Ready For A Career Change? Travel The Microsoft Certification Route
Ready For A Career Change? Travel The Microsoft Certification Route
Do you have a degree in computer science? Do you want to make a career change? Have you considered Microsoft certifications?
A strong predictor of success and an excellent barometer of employability is the Microsoft certification.
Microsoft’s products are used by over 90% of Fortune 500 companies. And, according to Forbes, 84% of all IT professionals now hold at least one Microsoft certification. Spend your time and money on getting certified as opposed to working at a company that isn't sure how to use Windows 7 or Office 2013 (yes, we're looking at you). Here's a list certification programs that range from very easy to very hard.
Microsoft Certification Programs
What are you waiting for? Get your certifications!
Source: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa990076(WS.10).aspx
And here's the list of companies that require it:
Source: http://www3.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/exam-70-533656.aspx
Microsoft Certification Programs: Which Route Should I Take?
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Source: http://mcijobs.com/
Source: http://www.aplusappt.com/careers-at-aplus-appt/academic-recruitment/
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Source: http://www3.job-mentors.com/Job-Mentor/Recruiter-Share-or-Split-Income.html
This article is a review of a recruiter who wished to share his experiences with others (the recruiter wishes to remain anonymous). The topic is sharing income or split relationships. The opinions expressed are those of the author, not myself or my company.
Reviewing the Total Compensation Package
It has been my experience that recruiters who work for temp agencies must already be well versed in the software engineering industry for them to be able to make a very good living doing what they do. Most of them have been recruited from the recruiting firms and those positions often do not pay them a lot and they usually don't take full advantage of all the perks that they are offered. So if it is your goal to make a good living, you should try to move up in some way, even if that means hiring on part time so that you can dedicate 12 hours a day or more to programming.
There are two categories in which recruiters fall into: those who are involved in hiring full-time and those who work for firms that hire out their recruiting activities. The main difference between these two categories of recruiters is which assignments they take on. Recruiters who work for firms that are full service recruiters are full-time employees of the agency. They take on all the hiring assignments, typically either full or part-time, and the company assumes responsibility for the hiring process without the recruiter having to do any of those things at all.
The other type of recruiter is one who works for a temp agency. These employees sign an agreement with their agency and receive a set number of hours each day to work as assigned. They can choose to work more than 35 hours a week but it must be prearranged with their employer before they start working so that they know how many hours they have available to them each week. The agency, not the employer, assumes responsibility for all of the hiring process, including paying the recruiter to do it and providing the recruiter with a contract with the potential employer.
Recruiters work these hours either full or part time. The agency will provide their employees with benefits that include health insurance coverage at no additional cost, paid vacations, paid holidays and sick leave (if any), an account at a local bank and any other perks that are available to it's employees. The hourly rate for recruiters typically ranges from $10 to 12 dollars per hour for full-time work (which is more than most people in this industry make). Part-time work can sometimes be negotiated on an hourly basis but it is usually done on a commission basis where the recruiter collects a percentage of the salary that he or she brings in.
Since most potential employees know one thing about recruiters, they are usually all too willing to pay them a higher rate, hoping that a recruiter can do what they cannot: get them a job. Unfortunately for them, when recruiters are working for someone else and not being paid directly, this does not happen. The agency who employs the recruiter has certain requirements that must be met before they will even consider sending one of their productivity members to meet with the potential employer. I know of a recruiter who has been paid only once for a placement when an employer actually gave that employer a quality job applicant at about half the cost of what the agency was charging.
My company sends its recruits to meet with potential employers on an hourly basis. We have found that we generally make more than half of the amount that we charge them for the assignment, so our margins are very good. If we are very successful at placing one of our candidates, then we will increase their rate, which will reflect in the amount that our company receives from their placement. If we are not successful, they can choose to keep us on retainer and continue to pay us a lower rate or they will find another recruiter who can deliver them the candidates that they need.
Regardless of whether you work for a temp agency or as an independent recruiter, you should be making more than $8 an hour but less than $40,000 per year if you are making a good living. I would recommend that you also make enough money to support your family because even if you love what you do, it's not going to be worth it if your wife leaves you or your kids hate you for missing so much of their lives.
Conclusion
It is not a good idea to have a single employer that you work for part time as a recruiter because it will only confuse the employer and make it more difficult for you to handle the relationship with your employer. It is better to set up two different recruiters in your company who will be able to handle the hiring assignments that come in for your company. If you want to work full time, then find another recruiter who does not mind working part time and set up an agreement with that person where you can share your leads with them.