Ambition Technology Blog

There’s no such thing as a free lunch so the saying goes, but more and more recently we are seeing a number of job seekers prepared to work for free.

Whether they are experienced in a particular field and looking to switch careers or newly qualified job seekers looking for the first rung on the corporate ladder, the offer is the same: we will work for free in exchange for a chance to learn new skills. Now the cynics  will call this out saying, ‘well it’s not quite free because they are going to take up our time and resources without giving anything back’ but the reality is that in a labour tight market how big is the exposure upon your resources really? Many an inexperienced employee given the chance will repay your commitment tenfold and who’s to say they aren’t your next rising star?

Others may suggest this is a revival of the school time principal of ‘work experience’ but it’s a little more than that because of the level of skills which these individuals are offering. In today’s society when everyone wants ‘it’ now there’s something refreshing about people being prepared to put something in without the promise of anything in return.

We currently have access to a number of individuals who meet this description so if anyone is interested in finding out more, please contact Ambition Technology.

I attended a well publicised event recently and was expecting to be informed, educated and somewhat entertained, it is technology after all and technology is constantly changing. So, I was disappointed to find I had wasted a trip in the pouring rain.

Drenched and annoyed I walked into the office and began to describe the stands; the lack of innovation and poor promotional merchandise. I was beaten; my colleagues were much smarter and had remained in the office dry and unscarred.

As I reflected, I began to wonder how relevant technology exhibitions really are and how much ROI the exhibitor receives. Is it fair to say that exhibitions are becoming more and more like tradeshows? Who is their target market and what are their objectives?

The Shirtman – Ambition’s erstwhile football correspondent- is packing his bags for South Africa, ready to bring you his humorous World Cup diary and match predictions for Australia and England.

Sign up for the competition and you’ll receive the Shirtman’s diary and make your predictions (result/score/scorer) for 14 selected matches following the Socceroos and England through the group and knockout stages.

You can win some exciting prizes including soccer shirts, South African wine and the Ambition World Cup trophy

Sign up now : http://shirtman.ambitiongrouplimited.com/ and we will send you an email when you can start tipping!

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If you have any questions about how to login or make your picks then please email the Shirtman

Typically a “User Group” is a program designed to encourage and support communities who want to hold regular meetings in their area; to discuss their particular specialty in the technology field. The purpose of these gatherings is to provide a forum in which technical specialists can share best practice and expertise and can in turn obtain feedback from the user community.

Take for example, Grant Paisley who is responsible for running the “Sydney SQL Server User Group” www.sqlserver.org.au

When asked how and why he got involved in running the SQL Server User Group, this is what he had to say…

Questions:

1. How and why did you become involved in running this User Group?

I’ve run a lot of user groups in my time; it is something I’m very passionate about. I’ve always been the one left standing when everyone else steps back.

www.sqlserver.org.au was previously run by Microsoft. I own and run a company in Sydney called “Angry Koala”, which specialises in the SQL field, specifically in Business Intelligence – we turn data into knowledge. Angry Koala took over the SQL Server User Group over five years ago, and we now have between 40- 80 guests per meeting (in Sydney). Other states like Melbourne have up to 120 guests at a time and we also have user groups in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart and Perth.

2. What is the purpose of a User Group?

The purpose of the user group is to build branding and community. For example, one of our members went to work in the UK for 12 years, and the first thing he did upon returning to Australia was join the SQL Server User Group. This allowed him to reconnect with other SQL Server specialists, find out what was going on in the market, the hot topics and employment opportunities etc. Glyn Llewelyn is now my GM as a result of joining the group. Read more…

You are invited to attend the Planit  2009 Software Testing Index on the 28th of April, 2010. Released annually, the Index is considered the benchmark report on software testing and quality assurance in Australia and New Zealand.

The event is free and encourages you to network with colleagues as you learn more about the industry, qualification options and career opportunities in software testing. It is a fast growing area of IT with rewarding employment prospects for qualified test professionals.

Presented by Chris Carter, MD Planit Software Testing, Chairman of the ANZTB and Vice President of the ISTQB. Topics will include; demand for software testing, project budgets and resources, impact of the GFC and 2010 challenges, job outlook, qualifications, career prospects and earning potential, review of Planit’s virtual learning environment and ISTQB certification options.

Details: April 28, 2010 from 6:00 – 7:30pm at the Mercure Hotel- Railway Square, Central Station, Sydney.

To register please email:  info@planit.net.au or call 1300 922 964

RSVP by April 21, 2010