Programmer Analyst Positions – Lift, Inc.

Locations:
Westchester County, New York
Hunterdon County, New Jersey

Recent college graduates selected for these positions will gain unique opportunities to build technical, business and leadership skills in a team-oriented environment with a leading insurance company.

Qualifications/Requirements:
· Bachelor’s degree as of June 2008
· Acceptable score on programmer aptitude tests
· Strong communications skills
· Ambition

Starting salaries are excellent. Career potential is unlimited.

To apply for this position, or make a referral, contact Ron Kozberg at liftinc@aol.com

Featured Openings -- April 2008

If you’re eager for a career in information technology or information management don’t wait to apply until you see your ideal job posted here, because this isn’t an exhaustive list. We’re recruiting for positions across the US. Most openings require a college degree; some require experience. All require talent, initiative, and ambition.

Entry-Level Programmer-Analyst (Western New Jersey)

Are you a recent college graduate, or do you plan to graduate this semester? This is a unique opportunity for someone who wants to build technical, business and management skills while working with one of the nation’s leading insurance companies. Requirements: excellent analytical and problem-solving ability, a passion for software, great communications skills and a desire to learn.

IMS Technical Support (San Jose, California)

Fantastic opening for a professional who wants to work with topnotch professionals on a database change team for one of the world’s premier technical companies. Familiarity with IMS and/or Assembler and PLX required. OS/390, zOS, dump reading background preferred. Training and mentoring available to help fill skill gaps for the highly motivated selected candidate.

Technical Support Specialist (Research Triangle Park, North Carolina)

This is an outstanding opportunity to work with state-of-the-art technology in a strong team environment with a leading corporation. Applicants should demonstrate exceptional technical aptitude, as well as excellent problem solving and interpersonal skills, and must have a strong desire to learn. Selected candidates will have the chance to work on multiple platforms. A Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience required. Helpful skills: relational database, JAVA, Distributed Op Sys.

Software Developers (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)

Great positions for recent college grads with computer science background who are eager to learn new skills, or experienced professionals with knowledge of COBOL and JCL. Strong analytical ability and excellent teamwork skills a must.

If interested in any of these positions, send your resume to liftinc@aol.com, and mention the job title in the subject line.

Confessions of an iTunes Junkie

I bought a new, upgraded computer system—an iMac—last July. I hated to see my old Windows machine and laser printer go. I had worked with the equipment for eight years and loved it. But certain things about it began to drive me up the wall as newer technologies were developed. Friends and family urged me to upgrade when I told them how old my computer was. They could also see how stressed I was feeling. So I took the plunge. It’s been a journey learning an entirely new system, but it is worth it. I donated my old computer system to a nonprofit Washington, DC, organization, First Time Computers, that donates Windows computers to low-income families.

An unintended consequence of this investment, however, has been a growing love for iTunes. I’m not, nor will I ever be, a musician, so I won’t be recording songs or using GarageBand any time soon. I also won’t be putting my vast CD collection on my computer. My computer is reserved for writing projects only. I didn’t want to get involved with iTunes at all, but one day I decided to explore it. That was my undoing.

I love iTunes Radio! As I’m writing this, my local station, Classical WETA 90.9, plays softly in the background—Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty. I also enjoy WTOP, my News/Talk station, and Bluegrasscountry.org, where bluegrass music and several favorite public radio programs migrated when another station decided to go digital and split its programming. WGBH gives me a link to Boston, which I enjoyed visiting in the fall of 2007. I also enjoy FolkAlley.com, Play Classical UK (a small link to a place I’ve always wanted to visit), Solo Piano Radio, and BeatlesRadio.com. Many choices are available depending on mood. Instrumental music feels better during the workday, especially if you’re in a quiet home office.

Who knew that I would have to spend so much of my free time at the computer, too? I never even thought I would ever be playing CDs on a computer. I bought my stereo in early 1989, after I was newly hired at my first job. It’s still going strong, even though I replaced my phonograph needle once and CD changer twice. A stereo is still the best way to enjoy music if you can’t see it live.

Even more than the radio options on iTunes, I discovered a wealth of free podcast resources. I subscribe to 23 so far. Some are more than an hour long. But most are less than 20 minutes. I listen in the evenings since TV is so bad, after network news and “Jeopardy!” Fortunately they all don’t arrive at the same time, and I don’t usually keep episodes after they are played.

Oh, the learning opportunities! I quickly discovered PR Camp with Kathe Stanton. The IT-focused Career Opportunities with Douglas E. Welch is useful for all careers. Welch also produces the general-interest Technology IQ. Another podcast, Freelance Radio, is an informative program for freelance writers, Web designers and independent workers. Lessons in Spanish have not worked out well, but I’m keeping my subscription anyway. The Classic Tales and Classic Books Audio reacquaint me with favorite novels and short stories. Many favorite public radio programs have made it to podcast. I’ve also enjoyed Agatha Christie Radio Theatre and episodes of “The Shadow.”

And always, there is music—classical, Celtic, African and other world music. I wanted a link with Philadelphia, which I visited in the spring of 2007, so I subscribed to the Philadelphia Orchestra “Podchestra.” Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum offers weekly Sunday classical music concerts for most of the year. When my aunt and I were there, we were lucky enough to see the musicians rehearse in the Tapestry Room. The actual concert was sold out. When we got back, I subscribed. Now when I listen, I feel like I’m there again. I held off on a Carnegie Hall podcast. I hope to attend a concert there one day. When I was in New York in 1992, we just walked by the building.

