Has a slow learner got any chance

celtic_tiger

Good day all

Started off that I love computers and technology tinkering about building my own PC's home network etc. then decided to turn it into a career. I did crap in school as nothing really held my interest and as a result still count with my fingers.

I wish to address all this though so I have completed the a+ net+ and mcsa and recently took to reading the cisco press book for ccna and became overwhelmed but eventually after 2 months taught myself to subnet but find if I dont keep repeating the subnet excercises I begin to forget it again.

For me it takes a lot of time and repitition to aquire new knowledge(I teach myself with videos and books) but find my concentration wanders where I have to rewind and repeat over and over and find that after a while I can understand the instructors but when put in a live IT enviornment (internship) I often cant follow what my fellow techs are talking about (no rewind button with them) and I always find that their explantions are not adequete and I need the procedures repeated to me a few times before it sticks but still feel im missing part of the the picture also I find my co workers giving a sigh when I ask them to repeat the procedure to me or when I ask for clarification on a particular topic. My mind tells me that they are not explaining things very well to me and their explanations are scant and obscure but I wonder now if it is me not grasping things quickly enough and not their faults in communication?

Should forging an IT career be a difficult struggle? I wonder if my struggle is down to the lack of decent schooling and no college education and the learning structure that it provides or maybe this requires a higher than normal IQ, I am very disciplined and determined and love technology but how do I know if I should persue an IT career as I dont want to work in a job where every day is spent worring about wether I can perform.

How can I tell if I have what it takes to cut it in the IT industry? Is there a particular IT career path that is more forgiving to slow learners? Is this all in my head and is starting off in this industry supposed to have confusion, mistakes and the testing of your co workers patience? Is a standard level of education schooling completely essential?

Your thoughts

rogue2shadow

Whatever you put your mind to you will overcome. IT is no different than any other career path; it comes down to the foundations and once you have those you can move wherever you want to be (with adequate training and knowledge). You have your A+, Net+, and an MCP (if you really do have the full MCSA you should update your details :P) so you definitely the dedication within yourself to learn and prosper. Everyone learns differently but only you can determine what works best for you.

At the internship I'd say take a pen and paper, take down what they say, and right there ask any questions about stuff you immediately don't understand, and let them know you'll email or contact them if you have any further questions; it may seem a bit extensive but I found myself doing that sometimes after meetings when assigned projects as I am a visual learner and like to have all the facts (or "see" all the facts) vs. a brief outline.

In terms of communication, not everyone you will meet will be clear in terms of what they want you to do and not everyone is as "social" as you may expect them to be (especially in IT of all fields). It's how you accommodate that situation in order to accomplish the set goal that will make you a stronger IT professional.

Keep at it, keep growing, keep doing what it takes to get a hold of the concepts and with time you will succeed.

erpadmin

Celtic,

First of all, you should be commended on obtaining the certifications required for a great shot in breaking into the field. You found something that kept your interest, and you worked hard at achieving it.

For someone like you, sites like ittoolbox.com and techrepublic.com are great places to start to learn more about the helpdesk/IT industry.

Are you doing desktop support type of work? Or is your internship having you do systems administration work?

I wouldn't get discouraged. People pick up things at different speeds. Assuming you didn't **** your way into the certs you obtained, you obviously seem like a quite competent individual. Instead of focusing on the step-by-step instructions that your techs are giving you, do some quick research on what it is they are trying to teach you on the Internet, then if you have any questions, make them as pointed as possible.

It would help if I knew exactly what you are doing so that I can tailor my advice appropriately.

Excellent1

Hello,

I think you have the two most important qualities to be successful in IT: First, you have a passion for the job, which is essential because all jobs become a grind at some point, and only a love of what you're doing will keep you motivated to perform. Second, you have the discipline to learn while being honest about your capabilities--this means you're teachable.

I've seen many people that think they are God's gift to IT that may be very skilled in certain areas, yet because they think they are already "there" (wherever that is), they no longer think they have anything to learn or that everyone is beneath them and should be basking their glory.

