Online Degrees Grow Salaries for Programming Professionals

by Joe Taylor Jr.

It's every recruiter's nightmare and every student's dream: the demand for experienced professionals is higher than the pool of available job candidates. With fewer graduate students on campus, professional development is moving into the office suite through online education programs. While an advanced degree can improve your salary, an online degree program can eliminate the opportunity costs involved with taking an on campus time out.

Taking two or more years off to complete an on campus degree can certainly improve your long-term earning potential. In today's hot job market for computer professionals, you might be more tempted by company cafeterias than the campus dining hall. According to government statistics, an IT professional can usually add between $30,000 and $50,000 to his or her annual salary upon completion of a technical master's degree. Instead of living on financial aid, a recent graduate can enjoy earning strong wages and benefits while still working toward an advanced online degree.

Typical salaries for IT professionals reflect degree levels:

• Entry level data processor, associate's degree: $24,880
• Computer operator, bachelor's degree: $31,070
• Game designer, master's degree: $83,670
• Scientific research programmer, doctorate level degree: $91,390 to $118,350

Tuition Reimbursement Programs Reduce Student Loan Debt, HR Expenses

A recent Wall Street Journal article suggests that a typical tuition bill of $20,000, financed by student loans at today's interest rates, could cost you over $27,000 over the life of the loan. Clever corporate managers define tuition reimbursement programs for online classes as a perk that can keep a significant amount of money in a new recruit's bank account. Not only can an employer-sponsored online degree help you reach a higher salary sooner, it can save you thousands of dollars in interest when compared to a campus based degree.

Online education also offers significant financial benefits for companies. A recent study indicates that nearly one in three dollars spent by corporate tuition reimbursement programs pays for online classes, and experts predict that number to rise as more employees become comfortable with the concept of online degrees. Human resource managers easily justify their online education expenses by pointing at lower recruiting costs and lower turnover. One company that implemented online classes boasts an annual churn rate of under three percent in an industry that often sees one in five workers shifting employers each year.

Computing Standards Make Online Classes Powerful Learning Tools

When online education first emerged, employers were skeptical about whether they could trust that job candidates possessed the same skills as graduates with campus based degrees. Certifications, accreditation, and a growing comfort level with online communication have helped most employers embrace online classes as powerful tools for professional development.

Most programming languages and hardware vendors offer independent certification exams for technology professionals, to assure employers of a candidate's skill level regardless of where they attended college. Instead of spending thousands of dollars preparing for exams, an employer-sponsored online degree program includes every class you need to gain certification.

Online Classes Open Career Options

If you're not already working at a technology company, it's easier than ever to gain the credentials to make yourself attractive to corporate headhunters. Depending on your learning style, you can select an online education program that involves a lot or a little real-time interaction with faculty and staff.

Meanwhile, online education programs are changing the career paths for future programmers and database managers in old-line businesses. The convenience of online classes has spurred professional development in a growing number of traditional companies outside of Silicon Valley. With employers of all sizes looking for skilled technology professionals, it often makes sense to recruit from within and provide key training than to lure potential staffers from high tech companies.

A Sampling of Top IT Employers, According to Computerworld:

• General Mills
• Quicken Loans
• Anheuser-Busch
• Hilton Hotels
• Reader's Digest

Online Classes Increase Job Security and Earning Potential

An online degree in computer science can help you land a promotion within your existing company. It can also make it easier to find a new job if your employer relocates or downsizes. Even if your current employer shows no outward signs of weakness, starting your online education program with just a few hours of study each week is effective insurance against sudden shifts in the job market.

You no longer need to uproot yourself or your family so you can enroll in a campus-based degree program. Likewise, you no longer have to postpone your professional education because of a transfer to a new location. Whether you're dreaming of moving to Silicon Valley or you simply want to secure a better paying job in your current field, an online degree in computer science can get you started.

Top 10 Technology Careers

by Joe Taylor Jr.

As technology stocks waned in the last few months of the 20th Century, some analysts worried that technology degrees wouldn't be as valuable as they had been during the "dot-com bubble." They couldn't have been more wrong.

It's not just industry heavyweights like Google and Apple who are acquiring new real estate to house all their new hires. Employers from nearly every market sector imaginable are luring technical professionals with competitive salaries, perks, and bonuses. With large companies taking their IT in-house and small businesses relying on outsourced providers, it seems that everyone in the world wants to hire technology professionals.

According to government statistics, these ten jobs show the most promise over the next decade:

1. Information Systems Manager

Though the exact daily duties may differ from employer to employer, information systems managers determine the overall technology strategies for major companies. By combining information technology training with business savvy, these managers make decisions about servers, bandwidth, and desktop tools for their companies.

Although many enterprise companies prefer to hire managers with advanced technology degrees, a shortage of qualified executives has opened the doors for job candidates with hands-on experience. Therefore, your current job and an enrollment in an online IT program can put you in the running for a senior position that usually pays, on average, over $92,000 per year.

2. Database Administrator

Database administrators guarantee the security and the accessibility of information for employees and customers. Hiring officers often comment that computer training programs cannot produce skilled administrators quickly enough to meet their demands.

While many online information technology programs build basic database skills, administrators require ongoing technical training to stay up to date with the latest products. A bachelor's degree and an independent certification can qualify you for jobs at well-known companies where you can earn $85,000 or more per year.

3. Operating System Developer

While you might think that only a few major companies in America would employ operating system developers, "operating systems" have actually popped up in more devices than just computers. Manufacturers of mobile phones, cars, refrigerators, and other devices rely on highly skilled graduates of technology degree programs to develop custom software platforms.

Online technology courses in programming and software development can help you secure a job in this growing field. Many operating system developers earn over $80,000 a year by complementing their understanding of source code with their intuition into human interaction. The next time you drop a quarter into a fancy soda machine, remember that machines as simple as this need operating systems, too.

4. Application Developer

One of the most exciting fields for recent graduates of computer science degree programs involves building applications. Developers sometimes work for large companies, working on word processors, spreadsheet tools, and other familiar software tools. Many more programmers put their technology degrees to use on specialized projects ranging from consumer note-taking applications to medical research tools.

