career

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on career:

First iPad with mini-LED display, AirPods 3 expected for early 2021

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iPad Air
LCD's days are numbered.
Photo: Apple

Apple will introduce its first iPad with a mini-LED display and refreshed AirPods in the first half of 2021, according to one reliable analyst.

Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities predicts the iPad will be one of six Apple products that will get mini-LED screens next year. Others include iPad Pro, iMac Pro, and MacBook Pro.

Get equipped for remote digital project management [Deals]

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CoM - Remtoe Project Management
Make the most of your remote work setup with lifetime access to digital project management how-to guides, resources, eBooks, and community support.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Project managers are used to working directly with their teams. But work life is changing for everybody, so this bundle includes everything you need for doing digital project management from a distance.

Use the weekend to pick up a new skill [Deals]

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New Skills To Learn Over The Weekend
Take the weekend to learn coding, business management, freelance skills and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The weekend is a great time to relax, but it’s also a great time to focus on self improvement. You could practice an instrument, go to the gym, or any number of other healthy activities. Or, with these short, information-packed lessons, you can improve your professional prospects. These cover coding, management, data analytics and freelance content creation, so there’s something for everyone.

Start the new year with a new skillset [Deals]

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Skills Main
Ring in the new year by upgrading your professional skillset.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

2020 is a new year, a new decade, and another opportunity to improve our skills and careers. We’ve rounded up four awesome lesson bundles, from SEO to Excel, Fulfillment By Amazon and coding, so you can walk into the next decade with new professional possibilities. Even better, save an extra 20% off with promo code “20SAVE20” at checkout for a limited time.

Boost your tech career with access to over 1,000 courses [Deals]

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With lifetime access to over 1,000 tech courses, and more added every day, this is a can't-miss resource for any tech professional.
With lifetime access to over 1,000 tech courses, and more added every day, this is a can't-miss resource for any tech professional.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s always a good time to bolster your resume and boost your career prospects. So if you work in tech, this massive resource of courses in coding, graphic design, Unity 3D, and lots more is a can’t-miss opportunity.

Name your price for 13 comprehensive coding courses [Deals]

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Name your price for over a dozen comprehensive courses covering all areas of coding.
Name your price for over a dozen comprehensive courses covering all areas of coding.

Coding is a vast discipline, so there’s always something new to learn. That can be intimidating, or exhilarating, because it means there’s always room to improve your resume and pay grade. Either way, this loaded bundle of courses offers an invaluable leg up to any coding career.

4 ways to boost your tech skills for less than $25 [Deals]

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We've rounded up 4 ways to boost your personal or professional skills, from social media marketing to graphic design and way beyond, each for under 20 bucks.
We've rounded up 4 ways to boost your personal or professional skills, from social media marketing to graphic design and way beyond, each for under 20 bucks.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s never a bad idea to make yourself more appealing to potential employers. But there are so many skills to learn, from coding, to graphic design, to Excel, and on and on, it can be hard to know where to start, and education is often expensive. So we’ve rounded up courses that cover all of the above and more, all for less than 20 bucks. Take a look, and pick the ways you want to boost your resume.

Lead your team to victory by mastering scrum project management [Deals]

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This lesson bundle will school you in the ways of scrum project management.
This lesson bundle will school you in the ways of scrum project management.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

There are many ways to manage teams around big projects, but few as proven as scrum. The agile framework is ideal for everything from software development to marketing and beyond, so learning it can open whole new professional opportunities.

Beef up your resume with serious Salesforce skills [Deals]

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Become a master of Salesforce, the go-to customer relationship management platform.
Become a master of Salesforce, the biggest customer relationship management platform out there.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

So many of today’s businesses keep track of their customer relationships with Salesforce. It’s become an essential platform for managing sales, customer service, marketing, apps, analytics, and lots more. So it’s a great skill to have on your resume.

Master project management with two massively discounted certification courses [Deals]

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PMPandCAPMTraining_MF

Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

In the professional sphere, experience with project management is one of the most valuable skills you can have. Starting is harder than just deciding you’ve got what it takes to get things done — you’ll have to get certification, which is exactly what this pair of lessons offers. It’s a one-two punch of project management education and validation at a 98% discount, just $49 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Unlike Most Workers, Working At Home Via iPhone Or iPad Improves The Work/Life Balance Of IT Pros

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The iPhone and iPad are top mobile tools for IT pros and help them maintain work/life balance.
The iPhone and iPad are top mobile tools for IT pros and help them maintain work/life balance.

