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What I have learned in IT

N2IT

Just a couple of bullets I wanted to throw out there that I have picked up over the course of 10 years or so.

The type of work means very little, but the people you work with and you boss make all the difference in the world.
While pay is a big factor, making decisions solely on that will lead you in a bad place.
Nothing is as good as it seems
Nothing is as bad as it seems
The thought of failing is usually worse than actually failing
Not knowing how to do something is okay
Studying certifications without actually having real world knowledge leads to declartive knowledge, but very little emparitve knowledge.
Setting a goal and meeting it is far greater than trying to pick off low hanging fruit type certifications. One large respected certification > a bunch of low to mid level certifications
More is not always more, and sometimes less is more
Keeping your education aligned with your experience is the golden rule in IT. (From my perspective)
Don't let fear and doubt influence your decisions.
When communication stops bad things start happening.

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Comments

MSP-IT

Sometimes I think it's best to sit back, slow down, and think about these types of things. Great input, N2IT.

Shdwmage

Work smarter not harder, find ways to standardize things to reduce the possibilities of errors.

NotHackingYou

Good ones!

Certinator

Great words of wisdom!

Zorodzai

N2IT wrote: »

Don't let fear and doubt influence your decisions.

Amen !!

Asif Dasl

Great list Patrick... I guess some of mine are life lessons.. some I've made up, some I've heard and 1 or 2 you've probably have heard before.

Face your fears - there is another level of understanding once you get past the fear you face.

Failure is an opportunity to learn and get it right the next time around.

Good things don't come to those who wait. Good things come to those who are patient... while working hard for what they want most in life.

Most people judge you by how you look, even if you are a genius in flip-flops.

You are good enough but your dreams have to be chased to come true.

Acknowledge your past, have courage for the present, and above all else plan for your future.

Education is the tool to beat poverty.

There is no "I" in "team".

Self doubt has killed more dreams than failure ever did.

I especially like the last one... I'd be interested in hearing a few more.

UnixGuy

Great points! It's important to remind ourselves that it's just a job, and there is more to life than a job. No one regrets not working harder on their death bed!

JustFred

UnixGuy wrote: »

Great points! It's important to remind ourselves that it's just a job, and there is more to life than a job. No one regrets not working harder on their death bed!

Except Montgomery Burns

DevilWAH

You can discuss things as much as you like, but nothing will happen unless some one can make a decision. So if no one else will then do it your self.

No one is going to hand you a promotion, or babysit you through your development. No one owes you any thing, and you don't deserve anything. If you want a career don't wait for one to be dropped in your lap. You will have to work for it, so make sure its work you enjoy.

JeanM

DevilWAH wrote: »

You can discuss things as much as you like, but nothing will happen unless some one can make a decision. So if no one else will then do it your self.

No one is going to hand you a promotion, or babysit you through your development. No one owes you any thing, and you don't deserve anything. If you want a career don't wait for one to be dropped in your lap. You will have to work for it, so make sure its work you enjoy.

plus one!

the_Grinch

This should be stickied! In my five years the biggest thing I've learn is this: speak up! Voice your concerns and if they still tell you to do it so be it. I've been successful in my positions solely because of the fact that I give it to people straight. If it's a band aid fix, call it that. If you don't agree with how a project is going say it. You can do these things is a respectful and proper manner, which could prove to be the difference between a successful project and a failure.

Last thing I learned is have a plan. Doesn't mean it can't change, but if you have nothing then you are doomed to fail

GoodBishop

Nobody said on their deathbed: "Gee, I wish I spent more time at work."

Enjoy the time outside of work too with your family and friends.

NinjaBoy

A couple of things that I've learnt:

1. There is always someone who knows more than you &
2. The more you learn, the more you find out how much you don't know.

timesvan32

1. There is always someone better than you. It's just how life works.
2. Hard work beats talent when talent fails

Rocket Impossible

Good stuff. Rep+

Rocket Impossible

JustFred wrote: »

Except Montgomery Burns

I think he regrets other people not working harder.

