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  • #2248637

    What is the value of continuing education?

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    by Anonymous ·

    I’m just 40, disabled, and work from home part time as web developer. I love my job and been given more complex projects, which I enjoy doing. I’m also taking a continuing education course in VB.NET. My boss is enthusiastic in my decision to increase my skills. In addition, I’m doing tutorials at W3Schoos.com.

    While it’s all and good for my employment, I’m wondering what the overall merit is for continuing education in the workplace? I’m just curious as to what people would think of a 40-yr. old disabled person who has recently obtained, say, a “Letter of Completion” for each course in a series of courses (VB.NET, C++, C#, PHP/MySQL, Perl, and PhotoShop – these are the ones I hope to take) and “Certifications” from W3Schools in ASP/ADO and HTML/CSS? Do these really matter much?

    It seems from my employer’s view, it’s what I can DO that matters, rather than what papers I have. Is this the general consensus? If so, I’d like to know so maybe I can follow free online tutorials and get skilled and not pay a lot of money. The continuing education courses do take a bite out of my limited income. Anything to save some money yet increase my skills would be nice.

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    • #3139782

      Hmmm

      by tony hopkinson ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      Personally I think continuing education is just for the sheer enjoyment of it, if someone will pay you to apply it, then that’s the icing on the cake.

      If it’s HR you have to get past then you want recognised qualifications (ones that HR will recognise !). If you have to get past someone technical then they’ll judge you relative to their ‘own’ knowledge.

      You get a lot of candidates qualified in this or that, you ask them a question they don’t know the answer. There’s only two possibilities at this point, they lied or the qualification is irrelevant, neither one much use really.

      You aren’t taking irrelevant courses for a web developer, whether they are recognised by pimps (recruiters) and technical eejits (HR) is more problematic.

    • #3139749

      There are a few reasons this is good

      by jdclyde ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      first, technology is changing all the time. This shows an employer that you are working to keep your skill set current.

      As Tony said, this is also a big “feel good” thing to do, as you are accomplishing something that many can’t and don’t. Doing something difficult is often it’s own reward.

      Can mean pay increases in some cases, and can also open up opportunities that would otherwise be closed.

      It is a very personal thing to decide. Can you afford the money, the time? What is it worth to YOU?

      Being disabled, it is more important than ever to have something that shows people what you KNOW. There are some that just see a disability, and this is one more thing to get them back on track to look at YOU and what you CAN do for them.

      Good luck.

      • #3139703

        So experience is worth more than paper?

        by Anonymous ·

        In reply to There are a few reasons this is good

        I can see what you’re saying. So showing completed web projects would be worth more than a piece of paper, if I understand right?

        Right now, I’m in a rut financially. I have a financial plan in my head which I am going to put on paper and rigidly follow to get myself out of possible doom (large debt to work on). So I was trying to find any way to cut costs yet keep my skills growing. Free online tutorials are places to learn. But I was wondering which is better – studying for free or taking a paid course. Seems like if I can show them what I did, that would carry more weight than paper?

        Seems like it where I work in that I started writing just FAQ pages and then went on to design templates to have the programmer fill in with asp or whatever code. Then I developed sites, and even interfaces (like file manager, etc.) Now I have a full blown ASP project start-to-finish which I am doing good at. 🙂 All this in a bit over 2 years! So my work is a learning experience but there’s enthusiasm about my dedication to learn more, both by me and my employer.

        Being that I have to cut expenses, I want to be sure to keep those that are most important and know what can be cut back without cutting off my nose to spite my face, so to speak.

        • #3139697

          Which is worth more

          by jdclyde ·

          In reply to So experience is worth more than paper?

          completely depends on who your talking to.

          There are people out there that are highly educated. They spend a long time getting their fancy degree they have hanging on the wall behind them. By requiring a degree out of their hires, it justifies their own existance.

          There are also people out there that are there for the bottom line, and they worked their way up. These people are going to like certs and experince DOING something.

          So like in most computer questions, the answer is “It depends”. 😀

          The thing to look for is an employer interested in someone that is keeping their skills current, AND is willing to invest it that skill set. Have you approached the employer about helping to offset the costs of the training, or is this just contracted only?

