The frontiers of technology are being pushed hard and fast today. Because technology is so important to your education and your future, we want to help you keep up with the changes.

The thing to remember about technology is that it's always changing. Someone who wants to succeed in the technology field will learn the basics so the new stuff will come easy

Advice:

1) Read a lot of technical magazines. This will help you keep up on trends as well as the hype and the lingo.

2) Remember that the Information Technology industry is about buzz. IT people talk fast and in a lingo that is barely understandable to those outside of the IT industry. Being able to sort out the fast talkers from the real IT geniuses will serve anyone well in the long run.

3) Be creative. Ideas that come out of left field are often the ones that work the best. Intelligence and hard work will take you far in the work world; combine those attributes with creativity and you will have a recipe for success.

4) Find an area of technology that you really enjoy and become an expert in that area. Experts in a field are more sought after than people with general knowledge in several fields.

5) Get started early. Don't wait until you are looking for a job to learn about technology. Start learning about technology in school so you have a good knowledge base when you look for your first job.

We have identified skills and programs that will give students a head start. The list is broken into: Technical Skills, Computer Programs, and General Skills.

Technical Skills:

Operating Systems:

Microsoft Windows: This system is used on most computers.

Linux: This operating system has received a lot of buzz lately, but no one knows where it will go.

Web Site Skills:

Web Site Administration and Programming: You almost have to know how to program to be a professional webmaster. If you know Java, Perl, Flash, and XML, you will be able to get a job anywhere.

Database Programmer and Administrator: E-commerce runs on databases. Learn how to program and maintain them and you will be in demand.

Technical Writer/Web Site Authors: Professional writers can get in the act by writing polished web site content.

General Computer Skills:

Network Engineers: All major companies are looking for these select individuals to build their computer systems.

General Programmers: Still in demand.

Software: Whatever you learn, there will probably be a market for it somewhere.

Operating Systems: Learning one or more operating systems is a necessity.

Office Productivity Suites: Knowing several suites of software will allow you to be more flexible in your job search.

Project Management Software: There are several good ones out there. These programs make organization less painful.

Web Page Design Tools: Whether you use a WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) design program or a program that allows you to focus on the code, really learning these programs makes life easier.

Graphics Programs: The explosion of multi-media on the web has made these programs necessary to know.

Databases: Databases are everywhere. Learning how to program them and make them work will keep you in demand.

General Skills:

Marketing: Knowing how to mix online marketing with traditional marketing is, and will continue to be, a hot field.

Project Managers: These people are the glue for major companies.

Graphic Artist: Graphics have become important in all fields. Presenting a polished image will remain a priority for companies.

Educational Dividends would like to hear from you. Send e-mail to 2educate@compuserve.com to start a discussion about these technology issues.

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