Zorodzai

DevilWAH wrote: »

You can discuss things as much as you like, but nothing will happen unless some one can make a decision. So if no one else will then do it your self.

No one is going to hand you a promotion, or babysit you through your development. No one owes you any thing, and you don't deserve anything. If you want a career don't wait for one to be dropped in your lap. You will have to work for it, so make sure its work you enjoy.

Powerful words. Our children need to start knowing that from an early age so they don't enter the real world believing the world "owes" them

N2IT

the_Grinch wrote: »

Last thing I learned is have a plan. Doesn't mean it can't change, but if you have nothing then you are doomed to fail

Brian Tracy the famous motivational speaker calls this baseline goal setting.

The example I heard was if you are a freshman at the state University and you go into biology only to find out you hate it, you should reassess your goals (like you mentioned) and make a decision, which may mean changing degrees.

I am a firm believer in baseline thinking and goal setting. Just because I wanted to get my MCSE yesterday doesn't mean I want or should still continue to get it tomorrow.

PS Good reply!

Snow.bros

Good Thread N2.

One thing I have learned even though I am not really a talkative person:

Be confident.
When you speak, speak loudly, clearly and make sense in what you say and you will be heard.

JockVSJock

UnixGuy wrote: »

Great points! It's important to remind ourselves that it's just a job, and there is more to life than a job. No one regrets not working harder on their death bed!

Believe it or not, I've heard people who are retired say they wish they would have put more effort into their career or post-high school education because they think it would have helped them have a better life.

JockVSJock

Believe in yourself, especially when you have insecure people attacking you for trying to change your life/career for the better.

Also, if people are attacking you for trying to improve you are on the right path. This has happened to me throughout my whole career.

And, don't be afraid to quit a damn job. Don't get into the poverty mindset that just because your aunt worked at some damn company for 30 years and you can't do any better and you'll never find a job that pays as much. That my friends is poverty mindset and I don't believe it. And don't let those co-workers try to brainwash you into thinking you can't do any better then what you are doing or your never going to improve. Its insane how people behave at work and their groupthink become logic in their eyes.

AND, just because you watch some blinking lights on some piece of hardware or some GUI with a non-privilege account, or you run some commands that you found on the Internet doesn't mean your the next Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg or Linus Torvalds. Keep your ego in check and you have so much more to learn.

Snow.bros

JockVSJock wrote: »

Believe in yourself, especially when you have insecure people attacking you for trying to change your life/career for the better.

Also, if people are attacking you for trying to improve you are on the right path. This has happened to me throughout my whole career.

And, don't be afraid to quit a damn job. Don't get into the poverty mindset that just because your aunt worked at some damn company for 30 years and you can't do any better and you'll never find a job that pays as much. That my friends is poverty mindset and I don't believe it. And don't let those co-workers try to brainwash you into thinking you can't do any better then what you are doing or your never going to improve. Its insane how people behave at work and their groupthink become logic in their eyes.

AND, just because you watch some blinking lights on some piece of hardware or some GUI with a non-privilege account, or you run some commands that you found on the Internet doesn't mean your the next Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg or Linus Torvalds. Keep your ego in check and you have so much more to learn.

Wow man couldn't have said it better myself, I thought people like that only existed in my world.

Insecure people are irritating to death especially when they see everything wrong about you. Sometimes I come to a realization that I have an upper hand over them, like when someone when tries to fool you into something and you can see the act from the beginning and they think they have you fooled but you can see everything which makes them look foolish, you might not relate but you do come people like these sometimes.

N2IT

UnixGuy wrote: »

Great points! It's important to remind ourselves that it's just a job, and there is more to life than a job. No one regrets not working harder on their death bed!

I agree, it's nice to have a big drawn out retirement ceremony it really is, but the people you impact and the relationships you harvest and develop are far more important. This includes your family, friends, other relationships.