          If you have to pay for it all, I would cut back and specialize. Look at the skills you use and where you think the tasks are going to be in the future. Slow down the training, but don’t stop if you don’t have to. There are many people out there that learned most of what they know by doing it and reading. People learn differently. Some people just can’t sit down with a book and learn how to do something.

          I would start a discussion for web developers, asking them what skills they find the most helpful, and which they see fading away. That would probably give you a better answer than I would be able to give you as I am just a humble network guy! 😀

          Good luck.

        • #3202993

          Thank You :)

          by Anonymous ·

          In reply to Which is worth more

          jdclyde – I like your ideas. Thank you. 🙂 I agree also that asking other developers what skills are needed is a good idea. I wouldn’t mind increasing skills so if/when my employer needs to expand and do other things, I will be at the ready. 🙂

        • #3202978

          Putting yourself in the employers shoes…

          by zoomzoom ·

          In reply to Which is worth more

          The responses you’ve been getting are probably as good as you can expect to get. JClyde is absolutely right with the response “It depends”.

          I can only speak from the perspective of someone without a fancy degree. To me, experience rules… but you have to be able to prove it.

          When I look at resumes for a position, the first chore is to weed out the people that just don’t have any experience in what I’m looking for. So, if I have a position working with ASP.Net and SQL Server, and you don’t have both listed as having experience with them… you’re out.

          Next sweep through the resumes is to determine what kind of experience you have. Being in the business, I know there is a big difference between an introductory computer class and real world experience. Unless you are actually working with the technologies you took classes in… I don’t put much weight in them.

          Next is determining what direction you seem to be going in. If it looks like you are making an attempt to take your career in a direction that compliments the position I’m hiring for, that says a lot.

          Before you’d get an interview with me, I’d need to be able to tell from your resume that you can do the job, that you want to do this type of job, and that you are willing to fill in the experience holes as quickly as possible if given the chance. I personally like a resume that “makes sense” when I look at it and try to determine your direction.

          You know how some people will pay for a gym membership to work out, but then wait as long as it takes to get the closest parking space so they don’t have to walk? It just doesn’t make sense to me.

          If you are going to take classes in a specific technology, make sure you do what you can to get real world experience in it too. If you can’t get that experience at work, I’d suggest talking to local temp agencies and look for side jobs that allow you do do real work for experience, and hopefully earn a few dollars in the process too (to help pay for that class). There are plenty of small businesses that want websites that would be willing to give you a chance… if it’s not costing them much. They get an inexpensive dynamic website and you get experience for your resume. Win-Win!

          Visualize yourself listing a dozen websites on your resume with brief explanations of what technologies you used in each of them. That would do more for me than seeing a bunch of classes with no experience to compliment them.

        • #3202816

          Very informative – I agree!

          by Anonymous ·

          In reply to Putting yourself in the employers shoes…

          While your reply is geared to a job seeker (I’m not looking for work since I love my current job), it contains some very important information. And for those who are also reading this thread and are looking for work, I think this is another message they should read and seriously consider. I was hoping to hear from someone like you who is on the hiring side, just to see what exactly the skills are. Plus the suggestions of others about asking other developers what skills are now needed is a good idea.

          I’m working in the ASP/.NET stuff now for work, and so the VB.NET class I’m taking now is definitely a must-have. So I will be finishing this and I’m actually going to be using these skills. In addition, what I’m learning at W3Schools I’m also currently actually using on a project.

          Your reply gave me some thought though. I probably won’t be using C# at work, at least not for awhile, since VB seems to be the preference. So I can probably wait a bit on the C# thing. The C++ I was going to take was only so I could do something with a hobby though (I want to work with AI and chatbots). So I can probably save the money and buy a book or use free online tutorials for C++. Maybe offer some free programs on my web site or some shareware at some point. The PHP/MySQL I’m already working with at work as I write how to install scripts and modify them to work in some cases. I also have a few Joomla-based sites and a very active phpBB forum. I have two WordPress blogs. I made templates for all but the blogs. So I already know some php/MySQL and figure I can just learn from a book or online stuff as I get more into it. Maybe at some point take the course later on (but not right away). The Perl one, seems like hardly nobody uses Perl anymore anyway. I may just use an online free tutorial to brush up or whatever and offer some Perl scripts on my site every so often.

          If someone is looking for work and reading this, it would seem that if you get a good portfolio of links to sites you have done and programs you made (whichever is relevant to the job you’re trying to get), then you’d be in good standing as well.