Many application developers working for larger companies earn over $70,000 per year. In some cases, compensation packages for developers can include tuition reimbursement programs for online technology courses. Other developers earn smaller salaries but own all or part of the companies at which they work, offering the chance to participate in technology startups.

5. Computer Systems Analyst

Working closely with information systems managers, analysts dig deeper into the kinds of tools that companies use to solve their computing challenges. In many cases, analysts earn over $66,000 in annual salary by using their computer training to evaluate hardware and software for their employers.

Many companies like to keep their analysts separate from their designers and programmers, allowing analysts the ability to remain detached when reviewing solutions. Therefore, online computer science degrees for future analysts often place a little more emphasis on academic research than on deeper programming skills.

6. Computer Systems Designer

With typical salaries of around $65,000 per year, many computer systems designers spend their time focused exclusively on a single function or on a particular section of a larger software project. While technology degrees are essential for job seekers in this field, hiring officers reward graduates with demonstrated interpersonal skills.

Many online computer science degree programs offer designers their first opportunities to work as part of a team on real world software projects. Like any creative field, computer systems design requires creative thinking and conflict resolution skills. Many designers enroll in online technology courses to stay current with new trends and techniques in their industries.

7. Data Processing Specialist

While managers and administrators provide the platform for company data, teams of specialists assure the accuracy of that data. In large enterprises, like banks and brokerage houses, highly skilled data processing specialists use their technology degrees and their industry specific knowledge to handle complex tasks like backups and data transfer.

If you already work in finance or medicine, online IT degree programs can help you become familiar with databases and storage devices. This way, you can qualify for specialist jobs that frequently pay more than $64,000 per year.

8. Web Hosting Technician

Ten years ago, you might not have guessed that web hosting would be as universal and as reliable as electricity or running water. With so many companies and individuals relying on their online promotional sites, applications, and photo libraries, web hosting companies hunt for professionals with computer training to help serve their clients.

Web hosting jobs often require familiarity with software and hardware, as well as experience with large power generators and security systems. Senior technicians can earn $64,000 per year or more.

9. Computer Support Specialist

Microsoft was once famous for its vision statement, "a computer on every desk." Now that we have mostly realized that dream, computer users require an unprecedented amount of technical support. Computer support training can prepare you for a challenging job that can be highly rewarding if you like to solve problems and work with people.

Though analysts once feared that most computer support specialist jobs would move overseas, consumer backlash has caused even more jobs to be located in the United States. Whether working via phone at a remote call center or in person at a local support facility, computer support specialists with technology degrees often earn more than $40,000 per year once they build a track record of quality service.

10. Desktop Publisher

Not every hot technology career requires a bachelor's degree. Many small companies rely on print shops and commercial printers to give their material a professional polish. Larger companies rely on staff members with computer training to produce internal documents like reports and manuals.

In both cases, desktop publishers take raw materials and use common software tools to shape them into attractive documents. Publishing & graphic design training can usually be completed in less than two years, qualifying graduates for jobs that often pay more than $32,000 a year.

Online Technology Courses Connect Working Adults to IT Careers

In every one of the ten careers profiled here, employers are eager to promote team members who can combine in-house experience with skills gained from computer training courses. Now that you can earn technology degrees from your desk or from any Internet connection, it's easier than ever to develop the technical expertise to qualify for a new job. Whether you make the move to a new position at your current employer or you use your skills to shift to a new company, online technology courses can help add crucial certifications to your resume.

Shaping Technology: Great Minds Think Big

by Clare Kaufman

The Digital Revolution is the story of creative trailblazers who dared to think outside the beige box. These innovators shaped the evolution of computer technology. The first computers occupied entire rooms and seemed destined as data management tools. But a handful of creative visionaries saw a world of potential in those number-crunching machines.

They resolved to think big, and (to quote Apple Computer's slogan) 'Think Different.' Seventy years later, computers permeate our daily lives--our business, our entertainment, our creative expression, our social networking...

Here's a closer look at three great thinkers who made technology what it is today.

The Mother of Modern-Day Programming: Rear Admiral Grace Hopper

Grace Murray Hopper earned her nickname "Amazing Grace" for her pioneering work with computers in the mid-twentieth century. She played an active role in developing the earliest computers, called the Mark I and II Calculators, as well as the early programming language COBOL. But her real legacy is more fundamental: she conceived of computer programming as language rather than code.

Hopper's thorough understanding and creative thinking allowed her to perceive the limitations of the status quo and envision an alternative. In her day, programming was still a set of rudimentary instructions resembling basic machine code. In contrast, COBOL programmers use English words and sentence-like commands. This profound departure from the norm laid the foundation for contemporary computer programming

Besides her mathematics and physics training, Grace Hopper possessed irreverence and creativity. Legend has it that she kept a clock in her office running counter-clockwise, as a reminder to question assumptions and take a new look at problems. She is credited with the famous quotation, "It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission." This attitude allowed Hopper to succeed in a man's world, silencing chauvinists and skeptics with her irrepressible visionary spirit.

Learn More: To learn the languages that run computers today, look for software development training and computer programming degrees.

Advocate of the Digital Media Revolution: Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs is Silicon Valley's original enfant terrible, a quirky technology wizard whose path took him from calligraphy class to Atari video game design to Apple I, the 4kB desktop computer he built with Steve Wozniak in his parent's garage. Along the way he took time off to pursue a spiritual quest in India.

This eccentric history makes sense in retrospect: Jobs' most profound contribution may be his humane vision of technology as functional yet approachable. Thus the iMac's pulsing 'standby' light, which gives the illusion that the computer breathes in its sleep. Form and function merge in everything from Apple's sleek iPod to the animated blockbusters produced by Jobs' movie studio, Pixar.

How did Steve Jobs become one of the leading lights of Silicon Valley's digital media revolution? He offers this advice: "follow your own inner voice... the only thing that kept me going is that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love."

