Re: AS/400 History

Eric,

In a message dated 98-07-20 13:37:02 EDT, you write:

>      Of course you realize that NOBODY wants to send one of us "youngsters" 
>       to Common (or any other type of advanced training or educational 
>       seminars). I've been working in this biz for >13 years now, and have 
>       NEVER been sent for training/certification/vacation.
<<snip>>

Unfortunately, this is _not_ an uncommon (no pun intended) situation.  Many
employers seem to fear that, if they train you, you will leave.  In fact, if
they're treating you right in the first place, the opposite is true.

>       Yea, I a little frustrated with this. I KNOW that if I want to 
>       progress in this biz, I need to try to stay current with 
>       techniques/technology, but how much is MY responsibility and how much 
>       my EMPLOYER? Every time I learn something new, I add value to the 
>       services I can perform for the employer. Shouldn't they reimburse me 
>       or otherwise compensate me for this. Shouldn't they CREATE 
>       opportunities for advances education or training?

It's _your_ responsibility if the employer isn't providing it, so that you can
remain marketable should the company fail or be bought out.  It _should be_
the employer's, but many just don't grasp the value of training.

>       Maybe it's just where I've worked, or I've just been unlucky, or 
>       whatever. Is it just me? I have a lot of passion for learning new 
>       technology and applying it in a practical fashion. So why do I feel 
>       like I'm being taken advantage of by me employers? (sigh)

Most of us have probably "been there, done that, got the T-Shirt".  You _ARE_
being taken advantage of, but I'd hazard that upward of 80% of computer
employees are as well.  Unless you're with a very forward-thinking firm (and
most aren't), they hire you with the skills they want at the time and expect
you to keep the legacy stuff running.  For new stuff they hire consultants,
make you RTFM or, in _extreme_ cases, sack the current staff and hire a new
one with the skills they want _this_ week.

>       Well, I just fell of my soapbox. Wonder if I should file workman's 
>       comp? ;/

Bemoaning your fate is a non-work-related task and; therefore, a deniable
claim under current workman's compensation law ;-)...

Regards!

Dean Asmussen
Enterprise Systems Consulting, Inc.
Fuquay-Varina, NC  USA
E-Mail:  DAsmussen@aol.com

"A warm smile is the universal language of kindness." -- William Arthur Ward
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