IS EVERYONE A GENIUS... 4

[ElijahBaley]

Or do some of you struggle, like me?

I have a young family and just can not find the time to test/experiment and read as much as I would like, I have been in IT for about 2 years now, and find it HARD!

Is there ever any let-up? is there ever any respite or does it just go on and on remorslessly?

Some times it gets tough, doesn't it - even for you Genius's

???

"r tape loading error"

 

[butchrecon]

Yes it does. Since IT is always changing it makes it hard to keep up. I know I have found it difficult many times to learn new software. Especially since I dont have the time. But a good thing is what you do know can apply to other things in IT and make it a bit easier. Dont get discouraged and hang in there. I found it useful to put IT books in the bath room and read when I.... well you get the point. I try to study and read whenever possible. Good luck and keep it up. James Collins
Field Service Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.

 

[SpiritOfLennon]

Butchrecon has a good point there, more important than keeping up to date with everything is to have a good solid grounding in how it all fits together and to know the right places to start looking. As a consultant I have one rule "Stay one step ahead" that therefore gives me the edge in terms of knowledge. Scan the internet frequently and check out forums to get a flavour of where and how things are going and above all try not to get to immersed in IT, after all this is your life we're talking about, don't waste it on circuits! And yes us geniuses do struggle cos at the top of the pile are the super geniuses that concoct the fiendish ballet we all dance to. SOL
I'm only guessing but my guess work generally works for me.

 

[MasterRacker]

Yup, it never lets up. If you don't like to read, it's a bad field o be in. If anything, the pace of change is getting faster.
Jeff
I haven't lost my mind - I know it's backed up on tape somewhere ....

 

[ElijahBaley]

Thanks for your comments James,SOL and Jeff

Sometimes I work on a project and get (in my opinion) a perfect set-up, with everything working smoothly and reliably, only to find a few months later when a small adjustment or tweak is required that my mind is a blank and I have to completely re-educate myself on the subject, This is infuriating as it demonstrates a lack of understanding of the subject (and poor memory) so I note your comments regarding understanding the underlining technologies and how they fit together.

Its reassuring to know that the geniuses work hard for their knowledge and skills too (and recognise themselves for what they are) I wonder if the dancing super-geniuses have bad days as well !

Regards

Graham
"r tape loading error"

 

[SpiritOfLennon]

I'm sure plenty of them had bad days on XP release day when Bill wanted to know why his mate was offering him a copy for $5, but that's another thread. SOL
I'm only guessing but my guess work generally works for me.

 

[Kjonnnn]

Sometimes you can get overwhelmed. You have to MAKE and set aside the time, because you'll NEVER FIND the time. Look at your schedule. Is there any downtime in there where u can read, like when u go to work if u dont drive. Fifteen minutes here and there add up. If you get your family to give 20 minutes a day for u just read, thats 2 hours and 10 minutes a week you didnt know you had.

 

[MasterRacker]

You can't possibly hold everything you learn along the way in your head, nor should you try. You'll remember the things you do on a regular basis. The things you do once or on an irregular basis you will need to relearn. I'm relearning things all the time. The key to success in this field is not memorization, but the ability to find info when needed.
Jeff
I haven't lost my mind - I know it's backed up on tape somewhere ....

 

[butchrecon]

Thats right. Knowing HOW and WHERE to find info is KEY!!! You dont have to know how it works, just know here the info is when you need it. James Collins
Field Service Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.

 

[Empeethree]

Like MasterRacker says, the key is to know where to find the info when you need it. Personally I keep an IT section on my intranet and post the problem and solutions of some of the more mission critical things that I do. I also post error code messages that I have dealt with and how I fixed it. It makes it easier than trying to remember what you did to fix the problem in the first time.


hth
Rob

 

[varocho]

I've found

http://www.google.com

and groups.google.com as well as msdn.microsoft.com to be very helpful Web sites whenever I run into problems.

 

[MissPat]

Another suggestion: Keep a running journal of things you run into that are out of the ordinary. Make notes of what the problem was, the steps you took, whether they worked or not and the final outcome. Granted, that takes some time, but it can save you hours of re-inventing the wheel the next time you run into a similar problem. Not only that, but when you leave the company, it can be useful to the poor, non-super-genius, possibly non-genius who takes your place.

Don't even bother trying to learn all the answers; they change faster than you can learn them. Just learn where the answers can be found. Tech sites are the best resource you can find for most problems. Odds are you aren't the first to hit that particular glitch and someone probably has posted the answer you need, or at least one that will point you in the right direction.

 

[telephonetech]

Wow! I thought it was just me. I have been a telephone tech for 25 years. Everything I learned when I first started is obsolete. At one time I calculated it took me about 18 months to consider myself an expert on a particular phone system. Which was ok because changes only came about every 2-3 years.

Now things are changing, sometimes monthly. I have a solid core knowledge of my field, but I have fallen back on what I call just in time learning. Instead of trying to be an expert on a system that will be obsolete before I have time to master it, I quickly learn the basics, and then keep the manual handy.

As someone else has mentioned, I keep notes on anything out of the ordinary. I never liked trying to solve the same difficult problem twice.

 

[MasterRacker]

Just In Time Learning - I like that. It encapsulates the concept perfectly.
Jeff
I haven't lost my mind - I know it's backed up on tape somewhere ....

 

[ElijahBaley]

Well thanks for all your comments everyone - on re-visiting this thread, I found it very entertaining to read through and realize that I have actually taken on board what people here are saying.

Over the last few months since I started this I have broadened my focus and learnt about all sorts of different areas in no particular order, which are now naturally coming together to give me a much greater understanding of the "big picture" - coupling this with "Just in Time Learning (TM) " and good record keeping arms me with the skills and knowledge to get the job done.

I now feel that I am not racing against the clock and can enjoy learning about a subject/technology/area that interests me, at my own pace.

Best Regards

Graham



"r tape loading error"

 

[AyJayEL]

Surely the best thing is being a member of Tek-Tips forum! Then you always know where to go for help! Learn something new every day *:->*

 

[KenCunningham]

Couldn't agree more!!! Glad to see that you've managed to get over that hump Graham. It's one we all face now and again! Cheers.

 

[TwistedAdmin]

Wow... I don't feel so alone now.

I've often felt a tad overwhelmed with simultaneously trying to fix problems, implement new technologies, maintain existing technologies AND keep up with the ever-changing industry.

Like some of the others here, I've found the Google search engine to be an invaluable tool (much better than keeping tons of books on a shelf sometimes).

And thanks to you folks who suggested journaling. I'm going to start that this week. I hate when I have to revisit a problem months or years after I struggled with it.

Regards,
TwistedAdmin