As we all know, the US is currently in the middle of an economic crisis.  The true extent of that crisis depends on who you listen to. 

One thing is for sure however, and that is that we are currently in a major economic slowdown. 

Some major financial institutions have recently failed completely or had their assets seized including AIG, Bear Stearns, Wachovia and Washington Mutual along with some not as well known institutions such as IndyMac Bancorp Inc., First National Bank of Nevada and First Heritage Bank NA of California.

What this means is that our economy is most definitely in trouble.  The housing market, sub-prime mortgage debacle and the impending credit crunch have all lead to plummeting consumer confidence. 

As I finish writing this the US government is stepping in and passing a $700 billion dollar bailout package.  Will this have a positive, long-term effect on the economy remains to be seen.

What I would like to remind everyone however, that in the midst of every crisis is opportunity.  Major opportunity. There are opportunities both big and small, for those willing to take advantage of them.  The firs step to taking advantage of these opportunities however, is to realize they’re there.  The second step is to actively go after them.

How this relates specifically to Information Technology is simple.  Companies will come and go, but the people who power the infrastructure, design the systems, connect the networks and “basically make it all work” will always be needed. 

Now is the time, perhaps the most important time, to refresh your existing skills and learn new ones.  The IT professionals that will be the most marketable in the days, weeks and months to come are the ones who have a wide range of knowledge and can do multiple jobs.  Companies looking to either downsize or get more “bang for their buck” are looking for multi-dimensional IT professionals who can do more than one thing.

Being proficient in various areas allows you much more flexibility and makes you much more marketable.  Becoming an expert in multiple areas, such as hardware and software systems, networking and systems administration or web design and e-commerce gives you the ability to work virtually anywhere.

The problem many people face is that they either can’t take time off from work to get trained, or can’t afford a travel and classroom expense for a course even if they could get the time off.

The most logical solution is to take those barriers out of the equation.  This is why Computer Based Training is the perfect way to learn new skills quickly, without having to travel, take expensive classes or take time away from work.  

Training packages like a CompTIA A+ Training and Microsoft MCDST Training Video combo series or a CompTIA A+ and Cisco CCNA Training video combo series allow you to learn a wide range of skills, quickly and inexpensively.  No travel, no time away from work, and minimal out of pocket expense.

Computer Based Training (CBTs) have come a long way over the last few years, and have surpassed the value of traditional classroom training.  Today’s CBT courses aren’t watered down training sessions. They are comprehensive programs that are even more in depth than you’ll find in most classroom courses, for a fraction of the cost.  They fully prepare you for certification, whether you’re looking to become certified in hardware and software, desktop systems or networking with routers and switches.

As a way of giving back to the IT community, Palaestra Training is offering a 10% discount on any IT certification training package (individual or combo series) by using the promo code PTPROMO.  Simply enter that code during checkout, and have 10% taken off instantly.

Even if you’re currently not an IT professional, now is a great time to cross-train, learn new skills and make yourself recession-proof.  Training that is information packed, yet economically priced will always be your best option to quickly get up to speed on any topic. 

Invest in yourself, and you’ll find the return on that investment to be greater than you could have imagined.