Placement Stats for setFocus for 2007 - 2010

1. S E Q U O I A C L U B
Comprehensive Career Services
& Placement Success

2. S E Q U O I A C L U B
“From the up-to-date technical instruction to the career
guidance and employer connections, this program was
exactly what I needed to move to a new phase of my career.”
-Francis Khoury, Alumnus
Comprehensive Career Services Yield Placement Success
Since
1997,
SetFocus
has
helped
more
than
2,000
IT
professionals
launch,
revitalize,
or
propel
their
careers.
We
have
a
proven
track
record
of
understanding
current
job
market
needs
and
selecDng
the
best
candidates
to
re-­‐train
for
these
posiDons.
An
integral
part
of
The
Master's
Program®
is
our
comprehensive,
customized
Career
Services.
Every
Master’s
Program
candidate
receives
individualized
career
services,
coaching,
and
placement
assistance
as
part
of
their
experience.
SetFocus
has
spent
14
years
developing
and
refining
its
formula
for
re-­‐tooling
and
re-­‐introducing
IT
professionals
to
the
workforce
–
doing
what
they
love
to
do.
Let
us
help
you
to
do
the
same
today!
This
document
describes
how
our
Career
Services
team
works
directly
with
Master’s
Program
candidates
to
improve
their
placement
success.
In
it,
we
also
share
our
placement
staDsDcs
–
proof
that
our
formula
produces
results.
2

3. S E Q U O I A C L U B
Improve Your Marketability & Earning Potential
Based
on
over
a
decade
of
experience
with
both
candidates
and
hiring
companies,
SetFocus
is
acutely
aware
of
the
keys
to
career
growth
and
success
in
the
IT
marketplace.
We’ve
idenDfied
3
factors
proven
to
improve
your
marketability
and
earning
potenDal
-­‐-­‐
not
just
for
your
next
posiDon
-­‐-­‐
but
for
the
enDre
course
of
your
career.
1. Insight.
Understand
who
you
are,
where
you
are
now,
and
where
you
want
to
be
in
the
future.
Evaluate
your
current
state.
Define
your
desired
career
path.
Create
a
specific
plan
of
acDon
by
seYng
well-­‐defined
goals
and
objecDves.
Give
yourself
a
reasonable
Dmeframe
in
which
to
effect
change
and
aain
your
goal.
As
an
IT
professional,
you
need
to
conDnually
re-­‐evaluate
your
technology
focus
over
Dme.
In
a
field
where
new
technologies
evolve
exponenDally,
learning
something
once
and
sDcking
with
it
for
20+
years
has
become
a
thing
of
the
past.
Up-­‐to-­‐date
marketability
is
key
to
conDnued
success.
2. Knowledge.
Become
a
lifelong
learner.
Invest
in
yourself…always.
Warren
Buffe,
one
of
America's
wealthiest
people,
is
revered
as
one
of
America's
leading
voices
in
investment
advice.
So
what
does
he
say
is
the
best
investment
you
can
make?
The most important investment you can make is in yourself.
Anything
that
builds
on
your
own
talents
cannot
be
taxed
or
taken
away
from
you.
Huge
deficits
can
drive
down
the
value
of
the
dollar.
All
kinds
of
things
happen.
But
if
you've
got
talent
and
you've
maximized
that
talent,
you've
got
a
tremendous
asset
that
will
return
ten-­‐fold.
3.Confidence and Communication.
Know
your
brand
and
how
to
sell
it.
Understanding
who
you
are,
acquiring
a
new
skill
set,
and
developing
your
own
brand
is
a
mulD-­‐faceted
process
that
takes
Dme
and
effort.
It
includes
preparing
materials
to
demonstrate
your
background
and
abiliDes,
honing
your
message
for
networking
and
interviewing,
and
effecDvely
presenDng
yourself
online.
We
will
prepare
you
to
exude
confidence
and
make
yourself
stand
out
from
others
presenDng
themselves
for
the
same
posiDon.
“Coming to SetFocus is more than just about learning. It’s about
building a valuable relationship for your career with a company that
really wants you to succeed.”
-Julien Jeng, Alumnus
3

