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Subject:Having a Life Re: Educational areas to pursue From:eric -dot- dunn -at- ca -dot- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 25 Feb 2003 13:28:27 -0500
<<Even if you don't really learn much, or discover you hate it, what is the
downside?>>
I'm in the camp that says you should learn everything you can about the
technologies you document. However there is a downside to courses taken in the
evening or on the weekend. Even if the Boss pays tuition AND time.
The downside is that a finite portion of your life is wrenched away from other
priorities in life. If all you'd be doing otherwise is watching survivor or a
similarly mind numbing activity, get off your back side and learn something. But
if you are already busy with the responsibilities of house and family then you
are quite right to negotiate for learning on company time or for courses YOU
deem more interesting or seem more useful to you longterm. Volunteering at the
local hospital is probably more rewarding and more valuable on a resume than
many of the pathetic training courses out there.
The trick is to diplomatically negotiate with the boss. Not everyone wants to be
a DINK (Double Income No Kids), those with kids want them to at least know who
their parents are, and even the singles are entitled to strike the balance
between work and life that THEY choose. The boss can choose to favour the
employees that don't want or can't have a life by promoting them. But last time
I checked, refusing to work all hours God sends or having the gall to want
social interaction outside of the workplace is not grounds for fair dismissal.
Bet this is now followed by the chorus of workers ripping off employers and they
should be grateful, and that we should love our work so much that we should be
amazed we're even paid.
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