That being said, you seem to have a confidence problem more than anything. You've admitted you're not a quick learner, yet you've committed yourself and completed several certifications, which proves you can learn new material and apply it. If your coworkers aren't willing to take the time to explain things to you, you're just going to have to take the initiative to pick up those skills in ways you can pick up, such as the videos and books you referenced earlier.

Every career you pursue, including IT, will have its trials and tribulations. For every 1 individual that glides through life with no problems, there are another 99,999 of us out there grinding it out, one stressful day at a time. Stick with it and don't let the problems you're going through discourage you to the point of giving up.

Final point--if at the end of the day, you find yourself hating your job and what you do, then make a change. If you still enjoy the job but not the people you're working with, stay in the field but look for another place of employment. I'll tell you now, though, what you already know: wherever you go, there will always be people that are impossible to work with or that one guy that makes your life miserable. It's just the way it is. Best of luck to you.

laptop

Don't worry celtic_tiger.

I'm in the same situation as you. I'm not sure if IT is for me as well. I'm sort of a slow learner for some reason too. I'm glad that my coworkers and manager is friendly. My problem is a abit different than yours. The business client call into the phone line and ask questions that I have no clue. Then, I reword what the business client said and then I ask my coworkers for help. Then my coworkers explain/give me answers which I have no idea. Then, I pass this information back to the business client. I feel that it's hard to retain information when you're the middle person. Especially, when you're on the spot light and have to deal with problems in real time. I learn most by doing repetitive work...I wonder if I can ever become a network analyst in the future :S

RobertKaucher

Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú, a chara? Rinne mé staidéar ar Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge nuair a bhí mé i mo ghasur.

Number one I do not buy this crap about being a slow learner. Human beings have evolved to be intelligent and mentally agile. The problem is that, as with other things, humans very often have different learning styles and might require different study strategies and techniques to learn things optimally.

One thing that helps me a lot is the Cornell note taking method.
Cornell Notes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I use this method and review my notes relatively regularly. I did not use this method when studying for my MCSE exams and normally scored in the mid 700s, once I started using this my scores jumped about 100 points.

I would also suggest that you perform as many hands on labs as you possibly can. Especially with virtualization technologies it is easy to install and prepare a system, take a snap shot, perform a lab then roll back to the snap shot and perform the lab again. It´s like the drills that athetes do in training.

Of course I do not know any specifics about you, but here is what has helped me:
1. Being properly fed and caffinated.
2. Having gotten enough sleep.
3. No TV or other distractions. No computer unless doing labs.
4. Review your notes for maybe 10 minutes a day.

But if you are convincing yourself that there is nothing you can do and that you ar "a slow learner," then you will be one. In my opinion, the best thing you can do is put that opinion aside and learn some new study and learning techniques that qill help you.

it_consultant

We were all slow learners when we got into IT. There is so much to learn that you wouldn't already know, imagine starting college and having to learn how to read a new alphabet just to get along. Thats how it is to start in IT. Once you start working with it you will start noticing the patterns and similarities between the technologies and it will start coming to you much faster.

Anonymouse

I don't know about everyone else but I only feel like I'm a slow learner when the subject doesn't interest me too much. So computer and car related stuff I try to absorb pretty fast.

erpadmin

nanashi wrote: »

I don't know about everyone else but I only feel like I'm a slow learner when the subject doesn't interest me too much. So computer and car related stuff I try to absorb pretty fast.

It's all about interest and motivation. If I am motivated to learn something because it will help me to grow (either as a person or professionally), then it is enough for me to keep my interest long enough to absorb it.

jamesleecoleman

I'm a slow learner too. When something doesn't interest me, its more difficult for me to get to know the material. When it comes to computers I usually understand alot of the stuff that I read or have been told. When I'm studying for certifications I usually read the book over many many times. When being told something by someone, do you try to take just the main points or everything the person said? I have a problem with taking what everything the person said.

I wouldn't think that your co workers would have a problem repeating things to you. Not everyone is going to understand things and plus in Information Technology, things can get complicated. Would they give out a sigh while explaining something to a customer or someone that needs help again with the same thing?