Macarena Nunez - our new team member

Macarena joined our team for the next 3 months as a Work&Travel program participant. She is from Chile where Macarena (Maca) studies journalism.

Maca will work on development of the School's web presence in the Spanish speaking part of the Globe. Her very first project is translation of the www.portnov.com web site. After that she will write subtitles for our numerous Youtube videos.

So guys, when you came to the office say Ola!!! to Macarena.

Two weeks after the move

For the last 2 weeks (right after we moved into the new custom built campus) I was primarily dealing with issues such as mail address change, assembling and installing new furniture, tuning up the air conditioner, resetting the building door to automatically lock at 7 pm, not at 6 pm as it was before.

Today we are having the Scandinavian Design people working in our office. They are assembling our office furniture, which we just received. A few pieces are still missing. But it will be much nicer environment now since I can finally get my stuff from boxes and place it where it belongs.

There will be new evening QA class starting next week on Monday, November 29. And the next day-time program, we call it QA Express, start one week after. For the last ten years we did not have day-time classes - the school was operating from 7 pm till 11 pm, which we continue to do. But recently day classes became very popular and we are happy to offer those.

Another concern we have and we communicate that to the students is maintaining the nice business environment in the building and the school premises. We are much more straightforward now on prohibiting drinks and food in the classrooms and anywhere outside the kitchen. The kitchen, BTW, is big enough and very much enjoyable.

Few more weeks and we will be done with the remaining things such as framing and hanging art on the walls, placing the nice School logo in the reception area, and such.

Another big project after that will be replacing computers with the brand new ones. But we have to wait until the Comcast high speed Internet comes to our building, which might take some time.

We opened the doors at our new location

Yes, we finally moved to our new campus, which offers more parking, more square footage, first floor vs. second floor before, 9' versus 8' ceilings. It is custom planned, it is professionally designed, it comes with new furniture and ceiling mounted projectors.

We have a kitchen now and a very nice conference room.

Internet connection is not what we need though. Comcast is coming soon to the Plaza to fix the problem. Meanwhile we will find the ways of adjusting to the existing capacity of what AT&T is able to offer.

We are 100% committed to the NO FOOD - NO DRINKS policy outside of the kitchen. We really do not want any food or drinks on neither linoleum nor carpet.

Please, park your cars in the far left corner of the parking lot - not on the parking adjacent to the building itself.

Professional quality video on the Portnov Computer School

Here is what we ordered for the Portnov Computer School web site.



I really enjoyed the video - it is done professionally in technical as well as in artistic sense. I hope you will like it too.

Portnov Computer School on iEXPO

It was lots of fun. We met lots of people from all over the world - Brazil, Colombia, France, Japan, Greece to name a few. Slowly but surely we are starting to get requests for interns from the companies we meet at Plug & Play Center.

We have just received a high quality video file from Chinese TV station where I was doing an interview. So, I am replacing the video link with a new one.

We will move to the new location on November 4, 2010. Here is the new address:

4970 El Camino Real, #110, Los Altos, CA

Portnov Computer School review - socks off

Here is what I found on telonu.com web site, which allows visitors to talk about businesses, people, events, etc. The web site itself is not positioned in Google very high overall. But, if you search for Portnov Computer School it comes right after the school web site. As a result tens of visitors read the reviews about our school posted there.

I was told many times by sophisticated Internet Marketers, that I intentionally post idiotic negative comments on the school using that technique as a hidden advertisement. I swear - I never did that in my life. But, from outside it looks like a real advertisement when inadequate folks complain about their life blaming on everybody but themselves.

Here is the exact copy of the complain. Enjoy:

i hv lost my job bcz of portnov school. this guy michael portnov promotes cheap labor & sends un-paid internship students to my company, because of that i hv lost my job, from the un-paid internship students i learned that this school asks for $2000 to $3000 from each student and send them for un-paid jobs within bay area for many companies, because of that many paid employees are losing their job. bur this guy michael become a millionaire from students fees.

Mikhail Portnov live on Chinese TV

Here is the video (part one out of 3), which is a live TV show done by one of the local Chinese TV channels. So far the copy I have is not of a real high quality. I am trying to get better copy, so I ll be able to make better video.

Going live on TV was new to me. Honestly, with many years of experience in public speaking I was still a bit nervous. Another effect I noticed - the time runs real fast in front of the cameras. Subjectively, the actual 30 minutes there was just about 5-6 minutes to me.

I am not sure either there will be any immediate commercial (enrollment) effect, but I think as a long term the videos will be viewed by thousands of individuals over the years.

Plug & Play Center EXPO

The School participated in one of the major events organized by Plug & Play Center last week. First day 40 startups pitched (2 minutes only) in front of the audience - venture capital firms, other startups, and visitors.

