re-shape your resume/CV

Alright, I don't want to sound like a copy cat of Monster Newsletter, but here's a presentation about how you could reshape your resume/CV if you want to apply for new job.
It gives you few interesting points.
Also, you can look at other articles there about career development and related if you have time. Just follow the links under Resources section.
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Me - night owl!

Interesting article about the nature of our working habits. What seems to be related to our nature rather than laziness or smth. One thing I am pretty sure is that I am not a lazy person, I was never one, yet I've realized long-time ago that I am simply less efficient in the mornings. At university I missed lots of morning courses (damn morning Calculus lessons!) or I was a bit slower to digest what was being discussed in morning courses. At work I've spent my morning by reading news or blogs with my coffee or just pretend to be working because I didn't feel like working or couldn't do much even if I tried. And I always preferred to sleep well in the morning, have nice breakfast and then go to work. Thanks to flexible work hours here, I benefit a lot. I'd named it as "morning laziness".

VS

Yet I have been very efficient in the afternoon and in the evenings, thus I've always preferred to stay couple of hours more after work in the evening to "compensate" my morning laziness and benefit from my efficient time. At university I studied well in the evenings or late nights. And I've been going late to bed (after midnight around 1-2 am, I'd call it too early to go to bed before midnight). Alhtough I've been trying to switch to regular early-sleep-early-wakeup schedule to fit general work schedules, yet not have been fully successfull. I actually do whenever I don't have my computer with me. That's my nature.


(Monster Career Advice) Early birds and night owls don't choose to be the way they are and shouldn't blame themselves for their bodies' quirks. "It's a physiological characteristic that's genetically predetermined, like being tall or blond,"...
..."Try not to feel guilty or apologize all the time for the way you are," says Schur, who notes that up to 40 percent of the population may have early-bird or night-owl predispositions...
<full read here>

The article also suggests using email or voice mail with time and date stamps that document when you completed your early-morning or late-night work and other ways to make it evident when you were at the office. That's what I do sometimes as well, I send out email to my team-mates and boss after completing certain tasks and letting them know of the current status both to inform them and to show that I've stayed till late hours in the office. Once it happens regularly, they will recognize your working habits. You need to use such visual tools like emails for different kind of communication and always keep them in your archive. It may be of crucial use in future to protect yourself from all kind of office politics and false blamings. This was a good advice given by one good friend of mine few years ago.
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iStartUp

Интересная статья про "старт ап" компании. Для молодых ИТ предпринимателей! ;)

Вам нужны три вещи для успешного создания компании: начинать с подходящими людьми, делать действительно то, что хотят заказчики, и потратить как можно меньше денег. Большинство тех, кто начинают, не имеют успеха, потому что им не удается какая-либо из этих вещей. Молодая компания, которая делает все три вещи обычно преуспевает.

(полный текст -> http://defann.cyberflash.ru/2005/10/21/1)
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I found this post about start up companies, it could be useful piece of info for young IT enterprenuer wanna-bes.

You need three things to create a successful startup: to start with good people, to make something customers actually want, and to spend as little money as possible. Most startups that fail do it because they fail at one of these. A startup that does all three will probably succeed.

full text here -> http://www.paulgraham.com/start.html

Also, read it in Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, Russian and French :)))
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need to get "certified"

One thing that is undoubtfully true for IT specialists is to get "certified" in whatever field they work. Like Cisco certifications for Networks & Telecom people, or Microsoft Certifications for Developers and System engineers, or ITIL for IT service managers. Your primary university education diploma's validity will be gone after 3-4 years, and unless you are attending some Masters degree, then you better think how to get extra needed-like-air trainings and certify them.

As a Business System Analyst, I already made the list of the trainings and certifications I'd chase for the next 1-2 years. The next logical step would be IT Project Manager or Consultant or System/Software Engineer. One interesting certification program that I found is A Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP™) offered by IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis).

On the other hand, these trainings cost bags of money. As a typical "corporate employee", my hope (for now only, oh believe me!) is our internal individual career development program. It only offers some days of training and not much hope that they will cover the expenses of certification education and exams. Anyway, I still think that it is all about convincing your managers how badly you need this training/certificate and how largely it will benefit to your work and company. It still comes to the same point - "do your own business, work for yourself, be your own boss". I have this feeling that these days are not too far for me. :)

Small checklist of trainings till the end of this year;

1. Prince2 Foundation

2. Applying UML and Advanced Use Case Modeling

3. Negotiation Skills

+ some more CBTs

It will eat up my 7 training days.

