All day today (6/30) you have a chance to win a $50 MasterCard gift card from ASPE. Entering to win is easy – just retweet the message below between 8am and 5pm EST today, and we will randomly select one winner. Good luck & spread the word.
rt @aspe_sdlc: Our #CBAP 2.0 Study Guide is just $99.95 http://is.gd/1j5x7. RT for chance at $50 Check Card
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Agile Industry Watch: Update on Industry Trends and Impact on SDLC Management
We just uploaded our first presentation to SlideShare and it is our most recent web seminar - Agile Industry Watch: Update on Industry Trends and Impact on SDLC Management.
Follow us on SlideShare or check back regularly for more presentation postings. We hope to get a few posted each week. You can find our presentations by going to www.slideshare.net and searching for ASPE_INC. And as always we would appreciate any feedback.
Follow us on SlideShare or check back regularly for more presentation postings. We hope to get a few posted each week. You can find our presentations by going to www.slideshare.net and searching for ASPE_INC. And as always we would appreciate any feedback.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Agile Industry Watch: Agile Jobs Increasing while Titles Are Not
Recently, we held a free web seminar that took a look at the Agile Industry as a whole. Following the event, questions we received lead us to take a deeper look at job titles in the Agile space.
We have an Agile Salary Survey that we conducted in the Spring of 2009, and we will be releasing the results early Q3 2009. What we noticed was that it was much harder to get Agile professionals to participate than it was to get business analysis professionals to participate in a similar survey we were conducting for that audience over the same period of time.
That data, combined with what we are seeing from our customers, has lead us to conclude that Agile is not yet seen as a job title, but is seen as a skill. SDLC professionals seem themselves as someone in a particular position that happens to have Agile as a skill (I.E. a Consultant who knows Agile, a PM/BA with Agile experience, a Programmer who knows Agile, etc.)
Surprisingly, however, data shows that Agile jobs are on the rise. As you can seen in the trend graph below, there was a dip in SDLC jobs in late 2008, but they spiked back up a year later. Looking over the entire time period of the graph, Agile jobs have consistently been on a steeper climb, and did not see the same dip in late 2008. In fact, by late 2008 their data shows that there were actually more Agile job listings and that still holds true today.
That is pretty consistent to what we see from our customers, though we’ve seen a huge interest in Scrum over the last couple years. As you can see, Scrum has continued to slowly grow and looks though it will continue for the foreseeable future.
The good news is that as Agile jobs are growing, so are the salaries for Agile positions. There is obviously some concern, especially in today’s market, about not pigeonholing yourself and solely marketing yourself as an Agile PM/BA/Programmer/etc., but data is showing the increasing importance and benefits of having Agile knowledge, experience and certification. Though you may not see more Agile job titles anytime soon, you can bet that you will see more and more people with Agile designations and experience listed on their resumes.
If you are looking to get started in Agile, wanting to refine you knowledge, or are looking to get certified, check out our Agile training curriculum and free resources.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Limited Time Buy One, Get One from ASPE
**This Offer Has Ended. (6/19/2009)
As you may have heard, there was an incorrect email that went out about our CBAP v2.0 Study Guide. If you missed it (look at our earlier post for details). Due to the mix-up we have decided to meet the mistake half-way.
The correct price for the CBAP v2.0 Study Guide is $99.95, but for a limited time we are offering a buy one get one free special. The study guide is currently available for pre-order at our website at http://aspe-sdlc.com/cbap_guide.html, but this limited time special offer is only available when you call in. Call us directly at 1-877-800-5221 to pre-order your copy of the CBAP v2.0 Study Guide and receive a second one at no extra cost.
The guide contains over 500 practice test questions and tips on studying and sitting for the exam. Using this study guide will allow you to identify and focus on your areas of weakness, thus maximizing your study time. The bank of test questions will be provided in the guide and accompanying CD, which will allow you to structure your study.
And for a limited time, the free second copy will work great for study groups. Call 1-877-800-5221 and speak with one of our Training Advisors to reserve your copies.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Incorrect Email Blast -- "2 New Free Educational Resources..."
For anyone who received our latest email blast (see link below) about "2 New Free Educational Resources from ASPE," we apologize but the listing is incorrect.
