“Your Career Advisor” is responding this week to:

• What to do after obtaining a software development certificate?

• Can you help me find sample recommendation letters?

• Is there such thing as re-certification for networking professionals?

• How can I become an English language instructor in a reputable center?

All reasonable questions related to careers, skill development or employment related issues – sent to advisor@skill-link.com - would be addressed in this section every week.

Q1: What to do after obtaining a software development certificate?

I am 2001 graduate from Cairo University’s Faculty of Economics & Political Sciences, majoring in economics (English section).

I then attended a 9 months course at the Information Technology Institute (ITI) in software development and received a diploma upon graduation. My studies covered the following: C, C++, Java, Visual Basic, SQL, Oracle Developer, HTML, XML, Java script etc…

I believe I am very well trained when it comes to IT. The question is what job opportunities could be offered to someone like me, I mean a non-computer engineer but knowledgeable in the field. Also what salaries should I expect and how could I search for work in the right way.

As for the kind of job I would like to have, I am seeking a position of software developer or web developer. I also have very good communication and presentation skills as well a strong economic background from my studies in the university.

M. M. H. (Egypt)

Replying:

Dear Miss. H.

The ITI course is a comprehensive one, whether it is for its lengths (hours of study) or its coverage (tools, platforms etc…). So you have the basic skills, the next step for you to be a competent IT professional or a skilled software developer, is to have a couple of years of real life hands on experience. Not only to further enhance your technical abilities, but more importantly to deal with your clients (these could be internal, i.e. users or external if you are in a company selling software or IT solutions/services to third party). You will also better understand some aspects associated with development and/or systems integration, such as project management, system testing, simulation/parallel running, conversion, documentation and user support.

As we have stated in numerous prior occasions, not being an IT university graduate is not a killer. A large numbers of successful professionals working in the field have no technical university education. This is more obvious in the cases where they work in development related roles as opposed to the more technical ones (such as a wide area network administrator, or in the operations of a fault tolerant operating system). There is also a sad fact related to the various Faculties of Computers & Information that were recently created in Egypt, the practical / hands on side is not that great, compared to your IT certificate. In a round table discussion we attended a few weeks ago, IT Professors from Cairo University confessed the Faculty of Computers & Information did not provide Internet access to its student, due to budget constraints!! So in a nutshell, do not be overly concerned because of your degree in economics, as long as you really work hard at sharpening your skills and contemplate becoming certified in one or more IT tools/products you find yourself working in (eg. Microsoft, Oracle etc.).

As a software developer, functional knowledge is also valuable (e.g. financials, manufacturing processes, insurance operations, hotel management etc…). While a hardware support person or a network administrator has no real need to understand the business aspects, such knowledge is of great value to an application developer. It is unfortunate though that “economics” are of limited value on this front, unless of course you are involved in projects for a relevant Ministry or a statistics / research organization.  

In your message, you inquired about the salary you should expect. skill-link.com has conducted a survey addressing the issue of technical vs. non technical degree. For the sake of our survey, technical degree refers to those with a BSc in computer engineering, computer sciences, telecoms, and information technology, the salary differences between professionals with a technical degree and those who graduated in other disciplines. Other degree, caters for the large number of those working in the IT field, who have graduated with majors in economics, commerce, agriculture, arts, civil engineering etc…

The following is the outcome of the skill-link.com survey conducted in May 2002:

Remember the above are only “averages”. Salaries vary depending on:

• Length and type of experience;

• Roles (development, support, project management etc.),

• The sectors invdividuals are employed in (financial services, trading & manufacturing, construction, IT, non for profit etc…).

• The work conditions and environment (location, shifts, days off etc…)

Regardless of the above, what are the average salaries in Egypt for IT professionals with 2 years or less of experience? The table below could be useful:

Within the above, there are significant variances between the highest paid and the lowest paid, some indications are presented:

Development:

Average salary of the five highest paid is: LE 2,640 and the lowest five is: LE 460

Support & Operations:

Average salary of the five highest paid is: LE 3,580 and the lowest five is: LE 400

Management (Department, Project):

Number of candidates not statistically significant due to the limited number of years of experience

We took our survey a step further, comparing salaries across a number of sectors to which employers (of the IT staff) belong. Therefore we have grouped companies in the following broad sectors:

Gov: Government, non-for profit entities and international organizations.

