It is better to move forward an inch then to stop.
~Chinese Proverb
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| Go little guy go! |
Ever since I made the leap from office assisting to IT I have been in a constant state of improvement and development. Whether I am learning how to build a computer in my bedroom (please PLEASE use anti-static pads if you do this! The last thing you need is your cat zapping your motherboard... and keep your cat out of your work space.) or taking classes at a community college I have been developing skill sets.
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| Warning : Does NOT Mix Well With Computers |
This has been both an intrinsic desire to learn how things operate and spurred by new job responsibilities (I have no clue how Microsoft Project works, but there's a class for that!). I have found that by building time for the into my daily routine I am able to blend it into my life. I know that after I get home I just need to spend half an hour doing homework, then I get to do other stuff (of course, this kind of back fires since if I'm not studying I feel antsy...). I am fortunate that my current position highly encourages this.
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| Now where is that note... |
The biggest hurdle I had when I began doing this was where to get information. The internet, as you may be aware, is a vast wilderness. Part dumping ground, part hallowed shrine, part Mad Max, it can be hard to find what you're looking for. Searching for "A+ Study" returns several million hits (fortunately some good ones pop up), the vast majority of which are rather useless. The most success I had was with word of mouth. A friend recommended Professor Messer (check him out. Seriously, he rocks), which really got me started. Taking time to examine information sources was also valuable. Think of it like studying to study.
Once I got started, I was hooked. I have borrowed books from co-workers, watched countless Youtube videos, taken classes, written papers, browsed hardware, tinkered with computers, fried circuits, dreamt about systems analysis (that was a weird night), and made hundreds, if not thousands, of note cards. All of this drives towards the singular purpose of improving my skill set.
The trick is to choose activities which complement each other. Taking a cooking class, then going to welding school may be interesting, but don't exactly support each other (unless you're cooking with a blow torch...)
This has several advantages, the biggest is I increase my value to my employer. I have been able to take on increasing responsibility at work, mostly due to my new-found skills. Simply learning how to learn has also helped at work since I am able to learn from my co-workers and take on new tasks. Another big advantage is I feel better about myself. I consistently find myself in new and interesting situations (not all are enjoyable, but they're all interesting...). This keeps me out of a rut, which is a very dangerous place to be in.
To quote Dori, from finding Nemo:
The trick is to choose activities which complement each other. Taking a cooking class, then going to welding school may be interesting, but don't exactly support each other (unless you're cooking with a blow torch...)
This has several advantages, the biggest is I increase my value to my employer. I have been able to take on increasing responsibility at work, mostly due to my new-found skills. Simply learning how to learn has also helped at work since I am able to learn from my co-workers and take on new tasks. Another big advantage is I feel better about myself. I consistently find myself in new and interesting situations (not all are enjoyable, but they're all interesting...). This keeps me out of a rut, which is a very dangerous place to be in.
To quote Dori, from finding Nemo:
Just Keep Swimming
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