From video game design to Pixar animation, Jobs taught Silicon Valley that technology isn't just a beige box on your desk. It's part of our lives, our work, and most importantly, our fun.

Learn More: Can work really be all fun and games? Find out more about video game design schools and animation programs.

Business Mogul and Technological Innovator: Bill Gates

Bill Gates is the Rockefeller of our time, responsible for revolutionizing the computer industry and reviving large-scale philanthropy. Back when computers were the exclusive property of tech development companies and a few thousand hobbyists, Gates envisioned a future in which every office desk and every home would have a computer.

He was right. Thanks in part to Gates' company, Microsoft, computers are an integral part of our daily lives. Microsoft's Windows operating system acted as the bridge between this powerful technology and the average user. In Gates' own words: "personal computers have become the most empowering tool we've ever created. They're tools of communication, they're tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their user."

Impeccable timing and a well-thought business plan helped elevate Gates to the pinnacle of the personal computer revolution. But Gates himself adds another factor: focus. "My success, part of it certainly, is that I have focused in on a few things." For better or worse, that single-minded drive empowered Gates to sweep past obstacles, even in the face of widespread opposition.

Hero or villain, Gates is unquestionably a great thinker and an architect of the world as we know it today. Time named him among the 100 people who most influenced the 20th century.

Learn More: To negotiate the business world like a pro, start with a business degree, or head straight to B-school for your online MBA.

Without the vision of Hopper, Jobs, and Gates, technology wouldn't be the same. All three are responsible for making technology integral to our everyday lives. Computers are data processing machines. But thanks to these visionaries, computers also speak a language similar to ours, they can be programmed to mimic human intelligence, and they can function as media for work, creative expression, and social networking. Where will technology take us next? That's up to the next generation of visionaries who dare to think 'different.' Are you one of them?

Entry-Level Jobs That Pay More Than $50k

by Gabby Hyman

Most American workers enjoy a high standard of living, certainly when compared with the wages earned by workers throughout the rest of the world. According to surveys by Payscale.com, entry-level wages for careers in this country average around $40,000 a year. If that seems low to you, take note: by completing an online college degree program, you can boost your entry-level earning power by at least another $10,000.

Here are ten tried-and-true career groups that advertise beginning earnings at -- or well above -- the $50,000 level:

1. Marketing and Sales Managers -- $80,000 entry earnings

Marketing and sales staff managers help companies develop strategies for selling products and services to the public or other businesses (B2B). You can complete an online marketing programfinance degree to gain the necessary expertise to join this career group. Expect to travel and meet new people, all while banking a sizeable income. or

2. High School Teachers -- $59,269 entry earnings at top schools

While the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts entry level high school teacher salaries at $31,000 on average, teachers' pay varies dramatically from one district to the next. Teach an in-demand subject with a shortage of applicants in a pricey school district, and you can pull down a near-$60,000 entry-level salary. To qualify for any teaching career, you'll typically need to earn a teaching degree, in addition to completing your state's teacher certification requirements.

To fill urgent needs--especially in math and science--many districts will let you begin your classroom teaching while taking online education classes that lead to accelerated licensing. Public school salaries are a matter of public record, so research should tell you where the best jobs can be found.

3. Education Administrators -- $80,000 entry earnings

If you're already a teacher, think of the high-paying, entry-level salary you can earn as a principal or school district administrator. Administrators either work at the individual school level, directing the academic performance of the teaching staff, or work at school district headquarters, helping define curriculum and teaching methods. To prepare, keep your current teaching job, and attend an online masters in education administration degree program.

4. Staff RN -- $63,803 entry earnings

Staff RNs will remain in top demand for at least another decade. While you can earn a registered nursing degree in two years, the best entry-level wages will go to registered nurses with bachelor's degrees. To qualify for the top new career positions, enroll in a nursing school that offers a BS in nursing or an RN to BSN option.

5. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts -- $53,000 entry earnings

More than 231,000 network systems and data communication analysts work in the nation. They design, trouble-shoot, and install LANs, WANs, and internet and intranets for small, medium, and large companies, colleges, and government agencies. Today, hiring managers want newly trained specialists with a background in security. Pursue an online IT degree to develop the technical skills required for this field.

6. Computer Software Engineers -- $58,900 entry earnings

The Department of Labor predicts that the career group for computer software engineers will be among the fastest-growing occupations though 2014. The top entry-level IT jobs will be in systems or applications software development. Master your skills through an online computer science or computer programming degree program.

7. Physical Therapist -- $61,478 entry earnings

Physical therapists will remain in high demand through the end of the decade. Working in clinics, hospitals, and private offices, physical therapists rehabilitate and treat disabled, injured, and post-surgical patients. Each state has an independent licensing policy, and you'll need to complete physical therapy school to land an entry level position.

8. Restaurant Managers -- $53,255 entry earnings

If you've always wanted to run a successful dining establishment, enroll now in a hotel and restaurant management program. Salaried managers with major chains and hotels are predicted to have greater immediate financial success than those employed at small bistros and private eateries.

9. Web Designer -- $51,931 entry earnings

Web designers, The Department of Labor says, will have some of the best job opportunities of the all design professions through 2014. If you're already a graphic arts professional, you can bone up for the Web specialty through an online graphic Web design course. To join the ranks in this career, consider earning a graphic Web design degree.

10. Financial Analyst -- $84,000 entry earnings

Financial analysts need a solid background in economics, revenue forecasting, and accounting to enter this rapidly growing field that serves business, manufacturing, finance, and governmental organizations. Get ready to earn nearly twice the average American entry-level salary by earning an online finance degree.

Starbucks ordered to pay back $100 mln in tips: court

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - A San Diego judge on Thursday ordered coffee giant Starbucks to pay more than 100 million dollars in tips and interest owed to staff across outlets in California.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Patricia Cowett ruled in favor of a barista from a store in La Jolla who filed a lawsuit in 2004 arguing that supervisors were unfairly receiving a share of pooled tips from customers.

