Professional Development Plan
Michael Thomas

Employee's Goals (Interest and Aspirations)

• Obtain an additional certification each year.
• Each year, attend 1 or more technical related conferences. (JavaOne, etc...)
• Each year, attend 1 industry related conference.
• Take one or more types of web based courses.
• Write an article on a technical subject that is distributed by a recognized publisher of electronic IT information.
• Periodically teach or hold a seminar on a technical topic.
• Become known as an expert in a marketable technical field.  (Java, JavaScript, XML, JSP, XML, SQL, Web Applications)
• Finish my "Java Certification" site: www.michael-thomas.com/java/javacert 
• Design a framework for E-Business/E-Commerce applications.  Probably use Struts framework.

Development Needs

• Technical
  • HTML - certification
  • Java 2 - certification
  • Java -  VAJ, Enterprise Java Beans.  Need more work experience.
  • Java Server Pages (JSP).  Need additional work experience.
  • SQL (Oracle & MS SQL).  Need time to develop skills and/or mentoring.
  • XML - familiar with JDOM.  Need other XML technologies.  Want to get XML certificed.
  • WebSphere eCommerce Suite
  • UML (Unified Modeling Language)
• Industry - varies as work changes.
  • EMS - Education Management Systems
  • eCommerce.

Leave a Legacy - Part of my personal professional mission statement.

• www.michael-thomas.com - technology development/training site.
• www.thomasma.com - (Not active, but is reserved).   Example of application frameworks using web technologies.

Plans

• Develop Several Short Courses.  These course can be ILT or free web delivery.
  • Struts - 4 hr short course.
  • JDOM - 4 hr short course.
  • Java First Steps - 4 hrs short course.  Refine www.michael-thomas.com/java/javafirststeps 
  • Other Java 4 hr short courses.
    • Java Applets.
    • Java Applications.
    • Java Servlets.
    • Java Swing
• www.brainbench.com
  • HTML certification.
  • Java 2 certification.
• IBM Certified Solution Developer - IBM VisuaAge for Java, Professional Edition, V3
  • Develop a web site of info on this certification as I prepare.
  • Completed - Test 310-023 - Sun Java Certified Programmer for JDK 1.1
  • Test 282, IBM VisualAge for Java, Professional Edition V3
    • Book-Getting Started - complete the exercises. (V2)
    • CBT - "Introduction to VisualAge for Java & Programming JavaBean" - complete (V2)
    • Order recommended books.
    • Download VisualAge for Java V3
    • Visit IBM's websites:
      http://www.ibm.com/developer/java/ - IBM DeveloperWorks
      http://www.ibm.com/software/ad/vajava/.
    • http://www.training.ibm.com/ibmedu/ - see if any WBT courses.
    • Locate any forums (intranet or internet)
    • Take sample test and search for others.
  • Test 089, Object-Oriented Analysis and Design Test.
    • Order recommended books (ones that I don't have)
    • Develop a plan of action.
• Get management approval to attend 2 conferences (JavaOne & an industry conference on LMS)

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