Career and Learning 7

[a98dsu98sad8sua]

Hi,

I've been interested in computers for about 4 years now (I am 20), and I have recently moved up in a company from an administrator to a database developer.

The problem is, I have no confidence in my own skills, I am getting really down when I can't figure something out in VB (Something which I have a little bit of experience in) and some concepts in Access really stump me! The small things do as well, like today I couldn't work out how to loop through all of the labels on my form and update them from a database query.

I just feel like whenever I do something I am not doing it 'right' when it comes to access, I also have applied for a web editors job (i did an ncfe in webdesign) and they require ASP and SQL, although I don't have much confidence in myself I am pretty sure I could wing it until I got my skills.

I just really need to know what to do, and where to start learning as I am getting more and more upset day by day being stumped on my project for 6 hours at a time.

Long first post, I know, but I've been wanting to ask this for ages.

(I live in the UK by the way, if that's any help).

Cheers,

David

I really really am getting down with it, and upset at myself because I can't do it

 

[benlinkknilneb]

Hi David,

When I was in college (3 years ago), I interned with a company, developing stuff in... strangely enough, VB.NET and Access! You are in the right place. My college experience was severely lacking in "real" stuff... my profs knew theories, but only one of the half-dozen at my school had ever had a job outside of academia. As a result, I got this internship knowing absolutely nothing. I found tek-tips and started posting and answering questions when I knew the answer. I learned almost everything I know from the people who frequent this site. It's easy to get frustrated... but hang in there. Your first 2 or 3 tries will probably not be "right"... the first app I wrote for the internship has already gone through 3 versions of the database now. As I learn what works, I add it in. Sometimes it breaks only a few things, other times it makes me almost start from scratch. Pick out the Access and VB/VBA forums. Read posts that aren't related to a problem you're facing... because you may see something very similar a few weeks from now. And above all, EXPERIMENT.

Incidentally, I'm now employed full-time at the company that interned me, and at 22, my wife has quit work to babysit full-time. It IS possible. Just gotta keep working at it.

Ben

There's no place like 127.0.0.1.

 

[dyarwood]

David,

Even the best developers will come unstuck at some point. Just make your boss aware of the fact you need time to learn things. Don't be to worried about asking help from other developers at your work and this site will help like Ben said. The learning curve is always steep when you start out. As long as you learn from the past experiences you will know how to deal with the situations if they arise.

As far as not doing it "right" do not worry. Most of the time there is more than one way of doing things.

Learning - AS there were a few things you mentioned I will go through them.

Access and VB - The Wrox book on Access VBA is very good. Well worth getting and having as a reference.

SQL - Do not worry about the difficulty with SQL. If you are working with Access I am assuming you use the Query design view. Create a query using it then look at the SQL it has created. Possibly the best way to learn.

Don't be too worried about being stuck on something for 6 hours. Most developers will tell you that has happened to them and for a longer time than that to.

If it does start to get to you or you find yourself staring at the screen stuck then you could do what I do, get up go make yourself and the members of your team a coffee. Couple of things about this, it will clear you head a little and your colleagues will like you (provided you make a good cuppa). You may have trouble sleeping at night depending how stuck you get .

The main point is we all started there. Don't worry. It will get easier.

dyarwood

 

[lespaul]

As far as not doing it "right" do not worry. Most of the time there is more than one way of doing things.

Reminds me of one of my first supervisors. I was working for a dot com and was asked to make some changes to an ASP page. I worked on it for days and finally got it to work!! I then turned it over to my supervisor to test and review before sending it to Q&A. She had changed everything and I didn't even know what it was doing any more. I was really upset by her actions, just because it wasn't the way she would have done it, or the most efficient coding or whatever, it still did what it was suppose to do.

I would also get so stuck on something that I would dream all night of coding trying to figure it out!

Then you get to the point where you look at your first code (which you were so proud of because it worked) and think, "Oh (fill in appropriate/favorite expletive), why did I do it like that?? That's stupid!! I better fix this now before someone else sees it!"