Lawyers for Jou Chou had argued that Starbucks was breaching state law by allowing supervisors to receive tips instead of paying them a higher salary.

In a ruling that Starbucks immediately vowed to appeal, Cowett said the company must pay back around 87 million in tips plus interest of 19 million after finding the company had broken state law.

It was not immediately clear how the money might be divided up between the estimated 100,000 current and former baristas who have worked for Starbucks at different times in California since 2000.

Terry Chapko, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, was quoted by the Los Angeles Times as saying that baristas were "subsidizing Starbucks labor costs" by helping the company pay its supervisors. "This is about getting money back to the lowest-paid employees," he told the Times.

Starbucks described the ruling as "not only contrary to law, it is fundamentally unfair and beyond all common sense and reason."

"Our shift supervisors deserve their fair share of the tips that they receive from the tip jars in our California stores," the statement said, adding that it plans a "vigorous" appeal.

"The decision today in our view represents an extreme example of an abuse of the class-action procedures in California courts," the company said.

The court ruling come as Starbucks has launched a series of intiatives aimed at boosting its business, which has suffered from a dip in sales and a near-50 percent fall in share price over the past year.

Starbucks ordered to pay back tips

By CHELSEA J. CARTER, Associated Press Writer


SAN DIEGO - A Superior Court judge on Thursday ordered Starbucks Corp. to pay its California baristas more than $100 million in back tips and interest that the coffee chain paid to shift supervisors.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Patricia Cowett also issued an injunction that prevents Starbucks' shift supervisors from sharing in future tips, saying state law prohibits managers and supervisors from sharing in employee gratuities.

Starbucks spokeswoman Valerie O'Neil said the company planned an immediate appeal of the ruling, calling it "fundamentally unfair and beyond all common sense and reason."

The lawsuit was filed in October 2004 by Jou Chou, a former Starbucks barista in La Jolla, who complained shift supervisors were sharing in employee tips.

The lawsuit gained ground in 2006 when it was granted class-action status, allowing the suit to go forward for as many as 100,000 former and current baristas in the coffee chain's California stores.

It was not immediately clear how many current and former employees are affected by the ruling.

"I feel vindicated," Chou said in a written statement released by attorneys. "Tips really help those receiving the lowest wages. I think Starbucks should pay shift supervisors higher wages instead of taking money from the tip pool."

California is Starbucks' largest U.S. market, with 2,460 stores as of Jan. 8, the latest count available. The Seattle-based company has more than 11,000 stores nationwide.

Starbucks employs more than 135,000 baristas in the U.S. The company did not immediately respond to a request for a head count in California.

The judgment comes as Starbucks is struggling to revive its U.S. business, where store traffic has slipped amid a sagging economy, rising energy and dairy costs, and growing competition from cheaper rivals.

The company's stock has slid more than 50 percent since late 2006, when it was trading close to $40 a share. Starbucks shares rose 3 cents to $17.53 Thursday.

Starbucks earned more than $672 million on revenue of $9.4 billion during its 2007 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30.

The judge ordered Starbucks to pay $87 million in back tips, plus interest of $19 million, bringing the total judgment to about $106 million.

The company said it planned to ask the court to stay the ruling while the appeal is pending.

"The decision today, in our view, represents an extreme example of an abuse of the class-action procedures in California's courts," O'Neil said.

The coffee company also took issue with the brevity of the judge's ruling, which was only four paragraphs, saying she failed to address the unfairness to shift supervisors.

"This case was filed by a single former barista and, despite Starbucks request, the interests of the shift supervisors were not represented in litigation," O'Neil said.

But attorney Laura Ho, who tried the baristas case, said the court's verdict follows state law.

"Starbucks illegally took a huge amount of money from the tip pool to pay shift supervisors, rather than paying them out of its own pocket. The court's verdict rightfully restores that money to the baristas," Ho said.

Investment firms tap Fed for billions

By JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON - Big Wall Street investment companies are taking advantage of the Federal Reserve's unprecedented offer to secure emergency loans, the central bank reported Thursday.

The lending is part of a major effort by the Fed to help a financial system in danger of freezing.

Those large firms averaged $13.4 billion in daily borrowing over the past week from the new lending facility. The report does not identify the borrowers.

The Fed, in a bold move Sunday, agreed for the first time to let big investment houses get emergency loans directly from the central bank. This mechanism, similar to one available for commercial banks for years, got under way Monday and will continue for at least six months. It was the broadest use of the Fed's lending authority since the 1930s.

Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley said Wednesday they had begun to test the new lending mechanism.

On Wednesday alone, lending reached $28.8 billion, according to the Fed report.

The Fed created a way for financially strapped investment firms to have regular access to a source of short-term cash. This lending facility is seen as similar to the Fed's "discount window" for banks. Commercial banks and investment companies pay 2.5 percent in interest for overnight loans from the Fed.

Investment houses can put up a range of collateral, including investment-grade mortgage backed securities.

The Fed, in another rare move last Friday, agreed to let JP Morgan Chase secure emergency financing from the central bank to rescue the venerable Wall Street firm Bear Stearns from collapse. Two days later, the Fed back a deal for JP Morgan to take over Bear Stearns.

Thursday's report offered insight on how much credit was extended to Bear Stearns via JP Morgan through the transaction the Fed approved last Friday. Average daily borrowing came to $5.5 billion for the week ending Wednesday.

Separately, the Fed said it will make $75 billion of Treasury securities available to big investment firms next week. Investment houses can bid on a slice of the securities at a Fed auction next Thursday; a second is set for April 3.

The Fed will allow investment firms to borrow up to $200 billion in safe Treasury securities by using some of their more risky investments as collateral.

By allowing this, the Fed is hoping to take pressure off financial companies and make them more inclined to lend to people and businesses.

The housing collapse and credit crunch have led to record-high home foreclosures and forced financial companies to rack up multibillion losses in complex mortgage investments that turned sour.

In the past day and weeks, the Fed has taken extraordinary moves aimed at making sure that problems in credit and financial markets do not sink the economy.