Our CBAP Study guide unfortunately is NOT free, but is still a steal at just $99.95...
Again we apologize for then error in the header of our email, but if you click on the link for the CBAP v2.0 Study Guide you will be directed to a page with more information about the Study Guide and how to purchase it through our website or by calling ASPE directly for the advertised price.
On a brighter note, our new E-Catalog is free and easy to use, so check it out if you haven't already.
We're sorry for all of the confusion and headache.
Again we apologize for then error in the header of our email, but if you click on the link for the CBAP v2.0 Study Guide you will be directed to a page with more information about the Study Guide and how to purchase it through our website or by calling ASPE directly for the advertised price.
On a brighter note, our new E-Catalog is free and easy to use, so check it out if you haven't already.
We're sorry for all of the confusion and headache.
View the Incorrect Email
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Your PMP Recertification: For PDU-sake or Real Education?
As a PMI Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) we are constantly trying to keep on the cutting edge of project management training offerings. One of the latest trends we are seeing is the rollout of PMP Recertification products. Our competitors are saying things like…Earn all your recertification PDUs with us for just $5000 dollars or Need PMP Recertification PDUs. Earn 20 PDUs for just $199 when you take our online course. We’ll give you 10 Free PDUs.
For me, these products revitalize the concern we see every couple of years about the value of PDUs, and whether it is being devalued by the training industry. Generally speaking 1 PDU equates to 1 hour of education. Putting a dollar amount to that is tough since there are so many different avenues to earn PDUs today, especially free PDUs (For a good list of ways to earn free PDUs visit http://www.pmi-sd.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=79. I have no affiliation with this chapter.)
I will be the first to admit that there has been some monetary depreciation of the PDU over the last few years, at least from a trainer’s perspective. PDUs went from something that made your project management courses stand out and gave you the opportunity to charge more. Today, offering PDUs with your training course are a must whether you are charging $199 for an online course or $4000 for a 4-day boot camp. But this monetary depreciation is good for us all. By broadening the number of trainers who can award PDUs with their courses, PMI has refocused the recertification, and the certification for that matter, on the education and not just the requirements. It is no longer about how quickly you can earn your 60 PDUs over the three-year period, but more about what you are learning over that time span.
Here at ASPE that is our position. We are not here just to help you regain your certification as quickly as possible, and earn our chunk of change while doing so. Instead, our goal is to help you grow and become better at what you do. PDUs or no PDUs…as trainers, by helping you become more successful at our job, we become more successful at ours.
Sure we offer 4-day boot camps that cost $2000+, but if you aren’t already aware, we also offer a free web seminar series that offers on average 2 free PDUs per month. Some months we will find the time to offer 4 project management related web seminars, and give away as many as 4 PDUs. Over 3 years you could earn all the necessary PDUs for recertification for free. And you can rest assured that our web seminars are not product pitches. Our web seminars are about education, not marketing. We pick specific, hot, and important topics to cover in detail. We assume the audience has the background and skill to attend. We want you to walk away with actual knowledge, not just a snippet of knowledge and how our product can help you do it.
So, since training budgets are especially tight now, as you work towards your recertification keep in mind all of the free means to earn PDUs whether it is with us or not. Remember the vast amount of knowledge you gained while working towards your PMP certification, and the sense of pride you got when you learned you passed. Use your recertification period to really update your project management knowledge, especially with the new PMBOK 4th edition release and things like Agile and SharePoint starting to change the project management landscape. Don’t just pay for PDUs; pay for an education because when you really strip it all down you can earn all your PDUs pretty painlessly for free.
For me, these products revitalize the concern we see every couple of years about the value of PDUs, and whether it is being devalued by the training industry. Generally speaking 1 PDU equates to 1 hour of education. Putting a dollar amount to that is tough since there are so many different avenues to earn PDUs today, especially free PDUs (For a good list of ways to earn free PDUs visit http://www.pmi-sd.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=79. I have no affiliation with this chapter.)
