I have a knack for being a Jack of all Trades. When I learn something, it is generally for a reason or a purpose for that moment. Once I learn something, I am usually very well rounded enough to remember what I have learned and recall it later on in life as I need it. This lack of specialization seems to work against me at times in the technology field mostly because I lack the one thing that most places really want. Certifications.
Technological Certifications really are a joke. The certs themselves are actually quite worthless as they become outdated as technology advances. Therefore, as a tech, you have to constantly re-certify yourself just to stay mainstream. The cost of these tests are ludicrous and elitist at the minimum. I come from a time where being a nerd or a geek was a bad thing and I was one of them. When the old school nerds start dinging each other for pedestal status, it starts to open ones eyes to the idea that perhaps we are not all that different from the rest of the world. Aside from the testing, the "test preparation courses" are just as monetarily prohibitive as the tests themselves can be. Mind you, these are NOT classes or courses on the subjects being tested on. These are simply study groups for adults to make sure you know what the right answer is based on how the question is worded. There is very little background or theory on the prep course. If you try to ask a question as to why, good luck. It leaves a sour taste, knowing that for all that work just to get the certifications, actual education IS found on the job site, which is where I have gotten the majority of my own computer experience.
Learning tech for me has always been a tinkers approach based on the needs of the moment. A problem presents itself, a tech fix is found and implemented. From there, tweak it to be as efficient as possible. Its one of the reasons I don't do databases that well, I have never needed it, therefore never learned it. Plus, for me, databases are the evil incarnate. I don't like em and they make my head hurt. So for as much as I have knowledge in computers and technology, there are significant holes in that knowledge. Plus without certifications, my choices of available jobs are very limited. Even if I am quite qualified for the job, it will not be available to me.
As I have stated before in earlier postings, I love to travel. Truck driving, for me, has been a side dream of mine for years. The first attempt didn't go so well and I have had a year to recover and try to make ends meet in a way that I am quite familiar. Going back to driving is scary, but I am determined to let this opportunity work itself out. Last year, I had to fight to find a driving job, this one literally sat down next to me and struck up a conversation. If there is one thing I am generally good at, it's taking a hint. I have my CDL and hazmat endorsement, based on that alone I have opportunity to make more money driving than I do sitting at a desk all day. I plan on adding more endorsements as I go along in my driving career as needed/wanted.
This doorway is wide open for me just waiting for me to take the first actual step forward. Breaching that boundary is scary at best, for there are a lot of unknowns along that path and I have not ever been good at dealing with unknowns. I like to get as much information about what I am doing ahead of time before committing to a course of action. The speed at which this position formed and then presented itself was startling but with a deep breath, when the time comes, I will take that step and see where it takes me. Through this blog, I will take you with me, if you choose to come along.
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