======================================================== SEARCH390.COM CAREER TIP May 9, 2001 ======================================================== SPONSORED BY: Postmaster Direct ======================================================== Get free offers from reputable merchants for products that you are interested in. Pick from over 50 categories of interest, modify your profile at any time to suit your needs, and receive only the email that interests you when you subscribe today. Just click on the link below and get your account up and running: http://search390.techtarget.com/postmasterDirect/ ======================================================== Phoenix rises, Las Vegas soars By Alan Robert Earls While there are significant differences between these two cities of the Southwest, they are united by a positive business climate and a sense that they are both on the path to growth. Business leaders and those in the technology community echoed these feelings. For instance, a new study released by economist Howard J. Wall at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis ranked Las Vegas as the "most livable metropolitan area" based on the number of people who "vote with their feet" and have moved to the city. In his ranking, the number three city is Phoenix, with Atlanta grabbing the second position. Although a recent Dun & Bradstreet study showed Arizona below the national average in information technology startups, an American Electronics Association "Cybercities" report identified Phoenix as the 12th largest high-tech city in the nation based on employment numbers. Ed Denison, executive director of the Arizona Software and Internet Association says the numbers he sees, are almost all positive. Denison says the state as a whole has about 110,000 information technology workers and 3,200 IT-based companies -- and the sector is growing at 12 percent a year. The association he heads up has grown meteorically from 60 members two years ago to 470 today. "It is a great market for employers and employees," says Denison, with successful, growing companies and a climate that keeps attracting new talent. Denison says he believes the average IT wage in Arizona in 2000 was about $54,000 -- some $14,000 lower than the national average. However, he says, that is balanced by "not having difficult commutes and a great quality of life with lakes, mountains, and four major sports teams." "All those positives are what make us call it the Tech Oasis," Denison adds. Jane Whisner, managing director of Eastridge Infotech, a recruiter, says the local economy in Las Vegas remains strong, with several large firms planning to add 150-200 employees in the next 12-18 months. She says the casino and resort business also continue to grow their IT operations. Dot-com growth is also a factor in the Las Vegas economy. In a recent article, Kirk Vanek, Marketing Manager at Analysts International, noted that Nevada has more domain names per capita than any other state. And Richard Fitzpatrick, president of IBAN, the Internet Business Association of Nevada says, "The region is growing and the technology sector is growing faster than any other part of the economy." In particular, Richardson says the IT economy is looking forward to the imminent passage of state legislation authorizing and regulating Internet gaming. Richardson says the state has developed a strong regulatory program for traditional "live" gaming and is in a good position to establish and regulate online gaming operations -- if they are based in Nevada. "This will bring a huge boost to the sector and a substantial addition to the technical job market here," he adds. Under the legislation, even the hardware and software staff of online gaming operations will have to be specially licensed. And that, says Richardson, will spell more opportunity for IT professionals. Despite all the positives, the outlook isn't strong for some specific technologies. Allen Plunkett, branch manager, consulting services for Robert Half International in Las Vegas, and a former manager in the firm's Phoenix office, says Las Vegas is developing as Phoenix did about five years ago. He sees opportunities in both cities for SAP and storage pros -- and especially for networking people. "SAP is well established in Phoenix but it is just starting to be adopted, mostly by manufacturers, in Las Vegas," he says. Similarly, big investments in storage have begun in Phoenix but haven't broken the surface yet in Las Vegas. But, says Plunkett, networking skills are hot across both cities. While Plunkett offers what he admits are "seat of the pants" descriptions of market conditions, other objective data tends to support his relatively rosy assessment. For example, SAP professionals in the Southwest as a whole ranked third nationally after the Pacific and Mid-Atlantic states with annual salaries averaging $98,167, according to recent tabulations from interactive salary survey on the searchSAP.com site. However, the size of the market leaves much to be desired. A search on Flipdog.com, using SAP as the key word, showed fewer than 20 SAP-related positions currently available in the Phoenix area and only one in the Las Vegas area. For storage professionals, the searchStorage.com Salary Survey ranked the Southwest third, behind the Pacific coast and New England regions with an average salary of $97,035. However, as with SAP skills, a search on Flipdog.com, using SAN as a key word, produced disappointing results: fewer than half-a-dozen SAN-related positions currently available in the Phoenix area and only one in the Las Vegas area. For networking professionals the story was different. While the relative ranking of salaries for the region, as reported on searchNetworking.com's interactive salary