CCNP Certification Advice - Network Professional

So you want to earn your CCNP. First you are going to have to achieve your CCENT and CCNA and I have written a couple articles on those exams so check them out. CCNP stands for Cisco Certified Network Professional and this exam takes the CCNA to a whole new level. You are required to pass four more exams which include Building Scalable Cisco Internetworks, Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks, Implementing Secure Converged Wide Area Networks, and last but not least Optimizing Converged Cisco Networks. These exams all cover their own set of standards for creating a Cisco Network Infrastructure.

The CCNP certification assures the knowledge and the technique which is a must to configure, and install local, wide and global area networks for companies with 500 or greater nodes. With the CCNP training, the network technician displays the know how required for deploying routers, switches, and hubs in a network structure not forgetting the applications it takes to run this hardware.

Becoming CCNP certified is definitely a boost in your resume as it will show corporations that you know your hardware. The best way to learn is to use Computer Based Training (CBT). CBT is a new and evolving methodology of self-paced at home learning. Not everyone these days has the time to sit down and read a book trying to flip through the pages and retain the information. With CBT you are led by an on screen instructor who takes you by the hand and leads you through the entire subject. When watching the CBT DVD or CD it is as simple as inserting the disc and following along just as if you were in a class. The only drawback to CBT is that you cannot ask questions but you can always rewind and go over a section that you misunderstood.

All it takes to achieve a CCNP Certification is the right training in the right format. CBT will absolutely provide that for the IT Training professional.

Joshua Hicks is a CCNA Certified technician that works in the IT department of Self Study Source. He is a graduate of the Self Study CCNA Training program from Self Study Source and is working on furthering his IT career.

PHR SPHR Certification and the Employee Performance Appraisal

Candidates that hold PHR or SPHR certifications have proven the highest level of HR achievement in their field. There is a common HR body of knowledge that is developed by the Society of Human Resources and is tested on the exam. If you plan on sitting for the Professional in Human Resources examination you should have at least 2 to 4 years of professional work experience. Candidates sitting for the Senior Professional in Human Resources exam are required to have a minimum of 6 to 8 years of professional Human Resources experience in which the majority of their working time is spend on HR functions. The topic of management and employee performance appraisals is often tested on the exam and you should be aware of the topic and its function in HR. Instead of performance appraisal, organizations can seek improvement from a much broader spectrum. Performance appraisal is a by-product of a management philosophy that emerged in the late 1950s: Management-By-Objective (MBO). This variation of a machine model was based on the idea of assigning employees numerical targets that matched overriding objectives determined by the organization. Individual performance was measured by the employee's success in meeting these various targets, most of which were quantitatively measured. An annual review rated employees on their success or failure in meeting a number of these precisely defined targets.

By the 1980s, the efficacy of MBO and performance appraisals was in question. Many organizations recognized that the MOB-driven appraisal had failed to deliver its promised success, despite years of trying to improve the process. The MBO appraisal failed as a motivator because people were resistant to and dissatisfied with the process and because both supervisors and employees commonly manipulated the data and the supposed objective evidence to ensure desired ratings and compensation outcomes By the 1990s, organizations had dropped the MBO, but didn't drop the performance appraisals. Believing that appraisal was useful or necessary, organizations continued the annual ritual, in most cases because they didn't know what to do instead. Performance appraisals send messages of distrust, and they suppress the human spirit. Instead of motivating people, they reduce employees to dependent, de-motivated people, who are treated as though they need to be prodded and psyched to put forth their best efforts.

While performance appraisals may have been intended to weed out poor performers, they actually insulted everyone across the board. More than a dozen leading business authors, scholars and consultants have condemned and discouraged the use of performance appraisals, including Peter Block, Philip Crosby, Steven Covey, and the late W. Edwards Deming. Covey calls performance appraisals the bloodletting of today's management. Instead, he urges managers to develop win-win agreements with their employees over performance issues. An unintended consequence of Covey's suggestion is that some employers have simply applied his suggestion to the performance model, placing elaborate performance agreement documents in the personnel file, rather than encouraging, on a personal level, the development of win-win understandings based on trust and communication within a relational context, as Covey counsels.

Deming encouraged all managers to have a spontaneous, unplanned and unhurried three-to-four-hour conversation with each of their employees at least once a year, with the primary goal of listening. These conversations would not be for criticism or performance feedback but to take a broader view of the work and for help and understanding on the part of everybody.

