THIS WEEK: Strengthening your mainframe skills

[Search390]

Title: TechTarget

July 15, 2002 >> Receive this email as text  >> About this email   In this Issue >> From the editor: Strengthening your mainframe skills >> Featured Topic: Meet the Experts--Steve Samson >> Expert Technical Advice: Steve Samson is here to answer your WLM and Performance Management questions >> Site Highlights: *Compare WebSphere notes with your peers *Featured Training: CICS Online Design *Webcast- July 18  From the Editor: by Robyn Lorusso, Assistant Site Editor Do you need to strengthen your mainframe skills? Search390 has been host to the ongoing debate surrounding the mainframe job market. Namely, what is the reason for the increasing number of out-of-work mainframe programmers? Is it the mainframer's lack of skills or the employer's hesitation to pay? S/390 expert and independent consultant Jim Keohane attempts to get to the heart of the matter by finding out what skills you have to offer that employers may or may not be passing up. He recently posed this question in the Sound Off forum: If you have personally encountered a mainframe job loss or pay cut, what is your background? He says his overall impression has been that mainframers who have broadened their skill sets have fared better in the mainframe market. Do you agree or disagree with this conclusion? Have you strengthened your skills to retain your current position or land a new job? What specific skills do you find employers are paying for, if any? Take Jim's mini-survey on mainframe skills and share your feedback in the Sound Off forum. Also, take our poll. If you are looking to strengthen your mainframe skills, check out the Careers & Training Best Web Links for advice on keeping your skills sharp. Or, take a look at this sampling of recent expert responses by Careers Expert Rick Nashleanas: Should I learn more contemporary skills or strengthen my existing mainframe skills? My company is downsizing. What skill set should I acquire before I am expendable? Unemployed mainframer needs career direction If there's anything in particular you'd like to see covered on the topic of mainframe skills and training, please send us an e-mail. Robyn Lorusso Assistant Site Editor  Featured Topic: Meet the Experts--Steve Samson by Robyn Lorusso, Assistant Site Editor Search390's mainframe savvy pros are available to answer your toughest questions. This week, the spotlight is on our Performance and Workload Management Expert Steve Samson. We've compiled some of Steve's best Q&A's in this Featured Topic. Read more about this topic  Expert Technical Advice: Featured Expert Steve Samson, Senior Technical Consultant, Candle Corporation Category: Performance and Workload Management Having trouble going to goal mode? Then you've come to the right place. We'll help you work through the headaches and realize the benefits of managing your workload. To send Steve a question, click here. View all of Steve's answers This Week: In the forums >> Search390 expert Jim Keohane wants to know if you've seen or personally experienced job loss or pay cuts, what is your mainframe background? Are your skills limited to certain fields? Have you worked with Internet workstation technology? What programming languages do you work with? Please share your feedback in the Sound Off forum. Tip of the Week: C strings, nice as they are, present a few issues in the legacy world. The use of a trailing X'00' to indicate end of string and the need to count bytes up to the end of string to determine length appears wasteful and counter-intuitive. Mainframers are used to separate length fields where lengths may differ. >> C strings in a COBOL, PL/I, S/390 assembler world  Site Highlights Compare WebSphere notes with your peers. Join a virtual study group in the Search390 Forum. Click here to enter the Forums and discuss WebSphere with other 390 professionals. Who else will understand? Featured Training: CICS Online Design Get the "CICS Online Systems Design" CD-ROM training course for just $29.99. Click here to get the special price on this featured training course through the month of July only. Webcast- This Week Are you sure that you're taking full advantage of Web services? Join us July 18 at 10:00 a.m. EDT to better understand Web services and learn how to connect with customers, partners and suppliers. Domino vs. Exchange Join SearchDomino on July 24 at 1:00 PM EDT for this live informational Webcast on the business and political issues surrounding Domino and Notes in a Microsoft world. Sign me up Webcast archive Did you miss the XML Security Webcast? Visit the Webcast Archive and correct your mistake. Transcripts available for two years from the date of the live event. Click here Wanted: 390 Wizards Are you a fountain of 390 wisdom? Share your tips with your peers at Search390. The best tip of the month wins Hall of Fame recognition and a free Rio One 32mb mp3/wma player. Submit a tip A B O U T   T H I S   N E W S L E T T E R Created by TechTarget TechTarget - The Most Targeted IT Media Copyright 2002, All Rights Reserved. To unsubscribe from Updates on new site content: >> Simply Reply to this Email with REMOVE within the Body or Subject -OR- >> Go to: http://search390.techtarget.com/register    - Log in to edit your profile.    - Click on the link to Edit email subscriptions.    - Uncheck the box next to the newsletter you wish to unsubscribe from.    - When finished, click "Save Changes to My Profile".