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iChange

Effective from June.

New position, new department - something that I've been looking forward to, now let's talk about challenge and motivation, time to polish old technical skills. This time I am more confident that this is the correct step in a so-called career path, and more prospects visible from there. That could stick me to Prague for couple of years. Hopefully I will get the project related to integration of our DHL ITS Europe systems with those in IT Center in Bonn, then I will be visiting Germany more often. Which means that I'd get long-term Schengen visa! That would make my weekends more interesting and busy again.

New home - finally moved to the new flat in one of the central areas of Prague (Vrsovicke Namesti, close to Namesti Miru). I'll be paying rent twice more expensive than for the one in Hostivar, but what comes in package worth it; old-style building in the center, fully furnished flat with spacy bedrooms, living room and big kitchen, tram stops in front of the house, shops, pubs and restaurants around, close to where most of my friends live. And it's Moskevska street! Will be sharing it with Blandine (colleague, France) and Linda( AIESEC friend, Netherlands). We have 2 couches in the living room, so book your place in advance if you are planning to visit Prague ;). I will need to buy some curtains for my room, need someone to go shopping with. Ladies? :) I will have internet connection at home finally. Internet is my power and my weakness.

New haircut - Ok, this is not about the new haircut saga of symbolizing the beginning of new chapter in my life, just that I felt like growing it a bit longer. Should be more noticeable in following weeks. Btw, for the foreigners in Prague who have some trouble in finding skillful and English-speaking hairdressers, I can recommend Chang (Korean guy) at Modry Slon. It is more expensive, but worths it.

New targets - So I will stay in Czech Republic for couple of years. Once I settled with this thought, it will be easier to concentrate on how to spend this time in a best way. First comes career planning. In the resource center, I will have the environment and projects that will put me into progress. Plenty of online courses still pending for my attention. In a long-term, I put as a goal to achieve wider understanding and knowledge in all the phases of software development cycle. And as well as understanding business side of the project.
In terms of social life, I have already planned few trips in upcoming months, one possible trip to either Switzerland or Poland in July. If I get long-term visa, then Vienna, Berlin, Munich is on the beginning of the list. Besides that still many places to see in Czech Rep. I've read of possible bike trips to Karlstejn Castle which I am intending to do sometime soon.
Also this puts me back into getting more involved with Czech language. I even bothered myself to buy a book "New Czech Step by Step" by Lida Hola, this one is suggested as the most useful book. Then I want be complete my attempt to learn Hiragana and Katakana alphabets, so far I did some of it, and actually it is more fun than boring.

Hands up for more new changes!
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Next destination: Kiwi land???

Yesterday, I was talking to Tee on MSN, and I was asking about software companies in New Zealand. Once my traineeship in Taiwan is over, I will be looking for a permanent job this time, and at the same time I want to continue my exploring adventures. So, I thought, if there are some nice professional environment for computer engineers in New Zealand, then why not to go there and work for few years? It is an amazing place to explore, also near to Australia, Fiji and South Pole! Enough places to explore for 2-3 years. And I'd be going to the games of All Blacks. Time will show...
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Datatronics Technology Inc. - new workplace

New company, new job, new experience. Working environment is very different than in DHL Regional office in Singapore. I am working in R&D department, and here it looks more like a laboratory with parts of duplicator robots, circuits, computer parts all around comparing to white cubicals and desks full of papers/documents in DHL. Also we don't have drinks machines and kitchen with cookies and aunty who prepares sandwiches in the morning, but only hot water (not even sugar!). No stationery room, no toilets with music, no lifts which wishes "Good morning", no 14 days of annual leave, etc. Welcome to the real trainee life, Aibek! :) I do agree that DHL traineeships are the best in terms of facilities/salary/etc. But it is an IT company and directly related to my background, real technical traineeship, and if I can cross the language barrier then it looks like I'll learn and benefit from it a lot. Bismillah...
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