Must IT = LIFE??? 2

[Rinnt]

Hello all,

I'm a fairly new comer to the industry (~3 years). I would like to know how you all balance IT with your life outside of comptuers. Prior to my previous job I mainly did IT temping and wold study for Microsoft certifications on the side. Obviously, when you are a temp you generally carry less baggage (be it the work load, emotional, whatever). However now that I have recently been hired on a full time position I find it extreamly difficult to study on my own time. After spending a day at work, running here and there, fixing, planning, designing, talking, IT - the thought of spending my evening in a cert book is not an easy one. There is no doubt that someone in IT must constantly be studying (especially if they want to excel in their career) for technology moves at such a rate. Yet, should I just give up my life for IT monkhood? Like IT 16 hours a day? Sorry to dump like this but I seek balance and direction for this demanding career. Any of your suggestions would be greatly appreciated...

 

[edfair]

Best to have a significant other who will limit your IT involvement. Requires a strong will on their part because the industry is addicting to those who have an addictive personality. There is always one more project that needs to be done, one more computer to diagnose, one more section of the program to modify.
The alternative is to work for a larger company where the job is better defined and you are not the point of solution.
The better you are the more problems you'll have limiting your involvement. Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[Rinnt]

True, having a spouse (which I have) does help... but it is still difficult. While she doesn't really demand my time, she is usualy a good excuse to take a break. The break sometimes can more of a distraction however . A job change really isn't feasible even if I wanted to, given the state of our economy... And I agree with your "addictive personality" oberservation. Unfortunately I fall into this catagory as well. Perhaps I should encourage my employer to invest more in training for me? However, it is quite difficult to break away when you're the only IT staff in the organization...

 

[BeckahC]

I have this two-fold, both myself and my Husband are in different and similar areas of IT, I am a programmer mainly and he is mainly an engineer - we both dabble in the other. We both have our early nights and late nights and try to be understanding of each other if they do not coincide. Neither of us have been out there longer than a few years, either, so maybe this will change... I hope it doesn't.

As for IT being your entire life... well, I also get involved in Community Theatre - both with and without my hubby - and make it a point to see friends at least once a week whenever possible (ie: dinner, shopping, etc.) I also make it a point to go out for lunch nearly every day (more me time and friends time) with some friends from work.

There is still time to read and bone up on the new stuff and keep the skills sharp, but I find I feel less burnt when I take some time to recover from my day, then when I put in 8-10 hours at work, then come home and do more.

In my opinion (and experience), if you take some time away from work, it will help you get a clearer focus when you go back - seems to work for me, anyway BeckahC

 

[gunthnp]

you got to sometime for your self just drop it

for me I picked the habbit of setting times I study and once the clock hits that time the book is closed end of a day and go have a life I like what I do but its not my life its the way I pay to have a life . gunthnp
Have you ever woken up and realized you where not alive.

 

[Rinnt]

gunthnp, although my schedule is not always standard (sometimes I do private work - extra $$ - after work) I think I like your idea the best: CLOSE THE BOOKS AT A CERTAIN TIME ... it's getting over the addiction factor like edfair was saying that is probably the hardest part.

 

[MasterRacker]

Most of the salary surveys state the the average work week in the IT field is 46-48 hours. In some specific areas, that average is higher. When you deal with network systems, servers, etc. you will need to work outside normal business hours from time to time to do maintenance since the company can't be down during the day. These things need to be understood up front going into this industry.

Work very hard during normal hours to keep the overtime to a minimum. Work the after-hours stuff cheerfully when it's necessary and don't do it if it's not necesary. Beyond that, compartmentalize. Your free time is your time. Protect it viciously. Don't answer the phone. Better yet, leave town so they can't find you. ;-)
Jeff
I haven't lost my mind - I know it's backed up on tape somewhere ....

 

[visualuser]

Rinnt,

I feel the same way. I went to college and got my BBA in MIS and now have worked for the same company in IT for 3 years. I get no on the job training, but I've gotten good experience. I personally bought the mcse course from smart certify, which cost me a few car payments .

I come home from work and have to almost have to make myself study. It is so hard. I get depressed and feel like sometimes I am wasting my time in IT. I wish now that I just started my MBA, which I probably will end up doing that. It's so easy to get burned out. I definately know what you are talking about. The worst thing about my job is that people think I know everything and that the only thing I think about are computers. Grrrrrrrrr.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for my job though...just somedays, my goodness.

 

[Rinnt]

Well I'm glad I'm not the only one here that's like that here ! I get depressed and the anxiety too. Ever open the books and kinda just "space out"? It's almost like our brains PREVENT us from studying sometimes... pretty weird!

I've been thinking about this more... maybe my problem is time management. Then again, I usually only get 3 hrs at home before I must go to bed and start a new day. But I've lately been trying to schedule just an hour every day to study for the certification in Windows 2000 Professional. It hasn't been flawless, but at least I feel like I have more control of my IT life.

Then a new bomb gets dropped... I find out that I can be an MCSE in 4.0 if I take just 2 more electives! So what do I do, drop the 2000 track temporarily and finish the MCSE in 4.0 or just forget about 4.0? Then there's that Linux+ cert I need. Oh yea, and Cisco.... aahhhh does it ever end ?