          As for those like me that are happily employed and want to expand their skills, it seems like one should take only the courses that help with what you’re currently or intend to be doing for work.

          I think now I’m getting a better picture of what courses I should take and what I can wait on, and what I can just do free tutorials for. 🙂

          Thank you folks for all the good suggestions. I’m still watching this thread as more good ideas come up.

        • #3202773

          about showcasing your work

          by jdclyde ·

          In reply to Very informative – I agree!

          Get some of the mini cd’s, and burn a few example websites on it. Have an autorun that brings up a page that can call in the other pages as the links are selected.

          And ZoomZoom proved my point. People with a degree will value a degree, people that learned hands-on will be looking for experience.

          I personally am working towards both, as my employer pays for me to get training and I am using that to get a free degree in network management WHILE I work in the field. A little something for everyone. Can’t expect to have the same job forever, so you have to keep adding to the “toolbox”.

        • #3202758

          PHP and ASP won’t work from CD

          by Anonymous ·

          In reply to about showcasing your work

          Thing is, if anyone wants to show their PHP and ASP skills, they won’t be able to do that on a CD because the potential employer may not want or the HR may not know how to view such things or copy to a server to view, etc. If one is using a Linux demo boot then it might not all fit on a business card CD anyway. In addition, if one is trying for a Windows job, having a linux boot won’t really be too useful.

          This is why I’d suggest using links to web sites hosted on servers that handle these things. This way they don’t have to worry about if/how to copy or install the sites to view and/or the worry of security issues of viewing PHP and ASP code from someone they don’t yet know. Going online with a web browser is far easier. 🙂

          Business card CDs are more useful for things like showing off offline-related skills, like perhaps HTML/CSS would work. As would graphics or photography portfolios, presentations, resume, etc.

        • #3202672

          Fine, be difficult why don’t you?

          by jdclyde ·

          In reply to about showcasing your work

          :p

          your business card CD could always link to external sites…..

          I just know many people are pretty lazy. If they have to type in a url, they are less likely to follow up compared to just clicking on a link.

          Just a thought.

        • #3140222

          Another showcase method…

          by pscottc ·

          In reply to about showcasing your work

          Build a “RoboDemo” of each of the sites you have worked on and show all the features of the site. If you’re not familiar with robodemo, it allows you to create videos of computer activities and is often used for training.

        • #3141226

          JClyde and ZoomZoom

          by purecoffee ·

          In reply to Putting yourself in the employers shoes…

          Both of these people are right on the money. I am new to the IT Field and just completed a BSIT degree. Very little of what I learned was hands on technology. Instead I learned a lot of theory, management, and got a lot of information on Technology as it relates to business today. Gives me a good knowledgebase and makes me well rounded. What it didn’t provide is the hands on, in the trenches work or experience I need to make the next move up the ladder.
          Fortunately I am in a position where I can gain that and learn more between the help desk calls, telephone projects, etc. While I am done with the University Classs for now, my next goal is to get some certifications in the areas that interest me the most. Additionally I always read Technology related material during my commutes, waiting for the Dentist, etc. Any down time where I don’t have a laptop or when I am in a holding pattern I am reading. Keeping up on trends in the industry etc. You would be surprised at how many ideas one can get from this as well as learning something new.
          Lastly I am working a side job that provides me with additional experience that can be validated should I decide to move on to greener pastures. Just remember, the grass is always greener but you have to mow that too!

        • #3141153

          Wake up and smell the coffee?

          by jdclyde ·

          In reply to JClyde and ZoomZoom

          (sorry, couldn’t resist)

          You are a prime candidate for IT Burnout.

          It is all so cool, that it is easy to get buried in it day and night. don’t forget to unplug and do other things or what was a love for computing will turn into boredom or worse. I also sit around reading a “redbook” at the dentist office or whereever. It is almost a sickness….. 😀

          And yes, some of all three makes for the best candidate to get a job. Degree, certs, AND experience. That will get you past the first hurdle in search of a job.

        • #3141077

          You might also want to get a cat…

          by daveo2000 ·

          In reply to Wake up and smell the coffee?

          (well, my preference is a dog)

          You will find that there are times when you HAVE to shut down the IT bit or you will go over the (h)edge. A cat or dog will gently (most of the time) remind you that there are things to life that do not require high technology.

