December 16, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Well said, Manie.
December 17, 2008 at 5:17 am
GilaMonster (12/16/2008)
I'm a consultant these days, so I have to know whatever the client wants.Right now I'm trying to get by BI skills up to a level where I can walk a client through creating a cube without having to refer to my colleague's notes :D. I also need to learn sharepoint (WSS and MOSS) well enough to be able to teach it and plan implementations. Add to that I need to work on my (non-existent) C# skills and get up to speed with 2008's policy management, extended events and auditing.
Too much to learn, not enough weekends.
It is this sort of statement that I find breath-taking in it's arrogance. Unless one is blessed with a Super-Guru brain, I fail to see how one can become an expert consultant on DataWarehousing, SharePoint/WSS and .NET C#. Each of these are huge technologies, and I fear for the companies who hire expertise from someone who has read a few chapters at the weekend.
December 17, 2008 at 6:00 am
ortek (12/17/2008)
GilaMonster (12/16/2008)
I'm a consultant these days, so I have to know whatever the client wants.Right now I'm trying to get by BI skills up to a level where I can walk a client through creating a cube without having to refer to my colleague's notes :D. I also need to learn sharepoint (WSS and MOSS) well enough to be able to teach it and plan implementations. Add to that I need to work on my (non-existent) C# skills and get up to speed with 2008's policy management, extended events and auditing.
Too much to learn, not enough weekends.
It is this sort of statement that I find breath-taking in it's arrogance. Unless one is blessed with a Super-Guru brain, I fail to see how one can become an expert consultant on DataWarehousing, SharePoint/WSS and .NET C#. Each of these are huge technologies, and I fear for the companies who hire expertise from someone who has read a few chapters at the weekend.
You've misunderstood her.
-------------------------------------------------------------
"It takes 15 minutes to learn the game and a lifetime to master"
"Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality."
December 17, 2008 at 6:25 am
Domagoj Orec (12/17/2008)
ortek (12/17/2008)
GilaMonster (12/16/2008)
I'm a consultant these days, so I have to know whatever the client wants.Right now I'm trying to get by BI skills up to a level where I can walk a client through creating a cube without having to refer to my colleague's notes :D. I also need to learn sharepoint (WSS and MOSS) well enough to be able to teach it and plan implementations. Add to that I need to work on my (non-existent) C# skills and get up to speed with 2008's policy management, extended events and auditing.
Too much to learn, not enough weekends.
It is this sort of statement that I find breath-taking in it's arrogance. Unless one is blessed with a Super-Guru brain, I fail to see how one can become an expert consultant on DataWarehousing, SharePoint/WSS and .NET C#. Each of these are huge technologies, and I fear for the companies who hire expertise from someone who has read a few chapters at the weekend.
You've misunderstood her.
I think so too, though an explanation why would be nice... I think she said that customers expect that consultants are experts on every IT field. Pretty much like anyone would say to me: You're an IT expert right? Can you help me install (anything that's totally outside my experience field). Usually I help them anyway, because I seem to pickup some things faster, or I'm not as scared to change things that are needed to be done. Because GilaMonster is trying to keep her customers happy (and she's probably working in a small consultant company), she needs to learn on all those fields. As a result, she's an expert as a DBA, and have general knowledge in the other fields.
I couldn't do it, I like my weekends without work.
Ronald HensbergenHelp us, help yourself... Post data so we can read and use it: http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537/-------------------------------------------------------------------------2+2=5 for significant large values of 2
December 17, 2008 at 7:52 am
ortek (12/17/2008)
It is this sort of statement that I find breath-taking in it's arrogance.
Which? That there's too much to learn and not enough weekends? That I don't want to be referring to my colleague's notes when I create a cube?
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
December 17, 2008 at 8:05 am
r.hensbergen (12/17/2008)
I think she said that customers expect that consultants are experts on every IT field.
Not quite what I meant. No one's going to hire me to fix Exchange. They'll hire my company's Exchange guru. However if I'm doing a BI project, the client expects (and quite rightly so) that I'm an expert on the BI stuff I'm showing them. If I'm not, I have no right to be working on that project.
Because GilaMonster is trying to keep her customers happy (and she's probably working in a small consultant company), she needs to learn on all those fields.
Four consultants total. (1 Exchange, AD and SCOM; 1 Biztalk; 1 SQL, BI and MOSS; 1 SQL)
Right now all of the BI and MOSS design and architecture is been done by one person, and there's far too much for him to handle alone. Hence I need to seriously study it to take some of the load off him. Currently he's doing the design and I'm doing the implementation under his guidance.
As a result, she's an expert as a DBA, and have general knowledge in the other fields.
My main speciality's performance tuning, not admin work. I can do the admin side, but I don't like it all that much.
