Security aside, as plants become more automated, there is an ever-growing need for people (like you) who can program and maintain the computers that control, the sensors that feed information to those computers, and the switches, valves, relays, and motors those computers and the many PLCs attached to them turn on and off and regulate as necessary. But to do this, you need to learn things you may not have learned in your programming, computer science or IT management courses.

Become an electrician and learn ladder logic

To work with industrial plant controls, you need to deal with high voltages safely. In other words, you need to become an electrician. You will probably need some classroom education (check your local community college; it’s lots cheaper than private trade schools) and to serve an apprenticeship. You will also want to learn ladder logic, which is the way electrical (as opposed to electronic) schematics are typically written. Some of the electrical training may seem simplistic to you, but don’t think it’s not important. Dealing with 480V or more is lots more hazardous than dealing with the low-voltage circuitry inside a PC. There is no room for error. Everything must be done right, the first time and every time.

A good place to learn about local education and apprenticeship possibilities is to go to the National Electrical Contractors Association website and find a contractor near you that specializes in industrial and commercial work. Then call that contractor and tell them you’re interested in possibly becoming an electrician, and that you already have some computer training and experience. You may be happily surprised at the warm reception you get from some contractors — and if you don’t get a warm reception from the first one or two you call, don’t get discouraged; call some more. Sooner or later you’ll run into someone happy to help a bright person like you — and who might even be willing to hire you as an apprentice.

The main thing is, you’re looking outside the office and server room box. You’re looking at industrial plants where you wear a hard hat and ear protection.

Not everyone is suited for work in a refinery, a paper pulp plant or an automated industrial bakery. But if you are, you might find yourself in a whole different field than you thought about when you first decided you might want to make computers your career. And it can be a fun career, too, especially if you enjoy working with machinery like the automatic toilet paper machine you can see in this video:

Here you are, Mr. or Ms. Totally Skilled IT Security Honcho, detecting intrusions before they happen and using cloud-based digital antibiotics to eliminate Windows funguses before they infect your systems, but you still have bosses, and they can be major points of malware infection and other IT insecurities — unless you take the time to train them about baddies who specifically go after them using spear-phishing tactics.

Plain old phishing is bad enough. Spear-phishing is worse because it specifically targets (like a spear; get it?) executives and business owners. This threat is common enough that there’s a guy in Clearwater, Florida, named Stu Sjouwerman who has made a business called KnowBe4 out of dealing with human security problems, including spear-phishing.

A prime example Stu gives us is the fake Better Business Bureau Complaint.

• In this scam, Stu writes, executives will receive an official-looking email that is spoofed to make it appear as if it comes from the Better Business Bureau. The message either details a complaint that a customer has supposedly filed, or claims that the company has been accused of engaging in identity theft. A complaint ID number is provided, and the recipient is asked to click on a link if they wish to contest or respond to the claim. Once the link is clicked, malware is downloaded to the system.

Now, you would spot this phony pitch. But would your sales director? Or your warehouse manager?
• How about this one?

  A Smartphone (pseudo)Security App – With minimal research, cybercriminals can easily find the names and email addresses of a company’s senior management. Armed with that information, they can spoof an email from the CEO asking the CFO to click a link. Once clicked, it downloads a keystroke logger to the CFO’s computer. By this means, the hacker can obtain bank account information and passwords. If the bank uses two-factor authentication, the scammer simply spoofs an email from the bank asking the CFO to install a smartphone security app, which is actually more malware. And with that, the cybercriminals have full access to the CFO’s account login credentials, and control any two-factor text messages sent to the CFO.

• Or this one:

  Layoff Notice – This particular phishing tactic takes advantage of the current economic climate and targets employees. It begins with a spoofed email from the CEO or Human Resources informing recipients that they have been laid off, but that they are eligible for severance and unemployment benefits. Employees are asked to click a link to register for severance pay. The landing page looks just like the company’s website, and asks users to enter their name and social security number to log in. However, the website actually triggers a malware download to the user’s system; and if the victim enters any personal details, they are immediately at risk for identity theft.

• Even better, what about a Free Dinner in Return for Feedback?

  By reviewing an executive’s social media profiles, cybercriminals are able to determine what organizations that individual supports or does business with, as well as his or her favorite local restaurants. The scammer will then spoof an email from a representative of one of those charities or organizations, asking the recipient to download a PDF that supposedly contains details on an upcoming campaign or event, and promises free dinner at the local restaurant as an incentive for providing feedback. When the PDF is downloaded, it installs malware to the system – and gives hackers direct access to the network.

• And what about a notice that says you’re being sued?

  In this scenario, cybercriminals cull the email addresses of a company’s executives and legal counsel. They will then spoof an email from the legal counsel to the executive team, and attach a PDF that purports to contain information about new or pending litigation. When the recipients download the attachment, their system becomes infected and the entire network is compromised.