Fuel-cell cars still far from showroom: Toyota

by Kyoko Hasegawa


TOKYO (AFP) - Work is moving ahead to build a next-generation eco-friendly car running on fuel cells but it will take years to make it commercially viable, the head of auto giant Toyota said Thursday.

Japanese companies have been working to create a viable car running on fuel cells, which would produce electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, leaving water as the only by-product.

"When we first started the research and development of fuel-cell cars, some people predicted that they may be commercialised by around 2010. But that's difficult," Toyota Motor Corp. president Katsuaki Watanabe said.

"The technological advances are significant. The only problem is the cost," he told reporters.

Toyota last year reported success in a test of a fuel-cell car. The FCHV vehicle was driven about 560 kilometres (350 miles) on a single filling and finished with 30 percent of the hydrogen still in the tank.

But besides the hefty price of the FCHV, Watanabe noted that motorists would need an infrastructure of hydrogen filling stations if they are to take fuel-cell cars on the road.

"It will probably be a long way ahead until we can start mass production, considering problems linked to difficulties in how to stock hydrogen and where to draw hydrogen from," he said.

"It'll take long time to solve these problems, but we will definitely commercialise it as I believe it is a promising power source," he said.

Toyota is widely expected this year to become the world's top-selling automaker, leapfrogging ailing General Motors.

Toyota was the pioneer of hybrid cars, whose engines switch between petrol and electricity. The eco-friendly cars have been particularly popular in the United States at a time of soaring oil costs.

Watanabe said he hoped to go further and "make a car that can actually clean the air, so that the longer it runs the cleaner the air becomes."

He also said work was progressing with Panasonic maker Matsushita on loading cars with lithium-ion batteries of the type used in computers.

That would open the way for so-called "plug-in hybrids" that can be recharged from standard electrical outlets.

"By 2010 we hope the achievement will see customers," Watanabe said.

Like other Japanese automakers, Toyota has set its sights on customers overseas to compensate for a rapidly ageing population in its home country. Domestic sales have been levelling off at about one million vehicles a year.

But Watanabe said that the company based in central Aichi prefecture would always see Japan as its "mother country."

"I have no intention of changing our policy that the centre of research and development will be in Japan," he said.

"Of course, part of technological development already has shifted to satellite centres in the United States, Europe, Thailand, Australia and Taiwan," he said. "But the basic and core technologies will be developed in Japan."

He said that the company would keep its current level of production in Japan, which admits few unskilled immigrants, through growing use of industrial robots.

"It is important to create a manufacturing system that lets elderly people work and requires fewer people," he said.

White House: Computer hard drives tossed

By PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer


WASHINGTON - Older White House computer hard drives have been destroyed, the White House disclosed to a federal court Friday in a controversy over millions of possibly missing e-mails from 2003 to 2005.

The White House revealed new information about how it handles its computers in an effort to persuade a federal magistrate it would be fruitless to undertake an e-mail recovery plan that the court proposed.

"When workstations are at the end of their lifecycle and retired ... the hard drives are generally sent offsite to another government entity for physical destruction," the White House said in a sworn declaration filed with U.S. Magistrate Judge John Facciola.

It has been the goal of a White House Office of Administration "refresh program" to replace one-third of its workstations every year in the Executive Office of the President, according to the declaration.

Some, but not necessarily all, of the data on old hard drives is moved to new computer hard drives, the declaration added.

In proposing an e-mail recovery plan Tuesday, Facciola expressed concern that a large volume of electronic messages may be missing from White House computer servers, as two private groups that are suing the White House allege.

Facciola proposed the drastic approach of going to individual workstations of White House computer users after the White House disclosed in January that it recycled its computer backup tapes before October 2003. Recycling — taping over existing data — raises the possibility that any missing e-mails may not be recoverable.

At a House committee hearing last month, a computer expert who previously worked at the White House called the e-mail system "primitive" and said it was set up in a way that created a high risk that data would be lost from White House servers where it was being archived.

Under pressure to provide details about its computer system, the White House told the congressional committee that it never completed work that began in 2003 on a planned records management and e-mail archiving system. The White House canceled the project in late 2006 and says it is still working on a new version.

In the absence of a permanent archiving system, the White House has been archiving e-mails on White House servers since early in the administration.

The White House says it does not know if any e-mails are missing, but is looking into the matter.

It would be costly and time-consuming for the White House to institute an e-mail retrieval program that entails pulling data off each individual workstation, the court papers filed Friday state.

Workers punished for passport breach

By ANNE FLAHERTY and DESMOND BUTLER, Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON - Two companies that provide workers for the State Department say they fired or otherwise punished those who improperly accessed the passport records of the three major presidential candidates. The security breaches touched off demands for a congressional investigation.

"None of us wants to have a circumstance in which any American's passport file is looked at in an unauthorized way," said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as she offered apologies to the candidates.

Stanley Inc., based in Arlington, Va., and The Analysis Corp., or TAC, of McLean, Va., said Friday that their employees' actions were unauthorized and not consistent with company policies.

Stanley said it fired two subcontractors involved in accessing the files of Sen. Barack Obama when their actions were discovered. A separate search showed that workers also had snooped on Sens. John McCain and Hillary Rodham Clinton, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

TAC said it had been notified earlier in the day that one of its contractors had acted improperly — in this case, according to the State Department, by accessing Obama's records. TAC decided to honor a State Department request to delay firing the consultant to give investigators time to conduct its investigation, the company said.

A fourth worker tapped into Clinton's records as part of a training session last summer, the State Department said, and that violation was immediately recognized and the person admonished.

"When you have not just one but a series of attempts to tap into people's personal records, that's a problem not just for me but for how our government functions," Obama told reporters while campaigning in Portland, Ore. "I expect a full and thorough investigation. It should be done in conjunction with those congressional committees that have oversight function so it's not simply an internal matter."

McCain, who is expected to win the Republican nomination, said from Paris that there should be an investigation of the new snooping as well as an apology.

