Overview
The Mastering IT curriculum is tailored for people of all ages and designed to prepare them to establish or advance in their IT career, regardless of where they start. As of 2020 there are over 1.4 million IT jobs in the USA that will go unfulfilled because of the lack of tech-savvy workers. Our curriculum is designed to better prepare you for the best paying jobs in IT, for a fraction of the cost of a computer science degree offered elsewhere. If you want to get a good entry level job as quickly as possible, enroll in our fast-track offering and you're on your way.
Now it’s time to start learning and figuring out which career path is right for you. Our team of senior IT professionals has prepared a curriculum of carefully selected presentations and interactive training materials, supplemented by extensive reading materials and other videos, that will prepare you to get a great job in IT. You will work at your own pace to learn about a wide range of important topics, from basic to intermediate to advanced. Upon successful completion of this training, you should have the expertise to perform work at businesses of all sizes, including going after the best-paying jobs in large enterprises. You may even want to start your own business while you are still working through our fast-track offering.
Unlike most other computer science curricula that emphasize learning how to program, our mastering IT curriculum emphasizes what you need to know to become an IT professional having the knowledge, expertise and confidence to take on almost any challenge or opportunity that you may choose to pursue, in any industry, not just IT. Learning about programming is included, but learning how to program is optional and is something you can pursue on your own if interested. In IT, programming is typically among the lowest paying jobs.
The Approach is Key
The approach taken in learning is very important, especially when the subject matter is complex. For example, a chess master told how he learned to play chess in reverse. He began learning at the end of a game with only a king and a pawn against a single pawn. His first coach didn’t begin by having him memorize opening move sequences. Instead he learned how to control the board. By working through the game in reverse he created a learning framework. Similarly, this curriculum will emphasize cutting-edge technologies and trends. That will position you to more readily recognize what is relevant as you broaden your foundations and expand your knowledge base. It won't be long before you’ll actually know more about where the industry is headed than many of the people who will be interviewing you for a job. That’s because the problem with many technology professionals is their lack of breadth, lack of depth, or both.
Learn from the Pros
This curriculum has been designed by a team of IT pros who have had successful and rewarding careers, who are willing to pass on what they’ve learned to the next generation. Billionaire Warren Buffett famously says "the more you learn, the more you earn". This is especially true in IT because all you need to become a successful IT professional is motivation to learn combined with self-discipline. A successful IT professional knows how to work independently, as well as how to be a productive team member. Having soft skills like being a good communicator or problem solver is a plus, but we can help you acquire any soft skills you may need. Never allow yourself to feel inferior due to your lack of knowledge about a particular subject. If you can find the right people or resources to answer your questions, it’s just a matter of time and effort before you can master ANY topic or tool.
Our Goals for You
In addition to presenting extremely valuable information and useful facts, we also want to show you how to think for yourself. We want to teach you how to ask the right questions, and how to come up with the right answers. We want to teach you about the best practices in the IT industry, how to stand out among your professional peers, and how to excel in the IT career of your choosing
Now it’s time to start learning and figuring out which career path is right for you. Our team of senior IT professionals has prepared a curriculum of carefully selected presentations and interactive training materials, supplemented by extensive reading materials and other videos, that will prepare you to get a great job in IT. You will work at your own pace to learn about a wide range of important topics, from basic to intermediate to advanced. Upon successful completion of this training, you should have the expertise to perform work at businesses of all sizes, including going after the best-paying jobs in large enterprises. You may even want to start your own business while you are still working through our fast-track offering.
Unlike most other computer science curricula that emphasize learning how to program, our mastering IT curriculum emphasizes what you need to know to become an IT professional having the knowledge, expertise and confidence to take on almost any challenge or opportunity that you may choose to pursue, in any industry, not just IT. Learning about programming is included, but learning how to program is optional and is something you can pursue on your own if interested. In IT, programming is typically among the lowest paying jobs.
