Научная электронная библиотека

Монографии, изданные в издательстве Российской Академии Естествознания

АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК В СФЕРЕ ИНФОРМАЦИОННЫХ И КОМПЬЮТЕРНЫХ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ

Тюрина С. Ю.,

Unit 4. CAREERS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

READING ACTIVITIES

1. Work in groups of three. Read your text A, B or C and complete the table. You may not find information for each section of the table.

Text A. How to become a programming expert

The primary requirements for being a good programmer are nothing more than a good memory, an attention to detail, a logical mind and the ability to work through a problem in a methodical manner breaking tasks down into smaller, more manageable pieces.

However, it’s not enough just to turn up for a job interview with a logical mind as your sole qualification. An employer will want to see some sort of formal qualification and a proven track record. But if you can show someone an impressive piece of software with your name on it, it will count for a lot more than a string of academic qualifications.

So what specific skills are employers looking for? The Windows market is booming and there’s a demand for good C, С++, Delphi, Java and Visual Basic developers. Avoid older languages such as FORTRAN and COBOL unless you want to work as a contract programmer.

For someone starting out, my best advice would be to subscribe to the programming magazines such as Microsoft Systems Journal. Get one or two of the low-cost ‘student’ editions of С++, Visual Basic and Delphi. Get a decent book on Windows programming. If you decide programming is really for you, spend more money on a training course.

Text B. How to become a Computer Consultant

The first key point to realise is that you can’t know everything. However, you mustn’t become an expert in too narrow a field. The second key point is that you must be interested in your subject. The third key point is to differentiate between contract work and consultancy. Good contractors move from job to job every few months. A consultant is different. A consultant often works on very small timescales – a few days here, a week there, but often for a core collection of companies that keep coming back again and again.

There’s a lot of work out there for people who know Visual Basic, С++, and so on. And there are lots of people who know it too, so you have to be better than them. Qualifications are important. Microsoft has a raft of exams you can take, as does Novell, and in my experience these are very useful pieces of paper. University degrees are useless. They merely prove you can think, and will hopefully get you into a job where you can learn something useful. Exams like Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer are well worth doing. The same goes for Novel Linux Certification. However, this won’t guarantee an understanding of the product, its positioning in the market, how it relates to other products and so on. That’s where the all-important experience comes in.

Here’s the road map. After leaving university you get a technical role in a company and spend your evenings and weekends learning the tools of your trade – and getting your current employer to pay for your exams. You don’t stay in one company for more than two years. After a couple of hops like that, you may be in a good position to move into a junior consultancy position in one of the larger consultancy companies. By the age of 30, you’ve run big projects, rolled out major solutions and are well known. Maybe then it’s time to make the leap and run your own life.

Text C. How to become an IT Manager

IT managers manage projects, technology and people. Any large organization will have at least one IT manager responsible for ensuring that everyone who actually needs a PC has one and that it works properly. This means taking responsibility for the maintenance of servers and the installation of new software, and for staffing a help-desk and a support group.

Medium to large companies are also likely to have an IT systems manager. They are responsible for developing and implementing computer software that supports the operations of the business. They’re responsible for multiple development projects and oversee the implementation and support of the systems. Companies will have two or three major systems that are probably bought off the shelf and then tailored by an in-house development team.

Apart from basic hardware and software expertise, an IT manager will typically have over five years’ experience in the industry. Most are between 30 and 45. Since IT managers have to take responsibility for budgets and for staff, employers look for both of these factors in any potential recruit.

Nearly all IT managers have at least a first degree if not a second one as well. Interestingly, many of them don’t have degrees in computing science. In any case, the best qualification for becoming a manager is experience. If your personality is such that you’re unlikely to be asked to take responsibility for a small team or a project, then you can forget being an IT manager. You need to be bright, communicative and be able to earn the trust of your teams. Most of this can’t be taught, so if you don’t have these skills then divert your career elsewhere.

2. Now share information from your text with others in your group to complete the table for each of the occupations described.