          It is often during a quiet time scratching the cat or walking the dog that some of the most brilliant coalescences of thought occur.

          Some people might suggest that a wife and/or kids will serve this purpose too but it isn’t the same. People tend to get a bit stroppy if you suddenly say “Eureka”, put down the ball your were throwing and start making notes on a piece of paper. Dogs and cats expect people to be unpredictable and strange.

    • #3140641

      Progammer to Programmer

      by onbliss ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      As a programmer here are my views:

      Definitely any education has value at work and in life. How much value? It depends on the work and the person’s attitude. If a person considers gaining a certification or degree matters to him/her in life, then s/he should work towards it.

      Getting a degree from a recognized college will no doubt increase esteem and value, but it is just like an icing on the cake. In a project it boils down to how well the team members execute their role. If a co-programmer has Masters or Ph.D. (yes there are Ph.D. who program as well), but is unable to code as per standards and needs, what use is of education. It just burdens the fellow programmers. I have seen severl intelligent programmers who have a shoddy habit when it comes to checking code in version control system. It is frusturating. My point is as a programmer, I would respect another programmer who has the aptitude and attitude to program.

      Like Tony said, educating oneself has an element of enjoyment in it. For some it can add confidence, for some it can open doors to new opportunities.

      Considering that you are experiencing a financial strain, and that you currently are not actively seeking new jobs or [b]higher pay[/b], you might want to think about the possibility of pushing it till your financial situation improves. In your case it looks like getting certified or earning a degree can wait.

      Meanwhile I would highly recommend those free tutorials and books. I have a degree in Physics and some certifications in some programming languages. But those were decades ago. The current tools that I work with are those that I learnt on the job and on my personal time.

      Maybe after few years your attitude towards education might change. I feel that as we age, we see and value things differently.

      ~~~Another friendly .Net programmer 🙂

    • #3138413

      Smacks Self On Head

      by Anonymous ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      jdclyde – I never even thought of putting links in the CD, etc! LOL! Some days, I wonder if my brain is operating or is in hybernation. 😛

      Good idea though…

    • #3140310

      Distinguish yourself with business knowledge

      by rcfguard-catchall ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      I’m a former developer (mainframes/Cobol, Perl, C/C++, Java, SAS, ASP, C#, Dot.Net, Java/EJB, etc) and current hiring manager. Here’s my advice:

      Focus your technical knowledge, AND your business knowledge. I get resumes all day long from qualified developers – lot’s of breadth and little depth. I get few from developers who show that they understand the technologies I’m using, AND how to apply it to my business needs.

      A developer with demonstrated/applied business domain knowledge will always trump a developer without business domain knowledge when I make hiring decisions.

      Also, learn more than just the language. Learn how systems work, learn how to tweak for performance, when/how to use stored procedures, good database design/implementation/tuning, networking and how it affects application performance, security issues, even how to best build a developer workstation, produce good external documentation, ergonomic U.I.’s, etc, etc. People with tons of certifications in minutia are a dime a dozen.

      Distinguish yourself by learning about the things that matter to your hiring managers customers and then bring those solutions to your work.

      Become the “go to” guy and your compensation will skyrocket. Certifcations don’t make you the ‘go to’ guy. Rapid turn-around of outstanding solutions are what will accomplish that goal.

      Footnote: If I’m looking for a Java developer, I’ll hire the one who has the who has followed the Java educational path up to Enterprise Architect. I won’t pick the person who has some Java, some PERL, a little PHP, etc.

    • #3140307

      Employer’s love it,

      by j.g.camp ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      because they know what you learn and apply they really won’t have to pay for in terms of pay increases. They’ll make that a condition of having your current job and give you a mediocre cost of living adjustment. But you’ll be expected to produce with this new education. Now management on the other hand, the mere fact they know it exists, will now demand that the lower level worker produce it regardless of degree of difficulty and stress, the havoc it creates in your life. Will then take credit for it and pocket a better bonus for saving the company money, rather than hire a specialist that has already been exposed. It saves the company the recruiting process of trying to find this expertise.

    • #3140305

      Paper gets you in the door, but…

      by daveo2000 ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      As usual, JD’s pearls will get you to the bank.

      I would like to add a different slant to your question: [em]”What is the value of continuing education?”[/em]

      Again, that depends.