Fin: Financial services: banking, insurance, leasing, capital market (funds, brokerage etc…)

IT: Information technology, Internet and telecommunications companies.

Prod: Trading, industrial and transportation companies.

Const: Contracting, engineering firms and real estate development companies.

Within the above sectors, we have presented below average monthly salaries (for those with 2 years of experience or less) as per their IT roles (Development, Support & Operations, and Management):

Finding a suitable job is the name of the game J by listing on skill-link.com, identifying companies you are interest in and approaching them directly, using your contacts (family, friends, neighbors etc…) to provide you with leads on who is hiring, following up the newspapers on which companies are being awarded large IT projects (these will more likely be seeking additional staff etc…). There is no easy recipe here…  

We hope the above was of some use to you.
Good Luck

Q2: Can you help me find sample recommendation letters?

I am an Egyptian software engineer, currently applying for an MBA scholarship. Can you help me find samples of good recommendation letters?

M. A. B. (Egypt)

Replying:

Dear Mr. B

Recommendation letters are usually issued to a company's employee when his employment ends with the organization or in the case where he is applying for a scholarship or when he/she is planning to apply to an educational program (eg. University). In some cases the letter is prepared by someone who knew the person being recommended, but was not necessarily his manager (e.g. a University Professor, the head of an association the person in involved with etc…).

Recommendation letters vary depending on who is writing them (CEO, direct supervisor, an ex professor, a client etc.). They also range from the short and polite (I have really nothing special to say) to those where the person goes out of his/her way to praise the person being recommended.

Since we do not know enough about your background and achievements, we have provided below some samples, hoping they would be of use to you.

Sample 1 (click here) is the brief and polite one issued by an employer, not saying much. This is typical of very large bureaucratic organizations, or in the cases where the person left the company on bad terms, or was asked to leave because of incompetence etc….

Sample 2 (click here) is a more elaborate one, trying to be nice to an ex employee. However since he/she was not a great achiever or an outstanding performer, the letter focuses on some general nice personality traits.

Sample 3 (click here) is where the writer, really went out of his way to elaborate on the qualities and the merits of the person being recommended.

Sample 4 (click here) presents the case where the person being recommended did not report to the writer, but they got to know each other.

We hope the above was helpful.

Good Luck

Q3: Is there such thing as re-certification for networking professionals?

I am a 25-year-old Jordanian, who graduated with an IT degree and currently working in a Batelco, the state owned Telecommunication Company. Last year I obtained my 3Com certification, becoming a 3Com Certified Solution Associate. I am considering expanding my qualifications in the networking field by becoming Cisco certified and heard some people saying that after some time re certification is required. Is this true? If yes why?

Y. S. (Manama).

Replying:

Dear Mr. S

Re certification is sometimes seen as an indicator IT professionals or those recruiting them (or soliciting their services) that the certification holder has kept up with current trends in the relevant technology in the field he/she was originally certified in. You may also consider that some companies would aim at generating some additional revenues from re certification J

Therefore in some cases, where a certain vendor imposes an "expiry" on its certification, to keep a certifications current, individuals should advance to the next level of certification or re certify.

To the best of our knowledge, 3Com does not require re certification, thus you were not informed about it. However, in the case of Cisco and since you did not indicate which certification you are considering the following should be of use:

• CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, CCDP and CCIP certifications are valid for three years. Advancing to the next level or re certifying at the Professional level automatically renews all related Associate level certifications.
• All CCIE certifications and Cisco Qualified Specialist certifications are valid for two years.

Good Luck

Q4: How can I become an English language instructor in a reputable center?

I am an Egyptian graduate of Ain Shams University's Faculty of Alsun (1999), English Department with a minor in German language. I was also in a language school. I like to teach English for adults as a part-time job in centers like (Berlitz, BLI, The British Council, etc.). How can I reach this, when they always need experienced teachers? Are there special courses or diplomas that I have to obtain first? Please advise where and how, and provide all details if possible.

M. M. (Giza).

Replying:

Dear Miss. M.

Teaching English as a second language is a booming business in Egypt and most likely all over the word, since it is the top language for business, entertainment and useful in travel. A new reason was added to this list, with the growing practice in some Arab countries (including Egypt) to import non-Arabic speaking maids who communicate in English (Sri Lanka, Philippines, India etc.).