Alternatives to performance appraisal will include these ideas:

An organization, because it is a system, can't be significantly improved by focusing on individuals. Choices of commitment and responsibility must be left to individuals if they are to be meaningful and effective. Less structure and control over the individual employee often will result in greater motivation and productivity. Employees can't be motivated to perform their best, but conditions of openness and trust can unleash intrinsic motivation, spirit and heart-felt commitment to organizational goals. Improving the overall system of the organization yields better results than trying to get employees to improve their individual performance. Organizations can survive and grow only if they are freely evolving systems, where variation, differentiation and diversity are valued as pathways to innovation and improvement.

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Tips on How to Gain QTP Certification

Software testers use the latest testing tools to ensure that their testing routines show the right results. However, testers also additionally need to get certain certifications so that they can gain higher work prospects. One of the most sought after certifications for testers is the HP-QTP Certification.

A HP-QTP Certification makes way for better work opportunities and higher recognition in the work place. Getting this certification requires considerable work preparation.

You can find many types of research material available for studying QTP concepts. How do you know which one is the best? Good QTP Certification study material should help you learn in a short while and the questions should be so designed that the entire learning spectrum is covered. This implies that all arenas that you should be aware of on QTP concepts are dealt with in a comprehensive way.

Choosing the right study material can make all the difference in your approach towards understanding QTP Concepts. You can understand and imbibe all that you need to learn in a much better way, when you opt for a course that teach you all information that you really require to gain that certification. Here is a look at what an ideal learning material should offer you:

- A mix of questions that includes single question, multiple answers and true or false questions
- Extensive topic coverage and this includes arenas such as descriptive programming, parametrization methods and much more
- Questions have been modeled in such a way that you are sure of getting a HP Certification
- Access to online test sessions where you can attempt tests online without downloading any software

The purpose of such study material is that after undergoing it, you should be able to learn all concepts necessary and also gain more knowledge on QTP Concepts. The study material presented through software or video should takes you over all series of questions and answers that help you understand everything that you need to know about QTP. If the material is provided through software form, it should have an easy-to-use interface and should present information in a question answer format, that make is the material easier to grasp.

A HP-QTP Certification can make all that difference your career prospects. Choose the right study material so that you can gain comprehensive knowledge on QTP concepts to pass the exam and gain the certification you need to gain a step up the ladder in your career.

If you are interested to know more about QTP Certification then Click Here

Video Tutorials Make Learning Easy

Using video tutorials to teach can be very beneficial for those in the process of learning how to use a program like Photoshop for example. It is a proven fact that not everyone learns the same way. You might be a visual learner, whereas someone else might need to hear an explanation to fully understand. Video tutorials that can be made by using a program like Camtasia will ensure that every user's needs are met. Walking through material that is unfamiliar to users can be difficult. In most cases, there will always be one user who has trouble following and needs extra help. By creating a visual aid that is web based, users can review the process at home, working at their own pace.

What could be better than a productive session with users where everyone leaves with a complete understanding of the information you gave them? Using a series of video tutorials is the best way to make sure that happens. If potential customers can follow along with the visual aid by actually doing each step as it is shown they will have a better handle on how to use your product line. With a recorded visual aid, users can follow your instructions on their own, with a recording of your instructions, they will be able to work at their own pace so no one gets left behind.

There are many tools available to help you create video tutorials. Camtasia, a program that was mentioned above, is one such program that is easy to use. Camtasia allows you to make screen recordings that can be supported with an audio track, or narration. It also allows you to use Power Point, Picture-in-Picture and webcam video. Being able to fully show the process makes the use of video tutorials one of the best ways to show your users a process step by step. However, if you have never created video tutorials you might be wondering what kind of work is involved in putting together a visual aid like this one. Like most programs being made today Camtasia was developed to be extremely user friendly. You don't need to be a computer expert to get your video tutorials up and running.

To record your video you need to select 'options' under the tools menu, which is where you will find the capture tab. After finding the capture tab you will want to follow these steps:

-Use the checkboxes to choose your capture options.

-Select "Record the Screen" from the Camtasia window.

-Designate what project you are working on, such as a Power Point

-Start a new project and select what you will be recording, the entire screen or just and area that you indicate.

-Add audio by selecting the appropriate checkbox, a box will appear so that you check the input levels of your microphone.

