Let's bring everybody up to date:
October 2008, Scot and about 17 others were let go when their company didn't handle the client's expectations;or the client was going to steal 'proprietary code.' I think it was the former rather the later. The 'proprietary code' was a simple flash reader that allowed annotation...exactly...ten years old. The other stuff in the application was simple database and UI implementation of the client's business rules. Complex as all get out, but not real hard. And nothing any other Java or .Net should couldn't have replicated very easily.
November 2009 (yep, a full 13 months) Scot got a short -time contract- great people, enjoyed it and there's a possibility of a the company calling me back.
In the mean time, I either have to find something more stable or freelance. I'm, of course, doing both.
So part of the deal is getting training. I was thinking about getting PMP from PMI (Project Management Professional certification from Project Management Institute, so, I applied. Last September.
They got back to me this week. One of the bazillion links in the packet to get your voucher included a 'skills assessment,' which turned out to be a list of personal values. Kind of like the Minnesota Multiphasic meets The One Minute Manager in Senora, Mexico, Bizarre and warped. I think Salvidor Dali wrote this thing.
Now, by looking over around 100 values (not skills, sorry, U of G but that's probably one of the reasons you guys are so low academically) and selecting five values that I get "a great deal of pleasure from,' ten values that give me a 'moderate amount of pleasure' and 20 values that give me a little pleasure (but not pain).
October 2008, Scot and about 17 others were let go when their company didn't handle the client's expectations;or the client was going to steal 'proprietary code.' I think it was the former rather the later. The 'proprietary code' was a simple flash reader that allowed annotation...exactly...ten years old. The other stuff in the application was simple database and UI implementation of the client's business rules. Complex as all get out, but not real hard. And nothing any other Java or .Net should couldn't have replicated very easily.
November 2009 (yep, a full 13 months) Scot got a short -time contract- great people, enjoyed it and there's a possibility of a the company calling me back.
In the mean time, I either have to find something more stable or freelance. I'm, of course, doing both.
So part of the deal is getting training. I was thinking about getting PMP from PMI (Project Management Professional certification from Project Management Institute, so, I applied. Last September.
They got back to me this week. One of the bazillion links in the packet to get your voucher included a 'skills assessment,' which turned out to be a list of personal values. Kind of like the Minnesota Multiphasic meets The One Minute Manager in Senora, Mexico, Bizarre and warped. I think Salvidor Dali wrote this thing.
Now, by looking over around 100 values (not skills, sorry, U of G but that's probably one of the reasons you guys are so low academically) and selecting five values that I get "a great deal of pleasure from,' ten values that give me a 'moderate amount of pleasure' and 20 values that give me a little pleasure (but not pain).
They rank each result 1 to 100. There's only one over 50: 61 for Industrial Production Manager. Hmmm. This 'tool' thinks there's a clipboard in my future.
Police and Detective Supervisor? I hate mysteries. I used to cover cop shops all over the upper Midwest. No thanks. If I want paramilitary, I'll rejoin Civil Air Patrol.
Agricultural Engineer? That's U.S. Bureau of Labor-speak for farmer, right? Or is the Extension Agent with which I always ended doing a monthly interview, in all the markets I worked? Good call, Georgia! I'm probably the only person in the U.S. that says subsidizing farmers is wrong. They call it a lifestyle. My rejoinder is simple: no one subsidizes my lifestyle, why in the world should I subsidize yours?
Curator? Just shoot me.
Technical Writer? OK, that's one good one. But they don't make enough cash for the mental anguish.
Business Executive? I couldn't stop laughing.
Human Resources? Don't think so, I worked with a GREAT HR director and that ain't gonna happen.
I have no idea what an Operations Research Analyst is, unless that's the guy who shows his butt crack when he removes the PC that fouled up on your desk because they wouldn't give me admin rights.
Economist? See Curator
The IT stuff? Second good call
Arbitrator? I'd just knock heads and rule for the little guy all the time. Besides, that's just a baby Arbitrager, right?
