Steve Jobs and the Macintosh AirPC-centric technologists take note: Mac expert Ryan Faas recently penned an article suggesting it would serve you well to pick up a few Mac skills in order to stay a step ahead of the competition when it comes to job hunting.

With an increasing number of businesses adding Macs to their environments, the idea of adding Mac support and integration to an existing skill set is an idea that is becoming more attractive for those working in a range of IT jobs - a transition from a few years ago when Mac support skills represented a more specialized and niche market.

Which skills? Here's his list:

  • Apple Desktop Support Skills and Certifications
  • Understanding Common Mac Workflows and Software
  • Working With Apple Remote Desktop
  • Working With Mac Software Update Strategies
  • Mac OS X Security
  • Underlying Apple Technologies
  • Windows and Active Directory Integration Options
  • Mac Client Management
  • Imaging and Deployment Technologies
  • Mac OS X Server and Open Directory

Faas points out:

While many of the skills outlined in this article correspond to specific Apple certifications, there are also a number of general IT certifications that can showcase general IT and network troubleshooting and management skills that can be helpful in concert with Mac-specific certifications.

They're worth a look.

--Don Willmott