-After setting your sound preferences click on next, and then finish to start the recording process. During the recording process of your video tutorials you have the option to pause, but that isn't necessary because you can edit out what you don't want later.

For more information on this process look online at http://www.iddl.vt.edu/instructors/camtasia/

Give your users the information they both want and need with video tutorials. It may even increase your sales.

Brad Lessard is the owner of EbizCommando, an online membership site specializing in helping people develop the fundamental building blocks of a successful internet business.

For more information please visit [http://www.ebizcommando.com]

Nothing is impossible!

Video Game Beta Testers - Can I Really Get Paid To Play Video Games?

Many people make a living as a video game beta tester. What this means is that they get paid to find bugs in beta versions of upcoming video games. The reason for this is quite simple. For the game company, it is financially beneficial to pay professional game testers to thoroughly test a game and all of it's features so that it meets consumer expectations, and so that it is the best quality that can possibly be achieved.

Generally speaking, here's how you get started: you contact a few game developers & game companies and you persuade them to hire you as a beta tester. In a nutshell, that's basically what needs to be done. Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately though, it is much easier said than done.

The best way to "persuade" these companies and developers is by showing them your overwhelming amount of expertise in the video game industry; things like your skill level as a gamer, your ability to accurately document glitches and bugs, your ability to follow instructions to the letter, and so on and so forth. Occasionally, it means making them an offer they can't refuse, such as testing a few video games for free (GULP). Why test them for free? Well, to get your foot in the door and show them that your a dedicated tester that just loves to play video games. Remember, they are looking for true blue game testers that can be remarkably efficient when testing video games.

When you begin landing video game tester jobs, you are generally sent a free copy in the mail as well as a questionnaire and "report" to fill out. Typically, you'll be given an assignment to complete that either involves beating the entire game from start to finish or playing one level over & over & again. It really just depends on the information the developer needs.

Once you get your assignment, it's time to go to work. Complete the assignment, fill out the form or questionnaire, and then mail it back to the game developer. It's important to be fast with your video game testing and, at the same time, you must be professional as well. With that being said, get the work done quickly but make sure it is done accurately and without mistakes. After they have received your report, you will be issued a check in the mail. Typically, the checks are paid every other week to the video game beta tester.

To be a good game tester, you have to have an eye for detail, as well as the ability to play certain parts of a game repeatedly. At the same time, you have to be able to properly document errors and glitches that you find, which will be done via the bug reporting form.

When it comes to getting started and finding your first video game tester job, there are two paths you can walk. Path 1: You go out on your own and do everything completely by yourself without any help from anyone or anything. Path 2: You research and read through the numerous resources & testing guides in order to find a "tried, tested, and proven" approach that others have achieved success with. Obviously, the path you choose is up to you, but personally, I'd go with option 2. Why? Because video game testing is an industry made up of teams, not solo gamers. Plus, why would you want to "reinvent the wheel" when you can just improve upon it?

There you have it; a quick & simple guide on how to get paid as a video game beta tester.

Sean Saunders Spends Most of His Time Playing Video Games And He Now Has A Very Successful Career as a Professional Video Game Tester. If You Too Would Like To Get Started With Paid Video Game Testing, Visit Gamer-Testing-Ground.com, The Number One Resource For Video Game Testers Everywhere.

If You're Not In A Big Rush To Get Your Testing Career Started and Would Just Like More Information on Video Game Testing, Go To... http://www.squidoo.com/BeAVideoGameTester/

How to Become a Legal Videographer

Advancements in technology have made criminal investigations much more efficient and effective. As well, there have been significant increases in a variety of technological jobs in the justice system. One such career is a Legal Videographer. A Legal Videographer, also known as a Forensic Videographer, Court Videographer, or Video Court Reporter, is responsible for using multimedia equipment to record digital images and video for court cases, recording evidence at crime scenes, enhancing poor quality analog and digital images, assessing the validity of video, and recording court trials. They are also involved with recording contracts, wills, and reconstructing incidents such as accident scenes. A Legal Videographer produces legal video, forensic video, and courtroom video evidence. The practice is also referred to as Forensic Videography, Legal Videography, and Court Videography.

There are number of steps one can take to become a Legal Videographer that include:

Experience: Experience is essential to obtaining a career in legal videography. You should work or volunteer helping other videographers. You can also practice by making your own compilation of videos such as short films or documentaries. As well, you can take training workshops taught by professional videographers. Ask other legal videographers for advice about gaining experience. One may even offer you the chance volunteer with him or her.

