One thing that really pisses me off is when people don't take responsibility for their own learning. Yes, some places actually allocate money and time for you to bring up your skills - but I think that in no way makes this the employers responsibility. A training budget is a perk, not a scape goat.
For some jobs it is beyond an individuals ability to self-fund their own training - e.g. an astronaut or deep sea diver. For someone in IT, for the most part it just means having access to the internet or going to the library and borrowing a book (if you're too cheap to buy one). To buy one job specific book a year and read it is well within most people's budget.
When I hear someone say "I have not been sent on training so I don't know how to do that (on something that's happened over the last 10 years)" I just want to call bullshit. I picture that person going to a buffet where the restaurant staff are busting their asses to make sure that the actual buffet has a ton of food on it, the person sitting down at a table and then letting themselves starve to death because no one has brought them food. Life is a buffet, so get off your ass and help yourself. For IT professionals (or amateurs), the internet is the biggest smorgasbord of information and training that you can possibly come across, you just have to help yourself.
Next time you hear someone whining about their lack of knowledge because someone else has not sent them for training, just imagine how well that would go for other professions. Would you accept that as an excuse from your health care professional? Your accountant? Your lawyer?
If people are self sufficient enough to take care of themselves (wash, bath, dress, eat, ...), they should be able to do some reading on their own. Take responsibility for your life.
If only there was some kind of "time" buffet. My reasons for not knowing "technology x" usually more deal with not having enough time rather than the material not being available. Although I do read 1 or 2 tech books a year to keep my skills up, and try to keep on top of the new technologies coming out, I always feel that time is the thing that I am lacking.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with Jim. I don't understand how people can get into a field such as technology, and expect to either be sent on training, or be able to get away with stagnant skills.
ReplyDeleteThe lawyer/health care/accountant examples are very good ones. If my accountant didn't keep up to date with rules and regulations, I would find a new one.
You could also argue that tech is perhaps one of the easiest and most accessible industries to keep on top of as well (at least in terms of the skills required where you work). Pretty much everything you need to know can be bought cheap, or downloaded for free. You can read about stuff on the bus, in bed at night, or on your lunch break. Heck, you can get pod casts of most stuff if you look for it!!!
I think reading one or two pertinent books a year, and reading a few blogs every now and then is more than enough to keep up. The sad thing is, a lot of people just don't.
I agree with Jim too. However, I think it's fun to play devils advocate here. For me, programming is a passion. I imagine it is for Jim and Andrew too. However, for many (if not most) programmers, it's just a job. They have other interests they'd rather be tending to in their away-from-work time. Instead of comparing programming to doctors, lawyers, and accountants, which are all professional, prestigious jobs, try comparing it to something like being a mechanic. Now there are some mechanics who are perfectly happy knowing only as much as is necessary to keep their job, and the only training they get is when it's paid for by the garage they work for. And then there's the mechanics who have been working on cars since they were 4, have 2 beaters at home that they work on in their spare time, and spend lots of free time reading up on the new developments in the field of car mechanics. Now would you really be surprised if your mechanic didn't go out of his way to upgrade his skills. Would it really disappoint you that much?
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't much like working with people who don't have a passion for programming. But they are a fact of life, and I don't really fault them for that. I can't just assume that everyone else will have the same passion for their job as I do.
Maybe I'm being ignorant, but I don't think that that the automotive industry changes quite as fast as software.
ReplyDeleteThe way you build and fix a car from 5 or 10 years ago is pretty similar to how you would today (I think). If you're writing code the same way as you did 10 years ago, I think that you should probably be fired. Hell, java 1.2 was only released like 10 years ago.
My feeling is that the software industry ends up totally changing every 5 years. So, if you have not changed in 5 years, you're one generation behind. 10 years? Two *generations* behind.
That's like saying "it's okay about my mechanic not knowing any of the new fancy stuff. He learned to fix cars in the 1940's, I'm sure all his skills are still relevant"
I don't even care if the people have a passion for what they are doing. It helps, but I don't think that it's required. What I think *is* required in the basic upkeep of your skills. Imagine that you had to get another job for some reason. How useful are you 10 year stale skills? Yes, some skills are basic (problem solving), but the tools are constantly changing.
The reason why I made the comparison to doctors, lawyers, and accountants is because I see those are "professional" jobs. Software (engineering) seems to always be touting itself as a profession. If it's going to talk the talk, it damn better walk the walk.
Kibbee does have a point here as well though. A lot of people talk of "software shops" (Java shop, .Net shop, etc...), which does lend itself to the comparison of a shop like a garage. And to some extent, it is also a good comparison.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree that the internal combustion engine hasn't fundamentally changed as much over the last decade as software development, I guess you can compare the quality of "shops". If you're a good mechanic that knows their stuff and keeps on top of his craft, then they probably wouldn't want to work in some big Dealership shop where mediocrity is the norm, and your peers only know how to service a Mazda3 because they have to do it every day. A guy like that would probably work in a private shop that works on higher end cars, or has a loyal customer base that keeps coming back due to quality service.
Bottom line is, I guess you can make both arguments, and look at it from both angles.
1 - Yes, IT is a profession whether people treat it that way or not. People who decide they only way they'll learn something new is if they're forced or offered free training obviously chose this job for the wrong reason, or lost their passion for the work long ago.
2 - If you're surrounded by people as described in the above point, maybe it would be a good idea to seek employment in a shop where people are as dedicated to the craft as you are in order to maintain your own sanity.
Personally, I'd like to sit down with a beer and talk to somebody who falls into group #1 and find out how they ended up in that position... but I don't think I'd have the balls to do that, since it would basically be asking a person why they're such a slacker, and why they think it's ok :)
- Andrew
hahaha... all good points. Thanks guys. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSitting down with someone over a beer and starting a conversation "So, what caused you to die inside?" would be awesome...
I really pity those people who have to go to a job everyday that they hate, or that they aren't good at. I imagine that it would be quite depressing.
ReplyDeleteAh, but do the people really know they are bad at their own job? At what point does cognitive dissonance kick in so that it's "not them" that's the problem.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance
e.g. I'm having issues with deploying an app to websphere using library X. Is the problem that websphere or library X suck? Is the problem that I have not read the documentation and am doing it totally wrong?
I find that blame is very easy to transfer to something / someone else. That's why if you think that I suck at something, *please* tell me so that I can work on improving it.
Andrew: don't worry about sitting down with me over a beer and asking why I am a slacker. I just might not know. :-P