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
December 17, 2008 at 8:14 am
I think what bothers me the most about too much to learn and not enough time, is that I don't want anyone telling me I have to specialize. I think everything is interesting and I want to know more about everything. I don't want to get tunnel vision, or not understand the implications of what I have done in other aspects of a project or whatever. Of course, that's where teamwork comes in, but what if you don't have a team?
This does not mean I have stopped bothering to learn new things. I spend an hour every day reading articles and branching off on references, etc. and have decided that I'm not going to feel guilty about spending that time trying to learn more, even though my plate is full.
December 17, 2008 at 8:48 am
ortek (12/17/2008)
GilaMonster (12/16/2008)
I'm a consultant these days, so I have to know whatever the client wants.[snip]
Too much to learn, not enough weekends.
It is this sort of statement that I find breath-taking in it's arrogance. Unless one is blessed with a Super-Guru brain, I fail to see how one can become an expert consultant on DataWarehousing, SharePoint/WSS and .NET C#. Each of these are huge technologies, and I fear for the companies who hire expertise from someone who has read a few chapters at the weekend.
Seriously, ortek? Did you know that they took gullible out of the dictionary?
While you're looking that up, check out the definition of sarcasm.
:hehe:
BTW, I am an expert on all of those technologies. It's not that hard to read a few chapters every weekend. 😛
December 17, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Carla Wilson (12/17/2008)
I think what bothers me the most about too much to learn and not enough time, is that I don't want anyone telling me I have to specialize. I think everything is interesting and I want to know more about everything. I don't want to get tunnel vision, or not understand the implications of what I have done in other aspects of a project or whatever.
I agree that one should not get tunnel vision but SQL is a vast field and it will take you long to learn everything about it. What I do is to take one thing and concentrate on that to fully understand everything about it (hence specialize). I ask myself what do I need to know right now to better myself and add value to my job. It won't help me to learn SSAS now if my current job does not require it. Once I've learned what I need I will look at what other things I can learn.
Does that make sense?:cool::cool:
:-PManie Verster
Developer
Johannesburg
South Africa
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Holy Bible
I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times. - Everett Mckinley Dirkson (Well, I am trying. - Manie Verster)
December 18, 2008 at 9:45 am
Expertise can be more than just doing it all yourself. I'm sure Gail would know who to call if she got stuck in a portion of the BI stack. That can be worth her bill rate just as much as if she had the knowledge herself.
December 19, 2008 at 6:52 am
I agree that it is essential that a programmer need to keep up with the technical skills. However after in this business over 20 years, I begin to ask myself this question, how am I going to keep up with the younger generation? My learning curve is slipping when my family responsibility is getting heavier and heavier. Sometimes I just feel I never able to keep up with the this non stop changing environment. I begin to feel liked I am in the wrong profession.
Also this is one of the reason why so many women leave the IT world. When a woman wants to take a couple years off to be with a young child, it is also impossible to get back to the IT world. Also there is almost no part time position for programmer when other professions offer part time position which most women with young children would like to take.
my 2 cents.
December 19, 2008 at 7:35 am
Loner (12/19/2008)
. . . this is one of the reason why so many women leave the IT world. When a woman wants to take a couple years off to be with a young child, it is also impossible to get back to the IT world. Also there is almost no part time position for programmer when other professions offer part time position which most women with young children would like to take.
I disagree with some of this. Yes, it's true that IT skill requirements change rapidly, and you have to make sure you keep learning so that you qualify for new job openings when old jobs close. I have had to "re-configure" myself multiple times, including re-entering the IT profession after 5 years of working in a completely unrelated field.
Also, I think IT is especially well-suited to flexible schedules, part-time work and working from home, which is great for a woman who wants to be home with small children. I have also done that, quite successfully.
The important thing when applying for jobs that require new skills is to stress what you CAN do, applying experience and non-language related skills, like problem-solving and customer service, with the ability and desire to learn new things.
December 19, 2008 at 7:41 am
I wonder what happens with 50+ year olds in IT, how they cope with learning new things?
Do they code or are they Project Managers, Consultants, or something else?
-------------------------------------------------------------
"It takes 15 minutes to learn the game and a lifetime to master"
"Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality."
December 19, 2008 at 8:03 am
ahem - do I want to admit to this?
Yes, I'm 50+ and I'm still learning new things - LOTS of new things! And I love coding... I've been learning to use Cold-Fusion to make web-based applications in my current job. I would rather be a developer than a supervisor or project manager.
Which is why I am here and not in the job I had 7 years ago. Which raises an interesting question: In some companies, a developer can run into a "ceiling" - you can't advance further without becoming a supervisor. I tried that for a while, but I didn't really like being a supervisor. I left for another job where I could continue to learn new skills.
I suspect this is why a lot of people choose to become consultants - so they can continue to do the work they love (and are so good at).
December 19, 2008 at 8:09 am
We keep learning. I don't want any young'ns showing me up if i can help it.
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