Stu says, “When executives receive a time-sensitive email that appears to be sent by the Better Business Bureau, a fellow exec, their legal counsel or an organization they support, most won’t think twice before clicking because they trust the person they believe is the sender. That’s what cybercriminals are counting on, and why they’re willing to invest the time to create realistic-looking messages from familiar sources. They’ve discovered just how effective these types of spear-phishing scams can be.”

The only defense is training — not just once, but regular updates, too. As you might imagine, Stu’s company will happily help you with human security training — for a fee. But KnowBe4 also has a free Phishing Security Test you might want to take, and Stu’s book, Cyberheist: The biggest financial threat facing American businesses since the meltdown of 2008, only costs $21.99 in paperback and $9.99 for Kindle, which is not much to pay for solid insight into security holes you might not have thought about before.

And there’s always the “do it yourself” alternative: looking online for all the information you can get about phishing and other “human IT insecurity” problems, and coming up with your own, internal security course — and updates. You cannot forget the updates whether you work with someone like KnowBe4 or go it alone, because people will gradually forget what they learned in your security briefings, and will revert to their old, bad habits unless you stay on top of them regularly, not for just a month or two but forever.

Craig Bloem, Founder & CEO of Free Logo Services (which is not his first startup), says,

• Look at code samples – I ask them for their code and have “A” level programmers I trust look at the code and tell me how good it is.
• Similar projects – Have they worked on projects similar to what I am going to have them work on so that they will be familiar with the challenges and the technology.
• Excitement level – Are they excited and challenged by what you will have them work on? Good programmers and IT shops need to be challenged constantly.
• Use their applications – I have them bring in their own computer and show me what they have developed (apps and programs) and tell me about what parts of the programs they owned and what was challenging to them about it. You can also see how they set up their desktop and what tools they use. Look at the programs they have developed. Were they scalable? Do they accomplish their main purpose?
• Personal interaction – How do they communicate with me? Do they
  understand my questions, and what questions do they ask?
• References – I learn more out of references than anything else. Do they learn fast, how is their quality, can they manage deadlines, what are their weaknesses and strengths so I know how to work with them and what to watch out for if I hire them.
• Education – What GPA and schools did they go too. Specifically, how did they do at math?
• Github – Do they have a github account and if so,what have they written?

Ethan Roberts, President of Monkey Mind LLC, says,

• I’ve been on both sides of the fence finding consultants for companies I worked at, and now I’m an independent consultant that other companies hire. From a company standpoint, I looked for a close fit on skillset and then at personality during the interview. If one candidate had better skills but the other one was easier to work with and close on skills, I’d pick the second one because I don’t need a hassle for the whole project. As a consultant I try to have a great skillset and an easy-going personality for exactly the same reasons.

Eric Leland, of FivePaths LLC, says, “We regularly hire consultants and programmers, and help our clients do so.”

• We like to find contractors through peer resources. Partners or clients we work with may have leads or resources they have experience with.
• We trust our partners and clients, and value their experience with the talent they have hired, which makes our vetting process much easier. For some skills, we need to reach more broadly – we use professional networking organizations for various sectors that serve the talent we need. One example is the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network, whose membership is experienced with many software packages that nonprofits seek.
• Professional networks exist for many established technologies, helping to aggregate smart talent, not just people who are job hunting. Smart talent, even when they are not available, can lead to great resources, helping to reduce the time it takes to find and review applicants.

Next week we’ll look at what some successful IT consultants and independent programmers have to say about the best ways to get clients. But this suggestion is too good to keep on the shelf for a week…

• Self-described hacktivist Fred Trotter says, “I found that finding clients became much easier when I ‘wrote the book’ on my subject matter”: Meaningful Use and Beyond; A Guide for IT Staff in Health Care

So: Have you considered writing a book about the area where your greatest skills lie? It can be a major career boost.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/E7oOCMUyFvk" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

• Listening. On the surface this seems really trivial, but it’s a critical skill. Not just hearing and understanding what people are saying, but confirming the understanding. One way I try to do this is to repeat back what I heard. “Bob, I think I heard you ask for three things. First, Next, Finally… Did I miss anything?”
• Don’t Interrupt. If I’m interrupting I’m not listening. And I’m likely not applying the next skill either.
• Be a force for calm. Learn to help reduce tension in a conversation by not escalating a disagreement. Even when I think someone else is wrong, I’ve learned to first ask for more information, then invite the other person to work with me in checking out the facts. There is a lot less stress when we remain focused on the issues at hand rather than the people discussing them.
• Present ideas in a concise, organized way. This doesn’t have to be done alone. Groups like Toastmasters can help develop this skill through practice and feedback.