I will be the first to admit that there has been some monetary depreciation of the PDU over the last few years, at least from a trainer’s perspective. PDUs went from something that made your project management courses stand out and gave you the opportunity to charge more. Today, offering PDUs with your training course are a must whether you are charging $199 for an online course or $4000 for a 4-day boot camp. But this monetary depreciation is good for us all. By broadening the number of trainers who can award PDUs with their courses, PMI has refocused the recertification, and the certification for that matter, on the education and not just the requirements. It is no longer about how quickly you can earn your 60 PDUs over the three-year period, but more about what you are learning over that time span.
Here at ASPE that is our position. We are not here just to help you regain your certification as quickly as possible, and earn our chunk of change while doing so. Instead, our goal is to help you grow and become better at what you do. PDUs or no PDUs…as trainers, by helping you become more successful at our job, we become more successful at ours.
Sure we offer 4-day boot camps that cost $2000+, but if you aren’t already aware, we also offer a free web seminar series that offers on average 2 free PDUs per month. Some months we will find the time to offer 4 project management related web seminars, and give away as many as 4 PDUs. Over 3 years you could earn all the necessary PDUs for recertification for free. And you can rest assured that our web seminars are not product pitches. Our web seminars are about education, not marketing. We pick specific, hot, and important topics to cover in detail. We assume the audience has the background and skill to attend. We want you to walk away with actual knowledge, not just a snippet of knowledge and how our product can help you do it.
So, since training budgets are especially tight now, as you work towards your recertification keep in mind all of the free means to earn PDUs whether it is with us or not. Remember the vast amount of knowledge you gained while working towards your PMP certification, and the sense of pride you got when you learned you passed. Use your recertification period to really update your project management knowledge, especially with the new PMBOK 4th edition release and things like Agile and SharePoint starting to change the project management landscape. Don’t just pay for PDUs; pay for an education because when you really strip it all down you can earn all your PDUs pretty painlessly for free.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Skills, knowledge, and tools SDLC professionals need to watch as the second half of 2009 approaches
SharePoint: With well over 100 million licenses SharePoint has become the darling of Microsoft. Since it is a web-based application, it makes users a lot happier as well. Once thought of as purely a collaboration and knowledge management tool, SharePoint is not stretching its tentacles into Project Management, Business Intelligence, Regulatory Compliance and Unified Communications. If you are new to SharePoint check out this primer on the tool.
A SharePoint Workflow Primer
If you are using this tool now check out ASPE-IT’s SharePoint curriculum for a better understanding of the power of this incredible tool.
ASPE-IT
Catch the WAVE: What is WAVE? Well you just have to check out the below link and get a first look. Let’s just say, SharePoint will have a run for its money in 2010.
Google Wave Preview
Managing Virtual teams and Running with Virtual Meetings: Software development, help desk, and customer service positions continue to flow out of organizations and into onshore and offshore service providers. Managing remote teams and dealing with virtual project management is a difficult skill that combines learning, experience and natural ability. Check out this white paper to get helpful tips and techniques to successfully handle virtual management.
Managing Virtual Teams
Sourcing and Managing Outsourced Vendors: It is one thing to manage the virtual team of doers. It is a completely different thing to find and manage the vendor. You have service level agreements, you have to monitor the financial viability of your partner, and you have to ebb and flow with changes in your partners organization. Here are two white papers detailing what you need to know to handle the myriad of changes when dealing with outsourcers.
Sourcing Vendors to provide Outsourced Services
or
Outsourcing in a Difficult Economy
Oslo Modeling Language: What is it? Well it is the replacement for UML. It is especially powerful in modeling Service Orientated systems. Take a look at this primer on Oslo.
"Oslo" Developer Center
Requirements Elicitation: Whether the Business Analyst, the Project Manager or the Developer is doing it, you must do requirements right. The skills of requirements elicitation continue to be a major “requirement” for large enterprise organizations. If you work in a software development group or if you are a business professional interfacing with business systems on a day-to-day basis, you need to understand what it means to elicit requirements. Grab this great assortment of tools, techniques, and templates dealing with all things associated with requirements elicitation.
Requirements Toolkit
Web 2.0: It is NOT about the technology of Web 2.0 -- that is the easy stuff. The real difficultly is understanding how to get business value out of Web 2.0 capabilities. Someone, somewhere will find the killer business application for Web 2.0 capabilities and you want to know enough about Web 2.0 to catch the “wave” of this app. The wave pun was intended because you will see it just might be that killer app.
