- A) Professional Organizations that can offer mentorship or career-focused advantages for graduates in the IT field include (Sea.devry.edu, 2014):
- IEEE Computer Society
- Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP)
- Information Technology Association of America (ITAA)
- Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA)
B) There are several benefits that can be obtained through from being engaged in professional social networking. The first benefit is that it can help in forming interpersonal skills through technology (Paxus, 2014). This may even help in enhancing face-to-face interaction with other professionals. The second way is that it may be helpful in finding a new job (Paxus, 2014). Statistics in fact show that it is the best method for getting a new job. Professional social networking helps one to find jobs that may not be posted in newspapers or on the internet. The third way professional social networking may be useful is that it can open up opportunities for personal benefit (Paxus, 2014). By social networking, one may form close relationships with professionals who may even help out in personal projects and or even provide career mentorship. The fourth benefit is that it can help one to learn the best practices from other professionals (Paxus, 2014). This may help in identification of things like the latest software programs and quality improvement at work. The fifth benefit is that it can help to build confidence through being able to interact with others, and talk about one’s professional roles and abilities (Paxus, 2014).
- A) There are many certification programs for the information technology field or for a specific concentration. They include the:
- Apple certification program
- Cisco Career Certifications program
- Google Apps Certification Program
- IBM certification programs
- Microsoft Certified Professional program
- Oracle Certification Program
B) The certifications that will be the most valuable when coupled with my degree are:
- Oracle Certification Program
- Cisco Career Certification
- Microsoft Certification
References
Paxus.com.au,. (2014). Advantages of Professional Networking. Retrieved 15 December 2014, from http://www.paxus.com.au/news/2014/7/2/advantages-of-professional-networking/?6655
Sea.devry.edu,. (2014). Career Services - Professional Organizations | DeVry University Seattle. Retrieved 15 December 2014, from http://www.sea.devry.edu/career_services_prof_organizations.html