Rice contacted the candidates to do just that. "I told him that I was sorry," she said of her conversation with Obama, "and I told him that I, myself, would be very disturbed if I learned that somebody had looked into my passport file. And, therefore, I will stay on top of it and get to the bottom of it."

The snooping incidents raised questions as to whether there was political motivation. The firings could make it more difficult for the State Department to force them to answer questions. Unless they agree to comply, they would have to be served with a grand jury subpoena compelling them to testify before a grand jury.

The State Department's inspector general was probing, with the Justice Department monitoring the effort.

The unauthorized digging into electronic government files on politicians recalled a 1992 case in which a Republican political appointee at the State Department was demoted for searching Bill Clinton's passport records when Clinton was running against President George H.W. Bush.

Obama's files were compromised on three occasions — Jan. 9, Feb. 21 and March 14. By the time senior officials were made aware, the two contract employees for Stanley had been fired and a third disciplined, officials said.

Just this week, Stanley won a five-year, $570 million government contract extension to support passport services.

The department's internal computer system "flags" certain records, including those of high-profile people, to tip off supervisors when someone tries to view the records without an appropriate reason.

McCormack said an early review of the incidents points to workers' "imprudent curiosity" more than something more sinister.

But "we are not dismissive of any other possibility, and that's the reason why we have an investigation under way," he said.

Attorney General Michael Mukasey said the case has not yet been referred to the Justice Department for investigation, and indicated prosecutors were likely to wait until the State Department's inspector general concludes that inquiry. But Mukasey did not rule out the possibility of the Justice Department taking an independent look.

It was not clear whether the employees saw anything other than the basic personal data such as name, citizenship, age, Social Security number and place of birth, which is required when someone fills out a passport application.

The file also includes date and place of birth and address at time of application. Agency officials said the files generally would not list countries the person has traveled to.

___

AP Business Writer Dan Caterinicchia contributed to this report.

"LANGKAH KANAN” MEMASUKI DUNIA KERJA

by: Eileen Rachman & Sylvina Savitri
Sunday, September 30, 2007

Dalam beberapa bulan terakhir, saya menyaksikan presentasi beberapa “Management Trainees” di beberapa perusahaan. Saya melihat ada trainees yang begitu cepat “masuk” dalam dunia kerja, langsung “berkeringat” dan tahu caranya menghadapi “dirty work”. Namun, ada juga yang ‘berat langkah’-nya, terlalu kaku membawa pengetahuan teoritis dari bangku kuliah. Ada pula yang mulai menganalisis tetapi belum benar-benar “berenang” di dunia kerja.

Banyak sekali perusahaan yang sadar perlunya berinvestasi besar untuk mendapatkan tenaga-tenaga yang mumpuni dari luar perusahaan. Namun, banyak perusahaan tidak mempersiapkan ‘landasan’ lewat “induction program” yang mantap, sehingga banyak karyawan baru merasa “dibiarkan”. ”Saya jenuh dan bingung karena sepanjang hari dalam seminggu cuma disuruh membaca katalog”. Atau komentar karyawan baru lainnya, ”Memang ada orientasi berupa pengarahan dari pucuk pimpinan perusahaan yang membuat kami bersemangat dan terinspirasi. Tetapi, ketika menghadapi pekerjaan, banyak sekali hal yang tidak saya ketahui. Walaupun bersikap ramah, semua orang sibuk, dan saya merasa takut mengganggu bila saya bertanya”.

Sebuah hasil penelitian terhadap fresh graduate beberapa perusahaan mulitnasional mengatakan bahwa hanya sekitar 20% dari para fresh graduate yang “dicemplungkan” tanpa bimbingan dapat bekerja dan berkinerja sesuai harapan perusahaan. Sejumlah 30% lainnya butuh waktu lebih lama untuk beradaptasi, sedang 50% sisanya akan jadi karyawan yang tidak berkinerja optimal, setidaknya satu tahun atau bahkan selamanya. Bayangkan kerugian yang diderita perusahaan bila ternyata para karyawan baru ini kemudian mencari peluang lain, hanya karena menemui jalan buntu dalam beradaptasi di pekerjaan. Segagal-gagalnya program orientasi, masih lebih baik program orientasi diadakan, daripada tidak sama sekali.

‘Ilmu’ yang Tidak Didapat di Bangku Kuliah

Saya teringat saat-saat pertama kali memasuki dunia kerja, bahkan langsung bekerja sebagai manajer di sebuah bank. Sistem dan prosedur, proses bisnis, etik, ‘unggah-ungguh’, efisiensi, cara berkomunikasi, sampai praktik-praktik yang tampak sederhana seperti “filing” , penomoran surat, standar kinerja, ternyata adalah hal “kantoran” yang benar-benar baru bagi saya. Rahasia budaya kerja seperti “jangan anda yang berjalan, biarkan dokumennya berjalan sendiri (dibawa office –boy)” atau pengamalan “clean desk policy” sulit dibayangkan dari bangku kuliah. Untung saja sekretaris, bawahan, teman kerja, atasan kebetulan rela mau memberi pengarahan.

Kalau memang demikian penting, mengapa banyak perusahaan menyepelekan “induction program” ini? Selain biaya dan enerji, ada juga perusahaan yang beranggapan bahwa beradaptasi adalah kompetensi setiap manusia normal, ”Ah, tidak ada yang membimbing saya ketika pertama masuk kerja, buktinya ‘survive-survive’ juga...” Atau, ”Kalau kita mesti memberi pendidikan juga, apa dong yang mereka pelajari di perguruan tinggi?” Padahal, inilah yang melatarbelakangi perlunya dilaksanakannya “induction program”. Perguruan tinggi mana yang mengajari bagaimana layaknya menyampaikan “copy” memo intern? Atau kapan kita perlu menyampaikan “blindcopy” saat mengemail dan kapan “copy”. Bagaimana seorang karyawan segera tahu trik-trik memuaskan rasa lapar diluar jam makan, sementara ia dilarang membawa makanan di meja kerjanya? Apa yang boleh saya fotokopi dan apa yang tidak boleh? Ternyata pengajaran yang seolah sederhana mengenai "How to" dan "Where to go" dalam menghadapi tugas bisa efektif untuk masa kerja selanjutnya dan membuat karyawan bisa lebih segera meng-‘enjoy’ pekerjaan dan lingkungan kerja barunya.

