October 4, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Hey folks, a conversation in another thread got me thinking over something, and I'm not sure how many people would agree with me. I know the mindset of 'work and work and then go home and train to work more' exists pretty prevalently, though the .com days of insanity seems to have toned down.
Here's my basic thought pattern:
Sleeping: 7 hrs. (Who has time for 8?!)
Morning ablutions/sketchy breakfast: 45 minutes
Commute to work: 30 mins (average)
Work: 8 hours
Lunch: 1 hr (unpaid, doesn't count as work)
Commute to home: 30 mins
Prep/Eat Dinner, or go out to eat: 1.5 hours
That's 19.5 hours. Leaving us 4.5 hours of our own time left, even skimping on sleep, for 'unnecessary' things. Pushing that from a 40 to a 45 hour work week, 9 hours of work, takes away 22.5% of that free time. A day. And that's with me leaving out an hour of sleep... It's worse if I'd like to be healthy and not force myself to catch up on weekends.
Now, does working from home count as working? Yes. Does training yourself to be a better employee? Hm, tough call. Are you moving from a DBA II to III? Then no, that's the same as night school. Are you simply learning the new technologies to support the existing staff at your current level? Then yes, that's work to me. That's something the company should be providing for (and never do).
50 hour weeks, 55 hour weeks... some folks I know consider this an acceptable standard. Why? Whatever you use your free time for: playing games, barhopping, watching movies, tickling your children, or making nice with your newlywed... is it worth giving up 22.5% of your daily free time, or more, to your job?
Is this as big a deal to other people as it is to me?
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October 4, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Having just one more hour a day for yourself and your family is a huge difference in my opinion. Thus there is a big difference between 40 and 45. When you drop back to just 40 hrs a week, it becomes extremely noticeable.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
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October 4, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Craig Farrell (10/4/2010)
... Are you simply learning the new technologies to support the existing staff at your current level? Then yes, that's work to me. That's something the company should be providing for (and never do)....
I have to disagree with your statement above, and realize I use to think the same as you on this topic. Although it would be nice if employers would provide training in new technologies, however, I have come to realize it is actually up to us as IT Professionals to keep ourselves relevent in our chosen career fields, be it DBA, Developer, or BI Developer.
If we aren't willing to spend time (and money) keeping ourselves current, why should our employers spend what little training dollars they may have on us? This is one of the reasons I try to help people on SSC with their problems. It gives me the opportunity to work on something I may not see at my current employer. It also helps me hone the skills I do use on a regular basis.
I also try to get a hold of the latest technologies and to play with them when I have the time. Sometimes it is to do some thing at work. That is how I first started learning about SSIS. I didn't want to constantly modify SQL Server 2000 DTS packages, nor did I want to spend unnecessary time trying to rewrite those DTS packages so that I wouldn't have to modify them every 3 months.
I
October 5, 2010 at 1:01 am
Lynn Pettis (10/4/2010)
Craig Farrell (10/4/2010)
... Are you simply learning the new technologies to support the existing staff at your current level? Then yes, that's work to me. That's something the company should be providing for (and never do)....
I have to disagree with your statement above, and realize I use to think the same as you on this topic. Although it would be nice if employers would provide training in new technologies, however, I have come to realize it is actually up to us as IT Professionals to keep ourselves relevent in our chosen career fields, be it DBA, Developer, or BI Developer.
If we aren't willing to spend time (and money) keeping ourselves current, why should our employers spend what little training dollars they may have on us? This is one of the reasons I try to help people on SSC with their problems. It gives me the opportunity to work on something I may not see at my current employer. It also helps me hone the skills I do use on a regular basis.
I also try to get a hold of the latest technologies and to play with them when I have the time. Sometimes it is to do some thing at work. That is how I first started learning about SSIS. I didn't want to constantly modify SQL Server 2000 DTS packages, nor did I want to spend unnecessary time trying to rewrite those DTS packages so that I wouldn't have to modify them every 3 months.
I
I disagree with that. Because why should we (as in developers) have to spend free time and money to do this. Should a doctor spend his free time doing experimental surgery? Should a IT technican buy all the new stuff to keep his skills up (now that would be expensive to the extreme). What makes our area of work so special that we should be expected to spend our free time to keep ourselfs updated?
/T
October 5, 2010 at 6:28 am
I carve time out of my day, at work, to make sure I'm learning stuff. I read a bit, test a bit, write a bit, at work, so that I'm learning. It benefits my employer, so they can bloody well suck it up as long as I'm delivering on everything I'm supposed to in a timely manner. Could I deliver a bit more, a bit faster? Yeah, but then I'd also be falling behind every day and my abilities, which my employer appreciates, would atrophy. You have to make the balance. No one will make it for you.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
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October 5, 2010 at 7:41 am
First, the time matters. An hour a day, IMHO, is a big deal over time. Across a few weeks, no big deal. Across a few months, and that's serious time. Especially once you are married or have a family.
Second, the idea of training. I think we have to carve out some time on our own. Without a doubt, doctors, lawyers, CPAs, etc. are expected to carve out some of their own time to invest in their careers. Or even keeping their careers.
HOWEVER, big letters, because it's important. With people investing their own time, there is an expectation that the employer will contribute as well. I think IT is the same. You ought to show that you are doing some learning, and in return, the employer should give you some time at work, and invest some $$. It's easier for us because we can learn cheaply, but there are times that I think the employer has to spend some $$. Whether it's books, classes, a conference or something else, it always has to include time at work as well.
October 5, 2010 at 7:51 am
One thing no one has really mentioned is that you become less effective past a certain number of hours, so for the additional 5 hours a week, you may really only produce 2 more hours of work, or may make mistakes that create negative productivity.
It's really something you have to control yourself. When you have been there for an 8 hour day, is there someone preventing you from leaving? If you just get up and leave after 8 hours will your boss tell you not to?
October 5, 2010 at 10:19 am
Grant Fritchey (10/5/2010)
I carve time out of my day, at work, to make sure I'm learning stuff. I read a bit, test a bit, write a bit, at work, so that I'm learning. It benefits my employer, so they can bloody well suck it up as long as I'm delivering on everything I'm supposed to in a timely manner. Could I deliver a bit more, a bit faster? Yeah, but then I'd also be falling behind every day and my abilities, which my employer appreciates, would atrophy. You have to make the balance. No one will make it for you.
I like the way you explain it. I agree that the employer is paying for your skillset and sometimes it does take work-time to build some of those skills. Sometimes, it requires a bit more from personal time - but it shouldn't be a travesty to use a bit of work time to maintain your skills.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events
October 5, 2010 at 10:38 am
CirquedeSQLeil (10/5/2010)
Grant Fritchey (10/5/2010)
I carve time out of my day, at work, to make sure I'm learning stuff. I read a bit, test a bit, write a bit, at work, so that I'm learning. It benefits my employer, so they can bloody well suck it up as long as I'm delivering on everything I'm supposed to in a timely manner. Could I deliver a bit more, a bit faster? Yeah, but then I'd also be falling behind every day and my abilities, which my employer appreciates, would atrophy. You have to make the balance. No one will make it for you.I like the way you explain it. I agree that the employer is paying for your skillset and sometimes it does take work-time to build some of those skills. Sometimes, it requires a bit more from personal time - but it shouldn't be a travesty to use a bit of work time to maintain your skills.
Absolutely. And don't get me wrong, I also spend tons of personal time working on stuff. I have to. But I don't have an issue letting the boss know that a bit of time he has me, I'm using to learn new stuff.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt
Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning
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