[Deleted User]

Agreed 100%!! +1 rep! During my time working (which is limited). It really doesn't matter if you have all the knowledge in the world or all the certifications (which would be nice don't get me wrong

), if you can't display a way to convey the information to people, it doesn't matter in the end (same with relationships with people.)

Believe in yourself, especially when you have insecure people attacking you for trying to change your life/career for the better.

Also, if people are attacking you for trying to improve you are on the right path. This has happened to me throughout my whole career.

And, don't be afraid to quit a damn job. Don't get into the poverty mindset that just because your aunt worked at some damn company for 30 years and you can't do any better and you'll never find a job that pays as much. That my friends is poverty mindset and I don't believe it. And don't let those co-workers try to brainwash you into thinking you can't do any better then what you are doing or your never going to improve. Its insane how people behave at work and their groupthink become logic in their eyes.

AND, just because you watch some blinking lights on some piece of hardware or some GUI with a non-privilege account, or you run some commands that you found on the Internet doesn't mean your the next Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg or Linus Torvalds. Keep your ego in check and you have so much more to learn.

Nice quote! I had some of this happen to me myself (I let my ego get in the way)

DevilWAH

JockVSJock wrote: »

AND, just because you watch some blinking lights on some piece of hardware or some GUI with a non-privilege account, or you run some commands that you found on the Internet doesn't mean your the next Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg or Linus Torvalds. Keep your ego in check and you have so much more to learn.

People like Gates and Zuckerberg, knew two things, First that they did not know all of it, and second they had faith in them selves that they could deliver Gate for example made agreements with IBM before he had the solution complete. Being the next bill gates is not about how technical you are, but delivering on your promises. So feel free to think you can be the next bill gates, but just remember that to be the next bill gate you have to get other people to do that. So be prepared to prove you self over an over before you make it.

JockVSJock

I'm seriously wanting to write a JockVSJock Career Guide to IT and get it posted as a sticky here.

Its a work in progress, however if I can mentor/coach/train someone coming up to avoid all of the crap/pitfalls that I've experience, then it is mission accomplished in my mind.

UnixGuy

JockVSJock wrote: »

Believe it or not, I've heard people who are retired say they wish they would have put more effort into their career or post-high school education because they think it would have helped them have a better life.

I feel sorry for them. I know each to their own, but they do enslave themselves...there is more to life than a job.

DevilWAH

UnixGuy wrote: »

I feel sorry for them. I know each to their own, but they do enslave themselves...there is more to life than a job.

Yes there is more to life than your job, but satisfaction in a job is important in life. An artist for example strive to produce that perfect work of art, or a design looks to design the worlds most ionic buildings. Some people chose a job that they want to be recognised for doing. So while for many people there is more to life than their job. For some people there job is there life. Not because they are sad or enslaved. But because the job they have chosen is one they are passionate about.

I personal put a lot in to work because I am proud of where I work, and when i do retire I want to look back on a career I have enjoyed and done well at.

--chris--

Snow.bros wrote: »

Wow man couldn't have said it better myself, I thought people like that only existed in my world.

Insecure people are irritating to death especially when they see everything wrong about you. Sometimes I come to a realization that I have an upper hand over them, like when someone when tries to fool you into something and you can see the act from the beginning and they think they have you fooled but you can see everything which makes them look foolish, you might not relate but you do come people like these sometimes.

I was chastised by coworkers (in a playful manner, but with serious undertones) weekly at my first IT job for reading Odom's ICND1 book every day on lunch. No one studied anything, went to school or asked questions when things broke.

I find this is pretty common in entry level jobs because you have the coworkers who resent you for wanting to move into more advanced roles. They will single you out, they will gang up on you and they will fail to help you when you need it. Just study up, cert up and move on!

Alexsmith

I've had co-workers chastise me as well when I spent my lunch break prepping for the CCNA certification instead of eating with them when I was doing desktop support. Some co-workers get comfortable in their positions and don't want to see you move up.