      If you are taking courses just so you have the paper that says you took the course and can put it in a frame on the wall, the value will be mostly intrinsic and not necessarily functional. It will be a key that gets you in the door of somebody that requires that “key”. Or, it may just be that extra square foot of wall space covered so your diploma wall looks balanced.

      If you are taking courses so you will be learning a new technology or theory then the value will be what the teacher plants in your head, how you put it to use and how you weave it into your overall skill set.

      My personal list of continuing ed. courses is a patchwork of “what I need to know now” and “what I think I should know soon”. I really don’t expect an employer to look at my educational background, I expect them to look at and ask me about my experience.

      As it turns out, a very large portion of my current “valuable experience” is directly derived from knowledge I gained by taking continuing ed. courses both at work and local colleges or universities.

    • #3140290

      Shows that you are training yourself to think.

      by almostadjusted ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      These are great questions.

      Having been in upper management and hired many to fill technical positions, I take a close look at their education and certifications.

      Why? It let’s me see what they are like inside. Does the person I am considering for the position have the passion to learn and apply? Those who seek certifications as a notch in their totem pole of banners to display are easy to spot when you know what to look for.

      Those who have a true passion for learning, and more importantly, applying what they learn, filter to the top of the cream by their attitudes. This is something that can not be faked. The right pieces of paper, highlighting their achievements, are not only their tickets to open the door, but the opportunity to express what they have learned and applied.

      A word to your financial situation. Openly discuss them with your employer. If they value you and your capabilities, you should be able to negotiate a way for them to either cover your education, assist in sharing the expenses, or if you are contracting, building it into your contracting fee. A valued employee who is open with their needs often hears, ?Why didn?t you mention this earlier?? Caution?. This is an earned remark from your employer. Not one that can be demanded. Again, a humble attitude will open the door for this type of a discussion.

      It appears to me that your employer understands the direction they want your role to progress and the skills you need to grow into that role. That?s the sign of a great working relationship in my eyes. You, in turn, appear to have a good understanding of who you are, and have risen to the challenges presented to you. There is nothing wrong with feeding your passion to learn by earning a certification that affirms your passion.

      Now you are being challenged again. Go get it!

      • #3141339

        I’m doing this for me as well

        by Anonymous ·

        In reply to Shows that you are training yourself to think.

        Thank you. 🙂 While it’s a tight squeeze, I am managing to pay for my own way in education. I think my main concern is that what money I do spend, I want to make it count.

        My employer is generous and kind to me through the time I’ve been employed there. Therefore I don’t mind and I feel it’s only fair I pay my own education.

        I just want to be sure if I save up and spend money on continuing education will be worthwhile. I already am getting a lot out of the VB.NET course. I’m also getting a lot out of the free W3Schools course but each teaches me new things.

        I’m reading with interest the variety of replies here. Though most are geared towards the job seeker more than to those who, like me, are happily employed. However, I think I’ve come up with a game plan. If I can’t afford a course, then to take a break until I can afford the next course. And during that break practice and put to use what I have learned in my previous courses so I build up experience.

        • #3141044

          Good, now include your manager as a partner in you aspirations.

          by almostadjusted ·

          In reply to I’m doing this for me as well

          Your attitude is right on! What you put into it is what you will get out of it. For many, myself included, if you spend your own personal funds, you tend to maximize your value.

          You continue to be very appreciative of your employer for the opportunities they have given you.

          I would like to share with you my perspective, shared equally by several other managers, regarding lending support. I choose to credit the words to Bill Hybels from his article ?360 Degree Leader?:
          ?Leading up begins with an attitude of humility, cooperation, submission, and it extends with the credibility of a job well done. Every boss I know is more likely to lend support to those on the staff who are cooperative in doing the job. Every time I?m petitioned by a staff member to help them in some way, I can?t help but be prejudiced by whether or not they are humble in spirit and working hard and doing the job. If they are, I?m more inclined to help them.?

          If your manager is a solid as you?ve led me to believe they are, then they understand the value of a good, humble, hard working, doing the job employee. They should be more than willing to help you out and achieve your goals. These steps are the building blocks of loyalty. Something that is becoming more and more scarce in the workplace.

          I encourage you to share your dreams and aspirations.

          You never know the answer until you ask. However, if you never ask, I can guarantee that the answer is always no.

