IBM - An Important Spot for IT Career Development

Ever since its earliest days, IBM has undergone many changes, and for many in the world of IT IBM still represents the ultimate work environment. IT workers of all levels and all abilities have consistently been drawn to IBM, with its reputation for forward thinking and the availability of so many cutting edge hardware and software products.

IBM is also one of the world's largest employers, with more than 330,000 employees spread around the world in 175 different countries. This global exposure has helped to make IBM one of the leading companies, and one of the most respected when it comes to IT and computer technology.

IBM continues to lead the way in the recruitment of IT talent, and while the company naturally stresses technical skills it places equal value on such soft skills and the ability to cooperate and collaborate, as well as the skills needed to embrace a changing environment and adapt to new situations in a changing world.

The employees of IBM fall into some 450 different job roles, with these roles having been grouped to provide more easily discernable career paths. IBM has long understood the importance of personal and career growth, and these job roles and groupings help to foster an environment of lifetime learning and career advancement.

Employees of IBM also have the ability to access a variety of developmental and learning programs using a company initiative known as Blue Opportunity. This name, which refers of course to the famous blue color of the company logo, and to its often used nickname of Big Blue, includes e-learning opportunities, traditional classroom learning, job projects, on the job training, mentoring programs and more, all designed to help employees learn, grow and succeed. All of the development opportunities available are geared to specific skills, and company managers often review these opportunities with their staff members.

IBM also subsidizes various external learning and certification programs, and the company spends in excess of $30 million each year on its Academic Learning Assistance Program, or ALAP. In fact certification and ongoing training both play a crucial role at IBM, both in the pre-employment evaluation process and in the overall work environment at the company. These certification requirements and procedures are designed to provide IBM's clients with the best solutions to their problems, to help maximize the confidence of clients and to provide a standard of excellence and success for the company and its employees.

In order to ensure these high standards, the company requires recertification every three years, and the company fully supports the formal certification process for all its IT architects and IT specialists. This helps these mission critical employees update their skills and enhance their value to the company.

Of course IT workers, both at IBM and elsewhere, have many choices when it comes to getting the IT trainingand certification they need. For many students, however, CBT Planet represents the most convenient, most efficient and most cost effective ways to obtain the Cisco CCNA, Microsoft MCSE, CompTIA and other certifications they need. CBT Planet offers training for Oracle, Red Hat, Sun and of course IBM, in addition to Microsoft Office and other desktop applications. All courses are offered using the latest in computer based training technologies, for the ultimate convenience and effectiveness.