I've also decided the spouse thing doesn't really work for studying time. Maybe if my wife was nagging or I didn't get along with her, it would drive me into the books. But, alas, that is not the case. Usually she's a good excuse NOT to study.

I think gunthnp was right. Time budgeting can be a major help!

 

[GlenJohnson]

I have the same problem with studying. What I finally decided was if I needed to go out into the shop and help a user, I carry the book with me and read while I walk out there and back, but you have to pay attention. Then I give myself one hour a night during the week. If I don't have any other projects going on at home, (Like fixing the plumbing), I study a couple hours then. Seems to help. I was getting fryed. Good luck. Glen A. Johnson
Microsoft Certified Professional

"It is never too late to learn what is always necessary to know".
Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BC - 65AD); Roman philosopher and statesman.

 

[mhar12]

Well you are not the only one that study and work. Personally, to focus in one thing for a certain period of time will suffice for the day. You always need a clear mind to do your task whatever it might be, studying or working. Set a time limit to do anything, once the time is up, get away from it. Another thing is to have time for not doing anything related to your most common task: IT.

 

[Rinnt]

Here's some common sense that wasn't so common to me and possibly some of you:

Get sleep! A few weeks ago I noticed that I was only getting between 5-7 hours of sleep a night. Some quick research on the net and I realized how serious it is. Apparently, lack of sleep is far more common then I realized! I made three goals:

1) Get 8+ hours of sleep a night

2) Maintain a regular sleep schedule (even on the weekends)

3) Take a 15-10 minute nap during my lunch break

Being 22 years old and not staying up till 2am on the weekends isn't always easy. Not to mention, getting the full 8 - like we were saying before, there's always one more thing to do. And while I have not been 100% successful in my goals, I am not to far off. And the results? Amazing! I find that I have more energy, mental clarity/focus, and creativity during the day. Before, I was not always tired during the day, I just "wasn't all there". I seriously reccommend that all of you reassess your sleeping patterns. The payoffs are incredible!

One reason I mention it in this forum (besides the fact that we all have various degrees of stress), is because of the computer monitor+IT addiction factor. In other words, if you do have that "addictive behavior" and always have "one more thing to do" on the computer, your body will not shut down because of the monitor's bright light. As some of you known, your body's release of melatonin (the sleep neurotransmitter) is dependant on light. If you are looking at a light, or a monitor, you will not get tired fast. Combine that with the "addiction factor" and it's incredably easy to loose vital sleep. Some people like to read before bed. Doing this on the computer does not necessarily count! Sorry for the long winded post, but after making this revitalizing discovery I had to share it . For those of you stuck in the sleepless cycle, I hope you can get more sleep to get more out of life!

 

[Prefbid]

What you are talking about is overall stress management. Here are some other things to consider:

1. Vitamins (For those of us over 30). I began taking a set of vitamins about two years ago and have noticed a great improvement in my mental awareness.

2. Cut back on the caffeine. I know this is heresy in the IT world, but caffeine increases your stress over time. I used to drink 10-12 mugs of coffee a day plus a couple of softdrinks. I now limit myself to 2 mugs of regular coffee and I dropped the softdrinks completely. I'm working on my 5th year of doing this.

3. Go for a walk. The more stressful the job, the more you need to go for a walk (or other exercise). I recommend at least 30 minutes at lunchtime. No cheating allowed.

4. Manage your time. "Family is more important than work" -- repeat this statement until it becomes your mantra. Limit your study time to something reasonable and spend the rest of your time with family. Spending a little extra time just before an exam is okay, but take it out of your future study time.

5. Lower your expectations. This is hard for a certified geek, but you can not be a master of everything. Choose your topics carefully and don't feel like you are required to know everything.

6. Get a non-computer hobby. This will enrich you personally and will decrease the stress.

 

[BeckahC]

Prefbid,

May I add the following:

1 - Vitamins should be for everyone (not just over 30 ;-))

2 - I now only drink coffee when I feel like I am about to collapse from exhaustion, and that has actually worked to increase my overall energy level all day (after the immediate lag due to caffeine withdrawal went away, that is)

3 - If you can't go for a walk over lunch, try walking to the desk of the person you need to speak with instead of calling or e-mailing... a nice quick walk like that several times a day can help, also, get up and stretch too!

4 - In addition to family, don't forget "you" time. A nice hot bath, or a walk on your own or with your spouse/significant other/friend in the evening is a great way to catch up and bring a relaxing end to the day.

5 and 6 I totally agree with, I try to read a non-IT book a little bit every day. Also, if things don't go quite as planned with something I'm working on and it's 4:55, unless that project is due the next day, I try to take off and work more on it in the morning with a fresh start... if it is due the next day, a brief break and a small snack or light dinenr, away from the computer can help bring things back into focus and improve concentration also...

Of course, stress is not anywhere near totally gone... but at least that ulcer doesn't flare-up like it used to! (Yes, I am a 25 year old with an ulcer for the past 6 years... don't let it happen to you - relax!!!!) BeckahC