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Read the cast's updates, photos and videos from their trip to Tech·Ed North America. You can also watch the reunion show online.
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What's New on Career Factor
Current Week: The end (June 13)
Steve’s final Career Factor blog post, a video he shot at Tech·Ed, features his castmates as they answer five questions about their experience with the show.
Kevin’s last post reflects on the past semester and his future after graduating from Dallas Baptist University.
Bojan’s last posts complete his 3 post series on the Benefits of being an MCM. See part 2 (the community) and part 3 (the payoff), along with part 1 from earlier last month.
Eddie’s last post is a short reflection on his “wonderful ride”
Rabeb’s last post thanks all those who have touched her heart the last 6 months
Neil finishes the show by presenting at GITCA’s 24 hours in the cloud. You can see his presentation here.
Simon’s last post with a sentimental goodbye to everyone involved.
Caroline ends with a retrospective look via a video montage.
Steve’s final Career Factor blog post, a video he shot at Tech•Ed, features his castmates as they answer five questions about their experience with the show.
Kevin wrote about having dinner with Microsoft employees, meeting people from a wide variety of corporations, and partying with the Canadians at Tech•Ed.
Bojan reported on his first day at Tech•Ed North America! After his first baseball game and a reunion with his MCM class, he headed off to his first of many conference sessions and anticipated a very busy week.
Eddie shared a series of short videos from Tech•Ed, including the opening band (which performed on computers), a keynote presentation featuring Kinect and astronomy, and the show floor.
Rabeb posted a recap of the beginning of Tech•Ed and showed us her view of the exhibition hall as she explored with Kevin.
Neil posted a video in which he described a string of computer troubles while on a scenic walk with his puppy Rolo. You can read Neil’s interview with Stephen Ibaraki at the IT Manager Connection blog.
Simon blogged about his last day at Tech•Ed, which began with some quality time with hands-on labs and ended with the closing party at two Atlanta landmarks and late-night revelry with the Career Factor cast.
Caroline and Steve starred in their own daily TV show featuring updates about the conference and their time in Atlanta. Check out day 1, day 2 and day 3.
Steve posted frequently during his week at Tech•Ed. Check out his daily video recaps (see Caroline’s update) and his Tumblr blog.
Eddie was sad to leave Tech•Ed early to return to work, but he treasured his experience and even discovered a new career goal!
Simon posted daily from Tech•Ed and shared thoughts about getting to know the Career Factor group over baseball, running between far-flung technology sessions, being inspired by his fellow cast members, and receiving some insight into the TS exam goals.
Steve drew on his experience and offered advice to readers looking to land a job through certification.
Kevin celebrated becoming Microsoft Certified with his MTA certification and looked ahead to studying for the MCTS exam during Tech•Ed. With his summer plans finalized, Kevin was set enjoy his graduation weekend before leaving for Atlanta. Congratulations, Kevin!
Eddie posted a video with his thoughts about work, family, and Microsoft Certification as he prepared to meet the rest of the group at Tech•Ed.
Rabeb learned a lot from the recent Career Factor résumé/CV session, and she shared her favorite tips with her followers. She also chatted with a friend who’s competing in Imagine Cup 2011!
Simon returned to work (and certification planning) after a well-deserved vacation, started puzzling through his Tech•Ed schedule, and pointed readers to his recent interview with IT expert Stephen Ibaraki. After another unsuccessful attempt at the MCTS exam, Simon questioned the value of the certification and how he should proceed.
Caroline blogged from the airport on her way to Tech•Ed and congratulated her classmates on taking gold and silver in the Office events at the 2011 Provincial Skills Canada Competition.
After shifting his attention to the new Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification track, Kevin passed his first exam and provided feedback on the experience. He also started making plans for Tech•Ed, and showed us around his college campus!
Bojan introduced us to the technology experts who help deliver the MCM training on Exchange 2010. While they are all very nice guys, some are tougher instructors than others!
Eddie has been adjusting to his new job and thinking about how he can use his interests and skills to take his next career step.
Simon had a busy week! He returned to work (and certification planning) after a well-deserved vacation, started puzzling through his Tech•Ed schedule, and pointed readers to his recent interview with IT expert Stephen Ibaraki.
Caroline reflected on recent world events and began applying her Office skills in a new role working with an event planner at school.
Steve drew on his experience and offers advice to readers looking to land a job through certification.
Bojan is working on additional posts about his MCM experience, but he paused to reflect on the physical changes he underwent during the intensive 3-week training. Your results may vary!
Neil posted a new video in which he described a string of computer troubles while on a scenic walk with his puppy Rolo. You can read Neil’s interview with Stephen Ibaraki at the IT Manager Connection blog.
Simon is taking a much-deserved vacation from work, but he’s made time to participate in Career Factor live chats and study for his certification exam retake.
Caroline celebrated the end of winter in Calgary (well, almost) and got ready to tackle Access for her final exams as well as her next Microsoft Certification exam.
Steve is employed! In his latest video he talks about the stress of job-hunting with a family to support, but he’s looking ahead to starting a great role and continuing to grow in it with continued training on new Microsoft technology.
Kevin posted some of the tips he learned from the résumé/CV live session and considered targeting the Microsoft Technology Associate exam series and exploring more training options before returning to the MCTS exam.
Eddie has been swamped between his new job, family illness and studying for his final A+ exam, but some good news: he’ll be attending Tech•Ed North America in May! Even better, he passed his exam and is already looking ahead to conquering Microsoft Certification!
Read Rabeb’s recent interview with IT expert Stephen Ibaraki, in which she discusses her career goals and interests outside of technology. Rabeb also had a certification setback, but she’s ready to study hard for a successful retake.
Simon’s co-worker Dan also scored low on the MCTS exam, but after a few days of targeted studying he easily passed the retake. Simon’s question after this experience: What does certification truly signify, and how do changes to the exams reflect on their value?
Caroline has finished her PowerPoint exams and moved on to Access, which she’ll need to master for both the competition and her final exams. The school year has gone by quickly!