Roberta Chinsky Matuson, President of Human Resource Solutions, says, “Here are three of the most essential skills IT and technical people must possess or develop”:

• In order to be an effective IT person, you need to be able to share your ideas with others. People need to fully understand what you are saying in order to comply with your request. Work on improving your communications skills and you will see an immediate difference in the reaction you get from those that work with you and around you.
• Explaining IT terms in a way that any non-IT person can understand. There is nothing more frustrating to a non-techie than listening to someone talk circles around them. In the end, they usually tune out and the task never gets done. Explain technical matters at a level that can be easily understood by your audience.
  Improve your social skills.
• Many technical people prefer to spend time with their hardware. Advancement in organizations is all about relationships. Learn to relate better to your boss and your co-workers and doors will begin to open for you.

Dr. Deb Brown is “a business coach and licensed psychologist with a Ph.D., an MBA, DDI certification as a facilitator, award-winning leadership skills, and years of experience partnering with leaders at all organizational levels.” She says:

• Many IT professionals have a “Technical” communication style, which can sometimes conflict with other styles, such as “Bold” or “Expressive.” A Bold supervisor, for example, might see a Technical IT professional as too rigid, too slow/calculating, or too worried about the details to see the Big Picture. And an Expressive co-worker might see a Technical IT professional as too unemotional/cold and critical or judgmental, because people with a Technical style (as a general rule) pride themselves on accuracy and detest incompetence.
• The Technical IT professional, in turn, might perceive their Bold supervisor as aggressive, intimidating, and overwhelming. And they might see their Expressive co-workers as unfocused, hyper, irrational, and annoying.
• So in my opinion, the most essential steps for an IT professional to take are 1) learn about their own communication style and others’ styles, and 2) learn how to interact with different styles most effectively.

This is a good bit of advice to mull over. But if you take in some or most of it, you will see new opportunities open up for you sooner or later.

I strongly suggest starting with bookkeeping rather than accounting, primarily because it’s a trade-level field you can study at a community college that almost certainly charges a lot less per credit than your local four-year colleges.

Here’s a whole series of Entrepreneur Courses my local community college offers. Basic Bookkeeping for Business – a How To is only $50. Here’s what they say it covers:

• Learn how to classify and record basic business transactions and essential information related to bookkeeping, such as entering data in an account or register. The course will cover basic accounting terms, how records and reports are created and materials needed for tax compliance. We will also examine the different types of accounting software available for use.

This class, alone, would probably give you at least 10 times the bookkeeping knowledge most programmers or sysadmins have. From an employer’s or potential client’s viewpoint, that knowledge can make you lots more valuable than other IT-skilled people who are competing with you for a job, a promotion or a consulting contract.

Plus, knowing at least the basics of bookkeeping can help you with your own home or — if you own or start a business — office bookkeeping.

You might also want to look at accounting courses at some point. The difference between bookkeeping and accounting is similar to the difference between tactics and strategy. You need bookkeeping to record a business’s everyday financial operations, while accounting helps you plan your financial future — and can help you stay out of jail for tax evasion.

But the basis of business financial knowledge is bookkeeping. Some huge percentage of what we loosely call “accounting” is really bookkeeping, and bookkeeping skills will, if nothing else, teach you the language that finance people use with each other, and that they’d love to use with either an in-house or outside IT person — if they could find one who understood their occupational jargon.

And guess what? Take a low-cost bookkeeping class at your local community college, and you will understand them — at least enough to be their favorite IT person in the whole world.

About halfway down the page in the second article we find these words:

Question: How do you decide how much to charge?

David: Randomly… mostly based on how much I thought the client would pay. I had one client tell me to raise my rate, that is an advantage of having good clients, they want to help you as much as you help them. I usually ended up undercharging which put the client and myself in a bad position. Undercharging is worse than overcharging. With undercharging, the client becomes dependent on you (and they can’t afford to go to anyone else) — it’s just not sustainable. Eventually you need to raise the rate or drop the client; it’s a difficult choice and a hard conversation, either way.

There’s more on this subject in the article, which I strongly advise you to read if you are or plan to become self-employed.

The thing is, pricing decisions are some of the most important ones you make as the owner of a service business. Charge too much and you have no customers — and even if you get some who are awed by your wonderfulness or have unlimited budgets, sooner or later they’ll wise up and find someone else who will do the same work for less.

But as you see, David warns more about undercharging than overcharging. He’s right, too. I have a video production client I started working for a while back at a cut-rate price. Now I can’t afford to continue at the original rate, and I am going to cut her loose. She’s been a troublesome (although nice) client from day one. If I had quoted her a higher hourly rate at the start, I might have scared her off. Or at least I would have earned more for the aggravation she’s caused me, and it would be easier to tell her to take her business elsewhere.