Even more than the listening, the process of creating podcasts and vodcasts interests me, although I would love to work with a group of people to do it since I don’t have a broadcasting voice. Actually, that doesn’t matter. Where someone might be irritated by a host’s voice, another person might think it’s wonderful.

Oh no! A few days ago I read about National Public Radio’s new venture, www.NPR.org/music. Yes, I explored the site, and yes, I now subscribe to the “Classical on the Go!” podcast from WGBH. So many podcasts, so little time. Sigh.

Time to play my Beethoven symphonies now….

Technical Support Specialist – Research Triangle Park, NC

Lift, Inc. announces an exciting opportunity for a talented technology professional seeking an assignment with a leading international corporation. This Level 2 Technical Support position offers an excellent salary, outstanding career potential and a great working environment.

Applicants Must Have:

Superior Technical Aptitude
Superior Problem Solving Skills
Superior Communication Skills
A Strong Desire to Learn
A Bachelor’s Degree or Equivalent Experience
A Physical Disability

Helpful Skills:

WebSphere
Relational Database
JAVA
Distributed Op Sys

Lift, Inc. is the country’s leading, and pioneering, employment firm and employer for IT professionals who have significant physical disabilities.

For further information, or to apply, contact:

Ron Kozberg, CRC
Lift, Inc.
Liftinc@aol.com
908-226-1193

www.lift-inc.org

New Experiences Build Confidence

Where does confidence come from, anyway? Are people born with it, or is it learned? Maybe a little of both. How do you develop confidence?

I have read (and lots of people have told me) that the only way to become confident is to act as if you are. Then, whatever you undertake will become easier each time. Whether it’s public speaking, learning a foreign language, experimenting with a craft project, or working with new technology, the more you work at it, the more skilled you become.

The one example that bears out in my life, other than getting my writing published, is that for many years I was terrified of using the telephone—a problem that plagued me through college. Journalism, where I would find answers to life’s burning questions and write about undiscovered things, would also force me to pick up the phone and interview complete strangers. That helped to cure me.

I don’t really know why I didn’t like to use the phone; that’s just the way it was. Ironically, the summer jobs I had, and my first professional job, involved much telephone and switchboard work. Over time, a lot of people would ask for me directly when seeking assistance. But there are still days when I have to rehearse a couple of minutes before picking up the handset of my cordless phone, or put it on speakerphone. I selected “Für Elise” as the ringtone for my landline phone. For my new cell phone, I chose a tropical ringtone melody. Both of these make me feel better.

One of the most helpful things anyone ever said to me on the job was, “Of course you can do it! You’re not an airbrain!” At the time I was trying out desktop publishing on a colleague’s Mac. I had never used one before, and was terrified that I would erase the machine’s hard drive. My co-worker showed me a few tips, and then I felt better, and went on to produce flyers and charts for work-related assignments. I never became a graphic designer, but it helped me get over my nervousness about computers in general, and I wanted to know how they worked.

The other way to become confident is to try new things, as scary as it feels. If you are good at leading or speaking in front of small groups, try addressing a larger one. Do you enjoy community plays or musical theater? Try auditioning. Interested in volunteering? Sign up. Interested in art or photography? Sign up for a class. You may surprise yourself.

My aunt is always saying we should attend a kabuki theater production to stretch ourselves, since we go to other types of productions. (She was only kidding at first.) We read a good review once, and promised ourselves we would go to the next kabuki production, even though we know nothing about it. We’ll be there one day. But first comes The Lion King this summer.

You don’t have to be outstanding; just enjoy whatever you are doing. I was never great at Toastmaster’s, but I loved the club that I was in and meeting people from other clubs during competitions. I still enjoy public speaking, as long as I practice a lot beforehand. I may join another chapter at some point. I wasn’t a great swimmer, but I always felt better being in the water, and wished adapted swimming sessions could be longer than 45 minutes twice a week. Maybe I’ll do that again, too.

Of course, it could go the other way. I signed up for an art exploration course one summer, and realized after the first two-hour session that it just wasn’t a good idea. I can’t draw worth a damn, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to try something new. But sometimes that isn’t worth the price of the class. Luckily, I was able to get a refund. And more than a few needlework projects still lie unfinished in a drawer. I’ll finish them one day. It’s just much slower when one hand doesn’t work as well as the other. The bead-stringing workshop would have been a better fit, but I was able to get materials on my own and make necklaces for other people. Never could fit in an art history course, but I read a lot about that anyway. People beg me not to sing, so that killed any attempts at musical theater or forming a band. I’m still not the greatest at networking events, but at least I go when I can.

One time I went to a daylong biology meeting at a local university just for the hell of it. I have no background in biology, and had no real reason for being there, except for looking for something new to write about. That event didn’t result in an article assignment, but it did start me thinking about environmental stewardship. I also learned about Rachel Carson and her work. On breaks I met a lot of great people who were passionate about our planet. Since then, I have written a couple of articles about environmental groups and “living green.” No opportunity to write about solar energy yet.

Confidence comes from trying new experiences, and new experiences enrich our lives in unexpected ways.

Accounting Analyst Lead (Tulsa, Oklahoma)


Great opportunity for a talented accounting analyst to work for a major international corporation in an exciting career position. Should have strong analytical, decision-making, and communications skills. A Bachelor’s degree in accounting or business, or an Associate’s degree with three years of experience preferred. Oil or gas industry experience a plus. Knowledge of SAO or SAP PRA helpful.