4. S E Q U O I A C L U B
Career Services at SetFocus
A
Mul?-­‐Faceted
Approach
to
Achieving
Placement
Success
Join
SetFocus
and
become
part
of
a
team
dedicated
to
your
professional
growth.
Our
Career
Services
team
integrates
Career
Development,
Placement
Assistance,
and
life-­‐long
Alumni
Support
to
ensure
a
high
rate
of
placement
success.
In
addiDon,
we
focus
on
Corporate
Outreach,
working
directly
with
hiring
companies
as
a
source
of
new
employment
opportuniDes
to
help
them
achieve
their
growth
iniDaDves.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT do.
Find
out
how
they
like
the
In
addiDon,
Placement
Specialists
work;
how
they
found
their
job.
conDnually
develop
relaDonships
with
Finding
the
right
opportunity
requires
Talk
to
people
you
know;
explore
new
hiring
companies
to
expand
the
discipline,
commitment,
and
…
a
their
connecDons. universe
of
potenDal
opportuniDes
for
formalized
job
search
strategy.
you.
Your
SetFocus
Placement
• Learn
to
apply
the
25/75
rule
of
Specialist
will
help
market
you
to
our
With
the
advent
of
social
media
and
Passive
vs.
ProacDve
Job
growing
list
of
company
contacts.
increased
use
of
the
internet
to
form
Searching.
and
promote
relaDonships,
a
comprehensive
job
search
strategy
• Employ
a
mulD-­‐part
job
search
ALUMNI SERVICES
includes
effecDve
use
of
social
strategy:
resume
posDng,
job
networking
sites
such
as
LinkedIn.
searching,
target
markeDng,
A
key
benefit
of
successfully
networking,
and
working
with
There
you
can
feature
your
skills
with
compleDng
The
Master’s
Program
is
recruiters.
online
porcolios
and
seek
our
extensive
program
of
life-­‐long
recommendaDons
from
others
in
your
Alumni
Services.
field.
• Learn
not
to
take
rejecDon
personally,
but
to
use
it
as
a
learning
tool. Our
goal
is
to
remain
your
premier
New
Web-­‐based
tools
combined
with
career
development
resource
-­‐-­‐-­‐
the
classics
-­‐-­‐
a
revamped
resume;
• Learn
the
art
of
“ The
follow
up”. offering
you
opportuniDes
to
network
polished,
pracDced
interviewing
skills;
with
your
fellow
SetFocus
Alumni
and
and
personal
and
professional
the
organizaDons
seeking
to
hire
networking
-­‐-­‐
form
the
foundaDon
for
• Adopt
a
holisDc
approach
-­‐-­‐
“Finding
a
job
is
a
full-­‐Dme
job.” SetFocus
Alumni.
an
effecDve
job
search
strategy.
PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE BENEFITS
Your
Career
Development
Specialist
will
work
closely
with
you
to
master
the
tools
and
maximize
their
potenDal
Once
you
have
acquired
new
technical
Con$nued
Career
Services
so
you
can
reach
yours!
skills,
polished
your
sop
skills,
and
SetFocus
Career
Development
support
developed
your
job
search
strategy,
is
available
for
a
lifeDme!
Whenever
Career
Development
Specialists
help
it’s
Dme
to
start
your
job
search
in
you
need
help,
whether
you
are
you: earnest.
seeking
a
new
job
or
need
advice
on
conDnued
career
development,
• IdenDfy
your
transferrable
skills
Our
Placement
Specialists
will
be
cerDficaDon,
training
or
negoDaDon,
and
how
to
market
them. there
to
assist
you
every
step
of
the
we
are
here
to
help.
Resume
wriDng
way
-­‐-­‐
a
second
pair
of
hands
and
eyes
in
your
quest
to
start
a
new
career.
assistance,
cover
leer
maintenance,
• Define
exactly
what
kind
of
work
job
search
strategy
revamps,
and
you
want
to
do. They
stand
as
a
ready
resource
as
you
implement
your
personal
job
search
more!
strategy.
• Embrace
Social
Media
&
Networking
-­‐
Talk
to
people
who
are
doing
the
work
you
want
to
4

