- I Don't Have the Background, Experience, or Education to Get a Job in IT.
- 2: I Have a Little Bit of Experience, But I am Not Certified, and I Can't Get an Entry-Level Job.
- 3: All the Advertisements I Look at Have a Ridiculous Number of Job Skills Required. Who Has All those Skills?
- 4: I Have Worked with Only One Vendor's Platform. Can I Still Move Up in the Field?
- 5: I Don't Have the Money to Get Certified. The Classes Are Too Expensive. How Do I Get Started? Is There an Inexpensive Way to Get Certified?
- 6: I Am Afraid Of Failing.
- 7: I Was Just Laid Off. Who Can I Ask for Help and Guidance?
- Conclusions
6: I Am Afraid Of Failing.
In these days of employee layoffs, when I look back at that day that I left the school systema steady jobI get chills. I had no idea what I was going to do. I was afraid of not being able to meet my obligations, and I was afraid that I would not find a good job. I was afraid of failing. Right after I was unemployed, I got on the phones and started marketing my skills. I spent close to a month lining up support jobs and training opportunities. Then, I started taking classes toward the Microsoft MCSE and MCT in NT 3.51. Realize that I had no money coming in, and I was spending money on classes and certification tests. I knew the only way out of the hole was with a shovel. Within two months of leaving my employer, I was established as a Systems Engineer and Network Trainer. All the idea of failing did was to motivate me to work harder. The answer to Now What? when failure is the motivating force, is to work harder and ask the right questions. I asked a lot of questions, and worked day and night to succeed. The realization that began to set in is that failure is apart of the IT business. That is a reality.
Several years ago, one of my students made me realize the negative side of failure in IT. Her boss sent her to my class to get trained and pass the Novell CNA exam by the end of the week. She had been working with the product for several years, and was very knowledgeable of most administrative tasks. But she was terrified of taking an online exam. She was told by her boss that if she did not come back to work the following Monday with the CNA, she would be fired. You talk about confronting failure in IT. No Pressure! It took her 3 attempts on Friday afternoon to pass the exam. She knew what her mistakes were each time, but she froze up because of the fear of losing her job. The idea of failing was paralyzing her. She overcame that by not giving in. Hard work and persistence were her answer. She had a determined attitude. She went back to work with her CNA. Now what? She came back a few weeks later to take the rest of the classes to the CNE. She never failed another exam after that first round. Passed them all on the first shot. She got her CNE after she got past the reality of failure.
Cisco CCIE candidates have long known that, on average, most CCIE candidates take three attempts to pass the CCIE lab practicum. It is part of the business. It is discussed in virtually every Cisco class. Failure is a fact when pursuing the CCIEthe premier Cisco certification. Nevertheless, many have overcome the obstacles and are holding the CCIE. It is a matter of having a good, positive, determined attitude.