A handful of studies recently have looked at the impact of the iPhone, iPad, and other mobile devices used for both work and personal pursuits is having on the work/life balance for professionals across a range of industries. One recent study showed mobile devices have contributed to the average American working seven hours each week, the equivalent of a full work day, out of the office and after hours. Another pointed how that many of us will work while on vacation thanks to our mobile devices.

For one segment of the workforce, however, iPhones, iPads, and Android devices and their ubiquitous connectivity have actually improved the work/life balance. That group is salaried IT professionals.

MacTech Conference 2012 Registration Opens With Early Bird And Education Discounts

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Pre-registration open for this fall's MacTech Conference 2012.
Registration is available for this fall's MacTech Conference 2012.

Registration is now open for MacTech Conference 2012. The annual conference, which is a great learning and networking experience for IT professionals and developers, will be held October 17 – 19 in Los Angeles. A pre-registration discount is available for anyone who registers by the end of August.

The conference is sponsored by MacTech magazine and was launched in 2010, the year that Apple chose to focus its annual Worldwide Developers Conference solely on iOS. Since then, the conference has grown into a major event for IT professionals that need to support Macs and/or iOS devices in business, enterprise, and education environments. The conference has also become a serious event for Mac and iOS developers.

Apple Begins Offering Mountain Lion Training And Certification Options For IT Pros

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Following the launch of Mountain Lion, Apple has started rolling out Mountain Lion IT certifications.
Following the launch of Mountain Lion, Apple has started rolling out Mountain Lion IT certifications.

Apple has launched its first Mountain Lion training guide and certification for IT professionals. The certification is the Mountain Lion edition of the Apple Certified Associate – Mac Integration certification, which can be viewed as the introductory Mac IT certification.

Apple began offering the certification following last year’s launch of Lion. Unlike Apple’s other certification options, Apple provides a free guide to the material on the Mac Integration Basics Exam on its training site. You can also register and take the exam online for $65. Should you fail the exam, Apple will let you retake the exam at no additional charge.

10 Reasons Not To Use Your iPhone or iPad For Work While Vacationing

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Although an iPhone and iPad can help you work on vacation, here are ten good reasons that you shouldn't.
Although an iPhone and iPad can help you work on vacation, here are ten good reasons that you shouldn't.

 

Over the past few weeks, I’ve taken a look at a couple of studies that show how the iPhone, iPad, and other consumer technologies that are being embraced at the office are shifting the work/life balance for most professionals. The always connected and available capabilities that our mobile technologies engender are pushing us towards more work and less life.

The first study showed that professionals using an iPhone, iPad, or other mobile devices on the job and at home often put in enough extra time during “off hours” to equal an extra day’s worth of work each week. The second study showed that many of us tend to bring work with us on vacation in the form of an iPhone or iPad (both of which are great for travel), a laptop, or even just cloud-based access to work resources.

iPhones and iPads Are Robbing Us Of Truly Work-Free Vacations

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Using personal iPhones and iPads in the office, leads many people to work from them while on vacation.
Using personal iPhones and iPads in the office leads many people to work from them while on vacation.

Our iPhones and iPads, which enable us to work and be on call virtually anywhere at any time, will lead to more than half of us working while on vacation. That’s the result of a new study that looked at how technology impacts the work/life balance. iOS devices are common players in the bring your own device (BYOD) era. As BYOD programs lead many of us to use our personal iOS devices and other mobile technology for work-related tasks, they also encourage an “always on” attitude from employers and employees alike.

The study, commissioned by enterprise remote access vendor TeamViewer, shows that just over half (52%) of professionals expect to work while on vacation in one capacity or another.

It also comes on the heels of a similar study that we reported last week. That study showed that always-connected devices like the iPhone and iPad lead most of us to work well past the end of the business day. A practice so common, in fact, that many of us will work an extra seven hours outside of normal business hours and outside of the office each week.

FileMaker Launches Developer Certification Program For FileMaker 12

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FileMaker delivers training resources, classes, and certification exam for FileMaker 12.
FileMaker delivers training resources, classes, and certification exam for FileMaker 12.

FileMaker has announced the availability of its FileMaker 12 Certification exam. As with other certifications for IT professionals, FileMaker’s certification illustrates to potential employers or consulting customers that you have the key skills to deliver a solid and complete solution using FileMaker Pro and related products like FileMaker Go for iPhone and iPad and FileMaker Server.

iOS/Mobile Development Among The Most Sought After IT Skills

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False versions of Xcode may have gotten into your apps; here's how to fix the problem.
According to Dice, mobile app development is the second most sought after IT skill set.
Photo: Apple

Dice’s monthly report of the IT job market continues to show that developers remain the most in-demand jobs. Fully half of the top ten jobs listed are for various kinds of developers with mobile app development ranking as the second most in-demand skill.