Kancah Menemukan ‘Selera’ Bekerja

Agar cepat dapat menjadi bagian dari perusahaan, mewakili bahkan mengambil keputusan demi kepentingan perusahaan, individu perlu tahu persis mengenai organisasi, sejarah, aspirasi, pelanggan, kebiasaan, dan apa yang diharapkan perusahaan dari dirinya. Karyawan baru perlu tahu betul apa yang dinamakan sukses atau gagal oleh perusahaan, do’s dan don’t’s, dan kapan bisa berkata “ya” atau “tidak”, beserta alasan yang tepat sesuai kebijakan perusahan. Tuntutan perusahaan, terutama di organisasi komersial yang selalu mengacu pada laba perusahaan melalui budaya tertentu, juga perlu dijadikan “mindset” yang mendasari perilaku para fresh graduate. Nilai-nilai sederhana seperti “Di sini berlaku quick response, tidak ada orang berjalan di tangga...semua orang lari” “Pelanggan harus keluar dari kantor kita dengan tersenyum”, akan berpengaruh pada etos kerja individu dan akan dibawa pada perilaku bekerjanya di masa mendatang.

Hal seperti kegiatan administratif dan operasional sangat mudah dinilai dan dipahami, tetapi tidak mudah dilakukan dengan cermat, tepat dan konsisten. Seorang fresh graduate, perlu mencapai taraf “penghayatan” kerja untuk bisa dilepas bekerja sendiri. Individu juga perlu diperkenalkan dengan beban kerja, baik yang normal maupun yang berat. Teman saya, seorang direktur pengembangan SDM di sebuah perusahaan, selalu mengingatkan para “management trainee”-nya, ”Anda akan saya bebani pekerjaan yang paling berat dan kotor. Bila Anda melewati masa ini, maka pekerjaan akan terasa mudah karena Anda sudah menemukan ”selera” bekerja untuk seterusnya”.

Peran Aktif Dua Belah Pihak

Dalam dunia kerja yang kompetitif ini, individu yang akan memasuki dunia kerja, tetap perlu sadar bahwa ia harus mengerjakan pe-ernya dengan cepat dan tangguh. Tidak sekedar menunggu untuk dibimbing atau diarahkan. Ia perlu cepat menyerap dasar-dasar manajemen kerja yang ditunjang oleh manajemen dirinya sendiri, komunikasi formal & informal, etik dan cara bekerja tim. Individu perlu mengembangkan kebiasaan mengatur hidupnya dengan agenda, melakukan tindak lanjut tanpa ditagih, melapor tanpa merasakan keharusan, berpartisipasi aktif dalam rapat-rapat, dan banyak ketrampilan kantoran lain. Selain itu masih ada ketrampilan dasar lain seperti mengembangkan rasa percaya, membina hubungan pertemanan, dan penajaman “common sense” serta sistematika berpikirnya. Proses integrasi antara individu dan perusahaan ini perlu dimotori oleh kedua belah pihak secara aktif, sebagaimana halnya dua orang yang menjalin ikatan perkawinan.

(Ditayangkan di KOMPAS, 22 September 2007)

Mengelola Waktu atau Energi?

