From: Stephen D. Williams (sdw@lig.net)
Date: Fri Jun 09 2000 - 22:07:25 PDT
Gavin Thomas Nicol wrote:
> > 5.8 It Is NOT a ``Failure of Programmers to Keep Their
> > Skills Up to Date''
I won't speak for others on this issue, but I would consider it a personal
failure if I didn't keep my skills up to date. It's hard, but that's the tech
field. If you don't like it, go study something that changes slowly, like
medicine!
Of course there is a big difference between the tiny percentage that are
really into learning, curiosity, and self-improvement that read and learn
constantly. Those of you who have worked in the field for a while know the
difference: there are those that subscribe to everything, actually buy books,
and play with things and there are those that don't have anything in their
office that's not company issued and absolutely required to get the job at
hand done. The former stay up to date easily while the latter require hand
holding at expensive training all the time.
There are plenty of niches where you can hide and stagnate, but people should
realize that that is what they are doing. "You want 10 years of experience,
not one year repeated 10 times." - Consultant saying...
> For me the single most important thing in hiring is
> attitude, and mindset (how do they solve problems).
> Next is experience... not necessarily
> in the technology field that we're hiring for.
That is definitely true.
sdw
-- Insta.com - Revolutionary E-Business Communication sdw@insta.com Stephen D. Williams Senior Consultant/Architect http://sdw.st 43392 Wayside Cir,Ashburn,VA 20147-4622 703-724-0118W 703-995-0407Fax Jan2000
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