We met people from many countries attending the event and pitching as well - Germany, France, Malaysia, Russia, Japan, Singapore.

Second day was allocated to universities - the list of startups was shorter but geography remained very diverse.

Our major focus was on companies, which might be interested in looking at our graduates as Software QA Interns. There was a pretty good response. We have now many contacts to develop.

We do need to start another QA Express class

Today we faced about 60 visitors to the first session of the QA Express class. Most of them were really surprised the class is full. Some folks got really upset. It took some time to figure out what we can do to satisfy the demand.

The solution came in the form of another batch to begin on October 13. We really need some time to place graduates for internships. That is the major reason why we cannot run two classes in parallel. Our placement capacity as of today is limited to 30-35 people a month. We are actually working on getting more internships.

At the end of the week we are planning to spend two days at the Expo organized by Plug & Play Center.

Monday next week

Monday September 27 we will start new SQA Express class. It will be conducted on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays for the next 8 weeks. Sessions are scheduled from 10 am till 3 pm.

That schedule becomes very popular. In reality the enrollment has been completed this week - all 18 students of the class are already known. Monday we will see lots of visitors looking at how we teach the class, but nobody can join it. It reminds me older days of 1990-2000 when we had 3-4 months waiting list with new classes starting each week.

There will be two alternatives available though. Evening class start on October 6 (that is for sure) and another SQA Express we can launch 2 weeks later on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. At least 2 weeks gap between SQA Expresses is needed to avoid a real pick when it comes to placement/ We would normally need 2-3 weeks to place a graduating class of 15-18 students.

College Fair - we learned a bit

Saturday last week I represented the Portnov School at the College Fair in Milpitas, CA. It was organized by several Asian communities - Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese. However, it is not strictly Asian. There are visitors of all the ethnic backgrounds there. I met one of my former graduates. She is from India. Her spouse works for Oracle and he responded to an insider mailing with an invitation to the event.

The Fair is well organized. High school kids come with their parents to listen to multiple speakers on various aspects of college education. SAT preparation and college financing were probably the hottest issues discussed.

We had a very nice booth with vertical retractable banner (you can see it in Sofia's office) and table cloth with the school logo. I cannot say we got lots of attention. The reason is very simple though - most of the visitors focused exclusively on freebies given away by some exhibitors - mugs, pens, brochures, catalogs.

The most valuable lesson I have learned there: it is not the place where we can meet our target audience.

QA Interview Tips and Techniques

Tomorrow I will teach a session on job interviewing techniques. Today I was planning for the session, which should take 4 hours. Step by step putting the materials together I realized suddenly that 4 hours is literally nothing for a subject like that. The entire 40 hours course could be easily built around the subject.

Tomorrow we will primarily focus on the following:

• Interview killers (I have a list of 50+ of those)
• How to answer Key Interview Questions
• Asking interview questions
• How to prepare for the interview

That session will be the last one in the course unless we change the schedule - I cannot do that on Fridays any more.

By the way - construction just began at our future location in Los Altos. We are now working on color schema for the office, furniture, projectors, and other nice things. All the computers will have wireless connection to the Internet - no more cables in the office!!!

Networking as a Job Search strategy

Friday I was teaching another session of our Job Search curriculum. It was devoted 100% to professional networking. First time in my life I was talking about that subject for that long. So I was not sure if we have enough material to discuss. But in reality, I think, we can easily double the time.

We spent most of the time working with LinkedIn, which is without any doubt the most powerful professional networking tool of todays world. How much time would we need if we look closely at how to use Facebook, MySpace, Plaxo, and maybe few more resources.

When it comes to looking for a job I would normally prefer to work on how to use LinkedIn individually, on case-by-case basis:

- how to identify contacts

- how to approach them

- what to ask for

All of that is very much the subject of a customized approach.

Getting in touch with Bay Area startups

Today Julia (our Marketing Director) and myself had an appointment with one of the managers of the Plug & Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale. That organization is an amazing incubator for Bay Area start ups, where new ideas and aspirations meet with venture capital, strategic partners, and like minded people. The Center has beeing in business for 4 years now and almost all that time some of their start ups utilized our graduates either as employees or as interns.

The reason for out visit today was to strengthen the ties with the innovative, 300 companies big community. We want to be active participants of the Center's numerous events. Why? Because we want to offer more career choices to our graduates. I also hope to bring some expertise from the Center to our classroom in the form of offering more classes and by inviting Silicon Valley's best as guest speakers.

We are considering joining the Resourse Partners program offered by Plug & Play Tech Center. It will allow us to develop strong relationships with the participating start ups and VCs. Our students would get many different opportunities to participate in the events as a part of the School team.

I am really excited about all the coming opportunities. Lets look at my schedule closely!!!

