I would like to move into a different area of IT. I have been an analyst for several years and my background is in data communications.

Two areas I have thought about are LAN operating systems (including Windows NT and NetWare) and something related to the Internet (possibly WAN infrastructure development or even Web-page design).

Without any direct experience in these areas, is it reasonable to expect a company to train me , especially given the high demand for these skills? With 16 years at the same company, I think I can demonstrate that I'm not just in the industry for the short term.

The probability that a company will train you out of the gate in the areas you're interested in is not high. But don't let me discourage you from your job search; try to identify a company that will hire you based on your long-term interests and where you'd like to move your technical skill set. One things for sure: With 16 years at the same company, you need to move. The market has changed rapidly from storage to moving. Companies now expect multiple job moves over a 20-year period. That sort of record indicates your desire to grow professionally and take risks, and exposes you to multiple corporate environments.

I am 31 years old with a BS degree in computer science and an MBA with a finance concentration. I have worked in IT departments within the manufacturing industry for more than nine years, but my goal is a career in finance, in a brokerage house, bank, etc. What's the best way to convince a financial institution to give me a job that will let me marry my technical experience with my financial knowledge?

You have your work cut out for you; you've started down the wrong path. Your best approach would not necessarily be to leverage your current work experience, because the flavors of finance are so different from brokerage to corporate finance. In reality, you are three job moves away from fulfilling your goal. A more plausible goal would be using your IT experience in landing a job at a bank or brokerage where technology is transferrable and your odds of getting a job are greater. Your MBA with a concentration knowledge will only enhance your ability to be an effective contributor. Once you're in a financial institution, you will be in a much stronger position to leverage your new-found industry knowledge, either internally or externally with another financial organization that may be able to capitalize on your skills. At least you'll have some financial-services industry experience that will overshadow your manufacturing experience.

I'm a staff systems engineer who provides engineering management services to a very large government customer and will be moving to the West Coast to support this client. The move will force my fianceé to give up a very good position as a midlevel telecom and research analyst. She has more than nine years of experience with a major federal government agency, where she is held in very high esteem. Her forté is telecommunications, and she will soon complete a master's degree in that area. Following the move, she will be looking for a position with one of the large telec om companies in the area. Do you have any recommendations for speeding her quest for employment--aside from sending out resumés and hoping that someone spots hers from among the many they receive?

Since you've narrowed down the target industry, the best way to target her search would be to identify the telecom companies in that region and visit their Web sites, which almost always post job opportunities. But don't just rely on a Web site; your best efforts in a job search are to contact the companies' human resources departments. Most companies will be receptive to networking phone calls, particularly if your fianceé has in-demand skills and is footing her own relocation costs. Although this sounds basic, very few people take the initiative to do this, and in effect, they come to the conclusion that there are no opportunities.

I a m a network administrator in a Windows NT and Novell WAN environment. Our company does document management and database storage for the government. I am a Microsoft Certified professional working toward a MCSE.

Do I have to leave Maine to earn an income even close to the average that InformationWeek listed earlier this year in a story on IS compensation? How well do IS salaries transcend geographic areas?

There are trade-offs in whatever you do. But, to be blunt, IT compensation is driven by demand for skills such as yours--but in larger cities. You may not necessarily have to leave Maine; it may mean looking at other alternatives, such as consulting. You happen to live in a state many of my candidates would love to migrate to. Their trade-offs are the opposite: Money is less important than the quality of lives they lead. If this is the time of your career when money is the driver, you need to contemplate looking at stat es where the median income for your skills are substantially higher and where you don't compromise the kind of life style you're accustomed to. Possible recommendations: Connecticut, western New York, and the Boston area. It's easier to move back to a location when your compensation is adjusted than it is to try to adjust it while you're there.

My company has recently restructured its IS department and laid off a few executive IS managers--including me. I've been offered what seems to be a fair and equitable severance package, but I lack the previous experience from which to fully make this assessment. What I should look for in such a package? Can you recommend the best ways to research job prospects in the Washington area?

Companies at the executive level follow a scale on which to structure your severance agreement. While there is some room for negotiation based on your personal situation, it isn't vast. Your package should consist of remuneration for the number of years you've been an employee and should carry you for somewhere from six to 12 months if you're an executive. Also, should you have trouble landing your next position, companies will often lengthen the severance time to aid you in your search. Most packages will also include 90 days of outplacement counseling and resumé construction, as well as a strong, positive recommendation base that you can use in pursuing other opportunities. Regardless of geographic location, the best way to conduct a job search is by networking. That would include working with at least four IT recruiters who have excellent reputations and a track record with your target companies--making a phone call to these companies' HR departments and asking what recruiters they use would be a good place to start). But most important is your own personal network of individuals known both within and outside the IT a rena: anyone working within a target company that could help your resumé land on the right desk. Remember, the one to get you your job is you--don't wait for your recruiter.