Most of those who teach in reputable centers get a workload of courses (mornings and evenings). Depending on the number of courses they elect to teach, it could be a part time job. The pay is obviously directly related to the number of courses or teaching hours.

Again, both certifications and experience count in this profession. The more you have the more attractive you are to potential employers. There is also another factor you should consider, which is that the highly reputable centers - all other factors being equal - would rather go for a native speaker (UK, Irish, American or Canadian).

Therefore, Assuming you have the right certification - which we will be addressing - your best approach with one of the centers you mention is to suggest you become a stand by instructor (in case a regular one has an emergency and cannot show up for class), alternatively you may try and suggest to work for free during a certain duration of time as an assistant instructor, or during summers apply to be involved with the special courses some of them offer for school children that are on holidays. Some of these centers in addition to hosting regular walk in classes have contracts with hotels and organizations to teach their staff. For example the Future Generation Foundation has contracted Berlitz to handle the English language teaching of its candidates, also when Sainsbury supermarkets first came to Egypt two years ago they arranged with a small center to upgrade their employee's English language. These are opportunities were additional resources may be required, i.e. opportunities for someone like you. There are not sure ways, however one has to try.

Another entry point is to first become an English teacher in a secondary school, most likely for girls (because of your age); this could be a stepping-stone to one of the centers.
You may want to check www.schools-in-egypt.com to get details of English Language Schools in Egypt.

Now, with regards to qualification, there are of course certifications to teach English as a second language; there are two main ones: the American TESOL and the British CELTA. Below are more details:

TESOL
TESOL is a North American acronym for Teacher of English to Speakers of other Languages. It originated over 40 years ago as a distinct North American acronym as opposed to British and other acronyms common in the field of ESL. It is a general term used by private and public institutions, which offer English teacher training programs. Each and every program is monitored and quality controlled by the International TESOL Training Center. The International TESOL program is accepted in every country around the world-wishing teachers of American English. International TESOL prepares teachers for all types and levels of English students.

You may wish to get more information from EgypTesol, which is a professional organization for teachers of English and all those involved in the English Language Teaching profession in Egypt. They could be reached at:
7 El Moushir Ahmad Ismail Street, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt
Tel. 267 5677/ 267 5688

CELTA
Formerly RSA Cambridge, which stands for CERTIFICATE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING FOR ADULTS, is a "brand name" originating in Britain, and is offered across Britain, Europe and more recently in other countries. It is offered through licensees who must meet certain operating guidelines for the course. CELTA prepares students primarily for teaching adults as the name indicates.

In Cairo, we believe the ILI in Heliopolis offers preparation courses for the CELTA. You may wish to contact them for the schedules and fees:
ILI
2 Mohamed Bayoumi Street, off Merghany Street
Tel: 291 9295 / 418 9212

The British Council occasionally, offers Teacher training: learning the latest methodologies and studying for internationally recognized teaching qualifications. They could be reached at:
192 El Nil Street; Agouza - Cairo
Tel: 23031514; Fax 3443076

Additionally, the American University in Cairo, offers a postgraduate degree you may want to further investigate: Teaching English as a Foreign Language Diploma.

You may be interested to know that the Eighth EFL (English as a foreign language) Skills Conference will be held in Cairo (January 22nd - 24th 2003) at the Center for Adult and Continuing Education, the American University in Cairo. This subject addressed is "Integrating EFL Skills: Learning, Assessment and Technology". This eighth conference will feature Pre-Conference events on Tuesday January 21st, 2003, a Testing Colloquium, a Video Conferencing session, a Book Exhibition, keynote speakers sponsored by the United States Public Affairs Section and the British Council, and a ticketed Nile dinner cruise for conference participants. It could be an opportunity for you to get to know in a more informal set up some of the key players in the filed and who is offering what in a field you seem interested in.

To participate, you may wish to contact the following:
The EFL Skills Conference Committee
English Studies Division/CACE
The American University in Cairo
Tel 797-6871 Fax: 795-7565
Email: EFLSKILL@AUCEGYPT.EDU 

We hope the above was of some use to you.
Good Luck

Note from the editor: 
Employer names and inquiry sender names were withheld for confidentiality

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