Training - A Company or a Worker's Responsibility?

r0wan asks: "I'm currently working as a Microsoft Systems Administrator. Through a series of bungled management decisions, have found myself responsible for a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory network, that I know nothing about (the person who was sent for training was: not the Microsoft point person, as I was; and left the company, soon after the domain upgrade). It doesn't look as though training will be forthcoming, and I've just been moved from the lab, where I was training myself while simultaneously handling the domain. I've got the MCSA/MCSE Training Kit, but recently I've found numerous errors, so many that I was sent a free Press Kit book, for submitting all of the errors I had found. Between management's reluctance to shell out for training, and being moved from the lab, I'm getting the distinct sense that training is something I'm expected to take care of, on my own time. Is this the de-facto standard within IT, and for all jobs within IT? If so, how do you Slashdot readers keep up with your continuing education, while still maintaining a personal life? Is it naive to try to leave my work at work?" "I'm especially interested in hearing from the Slashdot readers of the female persuasion, as I have a husband, a dog, and a household to keep up with (no kids by choice, but I wouldn't have the time to take care of them, even if I wanted to). I also have the added responsibility of being the primary breadwinner. My free time is valuable in that it allows me to take care of that which I can't during the day (grocery shopping, dog responsibilities, cleaning, etc), and decompress/de-stress in order to prepare for the next day's work. I like tinkering with computers and learning new stuff, but I fear that if I'm expected train myself, outside of work, I may need to consider a different career.

Thanks in advance for the input."

Comments

Primary breadwinner

[lamasquerade]

If you're the primary breadwinner shouldn't your husband be keeping the house etc under control? I'm assuming he works part-time or less, if so and you are working full-time it seems that the majority of such tasks should fall to him...

Re:Oddly enough... Don't be so goddamned smug

[davidsyes]

(This isn't FLAMEBAIT... this is a pointed, scathing wakeup!)

and arrogant. In that "winning the cold war" was included a large dose of LUCK, and a number of mis-steps by other countries along the way. Also, a LOT of thievery and counter-counter-espionage on both sides, too.

And, I guess our tax dollars righteously went to training, arming, and then DUMPING insurgents who then got slaughtered by their governments when the US back out when the political winds changed. I am SURE you're smart enough to know of various cartels, juntas and more that got TOWs, Stingers, LAWs, Claymores and MORE, only to turn on the very entity that once pumped them up and left them deflated. Now when crap comes home to roost, patriotism, not a clean-up job, are the watch-word of the day... Short-term memory effect can be a bitch, especially when the rest of the world will KILL us if they could get away with it, but in the meantime take the fruits of tech, money, and entertainment. Myopia will be our undoing. Ah, but, well, NOOOO 'merkun presidential candidate ever runs on the promise making 'meriku Number Two.

As for evil dictators who "used chemical weapons on" their "own people". Point out where in THIS country such things haven't been done to minorities and Natives! The most "enlightened, technologically-advanced country on the planet" (however militarily "restrained") and we have still to get through institutionalized marketing racism, mistreatment or neglect of veterans, corrupt police departments (not all, but enough of them), companies that place donations in the "necessary evil" department, tainted water supplies, inner-city blight, side-walk pissers, misplaced national and international policies.... Yeh, we work hard at stressing the hell out of the very populace that is paying taxes and are so worn out we neglect to reign in STUPID policy makers and their related peripheral brethren.

No matter WHICH country you hail from, I believe in your right to sink ANY sub that is tapping your cables. If you choose not to sink it, then at least force it to surface-- then film it and demand the surrender of the crew under every legal trick in the books. If the ship/boat/sub STILL refuses, then mortar it until it's out of your water.

Sheesh. The world is FAR bigger than and FAR more important than JUST the good 'ole US of A. It's only a matter of time before things come back full-circle. As just ONE example: China, a few hundred years ago, COULD have been in charge of this land if hegemony rather than tribute system had been their goal. And, don't spout bullshit about "if we woulda lost da wor we'da been speekin' (pick a language)". It would have been a MOOT POINT in many cases, had a LOT of luck not just brute-tech-knowhow had not fallen into the US' lap. Go back and read your history books, not the crap spewed out by the govt marketing machine.

----

Flags and territorialism are incompatible with legitimate higher causes...

Re:He's discovering reality. Isn't it cute?

[Arterion]

The only way to make what you are worth is to go into business for yourself. If you cannot hack it, then you were never worth that much in the first place.

Yes, in Capitalism. That's why it's evil.