Visiting a career fair in San Jose today

There was a relatively small career fair today in the Double Tree Hotel, which is very close to the San Jose airport. I found there a big room with about 20 exhibitors. The picture on the left was taken with a cell phone, but it gives you an idea of the event.

Three exhibitors are training institutions teaching online marketing, biotechnology, and culinary. 5-6 desks represented network marketing companies, which is not exactly the traditional type of employment, but rather self-employment. I asked all of them if they represent MLM industry and neither one answered positively. The folks are ashamed to be in Network Marketing, but they are not ashamed recruiting others into that line of business.

The ugliest in that group was the company called Primerica (Eve Meyer team) . When asked they do not disclose which positions they have. No wander - they have no single position in the traditional sense. Instead they ask you for your resume stating that based on resume the appropriate manager, one out of six present, will talk to you. It was a lie.

The next person, who was not able to answer any single question and used written presentation to talk about the business opportunity he recruits people for. I have never seen anything that miserable, that much discrediting the Network Marketing industry. Stay away from the crooks.

Besides MLM companies there were 3 or 4 investment/life insurance companies recruiting sales agents. These people at least looked and talked in a very professional manner. There was nothing sleazy about them.

Regular format of full-time employment was represented by literally 3 companies:

- one in medical technology field

- another happened to be Lexus dealership

- and one more company was a manufacturer of some metal parts

We will move to the new campus on October 1, 2010

Yes, we are moving to the new location. Today I signed the lease agreement. With heat we have today I feel like a blessing coming to us from the heaven.

Look at the picture on the left - that is the new place. The Los Altos Office Plaza has 4 buildings, which share very large parking lot - no more parking troubles, ladies and gentlemen.

The new office will have its own dedicated air conditioning unit and much higher ceilings. Also, we are going to be on the first floor now, not second, which, I hope, will add to the nicer temperature regime.

I'll be going to the construction place (the entire space will be remodeled/reconstructed for our needs), taking pictures, and sharing them with you. I actually started to envision new office and classroom furniture, computers, nice 100 sq.ft. kitchen, professional grade vinyl floors in the classrooms. It looks so nice.

By the way, in the new office we will move to the 100% wireless Internet connections, including the student computers. My next concern if we are going to have any downturn time to move and put together all the necessary communications. Lets start working on that.

The Epoch Times published an article on Portnov Computer School

Today we were answering lots of calls generated by an article published in "The Epoch Times" (Chinese newspaper). I am not even able to tell you what it says since I cannot read Chinese. The reporter promised to send me the translation in English but I do not have one yet.

I think the article is kind of appealing to readers - we've got tens of calls today. 3-4 people even stopped by to talk.

Before the collapse of the Internet bubble, in 1999-2000 the school had about one third Chinese students, one more third - Indians, and the remaining third - Russians. Somehow the end of the Internet boom impacted dramatically the focus of the Chinese community in what is a good enough choice for a career change minded person. Definitely it was nos IT field, which is being outsourced overseas. So far outsourcing does not influence our job market much - the demand is pretty good.

I really hope we can bring back Chinese students, show them the perspective, the attractiveness of the Software Testing career.

Software QA class on Wednesday August 18

We will be starting the new class in two days. Summer is normally slower in enrollment compare to the rest of the year - many families are going on vacation. Enrollment starts picking up in the second half of August.

In 2010 overall enrollment is going to be 50% up compare to 2009 and 2008 - I can see that already. The job market keeps growing and lots of career minded individuals are ready for the move. We are also coming with lots of improvements, new classes, more spacious classrooms, projects and classes offered on weekends, online courses, redesigned Portnov Computer School (http://www.portnov.com/) web site.

Today our premises were inspected by the organization (visa sponsor), which specializes in Trainee and Intern programs for graduates of overseas colleges and universities. They can come to upgrade their skills for as long as 12 or 18 months (depends on the program). They can even earn money within that period of time. That is another dimension in which we are planning to expend our services.

In that 9 minutes video Zig Ziglar, one of my favorite motivational speakers, talks about people with negative thinking. He calls that type of thinking "Stinking Thinking".

Running the Portnov Computer School, instructing graduates on how to get a job, I a am dealing with Stinking Thinking alot. It really kills every effort from inside, it drains people's energy out, it pushes other individuals away from that Stinking Thinking person.

Another important thing Ziz is talking about in that video - gratitude as a solution to the Stinking Thinking problem. Enjoy the video as we did today in the Job Search class.

Software QA Job Market in SF Bay Area

I was teaching our regular 4-hours Job Search session at night. As a part of the class I show students the demand and supply situation on the local job market. Exact same search done on Craigslist (for resumes - supply) and on Dice (positions - demand).