Education: Currently it is not compulsory to have a degree in Videography, but it would give you a competitive edge to have completed courses in videography, forensics and criminal justice. It is important to have some type of education background in videography and criminal justice. There are videography programs available at a number of trade schools. You will learn all about videography such as the process of editing.

Acquire Videography Equipment: If you are working with a Videographer or taking a videography program, you will need such equipment as film or digital video-camera, a tripod, hand-held lights, monitors, editing equipment, and other video camera gear. With a digital video camera, there is excellent software on the market that allows for editing.

Certification: The American Guild of Certified Videographers states that "a certified professional is not only better equipped to handle jobs once he starts working, but is also in a better position as far as marketing." Becoming a Certified Legal Videographer is not a complicated endeavor. The types of certification available include: Certified Deposition Video Specialist, Certified Video Documentary Specialist, Certified Court Video Specialist (certified to do both video depositions and settlement documentaries,) Certified Legal Video Instructor (certified to instruct and validate other videographers,) and a Certified Senior Court Videographer. To be a Legal Videographer, it is recommended that you obtain a combination of certificates.

Legal Videographers are fast becoming an indispensable part of the criminal justice system. Career options for legal videographers are increasing across the country. Most courts are now implementing high tech methods making legal videographers in great demand. There is also a shortage of professionally-trained legal videographers which makes this career a great choice.

The services of Legal Videographers are expected to increase in demand. A career in legal videography is an exciting and fascinating field for anyone who has a passion to work in the justice system.

Court reporting provides a broad selection of reporting as well as document & case management services to the legal industry, we continually set the standard for court reporter.

What Is Video Streaming

Video streaming is the process of converting video and audio into a compressed digital format, then distributing the data through computer networks. This compressed data can be more easily delivered using computer networks because of its smaller size. The video and audio can be live or pre-recorded content, and can be continuously streamed or delivered as on demand content.

Internet video streaming is similar to standard television broadcasting. Software is used to convert video and audio into a format that is suitable for delivery using a computer network. Television stations use special hardware to convert video and audio data into a format suitable for broadcasting. Special computer network transport protocols enable the delivery of multimedia content to the end user ( viewer ) versus using broadcast transmitters to send the video and audio content to individual television sets.

The first step in the video streaming process is to digitally compress the audio and video content. This is required to conserve bandwidth that is used for the delivery of the content. Specially developed software applications, called codecs, are used to compress the video and audio data. Codecs use mathematical algorithms to compress the data. Most codecs use a method of data compression known as lossy data compression. This method allows the compression of the content without losing the quality of the original video and audio content. Advanced codecs require large amounts of computer resources for high definition video and audio data compression. A balance must be established between the compression quality, bandwidth consumed and computer resources used. This balance ensures a quality viewing and listening experience for everyone.

The next step is to distribute the encoded video and audio content. Special server software is required for the continuous distribution of multimedia content. This specialized software can be installed and run on various computer operating systems including: Windows, Linux and Macintosh; in addition to several other computer operating systems. Individual files can be distributed using on demand content delivery, without the need for specialized server software. On demand content can be hosted using a standard website account.

The final step is to prepare the compressed content for delivery. The method of data delivery used to transport the content via computer networks is determined by several factors that include: software used for the compression of the audio and video data, architecture of the computer network used for content delivery and end user requirements. Delivery of this data over computer networks uses special software or hardware instructions to route the video and audio content to the end user. Each computer network transport protocol has its own unique characteristics that make it applicable in specific situations. Methods of multimedia data transport include: HTTP, RTSP, IP Multicast and P2P.

No broadcast license or technical certification is required for Internet streaming, unlike a standard television broadcast station. Standard television broadcast stations are required to have a broadcast license and certified broadcast engineers. The only requirements for Internet video streaming are: specialized data delivery server software, special audio and video encoding software and large amounts of bandwidth. Bandwidth is required for the delivery of the video and audio content to the end user. The formula for determining the amount of bandwidth required for video streaming is: Bandwidth required = data encoding speed x number of desired consecutive users.

All multimedia content is subject to applicable intellectual property regulations. These regulations differ from country to country; however the general rule for audio and video content is the station originating the Internet stream must own, or have a license to distribute material that is covered under copyright regulations. Content that has been released under creative commons, public domain or has fallen out of copyright protection is not subject to intellectual property regulations and can be streamed with no special content licensing requirements.

