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Are you qualified
to do your job?
Copyright Findawish.com
1-2-04
My Pledge |
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Introduction:
Before reading this article
and definitely before sending an email, read the sources and pledge
sections.
A few years ago I had this idea to write
articles because, frankly, I couldn't stand how people can be so
stupid. I seemed to get it out of my system,
writing only 5 articles last year compared to 18 in 02. Here we are
again, though, just after the year of 2003. '03 is the year that I
will look back on and remember all the people that shouldn't be working in
the field of their choice.
Ask yourself, would you go to a doctor
that didn't have a degree? Would you go to a dentist that only had
experience? Then why, in the $%##@# would you go to a computer
professional (I don't mind the geek name...I was a jock in school maybe
that is why...but I'm sure someone minds) and pay that person hundreds of
dollars if they don't have a degree or certifications? Why would you
trust your company's technology needs with someone that has "experience"
and nothing else. If you think that it's OK, read on my friend.
Imagine this, I work in the field of
Computers...that's enough info right there for anyone else that works in
the same field. My fellow computer geeks, you may skip this article
because it will only make your blood boil, again, and you are on break
right now.
There I was, 15 and I get a chance of a
lifetime to work and learn from the greatest computer minds I have met to
date. I put myself through college, a small college but I took
classes from large schools. I became certified in as many things as
I deemed relevant to my chosen career, I started and successfully ran a
couple businesses (which I sold at a profit), OK I'll shut up. I
know what I'm doing...but I also have the background to back me up.
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So what. Right? Well that's how I would see it except what
about the "other" people? You see, I get it. (I'm sure you do too,
that's why you are reading this). I am not a mechanic. I have
no idea how to do much more than change the oil and maybe a few spark
plugs in my truck. So guess what. I don't go to work every day
as a mechanic. I don't charge people for advice about their
mechanics either.
Every day, though, I encounter the "computer expert" that is a "computer
idiot." The guy that says "I fixed my mom's computer all the time."
The lady that says "Bill Gates didn't graduate from college" and then
there are the "experience counts more than education" people.
Let's take that from the first statement. Bill Gates did go to
college and was smart enough to hook up with technology and people that
allowed him to advance past his wildest dreams. If you are over 20
years old and aren't already on your way to being a multi-conzillionaire
your logic on this issue alone disqualifies you from being anywhere near a
computer.
Now the second statement. "Experience."
I always wanted to be a doctor. Never wanted to put in the time in
school though. I figure if I just hang out at the hospital and help
out with everything, then take a few classes here and there, I'll be just
as good as they are. I can't wait to serve you either! I'm not
only working in my profession, I'm learning about it too! It is a
great set up. Sure, sometimes I have problems but I fix them and
charge you for the problems I caused too; I have to charge overtime
because it took me more than 8 hours to make the mistake in the first
place. I mean, what do you know about being a doctor? I would
know, I am gaining experience!
I didn't know where to say this, too, so I stuck it right here. I
graduated with many other computer programmers...they have the same degree
I have, the same classes, same professors...I wouldn't hire any of them
either. From drug problems to idiots. I don't hate
everyone...there are a good half dozen people I know that I would hire.
People I would trust...OK back to my point.
One of my most nerve racking classes was when the 11 year veteran
administrator from a DII school, two multi-year computer professors, one
"the [tech] man" from the Post Office and a few high-end techies from the
military sat in a class that I was going to teach. All of that
nervousness went right out the door (no windows in my classroom...too low
on the totem pole at that time) when only one person in the class could
tell me how to open a program without using the icon on the desktop of
Windows 98 (yep, haven't been nervous since). A normal class and I
would have expected it, but these guys were being paid almost 3 times as
much as I was making and they didn't know the basics? So much for
experience. Experience, in what? With whom? What,
exactly, did you do? I can't tell you how many people I have ran
into that call themselves administrators on NT systems but all they know
how to do is use the user administrator.
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So I ask again, why are you working in this field? I
know why, because people that know what they are doing make money at it.
The average rate for a certified programmer here in Alaska is $150 an
hour. I have written programs in a few hours that have saved 10
employees 3 hours a day (apiece), 7 days a week. I've also fixed
programs where a "computer programmer" obviously didn't know he/she was
writing in Visual Basic. The company that had spent $5,000 on
nothing. Absolutely nothing. But, that programmer gained a TON
of paid experience from the deal! :) (I wrote them a new program for free
and tracked down the "programmer in question" for them...not sure what
happened after that.)
How do you spot the idiots out there? Ask them.
If they lie then, well, not sure what you are willing to do to verify
their information. Most of the time, however, they don't lie because
they think that "experience" and "working on their friend's computers" is
good enough to gain your trust. I recently walked into an office of
a corporation that had purchased a company I use to do business with.
When I asked "so what qualifies you guys? Educations, Degrees,
Certifications?" They just laughed and said "what? No, not here."
It didn't take long to figure out the reason they were laughing.
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If you made it this far I'm surprised, but listen.
The same goes for every field. I also coach basketball and some
people simply do not want to put the effort into being a good player.
Then, when they do badly they are not necessarily disappointed. I
hear "Well I did that without any effort!" So let me get this straight,
you were beat by 45 points...but at least you didn't put any effort into
it?
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What is wrong with people? *half full* I had a "boss" that, while I
didn't respect his form of being unqualified to work in his field, once
said "Yep, without people like that, we would" be in a world of hurts. OK,
so I modified the quote. I personally think that working at fast
food joints flipping burgers is a good thing for people. Get out
there and work. Good for you. But don't even think about
working there if you think that beef you are serving comes from the grocery store where it is synthetically made and
is not
directly from slaughtered animals. I was raised on a ranch; I know it should be "cattle"
and not
animals, but...
Sources
I may be stupid but so are you. Stupidity is not in the eye of the
beholder. Stupidity is believing that you are not stupid like the rest of
us. And yes, I am doing something about it. I am posting my
opinions for public comment, which evokes public thought. Things may
get worse through this "public thought process" but at least they are
changing.
My Pledge
As you may notice in the many articles to come, I absolutely can not
stand people that have an opinion about something they know very little
about or didn't take the time to research before giving their opinion. I
pledge that I will not write a single article about a subject that I don't
know enough about to see several sides of the issue. If you think I am
missing something,
I'd love to be the first to know about it.
Introduction |
My Pledge | Sources
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