communications. Good communications skills will help you in all areas of your life."
Roger Sessions, Founder and CEO of Object Watch Inc.

"I just did a Webinar with the staff at Certification Magazine last week, and the firm that conducted that publication's recently-printed 2006 salary survey. To me, the most interesting datum in that fascinating bit of statistics and market analysis was the emergence of the PMP (Project Management Professional) certification in the top 5 ranked credentials as they correlate to compensation. I believe this is a profound testament to the need for IT professionals to cultivate and develop "soft skills" - especially people skills, as well as oral and written communications skills - and the first real tangible evidence that IT is maturing as a profession. I think the general subject of soft skills [is important] and why it's a good idea to develop them if you want to advance in your IT career (especially if your sights are set on either top-level technical or management tracks)."
Ed Tittel, Technology Editor for Certification Magazine
Contributor to more than 130 books (example: Exam Cram series).
2005 NPA Global Hall of Fame: Distinguished Fellow

Thank you,
Stephen Ibaraki