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No Money, No Training, No Hope Q I have no money. But I need training and certification, what should I do? I need training in the hot areas. I need training to start my career in Information Technology (IT). I need a company that will give me free training? Who will help me out? I have no money. I have no hope! A I
understand your situation. This isn’t about blaming you or being
unsympathetic, but you need to change your approach. What you are doing
doesn’t work. Career
issues may be resolved faster through our site as many career questions
have already been treated and published online.
And in addition, because of our other commitments, we present the
monthly career seminars to address such issues. Most
training institutions are commercial setups that have responsibilities
and challenges. You can’t make an organization give you free training.
An organization will invest in promotions and special offers if such
activities are in line with the organization’s business plans and or
concept of social responsibility. Can you demand that a PC outlet should
give you a free PC? From time to time, organizations will come out with
such promos. It is their
prerogative to do so. And even when such promos are available, be hungry
for substance – don’t base critical decisions on style or
popularity. The free or low cost
aspect shouldn’t be your only consideration. Assess the value of such
offers – is the promo in line with your goals and interest? Will the
freebie help in moving you forward? Need
training but no money. This is a
typical catch-22 situation. How can we tame the beast? To
get a better career or improve our business, we have to improve
ourselves. And obviously in a situation of lack, you
must empower yourself. You need empowerment to
make progress and to create wealth and opportunity. Without
money or resources, we need empowerment. But
you need resources in order to empower yourself. Can this dream of empowerment ever be fulfilled? Career Tools, Money
Many
use training and certification to acquire knowledge and skills,
but they aren’t the only options. Other
career tools available to you include work experience, Internet, books,
training simulators and so on. Note that even spending
time and money on these tools will not guarantee success without the
necessary commitment and effort. Identify
and use career advancement tools to acquire the technical knowledge and
skills your chosen career path requires. Money
is certainly a critical resource required for building your skills and
knowledge. However, money is not the only tool for empowerment. Can
money alone help the slacker? What is money with an apathetic attitude
that is full of negativity? Empowerment requires
resources such as time, money, effort, as well as the ability the keep
the right perspective. Asking
for free training is begging the question. Money isn’t everything and
resources are often limited. Do you want to move forward? Then smash
those myths and change your orientation. Discover yourself – who are you?
Know yourself and know your value. The money in your pocket is not your
value. Know your self worth. In the words of Harvey Fierstein, “Never
be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.” How
much do you value yourself? Don’t approach your career with a
recipient or “receive only” mindset. You can't grow by accepting
handouts. Always package yourself as a value provider and problem
solver. As a contributor you give more than you receive. Rather than
asking for something, what can you contribute? You may not yet be the 900-pound
gorilla but you have something to offer – what is it? What are your
strengths? Creativity Is
there is a formula for IT career success? Don’t make me laugh! What
works for you may not work for me. What worked yesterday may not work
today. The opportunities at your disposal may be different from the
opportunities I can call on. Ditto for resources. Creativity is not an
option it is the oxygen of the career world. There is simply no formula.
Period! There is no alternative
to creativity. You can’t move forward by focusing only on the obvious
and the traditional. To quote, Lao Tzu, “Learn to see backward, inside
out and upside down." I agree that having no resources
can be challenging but it is also not in the interest of people to focus
only on receiving when they can learn how to empower themselves.
"Give a man to fish and he won't starve for a day. Teach a man how
to fish and he won't starve for his entire life". Find a way of
empowering yourself. How? It’s tough, but it’s also doable. Rather
than hoping or pleading for opportunity, address the challenge in a
practical and meaningful manner. What options are available to you?
Because we see training and certification adverts everyday doesn’t
mean they are our only options. The challenge calls for resourcefulness.
Develop the ability to dig deep for answers and opportunity. Creativity isn’t an easy street.
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in
overalls and looks like work” -Thomas Edison. There are no guarantees
and you need to take risks. Integrity is important and you often need to
be radical and adventurous. "They say it looks clumsy, ridiculous
and stupid? If it's effective, so what? The drumming is often deafening
and merciless, but that's no excuse for taking your eyes off the ball.
