Starting yesterday, you can sign up for the beta version of the Database 11g Performance Tuning Certification.

The exam is available through Prometric testing centers worldwide and the beta price is only $50 USD. Taking a Beta exam is a terrific way to provide input into the final version of a certification exam and you get full final exam credit. You also get the bonus of being one of the first to be certified on the track.

Although I could not find an end date for the availability of this beta, these exams are always on a limited run so if you are ready, go register! Here is some information on the exam objectives.

Based on the MCPmag.com annual salary survey, salaries for those of us in IT continue a four year trend and rise once again. In spite of a rough economy, salaries are up more than 8%. Job security holds steady, as do bonuses and raises. So far, IT is mostly untouched by the unstable economy. It will be interesting to see if this trend holds. After all, this data is for 2008 but recent events could still have an impact that does not yet show in the surveys.

Which certification should you aim for in the coming year? The skills that employers are looking for include security, networking, and project management. So in no particular order, here are some of the top computer certifications to get for '09.

Head over to Sun.com to register for the free SCDJWS beta. Registration is over on November 7, so don't procrastinate on this one. You must already be SCJP certified to take this beta.

Here is a quick view of what is covered on the SCDJWS exam:

• XML & SOAP 1.2 Web Service Standards
• WSDL and UDDI
• JAX-WS
• REST, JSON, SOAP and XML Processing APIs (JAXP, JAXB and SAAJ)
• JAXR
• Java EE Web Services & Developing Web Services
• Web Services Interoperability Technologies
• Security
• General & Endpoint Design and Architecture