5. S E Q U O I A C L U B
Network
of
Peers
User
Groups
Studies
show
that
80%
of
posiDons
are
SetFocus
hosts
monthly
meeDngs
of
found
through
networking!
Many
of
the
Northern
NJ
.NET
&
the
SQL
The Master’s Program
gave my career a much
our
students
have
developed
Server
User
Groups.
You’re
always
needed jump start! The
relaDonships
and
found
opportuniDes
invited
to
our
Parsippany
instructors are extremely
through
their
Master’s
Program
headquarters
to
aend.
knowledgeable and hard
classmates
and
alumni
from
other
working. The hands-on
sessions. assignments that were
Access
to
latest
technologies
given were realistic - my
Need
extended
use
of
a
Virtual
Recommend
&
Hire
Graduates
first project out of the
Machine
to
keep
your
skills
sharp?
program turned out to be
Support
your
organizaDon’s
hiring
and
SetFocus
offers
alumni
the
just like what we did in
recruiDng
efforts
by
submiYng
your
opportunity
to
rent
a
Virtual
Machine
class. And the Career
job
openings,
hiring
and
contact
with
a
standard
current
Master’s
Development team
informaDon
to
our
Career
Program
class
image. provides quality leads,
Development
Team.
whether it's your first
The
GRID®
Community position or your 10th.
Educa$onal
Discounts Stay
connected
to
fellow
alumni
My only regret is that I
In
addiDon
to
The
Master’s
Program,
through
The
GRID
Community!
didn't look into the
SetFocus
offers
individual
day
and
program years earlier!
evening
courses
on
the
latest
.NET,
SharePoint,
Business
Intelligence
and
OUR FORMULA YIELDS
Laura LaRegina - Alumnus,
SQL
Server
topics.
As
a
SetFocus
RESULTS
Former Cobol Developer
graduate,
you
will
receive
discounts
By
evolving
our
technical
training
on
all
of
these
courses.
and
placement
services
to
meet
the
needs
of
the
employment
marketplace,
SetFocus
remains
Social
Networking a
trusted
and
essenDal
resource
Each
of
our
staff
members
and
most
of
for
both
our
graduates
and
our
clients
who
hire
IT
talent.
our
alumni
are
members
of
various
online
social
networks.
We
encourage
you
to
join
each
network,
connect
Amidst
a
great
recession
and
high
unemployment
rates,
with
SetFocus
students,
staff,
and
Master’s
Program
alumni
-­‐-­‐
in
alumni.
partnership
with
SetFocus
Career
Development
and
SetFocus
Email Placement
professionals
–
sDll
succeed
in
finding
employment
You
will
always
be
able
to
access
your
in
their
desired
areas
of
SetFocus
email
account. experDse.
Referral
Bonus The
remainder
of
this
report
presents
the
results
achieved
by
Know
a
friend,
family
member,
or
our
alumni.
We
hope
you’ll
colleague
who
could
benefit
from
The
choose
to
join
The
Master’s
Master’s
Program?
Refer
them
and
Program
to
share
in
the
focus
earn
a
cash
bonus! and
fervor
we
can
bring
to
your
road
to
success.
5

6. Placement Success
Opportunity on the Rebound
According
to
Robert
Half
Technology1,
IT
is
poised
for
a
skills-­‐driven
rebound.
A
wave
of
new
and
deferred
projects,
especially
those
that
will
deliver
high
return
on
investment,
is
driving
demand
for
applicaDon
developers,
.NET
developers,
systems
administrators,
database
administrators,
and
desktop
support
professionals.
While
specific
requirements
for
IT
posiDons
vary
across
industries
and
regions,
there
is
consistent,
widespread
demand
for
the
following
skill
sets:
Programming
-­‐
Knowledge
of
.NET,
Java,
mySQL,
PHP,
Silverlight,
Flex,
and
portal
technologies
such
as
SharePoint
are
highly
sought
aper.
Prepare
for
these
opportuni$es
with
The
Master’s
Program
.NET
Track
or
SharePoint
track!
A
business
mind-­‐set
-­‐
Companies
seek
mulD-­‐faceted
IT
professionals
with
business
analysis
and
project
management
skills,
combined
with
the
ability
to
understand
how
technology
supports
broader
business
objecDves.
Join
The
Master’s
Program
BI
Track
or
SQL
Server
track
to
prepare
yourself
for
these
openings!
SetFocus Graduates Succeed
The
emerging
rebound
in
IT
opportunity
coupled
with
strict
entry
requirements
for
The
Master’s
Program
enabled
SetFocus
graduates
to
realize
placement
success
-­‐-­‐
even
amidst
tough
economic
Dmes,
a
deep
recession,
and
high
unemployment
rates.
Between
January
1,
2007
to
September
30,
2010,
more
than
500
IT
professionals
joined
the
full-­‐Dme
Master’s
Program
to
improve
their
marketability
and
earning
potenDal.
The
following
data
reflect
the
percentage
of
individuals
who
engaged
in
and
successfully
completed
their
job
search
by
accepDng
a
new
IT
posiDon.
2
Placement
Rates
Summary Placement
Rates
by
Track 2007-­‐2010
2007
-­‐
2010 82% .NET 82%
2010
(Q1-­‐Q3) 83% SQL 85%
Business
Intelligence 81%
Time
to
employment
SharePoint
80%
Prior
to
graduaDon 10%
1-­‐
13
weeks
post
graduaDon 61%
13+
weeks
post
graduaDon 29%
1 http://www.roberthalftechnology.com/SkillsInDemand
2 Based on candidates who successfully completed the full-time Master’s Program and engaged with our Career Services Department between January 1, 2007 and September 31, 2010.
6

