Friday, October 19, 2007

Friday Five

This week has been extremely tough on me. My class has included quite possibly the most difficult student I've ever had to deal with, which is, unfortunately, one of the hazards of the job.

Which got me to thinking - why not do a Friday Five on the 5 things I like most about being a trainer.

  1. Friday always comes. This is easily my favorite part. No matter what happens, how bad a class goes, there is always an end. I used to work with a trainer early on in my career who served as a mentor to me. He compared Fridays to a Vegas dealer clearing their hands as they walk away from a table - they clap their hands, quick wave, and leave it all behind.
  2. I'm not on call. I've never had to answer the phone at 2a from a frantic manager or boss who has to learn T-SQL right now!
  3. There is something very cool about helping someone learn a new skill. Watching a student realize something or grok something is truly special.
  4. Instant gratification. I know immediately when I've done a good job, and I love being lavished in student's praise.
  5. It gives me a chance to play with technology. The reason I became a computer geek of any variety in the first place is because I truly love technology. And that feeling has never left me.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I like this post. Liking one's job is mostly about perspective. Sure, there's always better jobs out there - but on the flip side, somebody has to clean the toilets at Shea stadium. I think it would be good for all people to list five things about their job - give a little perspective on the tough days.