IT Insights Blog

TestOut markets its products very heavily toward students at the high-school and college levels. We also embrace lifelong learning, however, which is the reason that TestOut Continuing Education exists. The TestOut CE brand embraces working IT professionals who are looking to advance their careers, or workers in other professions who are considering switching to IT. Certification can absolutely play a role both in strengthening existing IT careers, and launching new ones.

Sales has evolved. The “used car salesman” persona that many of us associate with salespeople is fading. Today, consumers are able to research products, read reviews, and get recommendations from friends before they even talk to a salesperson. There are times, even, when the consumer knows more about the product than the salesperson does. A salesperson today is now more of a consultant, someone the customer trusts will treat them fairly and take care of them. Indeed, sales is more customer service-focused than ever before. If a salesperson treats a customer badly, then that customer can go online and leave a frank assessment of their experience, which can have an immediate negative impact on the company.

A fascinating video appeared online this past week in commemoration of the Titanic sinking 104 years ago. The video depicts the entire sinking of the great ship in real time (about 2 hours and 40 minutes) from the moments before the ill-fated iceberg strike. (Strangely missing from the video is the part where Jack sketches Rose while she's wearing the giant sapphire.) The first two-and-a-half hours depict the slow and arduous submerging of the front half of the ship. The pace of the rising water is almost indiscernible, until the back end of the ship is nearly at a 45 degree angle out of the water.

Most people, at some point in their lives, will experience at least a moment of solemn anguish over something they did, something they didn't do, something they wish they had known about sooner, and so forth. It's a quirk of human nature to reflect, from time to time, on unfortunate outcomes or missed opportunities. Animals can learn from something that causes harm or distress. But they don't generally seem to have the capacity for it to occupy their thoughts and drag them down into a depressive funk.

Prior to joining TestOut, for 17 years I was an interior designer specializing in kitchens. There is a lot to consider when designing a kitchen — the materials, methods of construction, and a whole lot of preparation. When someone would ask me to design their kitchen I always discussed the importance of three things: ...