The Approach is Key
The approach taken in learning is very important, especially when the subject matter is complex. For example, a chess master told how he learned to play chess in reverse. He began learning at the end of a game with only a king and a pawn against a single pawn. His first coach didn’t begin by having him memorize opening move sequences. Instead he learned how to control the board. By working through the game in reverse he created a learning framework. Similarly, this curriculum will emphasize cutting-edge technologies and trends. That will position you to more readily recognize what is relevant as you broaden your foundations and expand your knowledge base. It won't be long before you’ll actually know more about where the industry is headed than many of the people who will be interviewing you for a job. That’s because the problem with many technology professionals is their lack of breadth, lack of depth, or both.
Learn from the Pros
This curriculum has been designed by a team of IT pros who have had successful and rewarding careers, who are willing to pass on what they’ve learned to the next generation. Billionaire Warren Buffett famously says "the more you learn, the more you earn". This is especially true in IT because all you need to become a successful IT professional is motivation to learn combined with self-discipline. A successful IT professional knows how to work independently, as well as how to be a productive team member. Having soft skills like being a good communicator or problem solver is a plus, but we can help you acquire any soft skills you may need. Never allow yourself to feel inferior due to your lack of knowledge about a particular subject. If you can find the right people or resources to answer your questions, it’s just a matter of time and effort before you can master ANY topic or tool.
Our Goals for You
In addition to presenting extremely valuable information and useful facts, we also want to show you how to think for yourself. We want to teach you how to ask the right questions, and how to come up with the right answers. We want to teach you about the best practices in the IT industry, how to stand out among your professional peers, and how to excel in the IT career of your choosing
Project Leader
Bill Carico - IT professional, software developer, writer, and educator since 1973. Bill has designed software solutions and provided IT education to over 1800 companies world wide throughout his career. He was contracted by industry leaders IBM, Hewlett Packard, and Hitachi to build custom IT training programs to make their own employees more savvy across the technology spectrum. Bill became the project leader for the Mastering IT training series because he wants to preserve and pass on the great heritage and progress in technology development that he has personally witnessed over the last 50 years, to create a better future for his own grand kids, and anyone else who wants to master technology. The above list of advisers are like-minded people Bill has known personally for decades, and hand-picked for this bold and innovative education initiative.
Bill Carico - IT professional, software developer, writer, and educator since 1973. Bill has designed software solutions and provided IT education to over 1800 companies world wide throughout his career. He was contracted by industry leaders IBM, Hewlett Packard, and Hitachi to build custom IT training programs to make their own employees more savvy across the technology spectrum. Bill became the project leader for the Mastering IT training series because he wants to preserve and pass on the great heritage and progress in technology development that he has personally witnessed over the last 50 years, to create a better future for his own grand kids, and anyone else who wants to master technology. The above list of advisers are like-minded people Bill has known personally for decades, and hand-picked for this bold and innovative education initiative.
At the 2000 VM and VSE Technical Conference held May 31 - June 3 in Orlando, Florida, Bill and his youngest daughter Allie, who was six weeks shy of her 9th birthday at the time, teamed up to give the keynote address to 500 IT professionals who were attending the general session. This appearance made Allie the youngest known keynote speaker at a major technology conference, as she made predictions about the approaching limits of fabrication technology in making computer chips using silicon. Click Here to see more photos of Allie and Bill at this event.
Here are two more pictures of Allie with her Dad:
Here are two more pictures of Allie with her Dad:
Patti and Bill were married in 1973 and raised three children. They currently have six grandchildren ranging in age from 9 to 20, all of whom who have helped test course content.
Bill was born in Wise County, VA, and grew up in Coeburn and Roanoke. Patti was born in San Antonio, TX and grew up in Springfield, VA. They met and married while attending Roanoke College.
For more information about these two, please refer to their personal website, x4.com
Bill was born in Wise County, VA, and grew up in Coeburn and Roanoke. Patti was born in San Antonio, TX and grew up in Springfield, VA. They met and married while attending Roanoke College.
For more information about these two, please refer to their personal website, x4.com
The X4 brand is owned by ACTS Corporation, actscorp.com, a full C-corporation privately owned and operated since 1981 by Bill and Patti Carico.