A Web 2.0 Primer
A SharePoint Workflow Primer
If you are using this tool now check out ASPE-IT’s SharePoint curriculum for a better understanding of the power of this incredible tool.
ASPE-IT
Catch the WAVE: What is WAVE? Well you just have to check out the below link and get a first look. Let’s just say, SharePoint will have a run for its money in 2010.
Google Wave Preview
Managing Virtual teams and Running with Virtual Meetings: Software development, help desk, and customer service positions continue to flow out of organizations and into onshore and offshore service providers. Managing remote teams and dealing with virtual project management is a difficult skill that combines learning, experience and natural ability. Check out this white paper to get helpful tips and techniques to successfully handle virtual management.
Managing Virtual Teams
Sourcing and Managing Outsourced Vendors: It is one thing to manage the virtual team of doers. It is a completely different thing to find and manage the vendor. You have service level agreements, you have to monitor the financial viability of your partner, and you have to ebb and flow with changes in your partners organization. Here are two white papers detailing what you need to know to handle the myriad of changes when dealing with outsourcers.
Sourcing Vendors to provide Outsourced Services
or
Outsourcing in a Difficult Economy
Oslo Modeling Language: What is it? Well it is the replacement for UML. It is especially powerful in modeling Service Orientated systems. Take a look at this primer on Oslo.
"Oslo" Developer Center
Requirements Elicitation: Whether the Business Analyst, the Project Manager or the Developer is doing it, you must do requirements right. The skills of requirements elicitation continue to be a major “requirement” for large enterprise organizations. If you work in a software development group or if you are a business professional interfacing with business systems on a day-to-day basis, you need to understand what it means to elicit requirements. Grab this great assortment of tools, techniques, and templates dealing with all things associated with requirements elicitation.
Requirements Toolkit
Web 2.0: It is NOT about the technology of Web 2.0 -- that is the easy stuff. The real difficultly is understanding how to get business value out of Web 2.0 capabilities. Someone, somewhere will find the killer business application for Web 2.0 capabilities and you want to know enough about Web 2.0 to catch the “wave” of this app. The wave pun was intended because you will see it just might be that killer app.
A Web 2.0 Primer
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
IIBA Makes Online CBAP Application v2.0 Available
Yesterday the IIBA Online CBAP® Application was updated to reflect the new version 2.0 of the Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK®). This change will direct all online applicants to version 2.0 of the application. They stated that “The paper-based application will be updated from v1.6 to v2.0 by end of day June 5, if not sooner.”
If you have started the application prior to June 1st using v1.6 you have until June 30th to complete it. By July 1st, v1.6 will no longer be available and any information will be lost.
Also, remember the CBAP® exam based on the BABOK® Guide v2.0 will launch on August 1st, 2009. If you are scheduled to take the exam up to and including July 31, 2009, you will be taking v1.6 of the exam and starting August 1, you will be taking v2.0 of the exam. To view more information about the changes, visit http://iiba.informz.ca/IIBA/archives/archive_35785.html
If you are preparing for the CBAP exam don’t forget to check out our CBAP Certification Prep Boot Camp that is currently tied to v1.6, but will transition to v2.0 on August 1st as well. We also have The Complete CBAP v2.0 Study Guide available, an invaluable resource with over 500 practice test questions and tips on studying and sitting for the exam.
If you have started the application prior to June 1st using v1.6 you have until June 30th to complete it. By July 1st, v1.6 will no longer be available and any information will be lost.
Also, remember the CBAP® exam based on the BABOK® Guide v2.0 will launch on August 1st, 2009. If you are scheduled to take the exam up to and including July 31, 2009, you will be taking v1.6 of the exam and starting August 1, you will be taking v2.0 of the exam. To view more information about the changes, visit http://iiba.informz.ca/IIBA/archives/archive_35785.html
If you are preparing for the CBAP exam don’t forget to check out our CBAP Certification Prep Boot Camp that is currently tied to v1.6, but will transition to v2.0 on August 1st as well. We also have The Complete CBAP v2.0 Study Guide available, an invaluable resource with over 500 practice test questions and tips on studying and sitting for the exam.
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