    • #3140278

      Street smart vs Book smart

      by jcritch ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      In my tenure as a Manager, I have found those who learn via the trenches and then went on to obtain a certification seemed to be more adept to practical application of the knowledge and tend to see the whole picture versus those who I have hired with little experience but ample certifications.

      So to answer your question, yes I do think CE is important, but even more important is the ability to apply that new found or enhanced skill set to your current work environment.

    • #3140252

      There is no try, only do or do not.

      by ed woychowsky ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      As someone that’s a wee-bit older than you I have to agree with your employer, it’s what you can do that matters.

      Several years ago I worked at a company that employed a whole mess of consultants at various tasks. There was one consultant that had every piece of paper under the sun for SAP and was paid accordingly; in fact he made two and a half times what the next highest paid consultant made. The interesting thing is that in the eight months in which he was billing he didn?t produce a single line of code. It seems that all that the company got for their money was someone that knew how to bill.

      With the plethora of ?brain dumps? available for various certifications they are becoming debased, worth less and less everyday. Also, some employers are catching on that people are collecting certifications just to boost their rates. If you?re interested in learning something new I?d suggest that you purchase a book, try the examples and go on from there.

    • #3140214

      Continuing Education

      by jscott5807 ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      With the rapidly changing technology of the IT world, continuing education is a must in my opinion anyways. W3 Schools is a great place to get a start on learning new ideas, I learned SQL from W3 but did not do their official certification. Alot of IT practices and ideas aren’t really taught in post-secondary education (i.e. AJAX, XML, etc.) at least not that I am aware of.

    • #3140166

      free ebooks

      by mindilator9 ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      you’re on a budget. here’s what i (would) do:

      1. learn as much as you can about everything you want to know for free whenever available. get tutoring/mentoring, borrow books, and, my favorite, read ebooks. i say favorite because i get most of my books for free. not to say i don’t buy books, in fact i just bought another 3, but me and free go way back. (i’ll give you all a link to a free ebook resource in just a minute.)

      2. practice what you learn. make up dumb fake projects to test out your new knowledge. make something up in terms of company, product, service, etc. and make it something you would have fun doing. when i was learning lingo for macromedia director, i chose to make a kiosk for a skateboard shop since i love skateboarding. i applied what i learned in lingo programming to what i learned in 3d modeling and made a custom skateboard builder, that rotated a 3d model of all the parts and assembled them as you chose them. the finale was a virtual checkout counter. had i tried to do a fake project for a credit union or golf course (sorry guys, i think golf is just an excuse to drink, not fun in itself) the things i learned may not have stuck with me as well. when your fake project is complete, polish it up and put it in the portfolio.

      3. after you feel solid with the techniques or technology you have learned, then return to the question of whether you want these degrees or certs, and see if you can’t snatch it up with a single test. pick and choose the ones that are most relevant to you, and you’ll find that you know either a)everything and you have nothing more to learn in that subject so breeze through and be extra confident of your skill, or b)you will know almost everything, a few gaps will be filled, and your perspective of what you know will reflect more accurately, again giving you more confidence in your skill.

      now for that free ebook resource. http://www.pdfchm.com/ is the site where i get my ebooks. if you merely visit the site and check out the books, you will find they take you to amazon for purchase. but if you register with the site, after logging in you will find the same book profiles have links to either a .pdf or .chm (compiled html, like standard windows help files) of the book. don’t know about the rest of you, but i can read an ebook 10x faster than a printed one. especially the .chm books. i’ve actually read 3 entire books in one day this way. love ebooks. so that’s my advice. take it or leave it. but at least take advantage of the free knowledge. and like that site says, if you like the book, support the authors by paying for it. i’ve done that too.

    • #3140143

      Should be a no brainer

      by skicat ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      I am a big believer in the saying “Knowledge is Power.” A “Letter of Completion” may mean little or nothing to an employer because they are looking at what you can do in production. It is very similar to kids coming out of college with their Bachelors or Masters. Employers want tangible skills, the what have you done, what are you doing things. With this in mind, the “Letters” are nice, but what you need to focus on is how these new skills are being implemented into your daily routine. I have a Bachelors in Marketing and an MBA. Two degrees that have little or nothing to do with being a Network Admin, but I continue to go to school (classroom and online) to keep my skills and to show my current (and any future) employer that I am on top of the current trends and that I am willing to be trained.