That’s not too surprising all things considered. As we noted this morning, a recent Symantec study notes that 59% of companies are actively working to create mobile versions of their internal line of business. That doesn’t even take into account customer-facing apps, which are more and more seen as a requirement.

Other in-demand development skills include Java, Microsoft .NET, web, and the rather generic software developer. Java stole the number one slot. With one exception, development skills make up the top five skill sets. The one non-developer position was related to data and network security.

Why Apple Stores Don’t (And Shouldn’t) Pay Commissions

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Apple made a conscious and important choice about sales commissions and customer experience
Apple made a conscious and important choice about sales commissions and customer experience

Over the weekend, The NY Times posted another investigative piece in its iEconomy series that about Apple. This installment focused on Apple’s retail stores. As with previous articles in the series, this one focuses on legitimate concerns about the American economy in an age of globalization. Like the other pieces, this one targets Apple specifically and ignores the range of Apple competitors that employ similar practices.

The primary issue that the Times brings up with regard to Apple retail stores is that employees can sell thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of Apple products and still earn a relatively modest wage. The underlying sentiment is that if a retail employee sells so much hardware, he should earn more because he is contributing to Apple’s vast revenues.

The only way for things to shake out that way and remain fair would be if Apple offered performance-based awards or commissions. Apple chose not to do that because doing so would have delivered a fundamentally different customer experience than the one envisioned by Steve Jobs – a fact that the NY Times chose not to explore in any real depth.

Inside the App-Economy Making Big Money Is Far From a Sure Thing

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VisionMobile offers a glimpse into the app economy and what it takes for developers to succeed
VisionMobile offers a glimpse into the app economy and what it takes for developers to succeed

On average, iOS is the most expensive mobile platform for developers. It’s the second most profitable mobile platform overall behind RIM’s BlackBerry. One in three mobile developers can’t earn enough money to living from the apps that they produce.

Those are some of the details contained in a new report from mobile analyst and strategy company VisionMobile. The report delves into the heart of the so-called app economy and provides a range of information and statistics about app development, its costs, and the income potential that comes from being an iOS, Android, BlackBerry, or Windows Phone developer. If you’re considering a career as a mobile developer, this is must-read report. For the rest of us, it’s a fascinating sneak peek into the experience of app developers around the world.

CompTIA Tries Its Hand At IT Apprenticeships

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CompTIA looks to make IT apprenticeships a viable training model for U.S. businesses
CompTIA looks to make IT apprenticeships a viable training model for U.S. businesses

 

Earlier this year, we profiled the Mac IT apprenticeship program offered by London-based consulting and training group Amsys. IT apprenticeships offer technology training based around various common IT certifications and real-world IT experience. Apprentices are paid for their time and typically receive career placement services at the end of the apprenticeship.

Applying the apprenticeship model to the IT industry is relatively common in Europe, but rare in America. A new pilot program designed by IT training and certification powerhouse CompTIA aims to change that and bring the IT apprenticeship concept to the U.S. in a big way.

Massive LinkedIn Security Breach Leads To 6.5 Million Stolen Passwords

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Massive data breach exposes 6.5 million LinkedIn passwords
Massive data breach exposes 6.5 million LinkedIn passwords

Professional social network giant LinkedIn has acknowledged that it is looking into a massive data breach. As a result of the breach as many as 6.5 million user accounts may have been compromised. Account data including login information and passwords have been leaked and posted to a Russian hacker site. Although LinkedIn hasn’t confirmed the breach or detailed which accounts might have been impacted, the fact that the company is acknowledging the potential threat and investigating it is a big cause for concern.

At this time, it’s better to err on the side of caution.

If you use LinkedIn, you should consider that your account data has been compromised and change your password immediately.

Google Named Best Employer In Fortune 500 – Apple Doesn’t Even Make The List

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Fortune may value Apple, but apparently not as an employer
Fortune may value Apple, but apparently not as an employer

Apple made it into the top 20 companies on the Fortune 500, nabbing 17th place – an impressive feat for a company that ranked at number 71 just three years ago. When it comes to ensuring a happy workforce, however, Apple didn’t measure up to Fortune’s standards.

Fortune’s list of the 20 best employers drawn from its list the 500 top companies was published over the weekend. Apple didn’t make the list, though some of its competitors did. One of them actually topped the list – Google.