7. S E Q U O I A C L U B
Candidate Demographics PhD
Assoc.
1% HS
Prior Level of Education 7%
6%
In
addiDon
to
technical
skills,
employers
seek
professionals
who
possess
both
the
ability
and
the
desire
to
learn.
Master’s
17%
Candidates
who
join
The
Master’s
Program
believe
in
the
power
of
knowledge
and
the
need
for
career-­‐long
Bachelors
conDnuing
educaDon.
Thus,
it’s
no
surprise
that
87%
of
69%
individuals
who
join
our
program
have
a
Bachelor’s
degree
and
18%
a
Master’s
Degree
or
higher.
Prior
Work
Experience
To
be
accepted
into
The
Master’s
Program,
candidates
must
already
know
how
to
program.
Though
we
will
accept
recent
college
graduates
or
Mid
individuals
with
limited
relevant
work
experience,
only
11%
22%
of
our
student
body
falls
into
to
this
category.
Over
55%
of
our
candidates
have
7
or
more
years’
experience.
Eighteen
Jr.
percent
of
Master’s
Program
candidates
have
20+
years
on
12%
the
job.
Entry Level
Entry 0-­‐2
years 11% Senior
55%
Junior 3-­‐5
years
Mid 5-­‐7
years
Senior 7+
years
Loca$on
With
The
GRID,
all
of
our
students
enjoy
the
benefit
of
aending
The
Master’s
Program
from
the
convenience
of
their
home
or
office.
The
following
is
a
breakdown
of
where
our
students
were
located
during
training
-­‐
18% -­‐
17%
-­‐
38%
-­‐
27%
7

8. Candidate Marketability and Earning Potential
Partner
with
SetFocus
and
you’ll
be
on
your
way
to
improving
your
marketability
and
earning
poten?al.
Time
to
Employment
A
key
indicator
of
the
success
of
this
partnership
is
the
Dme
it
takes
for
individuals
to
aain
a
job. Breakdown
of
Job
Type
Full-­‐Dme
Employment 82%
During
the
2007-­‐2010
Dmeframe,
71%
of
individuals
who
engaged
with
our
Career
Services
team
aained
a
posiDon
within
13
weeks
of
the
ConsulDng 18%
start
date
of
training.
A
full
10%
aained
a
posiDon
PRIOR
to
graduaDon.
Job
Titles
40%
38% Developer
30% Junior
Developer
29%
Senior
/
Lead
Developer
20% 23%
Analyst
10%
10% Database
Administrator
0% Systems
Architect
During
Training 1-­‐6
weeks 7-­‐13
weeks
13+
weeks
Project
Manager
Time
to
employment
post
training
Salary
Ranges
Individual
salaries
are
based
on
locaDon
of
posiDon,
company
size
and
candidate’s
prior
work
experience.
$200,000 $200,000
$150,000 $150,000
$100,000 $100,000
$50,000 $50,000
$0 $0
.NET SharePoint SQL BI Entry Jr. Mid Sr. Sr.+
Track Level
of
prior
work
experience
Average
Salary Max
Salary
8