You can view a continuous video stream using a hybrid HTTP transport protocol ( Shoutcast ) here: http://www.scvi.net/tvpls.htm
You can also view a continuous streaming multimedia presentation that uses on demand content delivery here: http://www.scenicradio.com

Dave Childers is a freelance Internet broadcast consultant, writer and webmaster of http://www.scvi.net, The Winamp TV, NullSoft Video information website.

Video Court Reporting - Why Use It?

If your company or law firm is experiencing its first need for a court reporter, there are several things that will determine the best reporter for your needs, including a reporter's specialty, advanced certification, experience with certain case types, etc. But one aspect of court reporting that applies to all reporting scenarios is whether or not to use video. Traditionally, all proceedings, legal and otherwise, were recorded with a stenograph machine and translated into a written manuscript. But today, most law firms and companies use video court reporting. Below, we look at some advantages of using video court reporting versus traditional reporting.

Video Creates a Visual Record

When you record someone saying something on video, they can't blame a stenographer for mishearing what was said and recording the wrong words, which can be a valuable asset in both company meetings and legal proceedings. Although the wording in written transcripts is ubiquitously trusted, there's no substitute for recording a person's words on video, as it often conveys more than simply what is said.

Video Catches Things that Transcripts Don't

Although written transcripts contain descriptions of nonverbal communication, it's often difficult to capture the nature of such communication in written words. As result, most attorneys prefer to video record their depositions. Despite a person's words, their body language, breathing pattern, eye movements, and a variety of other non-verbal communicators can indicate their confidence or lack thereof in their positions.

Video is Powerful with Juries

If you want to convince a jury that a defendant or plaintiff is a really selfish dullard, get your evidence on video. Despite what people say with their mouth, they typically can't hide their essence of their personality, especially not when questioned at length by a skillful attorney. As an individual's pride, ambivalence, conceit, etc. bubbles to the surface in subtle ways, the jury will see your point.

Video is Excellent for Review

Although the movies often portray an attorney who delves into voluminous transcripts as passionately dedicated to the truth, real attorneys know that there's nothing more exacerbating than wasting time searching through paper transcripts when time is short and a case is on the line. Litigation support services can make a video easily navigable with video/text synchronization, which also makes a video easier to present to a jury.

Video is Valuable for Archiving

When coupled with a written transcript, video offers the most consummate archival record. Instead of simply pulling out a transcript years later to review what was said during a proceeding, you can also refer to a video to better refresh your memory. Originally offered in analogue form, court reporting firms now offer videos in digital form, making them easy to store on computer or disc.

In my research on court reporting firms, I've studied the value of litigation support services, including video reporting.

Become a Certified Nursing Assistant With Free CNA Training!

Free CNA training for those looking to become Certified Nursing Assistants can often be found through employers, such as hospitals, through local vocational training organizations, and through online training. It should be noted that becoming a Certified Nurse requires taking and passing a state exam, which may not be covered by online CNA training. CNA training "classes" are different than training "courses".

The classes usually include hands-on clinical learning and practice, while courses are usually in the form of printed or online courseware. Depending on where you live, hospitals or nursing homes may hold free CNA training in exchange for you working for them. The best way to check is to get your local phone book and call them up. Look up long term care centers and call them up and ask.

Some hospitals have contracts with local community colleges and offer their courses free to the student. There are also CNA/HHA Scholarship Programs, which sponsor free CNA and HHA training for qualified individuals who would like to become Certified Nurse Assistants and/or Home Health Aides (HHAs) and work in long term care. These programs often cover the full cost of training, including the CNA state certification exam. They are usually administered and funded by the states Department of Public Health.

The Armed Services also offer various training programs. Through the Air Force Aid Society Spouse Employment Program, some facilities were recently approved to offer the Certified Nursing Assistant Program in partnership with Spectrum Medical Services. Through this program, the Air Force Aid Society will pay for 10 spouses of active- duty military to become certified nurse assistants. If you are a spouse of an active-duty military member and are interested in becoming a CNA, call the Airman and Family Readiness Center at the AFB.

Going beyond free CNA training, if you're already a Certified Nursing Assistant and have been working in the same facility for some time, particularly if your employer has paid for your CNA classes, they may also be willing to send you back to school to get your RN certification.

Click here to learn more about Free CNA Training.