The thing is, there is no one “right price” when you’re pricing a service — or many physical sales, including the real estate in which Trump deals. Making a deal that is fair for both you and your client is an art, not a science. All you can do is read up on the idea, get expert advice (SCORE is a good place to go, and it’s free), and learn as you go along.

Google negotiating with clients and you’ll find enough useful reading matter to fill up many months of eat-at-your-desk lunches.

Perhaps, if you learn enough about selling your services and — possibly more important — how to price them right, one day you, too, will be able to live on a comfortable boat in a warm climate and only work a few hours a week.

Some scary statistics from Foote Partners about non-IT employment:

• The number of “discouraged workers” –- those who have given up looking for jobs — increased by 315,000 unemployed workers last month.
• The number of long term unemployed, defined as those jobless for 27 weeks or more, was little changed at 5.7 million and accounted for 43.0 percent of the unemployed.
• The civilian labor force participation rate declined by 0.2 percentage point to 64.0 percent.
• 2.6 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force in November, 100,000 more than one year ago. These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They are not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey.
• The number of persons partially employed (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) dropped by 378,000 over the month to 8.5 million. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job.

Another note from David Foote: “While jobs were expanding in the Technical Services industries over this period, they were declining in the two Information Industry tech segments, Telecommunications and Data Processing, Hosting and Related Services, which together recorded net job losses of 42,900 and 21,800 in the last twelve and six months respectively.”

The trend away from these declining IT employment segments and toward the jobs Foote lumps together as “Management and Technical Consulting Services and Computer Systems Design and Related Services” has been going on for several years. In previous conversations with David Foote, he’s told me this is because there are fewer people with IT job titles out there, not fewer IT people. What he’s said repeatedly is that we’re seeing the growth of what he calls “hybrid IT-business professionals.”

The hybrids, a group Foote says are almost impossible to track, might be accountants who have strong IT knowledge and experience or engineers who do at least as much programming as engineering.

What Foote hasn’t quite said directly here is that if you are an IT professional and want to keep working with computers, but want to increase your chances of moving up the IT employment ladder, you should learn about something besides IT that you might enjoy doing while still working at least partly in IT.

And with the way IT has become ubiquitous in today’s world, that additional field could be almost anything from classroom teaching to mechanical engineering to medicine. With your IT skills as a base, you have an amazing array of possibilities open to you — as long as you’re willing to seek them out and pursue them.

Perhaps some of the EC-Council members-only boards have active job listings. But since there’s no way to see them without paying for a membership or course, we’ll leave this group alone — unless your employer is paying for the training, in which case you should jump on it.

Actually, jumping on any training or certification your employer is willing to provide is a good idea. Knowledge is power — and can also mean more job fulfillment if — as we and your employer hope — you get pleasure from solving problems.

Even so, if you have a choice of security certification programs, or of certification programs in general, it’s still good to take their job-finding value into consideration. We know you’re a loyal employee and have no interest in moving on… but things change. Oh, yes. They can change overnight, sometimes, and leave you suddenly scrambling for a new job.

One of Bill’s crew members, Dick Hertz growled in response. Dick is the sort of guy who sometimes growls instead of speaking. He and Bill and Phil A. Mignon and the rest of that posse are not computer people. They are hairy-chested MEN who have come by the “pirate” title the old, honorable way: by committing the crime of piracy on the high seas. (Or at least on the Chesapeake Bay.)

Let’s talk about coal miners now. Like pirates, coal miners ar a hyper-masculine bunch that slugging down malt liquor after work at bars with names like Testosterone Tessie’s. Coal mining is dangerous work, while the number of IT workers killed on the job is, on average, zero per year. Or even per decade.

The essence of Heuser’s comparison between coal miners and IT workers is — get this — IT workers are often asked to put in unpaid overtime. In air-conditioned offices and server rooms. Um, yeah. Let’s check this song lyric, which is not about people who work indoors, with air conditioning:

My daddy worked all night in the Van Lear Coal Mines,
All day long in a field a-hoein’ corn,
Mommy rocked the babies at night,
and read The Bible by the coal-oil light,
And everything would start all over come break of mornin’

No. This song is about coal mining, written and sung by Loretta Lynn.

Let’s face it, boys and girls: IT jobs are what we call “indoor work with no heavy lifting.” And IT work pays better than most jobs, and even with recent outsourcing, is generally easier to find than most kinds of work — which is why, not long ago, I wrote a piece titled Post-Labor Day Blues: IT Jobs May Be Scarce, but Almost All Other Jobs are Even Scarcer.

Basically, any job with “IT” or “programming” or “developer” in its title is so much easier than coal mining that it’s impossible to compare one with the other. IT work is also easier than driving a semi, farming, welding or warehouse work.

In fact, IT work is easier than almost any other kind of work there is — except maybe writing about IT work. But let’s not go there….