Grant (again) tagged me on another of these blog memes, this time started by Mike Walsh. What do I know now that I didn’t know when I started out. I’m very late on answering it, I blame that on a business trip, a pile of work I still haven’t found the bottom of, and a complete lack of enthusiasm to do anything constructive.
1) “I don’t know” is not a sign of weakness
When I started in IT, I knew everything (at least I thought I did). Furthermore I thought I had to know everything. That lead to a number of problems, from ignoring offers for help, to tackling things beyond my abilities, right up to embarrassing myself in front of management after it became apparent I didn’t really know what I was talking about.
2) Beware of self-proclaimed experts
Early on I worked with a database guru. At least, he said he was. Looking back now, older and (perhaps) wiser, many of his ‘best practices’ were nothing of the sort.
Anyone can go around claiming to be an expert. The thing is to see what other people say about them
3) Setbacks are not disasters
I was retrenched from the first company I worked for when they hit financial difficulties. I spent 6 months struggling to make ends meet. At the time I thought it was the worst thing possible. However it lead to a job that changed my focus to databases, leading to where I am now.
It also taught me what some of my major weaknesses are – administration (finding work, chasing payments, etc)
4) Usergroups are not a waste of time
I thought that when I started out (see point 1). Now I run one. Go figure
I think just about everyone’s answered this already, so no tags.
Great list! I appreciate you taking the time to write this even if not spurred by enthusiasm. 🙂
2) Beware of self-proclaimed experts
This brings to mind a Murphy saying – an expert is someone who learns more and more about less and less until he knows absolutely everything about nothing.
It’s always possible that someone has a better solution than you, but it’s also possible that there is no time to consider it.