Now I work in LotusScript occasionally, Delphi all the time and my SQL skills have improved tremendously. Browse the Access Query and MS SQL forums and read what people are trying to do with queries and see the results.

To understand more about SQL you should understand relational databases, check out The Fundamentals of Relational Database Design then move on to Understanding SQL Joins. If you are going to be doing much Access work then check out The Ten Commandments of Access and The Evils of Lookup Fields in Tables.

There's lots of information out there and resources like Tek-Tips that are valuable and you should use. I still learn new SQL tips that make my own work easier. As long as you realize that there's so much more to learn, then you will continue to learn it!

Good luck and hope to see you around here!

Leslie

 

[a98dsu98sad8sua]

Thanks very much for your kind comments!

I am sort of understanding things a bit more today, I am using DAO.Database and DAO.Recordset and QueryDef to run and retrive my SQL! I need to sort out the loop (as it never ends, I am using While rst.EOF = False to print records).

Thanks very much!

 

[DoubleD]

David,
Another great Access site is

http://www.UtterAccess.com

I am what I am based on the decisions I have made.

DoubleD

 

[aquias]

I'm not a developer...thankfully!!! However, most people I know of in technology are in a very similiar boat to you. This isn't what they intended to do with their lives, they just happened to stumble into it. Now you seem as if it is your intent to work in IT, but you're still in the same boat as everyone else...starting fromt he ground up.

Everyone here has the right idea, don't get to stressed and understand there are several ways to complete a task. Most importantly, at least for me when learning, is to stay patient with myself and know that I WILL get it. Even if you have no confidence in the technology you're working with, because it's new to you, know that you can learn it.

Next up, keep up with sites like Tek-Tips, read them daily and don't be afraid to post questions or comments. Tek-Tips is the best site I've found but most of these style sites have many people who can understand what you're going through and help you work it out.

And lastly, a bit of cold comfort, everyone has been there. What you're experiencing isn't abnormal and you'll experience it throughout your time in technology. Our jobs are dictated to us by something that we cannot control (technological advancements), the best we can do is try to be aware of the changing curve and prepare for it. Once you get your feet under you you'll find that this time of frustration and annoyance will actually become something you look forward to, as it means new skills!

 

[lespaul]

Once you get your feet under you you'll find that this time of frustration and annoyance will actually become something you look forward to, as it means new skills!

Exactly!!! I miss the challenge of learning new things! Used to take me days to figure out how to accomplish what I need to do, now most things I don't even have to think about. I would really like something challenging these days!

 

[aquias]

That is exactly what keeps me at this job, I could make more money somewhere else but I run the entire shop (single man show) so everything new they want to do I get to tackle and toy with.

I never realized how much and how little I knew until I was left alone to do it.

 

[bgill]

This is my favourite access site, and it's uk based.

http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/index.php?

Really good site.

 

[Sashanan2]

Business IT college left me with very few practical skills, but plenty of less tangible personal ones. Everything I needed to know to do the jobs I've held since then, I learned by doing those jobs. It is amazing how quickly you can learn if learning is what you want to do.

In short, have a little more faith in yourself.


"Any fool can defend his or her mistakes; and most fools do." -- Dale Carnegie

 

[barbola]

Wow a few of you described my position. I am currently taking VB courses toward a software development certificate that will help me obtain MS certification. I am taking it only to be able to do my job better and keep up with demands from management (mostly reporting by consolidating data from different systems).

It's challenging, and the course is challenging and I go thru periods of low confidence and don't feel like studying. But once I get motivated and feel confident, I feel like I can do anything!

It's just when I see all these other fantastic ways of doing things that I feel like such a beginner like I don't know what I'm doing, then I realize that maybe my way is better and it works!

By the way, I am not 20, I'm almost 40! Never too young!

Thanks!
Barb E.

 

[aquias]

Barb,

Age is all in perspective!