      If your current employer doesn’t appreciate what you are trying to do for yourself, don’t get discouraged. Knowledge is power and if you can implement your new skills in your current environment, the rewards may be closer than you think.

      Good luck!

    • #3140082

      Agree to a point.

      by 32bitswide ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      That it is what you can do not so much what you know. However, taking continuing ed classes shows a desire to stay current and expand your boundaries rather than placing a stake in the ground live with what you know.

      Employers seem to love this…and a degree. My wife was stuck in Acct Payable (I know, not IT) but the point is the same. She was stuck in AP, no raises or job movement until one day the subject came up about a degree, she countered that she did have one in (___) and graduated on (____) and now they love her, her salary has jumped almost 50% and she is a Payroll Admin, they throw money at her for continuing ed, never denied her a class because she demonstrated a desire to expand her boundaries….that and she has mind like a steel trap when it comes to numbers.

      You should continue your continuing ed, disabled or not. Also check out http://www.acm.org, I think they are a great organization and have some terrific classes on just about everything…as well as Safari and Books7x24 books on-line. Great deal for $100 a year I think.

    • #3141317

      you gain from education, too

      by ssampier ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      From your employers perspective it is what you do that matters. Education can help you think through problems and develop good strategies.

      As far as W3schools “certs” I wouldn’t bother. Try making a portfolio site for yourself instead.

      What I would recommend is taking some business classes at your local community college (assuming you don’t already have a BS). That would help your potential earnings substantially.

      You can get grants for those classes.

    • #3138895

      keeping in practice

      by longwayoff ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      jdclyde had some excellent ideas about additional work for small businesses on the side. What he didn’t mention was NON-profits. Do you have free time that you’re willing to volunteer? Check out the non-profit web sites in your town and for the ones that make you go eeww!, ask yourself if it’s an organization you consider worthwhile, and what the website needs done to make it viable. Then call them up and ask if you can help – it’s very likely they can’t afford a for-fee consultant, and would jump at the chance to have a real expert fix their web site for them. Your benefit is having the opportunity to practice your expertise, and use them for advertising your skills – word of mouth is worth a LOT of money, in the advertising world. You won’t get much if any money out of it, but you will get lots of experience both in creating webpages and in dealing with people who have very few web-page skills if any, and some nice web pages to add to your portfolio, in addition to the satisfaction of helping whatever cause you felt worthy. My public library benefited from a very nice young database programmer who needed stuff for his resume. He spent several hours this summer setting up an online database and registration for our summer reading program, that saved the IT duo (neither of us had a clue!) and the Children’s department endless hours of hand-typing registration info. We really appreciated his efforts, and now he’s using that set-up as an exemplar on his personal website to showcase his skills (no real names or data, of course). You might consider something of the sort for your favorite cause.

    • #3138620

      It’s as valuable as the knowledge gained

      by spencer.salva ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      There are two primary reasons most people pursue continuing education & certifications. The one most people seem to focus on is the credntial side – does this get me a recognized certification, will this look good on my resume, can this get me an interview & a job, etc.

      That’s great, but education is ultimately only as valuable as the knowledge you gain from it. You can get all the certifications & degrees you want, and that may get you a great job, but if you don’t learn anything and don’t know how to do anything, you won’t last long in your new job.

      So I wouldn’t only be asking yourself if this will look good on your resume and get you a job, but also whether or not you’re interested in this topic and if the knowledge learned will be valuable. If you learn something new and can apply it to your work, then its valuable.

    • #3218177

      Will Continuing Education help you DO?

      by todder ·

      In reply to What is the value of continuing education?

      I firmly believe that increasing ones pool of knowledge is very important in todays workplace. I don’t think there is such a thing as ‘bad’ knowledge. With that said, I feel that it all depends on the learner and what methods he or she finds the best way to learn. I also feel that you shouldn’t focus on what really matters to anyone, but yourself. Everyone has different opinions on everything. My advice, take a CE class and see how it works out for you.

      You stated that your employer seems to think what you can DO is pretty important. I think this is standard. Employers want results. I would ask myself “will taking CE classes help me DO more things? Will it help me DO things better, more efficiently?” If the answer is no, then learn on your own. If the answer is yes, take some classes and get your certs. If the answer is I don’t know, take a class, get your certification letter and ask yourself the aforementioned questions again.

      HTH

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