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Today we are interviewing Eric Vanderburg, author of the non-fiction computer book CompTIA Storage+ Quick Review Guide.
Describe the purpose of your book in a few sentences.
This book is primarily a guide for those wishing to take the CompTIA Storage+ exam. It provides a comprehensive and vendor neutral description of storage concepts beginning with how a hard drive works to how data is stored in the cloud. It is a valuable resource for both those taking the exam and those wishing to know more about this complex yet interesting subject.
Who do you think would most appreciate this book?
This book is geared towards those with knowledge and experience in information technology who wish to learn more about storage networking.
What inspired you to write this book?
Many organizations struggle to manage the overwhelming amount of data they store today. Almost our entire lives is becoming digitized including emails, instant messages, locations, tweets, blogs, voice mails, contact lists, call lists, drafts and memos. All this data must be stored somewhere. With storage comes the need to search and retrieve the information quickly and this book helps those tasked with managing storage figure out how to get a handle on it all. Of course, this book never would have been if it hadn’t been for the encouragement of my wife and the guidance of my editors.
What was the most interesting thing you uncovered while doing research for the book?
When writing a technical book such as this, I often found myself asking the “why” question. There are some things that you take for granted with working with data that must be described in a book. For example, when writing about solid state storage, I asked the question of why one form of solid state would last longer than another which led me to research more and more on how solid state technology works.
How do you think reading your book will impact people?
This book will equip readers to pass the exam and it will give them an understanding of storage that is crucial to managing it within their organization. Some will be able to land new jobs with the skills this book contains and others will be able to be more effective in the job they currently have.
What do you have in mind for your next writing project?
I am looking at writing another technical book, probably in information security. I also have a fantasy novel that I have been working on for a few years now. The book is titled The Prevailing Palette, and here is the teaser for it:
Imagine a world where artists are heroes and graffiti is punishable by death. Imagine a sect that seeks to control a kingdom by unlocking hidden catastrophic powers. This is a story of creativity, charisma, and courage -- of schemes, plots, and magical art.
A book exists containing secrets of great power. Used once by a king in the hope of saving his kingdom, it doomed him instead. Centuries later, history’s terrible atrocities are mostly forgotten and mankind will have to learn again the consequences of absolute power. In a clash of kingdoms and plots from a mysterious sect, a mason, merchant, and two artists are given the chance to prevent disaster. Can steel, charisma, and magical art stand up to overwhelming odds?
Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book?
The book is a great resource. It starts with the concepts of storage and then builds on those to show how those concepts work to provide common solutions to real organizational storage problems. I struggled with the same challenges this book covers years ago and I wished that there was a book like this to help me through it. I guess I had to learn it the hard way. That worked out well for me because I learned a lot more along the way but it is much easier to have a resource like this.
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Today we are interviewing Nicholas Wyman, author of Job U - How to Find Wealth and Success by Developing the Skills Companies Actually Need.
Tell us a bit about yourself.Nicholas Wyman is a speaker and expert on applying real-world solutions to the challenges companies face in finding skilled employees. He is CEO of the Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation, which develops mentoring programs for corporations and places people in apprenticeship and training programs globally. He has an MBA and has studied at Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School of Government. He started his skilled career as an Apprentice chef.
Describe the purpose of your book in a few sentences.
Millions of people are unemployed or underemployed, and at the same time, industries are struggling to find skilled people to fill well-paying jobs, to the extent that they have to send jobs overseas. This mismatch is called the Middle Skills Gap, and it’s a huge threat to the economy. I show individuals and industries how to find one another.
Who do you think would most appreciate this book?
Whether you are recent high school or college graduate, or well along in your career journey, Job U is written to help people of all ages and backgrounds find a more secure and prosperous future.
What inspired you to write a book about employment and education?
Having seen the power of Apprenticeships myself at an early age, my company the Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation has launched over 10,000 young people in satisfying and rewarding careers through apprenticeships. I wanted to help people ‘imagine the possibilities’ around the emerging opportunities in employment and education.
When did you first notice there is room for improvement with job-seekers today?
I recognize 2 key changes that are transforming the way people live and learn and the gap that has emerged some call the skills gap – I call people without jobs and jobs without people. Globalization and rapidly changing technology are impacting the way people all over the world live and they way they learn and this will dictate the skills employers need into the 21st century. Job-seekers need to understand these changes and equip themselves with the transferable skills they will need to get – and keep a job.
In the book, you reference the fact that 53% of college graduates are unemployed or underemployed. During the course of your research, what did you discover to be contributing to this number? Is it going up or down?
Unemployed American college gradates are not alone. The International Labor Organization in Genève recently noted there are nearly 75 million unemployed young people worldwide. Many of these people have college and university degrees, yet can’t secure meaningful work. With a rapidly changing global economy, people need to consider the options and job prospects in a particular industry before committing to an often ‘pricy’ college education – expecting a guaranteed job on graduation. This is no longer the case. Americans owe over 1 trillion dollars in student loans. That’s more than Americans owe on credit card debt!
Why do you think vocational/technical education, apprenticeships, etc haven’t received the attention they deserve?
There has been a myopic mindset of ‘college for everyone’ whilst other career pathways, such as vocational ‘earn while you learn’ have been seen as second best. There is often a stigma around apprenticeships and vocational careers - which Job U debunks.
What was the most interesting thing you uncovered while writing this book?
How astute employers are taking steps to make human capital their point of difference - their competitive advantage. These employers are opening up to whom they might employ and breaking from traditional hiring practices. Companies like IBM, Cisco, Verizon, Microsoft, Motorola, Con Edison and National Grid who are partners in the Early College STEM schools are leading the way and graduates of these schools are first in line for jobs.
How do you think reading your book will impact people?
Simply put – I hope people who read Job U see how they to can have a satisfying and rewarding career and follow their passion.
You’re fairly active on Twitter. Have you found it to be an effective medium for sharing information?
Twitter is a great way to have short conversations with people, no matter where they live. It’s an opportunity for people to ask me questions and for me to get to know people and their interests.
You are hosting giveaways on Twitter and Goodreads. Tell us a bit about them.
We set up a @goodreads giveaway promotion up to and including the books release #giveaway http://bit.ly/1FQnLzx
For people who Preorder the book now we’ll send them the first chapter with advice and career resources and a JOB U bumper sticker. People can buy the book online and register for the offer at www.jobubook.com.
Will there be a book tour in support of your book? If so, where can fans see a schedule?
Tour dates, upcoming events and speaking engagements will all be listed under events on www.jobubook.com.
What do you have in mind for your next writing project?
I like to start conversations and see what people are interested in. I wrote a blog ‘Can’t Find the Right Person to Fill the Job? The Single Most Obvious Place You Might Not Have Thought to Look’ recently and was overwhelmed with 25,000 views, 200 detailed comments.
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