Miscellaneous - The SharePoint Blog

12/28/2009

2009 Recap:Ups and Downs, But Ending on a Great Note

The old saying states “it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish” and 2009 has been a great personal example of this philosophy. 2009 has been very difficult from a personal point of view with all the change that has happened from month-to-month, but with all that instability I have learned to be flexible. I’m glad for all the things that have happened this year even if they have not been all experiences I would like to repeat.

From a SharePoint perspective, as a consultant I was exposed to a bunch of new concepts and put in scenarios where I learned new features and functionality and will use those starting the new year and decade. I thought the highlight of the year was attending the “SharePoint Conference 2009” in Las Vegas and various “SharePoint Saturday” events. Now Vegas was ok, but the amount of information and the people that I met that week were the best part of attending the “SharePoint Conference”.

Starting my company, PointLogix LLC, has been an eye-opening experience that is still a work in progress, but glad I took the plunge in February to control more of my work and life. There are many obstacles to starting my own business, but luckily there were opportunities that I had during the year that allowed me to market and build upon.

This brings me to the end of the year. Well, just as I said owning my a business was very exciting and allowed me to build something from the ground up, it also comes with a variety of pitfalls that I cannot financially account for, so effective January 1, 2010 I have accepted a new position as a “Senior SharePoint Consultant” at RDA Corporation, where I will work with clients on customization, governance and best practices, potentially training, and hopefully Business Intelligence as it relates to SharePoint. I am very excited and with this new position there are some items that I have set to accomplish in a very short period of time.

First up is certification. I am currently an Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (WSS Configuration), but by June I should have completed 3 other certs as a requisite for my position. I’m not terribly excited about taking tests, but looking forward to the learning that will help both me and provide value to my future employer.

Next on the plate is speaking at events, my goal is to speak at 10+ SharePoint events, to include “SharePoint Saturday” and local SharePoint User groups. Sharing information is very important to me as I learn by explaining to others and think that others can learn from my experiences. This objective also includes blogging more about technical and non-technical issues on this very blog. I think that I have missed the opportunity in the last 6 months based on the types of work that I have done, so that will be a focus in 2010.

Finally, digging into SharePoint 2010 will be the other objective for the year. With the latest product coming out, and probably be asked for by many of my new clients I will need to continue to understand how SharePoint 2010 will be used and can be used with large and mid-size businesses. I am especially looking forward to understanding the Business Connectivity Services (BCS) and PerformancePoint Services.

So with the best laid plans that I have concocted for 2010, seems like I have going to have an incredibly front-loaded schedule for the first portions of the year. Looking forward to 2010 and wish everyone a Happy New Year.

Posted at 9:00 AM by Ken Price | Category: Miscellaneous | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

3/27/2009

SharePoint Skills Will Continue to be Difficult to Find in Even the Toughest Times

We have all seen a lot in the past 6 months, and the next 6 months are going to be no different. That being said the demand for qualified and experienced SharePoint professionals is going to remain above average.

Now, I do not believe from an Enterprise view that companies will add new projects, or pull projects that were previously pulled out of budgets in the next three to six months, but the demand is continuing to show pent-up demand that could push it’s way out into the marketplace.

Many stories over the past months have been of canceled projects, but with optimism growing, I believe these next few months will allow companies/professionals a great opportunity to put themselves in a great position for the next few years. Again this is more a forward-thinking proposition, but between the demand and the next version of SharePoint over the horizon in the next year, there is plenty of chances to grow in the field and solidify a position of power.

One of my surprises is that the consulting rates have not really lowered as much as I thought they would. I can see pressure being placed on rates in the next 3 – 6 months if unemployment continues to rise. The next big business push once employment rates stabilize is the lowering of these rates because of the fact that there will be a glut of resources, not SharePoint resources mind you, but a .NET developer is no different than a SharePoint developer in the mind of recruiters.

Right now the types of organizations that are seeing the biggest shortfall in activity are the vendors that specialize in development in the Enterprise space. A company’s focus on this space finds them at the mercy of the budget cuts that have taken place, but the end some companies fiscal year in June could start the rise of contract engagements.

That being stated, keeping a eye towards the future, while learning and being involved in great projects will continue to drive the growth of the platform. One of the best ways to do this is attending SharePoint events, learn as much as you can and meet as many great people as you can. You never know when either will become a valuable asset.

Posted at 9:16 PM by Ken Price | Category: Miscellaneous | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)