Last week I presented a session at SQL Saturday #33 in Charlotte and enjoyed it, but it was two weeks in a row for me, after speaking at the Rocky Mountain Tech Trifecta in Denver the week before. I enjoy doing the presentations, and last week I was struck by how often someone said thanks for the free training day. It was unlike presenting at PASS or other paid events. It seemed there were a lot of people that really appreciated getting some knowledge. I don't know if those people get other training, so I'm not sure if the appreciation was because they don't often get other knowledge.
I saw a blog post this week from Allen Kinsel about convincing your boss to pay for your training. It's a short read, and has some good advice. I think that getting to training can be different from attending a conference like the PASS Summit. If you can convince your boss to go there, be sure to register with SSC2010 to save another $100 and come to the SQLServerCentral party. PASS has some great ROI talking points for you if you go that route.
However some people struggle to get their boss to even pay for books or magazines, much less attending events. So for a educational Friday poll…
How do you convince your boss to pay for training?
I've had good luck and bad with my boss paying for training at different jobs. Some are willing to send me to classes or conferences without a second thought, and some never want to pay for anything. It tends to vary with the management philosophy and attitude, and more positive management that wants to retain you and invest in your knowledge tends to pay for training.
However my best luck as been in showing some investment on my side. I've paid for some training myself, and convinced my boss to split the cost with me by continuing to cover my salary while I'm out. I've also taken that attitude in purchasing some books myself, while asking them to pay for others. In essence, sharing the investment cost of my career.
I'm sure some of you have other great ideas, so share them this week with others. And if you see me at an event this year, be sure you stop me and say "hi."
Steve Jones
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