Since October of 2009 the demand grew up 240%. At the same time number of resume declined 35%. So, overall demand/suply ratio more than trippled (about 370%) in 10 month.

Despite that many people we talk to, mostly prospective students, are thinking tha the job market is still bad. They apply high overall unemployment rate of about 10% to all the industries. Indeed, different segments of the job market are experiencing different, sometimes opposite, trends.

Lets network for jobs and careers

Internet technologies brought human networking to the dramatically higher level just in front of our eyes. In our Job Search class we have the dedicated 4-hours session on how to network for job safety and career advancement.

For the purpose of the School blog I have to mention that the school itself is an amazing professional networking resource. Start with creating your LinkedIn account.

Then invite fellow Portnov School classmates. Join the Portnov Computer School group on LinkedIn with hundreds of former graduates willing to support you. Get connected to myself and Sofia, which gives you access to tens of thousands Software testing professionals in Bay Area, in US, and Worldwide.

It came to me at midnight

The experimental job search class, where we talk a lot about motivation, surprised me with how responsive our students are to the motivational speakers. At the same time most of them never heard about Earl Nightingale or John Maxwell.

In todays world practically all the great speakers are represented on Youtube. So, we will start our classes with 6-10 minutes of a great motivational video. I have to make a collection, and that task really excites me.

Commiting to the blog

I did not place a post for a week. Not because there is nothing to share, but because I have too many things circulating in my mind, one pushing another away in their competition for being posted.

I see 4 subscribers for that blog now and it is very touching - there are ladies and gentlemen out there expecting some useful and exciting things coming to their life from that blog. Here is my commitment to you guys - at least one post a day will be written. Sun or snow, spring or fall - I will be with you. I will be thinking of you, I will be writing for you, recording videos sometimes (I like making videos).

Please, share your thoughts, ask your questions, leave your comments - the better I understand what ignites you, what makes your day - the more you will get from that blog. And also, I would really appreciate spreading the word about very existance of the blog.

Overcoming the fear of entering the job market

It is amazing how many reasons people find to do not look for a job. They paid tuition. They completed internship with a local company. We have the resume in place and each and every step is outlined. We even insist that first week of the job search the person was doing that from our office, so we can setup the process and fix all the problems right away.

And then I hear the reasons:

• Job market is not good
• To get hired one would need 5 years of experience
• I do not feel confidentI need someone to place me
• And many-many more of same kind

No matter how hot the market is – there will be folks like that. Recession or boom – they are withdrawing from any action to be taken.

A month ago former graduate visited our office. 4 years ago we placed her as an intern with a good company. Internship naturally converted into permanent position. But now the company moves out of state and she needs another job. The girl was crying in our office. She says “unless you place me again I never going to get a job”.

If people with 4 years of experience feel that much unsecure what can we expect from fresh graduates?

Law of Attraction in the Job Search

Today I did the first session of the new Job Search course. We talked about very fundamentals:

• attitude
• getting something for nothing
• paying the price
• being the CEO of your own corporation
• dreaming vs living in the fantasy world
• 80/20 and 90/10 rules
• getting out of the comfort zone
• having a mentor

We watched the "Law of Attraction" movie. I think lots of the folks might have some attitude adjustment on the way.

Now I am going through the video taken in the class making new PowerPoint slides for the next run of that same session. I wish we have more time to discuss the movie.

Job Search Marathon begins Friday, July 30, 2010

Normally I teach 4 hours how to get a job. We go pretty much over all the critical issues. The reality though is not as bright as I want it to be - most of the folks are ignoring the basic rules when it comes to looking for a job.

Obviously knowledge how to look for a job by itself is not enough. The appropriate action should be taken. It is really amazing how many people who really need a job would not do anything appropriate even if they are given the detailed outline, step-by-step instruction.

I decided to do something of a larger scale to help our graduates in getting the right mindset and more intimate knowledge of the job market internals. Friday this week I will start the first draft of the 40 hours (10 sessions, 4 hours each, one session a week) Job Search class. We have day-time class going on and the new project would be done in day-time (10am-2pm). The second run, which will incorporate lots of improvements, starts in a month (night time 7pm-11pm).

I am hoping to bring lots of cool things to share with those, who read the blog.

Lets start the blog!!!

I started the Portnov Computer School in August of 1994, practically 16 years ago. About 3000 students went through out career training program in Software Testing. About 3000 individual live stories are populating my mind. I feel that I have to write my own testament and share the lessons I have learned over time. No real names will be used, just real stories, real emotions, real feelings. Real things sometimes are much more difficult to believe to - I learned that the hard way. It is for you to judge.

I will mix today's excitements and sadnesses with those, which happened in the past. In my memory I cannot sometime easily place the correct time stamp. In the middle of night I created that blog and placed that very post.

Mazeltov !!!