survey, was slightly lower, job opportunities were abundant. The region ranked fourth after the Pacific, New England, and Mid-Atlantic areas with annual average salaries of $56,946. Meanwhile, a search on Flipdog.com, using networking as a key word, showed more than 600 positions currently available in the Phoenix area. Las Vegas also looked good for networking professionals relative to the SAP and storage opportunities. Still, the numbers aren't large. A search produced a bare dozen available positions. David A. Small, President of Scientific Placement, Inc., Houston, a recruitment firm that also serves the Southwest market, recommends putting the salaries and job availability in context. "I think of the...job market as being broken down into two separate worlds," he says. Type A companies are those developing the technology such as Microsoft, Adobe, Apple, and many others, he says. Type B, in Small's schema, is the universe of companies buying and utilizing those technologies in their businesses. One type or the other generally dominates different regions -- and some regions, like Greater Boston, have both. "Phoenix has some type A jobs but isn't a major market like Austin, Boston, San Jose, or Seattle would be," says Small. In Las Vegas, he says, type A activity is still insignificant. However, he adds, "both Phoenix and Las Vegas have quite a few companies that are using computers in their business so both have type B jobs, though Phoenix is by far the larger of the two markets." SAMPLING OF MAJOR EMPLOYERS Las Vegas area Bank West of Nevada: http://www.bankwestnevada.com/ Nevada State Bank: http://www.nsbank.com/ Ameristar Casinos: http://www.ameristarcasinos.com/ Circus Circus Hotel & Casino: http://www.circuscircus.com/ Harrah's Entertainment, Inc.: http://www.harrahs.com Phoenix Area BankOne Arizona: http://www.bankone.com/ Motorola, Inc.: http://motorolacareers.com Qwest Communications International Inc.: http://www.qwest.com/careers/ Honeywell International, Inc.: http://www.honeywell.com American Express Co.: http://www.americanexpress.com USEFUL WEBSITES Las Vegas Sites Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce: http://www.lvchamber.com/ Internet Business Association of Nevada: http://www.iban.org Phoenix Sites Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce: http://www.phoenixchamber.com/ Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau: http://www.phoenixcvb.com/ Arizona Software &Internet Association: http://www.azsoft.com About the author: Alan Robert Earls is a technology and business writer based in Franklin, Mass. =============================================================== EDITOR'S SPOTLIGHT: Asking for a raise: strategies for success =============================================================== Do you think you're worth more than you're being paid? Salary represents more than just your bottom line; it demonstrates your worth to the company. But asking for that all-important raise can be a real killer. To avoid getting stressed out, you'll want to be prepared well before you set foot in your boss's office. This Spotlight will ensure that you leave that meeting with a spring in your step and a smile on your face...and cash in your wallet. Here are the first three of our top ten picks: Get the money you deserve: How to negotiate a raise Source: TechRepublic, Inc. This article will get you off on the right foot in formulating your pay raise strategy. The page lets you download a free resource document on how to negotiate a pay raise. Comments and suggestions by industry experts and real life experiences of IT professionals make up the two main parts of the document. It was interesting to note that the IT professionals did not always agree with or follow the suggestions of the experts, but they seemed to be successful all the same. URL: http://www.techrepublic.com/article.jhtml?id=r00620000711kia01.htm Tips for getting that raise Source: High Technology Careers According to the author of this article, all that is necessary to be successful is to follow his five-step program. He suggests actions that are intuitive but not often put into action. We bet you will have the same reaction to this program that we did when we reviewed it -"yes, that makes sense, why didn't we do that before?" URL: http://www.hightechcareers.com/docsoft197/onthejobsoft197.html Asking for a raise. When, how and how much Source: MSN This article covers a lot of the little pieces that add up to a winning strategy for getting a raise. Did you ever think about the fact that you'll have a better chance at getting the raise if you ask immediately after you complete that large project for a happy client? This may be self-evident but how often do we do it? Helpful hints like these increase the chances your salary negotiations will succeed. URL: http://content.careers.msn.com/WorkingLife/GettingAhead/9806_askraise.asp For a full look at our spotlight, Asking for a raise: strategies for success go to: http://search390.techtarget.com/weeklySpotlight/0,289679,sid10_cid357048_tax287511,00.html ======================================================= For a list of the latest career tips on Search390.com, go to: http://www.search390.com/search390_Tips_Category_Page/0,4223,281587,00.html What career issues are important to you? Do you have an idea for a career story or a tip you'd like to share with other S/390 pros? Let us know. E-mail us at mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]. ======================================================== ==================================== ASK THE CAREER EXPERT ==================================== Do you have a career question? Why not ask Rick Nashleanas, our resident career expert, now? 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