I am responsible for my career

Both Doug and Sam talk about taking responsibility for our own professional development careers.

Like others, I am paying my own way for PDC.  No one else.  I determined a long time ago that I am responsible, as a professional developer, for my own career.  No one else.  When I worked as a full-time employee, I bought my own books, learned new technologies (at the time, .Net)  on my own time, and paid the cost of moving forward out of my comfort zones.

As for me, this is my commitment:

1.  As a professional developer, I will be responsible for my career.

2.  As a professional developer, I realize that responsibility comes with a cost.  I will pay that cost.

3.  As a professional developer, I will read books, read magazines, take classes, learn from others, attend conferances, and strive to stretch my comfort zones by learning new things.

4.  As a professional developer, I will rely on myself, not my company, to further my personal and technical growth.

5. As a professional developer, I will work hard at everything I do.  I will work to use my strengths, but I will also work to strengthen my weaknesses.

I could go on, but you get the idea.  It's about commitment.  It's about cost.  Are you willing to pay the cost?

Published Sunday, August 10, 2003 2:36 PM by RHurlbut
Filed under: ,

Comments

Sunday, August 10, 2003 3:49 PM by Dave

# re: I am responsible for my career

I agree 100%. A question though. With all due respect, and with nothing directed to you personally, here it is: why all of a sudden is this being treated like something so damn brand-new?

I'm 45 and have built my career over the last 25 years. I don't care what you speak about... career, educational costs, house, marriage, child-rearing, hell - child coneption... am I that far removed from everyone else? Am I that old relative to everyone that blogs?

This is basic life, right? Nobody gives you a free ride and there ain't no free lunch. You can't take it with you. And nobody is gonna help you more than yourself.

Look, in a society that is decidedly third world or where freedoms are severely restricted... in many places where being female means you are a second-class citizen... this might be a new concept. But in North America - and let's not forget what brought this all up was this PDC - anybody who sets their mind on a goal can achieve it. It just takes accepting responsibility for your own actions and your own life.

Do we really need to make a 5+ step commitment to it? I would have thought this stuff was taught back in grade school. At least when I was in grade school - way back when in the mid 60s :) it was.

Again Robert, I completely agree with you and think your commitment as you state it is great. I'm just baffled and saddened that you have to make it like you do... it says alot about the bulk of those in this industry.
Sunday, August 10, 2003 9:19 PM by Sam Gentile

# re: I am responsible for my career

Yes it does say a lot about those currently in the industry. Robert felt he had to say it, like I did, because of the widespread whining about PDC prices and such on dotnetweblogs and the general reaction that they are "entitled" to things like this because they have a .NET blog. Yes, the three of us (and many others) know that this stuff we are talking about is common sense and grade school. The question is do they?
Tuesday, August 12, 2003 2:34 PM by Bob Bechtel

# re: I am responsible for my career

Seconding what Sam said - at my company, we were moving into a new technology a few years ago (not that it matters, but Java). Since we had smart people who had no experience with the new technology (we'd been a C++ shop) and they needed to get up to speed, we brought in an instructor and materials (books, handouts, etc.) and offered a six-week class after work. And got complaints since we weren't paying for time spent in the (purely voluntary) class. We won't try that again.
Tuesday, August 12, 2003 3:40 PM by Robert Hurlbut

# re: I am responsible for my career

Bob, that's a shame. It sounds like it was handed to them, yet they passed on a great opportunity.

When I wrote this, I had in mind those developers that I have worked with that won't crack a book outside of work. At work, they spend their time only doing the things they think they know how to do (how do they know if they are on top of things if they never keep their skills up to date??).

Yes, this is grade school, but apparently not everyone "gets it" yet.
Wednesday, August 13, 2003 10:36 PM by Dave Burke

# re: I am responsible for my career

Most developers DON'T get it. Great post Robert...and Sam and Doug.
Tuesday, September 02, 2003 9:58 PM by TrackBack

# Career_Calculus

Career_Calculus
Tuesday, September 02, 2003 10:19 PM by TrackBack

# Robert Hurlbut is making a commitment to his career.

Robert Hurlbut is making a commitment to his career.