by: Eileen Rachman & Sylvina Savitri Monday, March 10, 2008

Dalam sebuah pertemuan bertemakan kepemimpinan, seorang GM dari perusahaan properti raksasa mengeluhkan pekerjaannya yang “overloaded”. Tantangan kerjanya dirasa bertambah memusingkan karena ia harus menservis beberapa atasan dengan kemauan yang berbeda-beda dan berubah-ubah, sementara bawahan pun tidak bisa dilepas. Di balik keluhan teman kita mengenai beban dan tanggung jawab yang bertumpuk ini, sesungguhnya ia mengemukakan pula rasa frustrasi atas tidakberhasilannya mengelola waktu yang hanya 24 jam, agar semua pekerjaan tuntas. Saat sekarang, di mana hampir semua pekerja dan manajer tidak bisa menghindar dari tuntutan pasar, persaingan dan beban kerja yang bertumpuk, rasanya masalah ‘time-management’ semakin usang untuk dibicarakan, karena hanya orang-orang dengan load sedang saja yang masih bisa memikirkan pengelolaan waktu yang normal. Di jaman “hectic” begini, hampir tidak ada lagi pekerjaan yang bisa dilaksanakan santai-santai. Jam kerja yang seringkali terpaksa diperpanjang pada akhirnya memunculkan gejala jenuh, lelah, letih dan sakit pada para professional di perusahaan yang justru produktif. Saat waktu semakin sulit dikelola, sementara tantangan di depan mata wajib kita garap, di manakah ruang bagi kita untuk menjaga bahkan meningkatkan produktivitas? Jangan Lupakan Sumber Enerji Paling Canggih: Manusia Di saat banyak perusahaan menuntut karyawan untuk memperpanjang jam kerjanya di jaman ‘hectic’ begini, teman dekat saya, seorang pimpinan perusahaan, membuat kebijakan mematikan lampu dan pengatur suhu ruangan tepat pukul 8 malam. Jadi, silakan pulang sebelum jam 8 malam. Komentar teman saya, “Waktu tidak akan berubah jumlahnya, tetap 24 jam, tapi enerji manusia berubah-ubah. Energi kita bisa berkurang, bisa berlipat ganda, tergantung pintar-pintar kita mengaturnya.” Kalau dipikir-pikir, kita umat manusia yang bersibuk dengan konservasi enerji, penghematan enerji dan berinovasi dengan pemanfaatan tenaga surya, panas bumi, nuklir, dan lain-lain, seringkali lupa pada sumber enerji yang paling canggih dimuka bumi ini, yaitu ’MANUSIA’-nya sendiri. Betapa kita tahu bahwa enerji bisa berlipat kalau kita bersemangat, tetapi juga akan kendor bila berada dalam situasi yang tidak kondusif. Betapa banyak “jokes” dan ejekan sinis terhadap manusia Indonesia yang katanya hemat kerja otak dan hemat tenaga karena banyaknya orang upahan, sehingga pemikiran mengenai enerji pribadi termasuk dalam urutan “buntut”. Bicara enerji pribadi, kita pasti pernah mengenal seseorang yang ‘tidak ada matinya’ dalam bekerja, berstamina kuat, daya pikir tajam, emosi stabil dan tetap ”enjoy” berkarya di tengah pekerjaannya yang menggunung. Ibarat mesin, kapasitasnya besar dan produktivitasnya tinggi. Teman saya, ketika ditanya darimana saja datangnya enerji tersebut, mengatakan bahwa enerjinya datang dari “passion” dan “keharusan” untuk menggarap hal-hal yang belum selesai atau tidak beres. Semua “pending matters”, tugas, tantangan, dan permintaan dianggap proyek yang harus dituntaskan. “Karena saya betul-betul ingin menuntaskannya, maka saya bergerak”. Seorang ahli yang memang menyetujui bahwa enerji pribadi memang perlu dikelola, di ‘strategize’ dan diatur mengatakan bahwa sumber enerji pada manusia ada pada fisik, emosi, pikiran dan spiritnya. Dalam tiap unsur ini enerji dengan mudah bisa direntang tidak berbatas. Agar tidak mudah kehilangan spirit, kita rasanya perlu untuk selalu bertanya pada diri sendiri mengenai apa yang paling penting dalam hidup kita, yaitu nilai-nilai pribadi. Dengan memahami hal yang penting dalam hidup kita, rasanya kita tidak perlu didorong-dorong untuk melakukan tugas kita, sehingga akan lebih hemat enerji. Enerji Bisa ’Diisi Ulang’ Hal yang saya amati adalah bahwa gejala lesu dan lemah justru sering dialami dan diderita oleh mereka yang tidak rajin berolah raga, tidak gesit dan tidak senang bergerak. Gelaja sering menguap, tidak tenang, sulit berkonsentrasi ini disebabkan karena reservoir enerji kita sedang terkuras. Masalahnya adalah bahwa sebenarnya reservoir ini bisa diisi terus kalau individu menyadari bahwa ia mampu mengisi ulang enerjinya. Kebiasaan seperti berdiri dan menghentikan pekerjaan beberapa menit, sebenarnya melemaskan tidak saja otot tubuh tetapi juga otot-otot yang berada di dalam otak. Itulah sebabnya mengapa ide-ide kreatif biasanya justru muncul pada saat kita tidak menghadapi layar komputer atau kertas kerja kita. Beberapa teman yang tiba tiba “dicopot” dari jabatannya saya amati bagai orang yang menjadi tidak sabar dan cepat marah. Di sini terbukti bahwa suasana hati atau emosi yang positif benar-benar memproduksi enerji lebih. Ini juga alasan mengapa banyak orang berusaha untuk membina hubungan dengan bawahan dan teman kerja secara lebih kental, agar juga mendapat kesempatan untuk melihat masalah dari berbagai persepsi dengan lebih jelas, logis, dan reflektif. Waspadai dan Optimalkan Teknologi Budaya telpon genggam dan pengelolaan beberapa telpon sekaligus tanpa kita sadari membuat “alertness” kita dituntut 24 jam /7 hari. Ini baik untuk beberapa situasi, misalnya budaya servis yang memang dituntut untuk waspada 24 jam. Namun, bagi individu yang kurang mampu mengelola enerjinya melalui media lain, hal ini bisa menyebabkan daya pikirnya tidak pernah beristirahat, sehingga ia sulit berfokus lagi. Ada penelitian yang mengatakan bahwa rapat-rapat yang memperbolehkan pesertanya menghidupkan email dan ponsel akan berlangsung 1-2 jam lebih lama dari yang seharusnya. Jadi sebetulnya, tidak ada salahnya kita meninjau kembali penggunaan ponsel dan komputer kita, misalnya tidak membawa komputer dalam rapat dan tidak menyalakan ponsel selagi bertatap muka. Selain hal ini meredakan fungsi pikir, situasi ini juga membuat kita bisa lebih menikmati tatap muka dan berfokus pada situasi, body language dan proses merespek lawan bicara dan menyimak yang lebih baik. (Ditayangkan di KOMPAS, 8 Maret 2008)

Nature Intergrated = Human Intergrated

Gravitasi Matahari sangat mempengaruhi planet dan benda aneh yang ada disekitarnya, begitu juga semua planet dan benda asing tersebut saling mempengaruhi benda sekitarnya, seperti efek gravitasi bumi dan bulan yang menyebabkan pasang surut air laut.

Jika hal ini dibawa ke Human' Life, ternyata hasil riset saya menyatakan semuanya ekivalen dengan keadaan diatas. Efek gravitasi ini terjadi pada:
- Human 2 Human(H2H).
- Human 2 Organitation*(H2O).
- Ekonomi 2 Human(E2H).
- and many more.

Pada hasil kesimpulan riset saya menyatakan bahwa:
- semua kita saling mempengaruhi, buruk atapun baik, tergantung sikap kita apakah kita bersikap positive atau negative.
- efek dari gravitasi adalah keputusan kita, apakah kita berbuat yang benar atau tidak.
- Gravitasi alam bersifat static(selalu tetap) ataupun merupakan konstanta g=10m/s (gravitasi bumi). Tetapi Gravitasi kehidupan bersifat dinamic(nggak jelas), karena manusia selalu diperhadapkan dengan pilihan dan tergantung kemampuan kita untuk dipengaruhi dan mempengaruhi (Human Impact-tergantung psikologi atai kejiwaan seseorang).

Nb: Hal ini Jangan terlalu dipikiran, lebih baik mikirin Firman Tuhan, disitulah kebenarannya. ^_^
GBU

Reference :
1. My own life.