3. For which of the careers described are these statements true? More than one career may match each statement.

4. Study these job requirements. Then try to match the requirements1-6 to the following list of jobs A-F.

A. Visual Basic Developer

B. IT Engineer (Network & Database)

C. Web Developer

D. Network Support

E. E-commerce Consultant

F. Team Leader

5. Read the text and answer the following questions.

1. Why is an IT Certification so important for both experienced and non experienced workers?

2. What are the best IT certifications for 2012?

BEST IT CERTIFICATIONS FOR 2012

Certifications give experienced workers a chance to master their skills and knowledge. Certifications prove how dedicated a professional is to be in the field they work in. For fresh graduates, it gives a hiring advantage over the competitors. It is a given IT industry fact, that an inexperienced but certified professional, is a better choice than a non-certified one. A certificate can be used as a proof of competency.

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) tests the skills and expertise in a specific technology. For example, the MCTS ASP.NET certification focuses on the .NET 3.5 ASP.NET suites. There are currently 20 specializations, with 5 broad subject categories which are Office, .NET framework, SQL Server, Windows and business intelligence. This is the first level of certification exams for Microsoft.

Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCTIP) is useful for experienced professionals. It tests the ability to use Microsoft technologies in performing an IT job, like database administrator or server administrator. To have this exam, one or more compulsory MCTS certifications are to be obtained first.

CompTIA A+ is a vendor neutral certification that covers multiple operating systems and technologies. It ensures basic knowledge of software and hardware components. It is intended for professionals, with at least 500 hours of hands-on experience, as the questions are based on practice, not theory. The A+ certification is especially used as a bench mark for computer support technicians, as the key exam areas are installation, networking, maintenance and troubleshooting of computer systems.

Apple Certified Technical Coordinator (ACTC) targets entry-level system administrators, who provide support and maintain Mac OS X client server environment.

Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) is the best Linux certification. It carries out practical exams. It deals with basic system administration. It is the mandatory base exam for higher Red Hat certifications like RHCE.

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is a certification from the nonprofit International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC2). It deals with information and network security. It is highly regarded as an information systems standard. It requires a minimum of 5 years, full-time, security work experience.

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) is an ethical hacker or penetration tester employed by a company to penetrate or hack into the network or computer systems, so that weaknesses in the security system can be exposed. As illegal hacking is rapidly becoming a serious threat in any organization, ethical hacking is gaining popularity as a popular testing method for network security.

Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) is information security certification. GIAC measures an individual’s specific knowledge areas in the field of information security, for nearly 20 job specific responsibilities, like firewall analyst, intrusion analyst or security expert to name a few.

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) is an advanced certification for experienced professionals in the field of information security. A CISM certificate exam validates an individual’s management skills and know-how of large enterprise-level information security handling. It has been accredited by the ANSI and requires at least 5 years of work experience in IT security.

Project Management Professional (PMP) certifies the management know-how and skills of an IT professional in handling projects and tasks at a managerial level within a budget and time limit.

6. Match the certification titles 1-5 and its description A-E.

7. Complete the sentences according to the information in the text.

1. A certificate can be used as a …

– proof of high salary

– proof of competency

– proof of knowledge.

2. IT Certification is important for …

– both experienced and non experienced workers

– experienced workers only

– fresh graduates.

3. Microsoft Certified IT Professional is useful for …

– non-experienced workers

– experienced professionals

– fresh graduates.

4. Apple Certified Technical Coordinator targets …

– top-level system administrators

– both top and entry-level system administrators

– entry-level system administrators.

5. Certified Information Security Manager is a certification in …

– the field of information security

– the field of installation of computer systems

– the field of network security.

WRITING ACTIVITIES

COVER LETTER AND CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)

A resume or CV is a summary of your educational qualifications and work experience. A cover letter or a letter of application is the letter that accompanies your resume when you send it to a company. Both of the documents are vitally important in the job application process.

1. Study the key information about a cover letter.

2. Study the samples of cover letter for IT jobs (Appendix 1). Complete the first paragraph of the cover letter. Then write two more paragraphs, explaining the reasons for applying and describing your skills and qualities. Provide complete postal address so that the recruiter can easily contact you. Mention the employer’s name, designation, company’s name, and address below your details.

Pay attention to the Writing Tips (Appendix 3).

3. Study the information about CV.

4. You may find it useful to study specific samples of Computer Resume for IT jobs at

http://www.bestsampleresume.com/computer-resumes.html

5. Study the CV of Paul W Cair (Appendix 2). Then write your own CV in the same way. For the purpose of this task, you can invent experience and assume you have passed all your examinations.