Let the main issue be the main issue." You have something valuable. You don’t have money to give so give what you have – time, effort, insight, ideas, interest, attitude and knowledge. You need IT training, do your research – what can you do or provide that will give you value? And don’t be fixated with the straightjacket system or what others are doing? Don’t wait for perfect. The environment isn’t friendly but that isn’t an excuse. Are you waiting for the policy makers? Are you waiting for the “super-nice people” sharing career goodies? For how long will you wait? Take charge and look around you for opportunities. Make the extra effort and ignore skeptics. Where are you looking for such opportunity? What is the need (not just your need)? And in what way can you fill the gaps? You
may even have to do things that are non-IT that can enhance your IT
career. For example, I know of people with an interest in IT careers,
working in, and using non-IT jobs to finance their IT career growth,
exposure and education. They aren’t confused or weird; they’re
simply using opportunities at their disposal to satisfy their career
needs. Experience
If
training is too costly or out of your reach, you can initially focus on
relevant experience before investing in certification. A creative
approach to work experience could provide you with options. Hands-on
experience may help not just in terms of opportunity, but also in
funding your learning and certification. An often overlooked avenue for
work experience is volunteering. Volunteer opportunities are available
with community organizations, religious organizations, non-profit
organizations, local charities, environmental organizations, health
bodies, schools, foundations, volunteer groups, and small businesses. In
fact some organizations provide you with the opportunity to
"volunteer for recommendation". What this entails is offering
your services for a period of time in return for a recommendation from
the organization. Note that volunteering or work experience isn’t
about pay or meal ticket. It’s an opportunity to contribute and
network with other people. Networking
is particularly important for experience and other career opportunities.
As you grow in the field it is important that you network regularly with
your peers and other people. Attend events of relevance to your career
growth and keep on updating yourself. A useful event dealing with these
issues is the FREE IT
career empowerment program. Hot Areas?
There
are more issues at play than which area is hot or which area is cold.
Areas of high demand in IT include Networking, Web Development and
Internet services, Technical Support and maintenance, Programming and
Data base design and administration. How hot is hot? What really is hot
if you don’t know what the field entails? Change your orientation –
your career is more than distractions in the so-called hot areas! What
are your interests? What is your career plan? How much do you know about
these areas? Again resourcefulness must be in the equation. Attitude,
Dreams
Empowerment
requires extra effort and a strong mental attitude. Feed
on the positives. Don’t whine or look for pity. No money doesn’t
mean no hope. Be enthusiastic about your career, be eager to learn,
adopt a positive, high-energy outlook. Face your reality without
becoming a prisoner to reality. The
shortest bridge between despair and hope is a positive attitude. We all
face problems. The issue is not the problem but how we respond to the
problem. You must have the
will to succeed I’m glad you acknowledge and want to solve the problem. You can’t change your situation by burying your head in the sand. However, getting on the right track requires more – you must also acknowledge the weakness of your present approach and instead take positive, concrete steps. You don’t get opportunity simply by wanting or asking. Get out of your comfort zone and start doing something now. Asking isn’t enough. Take up challenges and learn from your experiences both good and bad. View what you need to do as an investment in your career. Change your orientation – look beyond the surface. Don’t assess your effort and time simply in terms of what you’re investing now. Empowerment
doesn’t have to remain a dream. You can tame the beast. A lot depends
on your career focus and your attitude towards the opportunities at your
disposal. I close with words of George Bernard Shaw, “I don't
believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the
people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they
can't find them, make them.” I hope you find this useful and wish you the best in your IT Career.
Jide
Awe
Jide
Awe is
the Founder of Jidaw.com (http://www.jidaw.com) Jidaw.com’s mission is to help you build and sharpen your career focus. Time permitting, we would be glad to answer your career questions, but before sending email, please check the IT Career Resource Center first to see if perhaps your question or problem already appears there or can be solved using the resource center or
better still attend the next FREE
IT Career Seminar..
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