Numerical Control Tool Programmer? Dunno. If there was an Alphabetic Control Tool Programmer, I might think about it.
Aerospace Engineer--- actually all the engineers: I was a child of the 60s and if I was involved, that time a programmer switched decimal to hex and the satellite was like at Mars already? I would have done that four or five times so it wouldn't have made any difference. It'd be a toaster now.
Historian? Yeah, OK. Third good call. One of my B.A. Minors.
Sociologist? Maybe, another minor.
Storage and Transportation Manager- I've seen those guys. They're bigger than me. No Thanks.
So, your help is solicited- I'm thinking a PMP boot camp and ITIL. The state pays for the test and the trainer helps you put the freaking Vitae together (which is why I never tool the CBAP test- I resent having reviewed the Business Analyst Body of Knowledge and then spend five or six weeks getting details together. I figure PMI makes sense, since the Project Manager function is pretty set, the BA rols is still in a state of flux now that Agile is the method of choice for good shops.
Leave a comment. You may have a better idea than I do!
Police and Detective Supervisor? I hate mysteries. I used to cover cop shops all over the upper Midwest. No thanks. If I want paramilitary, I'll rejoin Civil Air Patrol.
Agricultural Engineer? That's U.S. Bureau of Labor-speak for farmer, right? Or is the Extension Agent with which I always ended doing a monthly interview, in all the markets I worked? Good call, Georgia! I'm probably the only person in the U.S. that says subsidizing farmers is wrong. They call it a lifestyle. My rejoinder is simple: no one subsidizes my lifestyle, why in the world should I subsidize yours?
Curator? Just shoot me.
Technical Writer? OK, that's one good one. But they don't make enough cash for the mental anguish.
Business Executive? I couldn't stop laughing.
Human Resources? Don't think so, I worked with a GREAT HR director and that ain't gonna happen.
I have no idea what an Operations Research Analyst is, unless that's the guy who shows his butt crack when he removes the PC that fouled up on your desk because they wouldn't give me admin rights.
Economist? See Curator
The IT stuff? Second good call
Arbitrator? I'd just knock heads and rule for the little guy all the time. Besides, that's just a baby Arbitrager, right?
Numerical Control Tool Programmer? Dunno. If there was an Alphabetic Control Tool Programmer, I might think about it.
Aerospace Engineer--- actually all the engineers: I was a child of the 60s and if I was involved, that time a programmer switched decimal to hex and the satellite was like at Mars already? I would have done that four or five times so it wouldn't have made any difference. It'd be a toaster now.
Historian? Yeah, OK. Third good call. One of my B.A. Minors.
Sociologist? Maybe, another minor.
Storage and Transportation Manager- I've seen those guys. They're bigger than me. No Thanks.
So, your help is solicited- I'm thinking a PMP boot camp and ITIL. The state pays for the test and the trainer helps you put the freaking Vitae together (which is why I never tool the CBAP test- I resent having reviewed the Business Analyst Body of Knowledge and then spend five or six weeks getting details together. I figure PMI makes sense, since the Project Manager function is pretty set, the BA rols is still in a state of flux now that Agile is the method of choice for good shops.
Leave a comment. You may have a better idea than I do!
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Thanks for the perspective, Scot. I've seen the best and worst of voc testing in my H.R. years. At its worst, creators of these tools craft a finite collection of differently sized square holes and invite you to jam your round peg into them. At its best, some tools tease out your wired-in strengths as measured by feeling energized by the tasks and suggest environments where those talents can get exercised. As you've so eloquently captured in your blog, the true catalysts are rare but they're sure exciting when they occur.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Steve. I'm glad it wasn't just me!
ReplyDeleteI've decided to get the PMP and Microsoft Project certification- that way I can get three certification lines in my resume rather than just one or two- PMP (god, that's as stupid a certification as my Bachelors Degree, it's a B.J., swear to the heavens- look it up), Project and MCP- Microsoft Certified Professional....I think the MCP comes with the first certification.
Anyway, it should be impressive as all get out.