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Am I a Practitioner?
Am I a Practitioner?
This is a guide to help determine if you are an IT Practitioner.
If you are not - do not fret. It does not mean you are not a great technician and a
highly desirable IT project team member candidate. Also, remember this is only one of
many factors that go into being a great IT project team member. How you relate to others is
also critical to your coworkers and clients. Please note that nothing replaces reliability,
optimism, communication, and a “Whatever it takes” attitude.
1. How many IT related organizations (user groups, web groups, associations, etc.) do I belong to AND with whom I regularly interact?
2. How many IT related articles, postings, and briefs do I read monthly?
3. How many IT related books did I read in the last twelve months?
4. How many IT related meetings (other than regular work meetings), conferences, seminars, and classes did I attend in the last twelve months?
5. How many IT related articles have I authored (alone or in collaboration) and been published in the last two years?
6. How many IT related speaking engagements, seminars, presentations have I made in the last two years?
7. How many things am I considered a “resident expert” for on IT related technologies at work?
8. How many hours per month do I spend being an IT technician (programmer, analyst, architect, manager, help desk, developer, tester, trainer, etc.) per month?*
Tally Time For each B give your self 1 point, for each C give yourself 2 points and for each D give yourself 4 points. Add them up.
If your score is under 10 you are not a practitioner. Maybe you are technical and do a little reading on the side. You may like your job and you may have a lot of outside activities that take your focus away from IT related issues. Practitioners read a lot to keep up with technology changes and while they may find their personal lives are impacted somewhat by “work” they make the time to have a career. You may be good to have on a team.
If your score is 10 to 20 you are likely becoming a Practitioner. You truly care about your field of endeavor and try to stay on top of technology issues and changes. You likely interact with others who have a similar attitude about their career. You are very good to have on a team – you raise the probability for success.
If your score is 20 to 30 you are likely a practitioner. You probably are taxed with requests outside of your regular project by those seeking your expertise. It is also likely you have a network of IT technologists on whom you can rely for information.. Research is something you do by choice not only as an assignment. When designing a solution to a problem great or small you consider its impact not only on interfacing criteria but to future sustainability. You also find yourself having to be selective about the meetings, conferences and seminars to attend because you have to consider your other work and life demands. In any case your career is important to you. You are a great asset to have on a project team.
*If for most of your career you have not been engaged in actual IT development, maintenance and support work experience this test is irrelevant for you. Not that we think less of, for example, academicians, but a practitioner practices their craft on a regular basis. If you mostly teach then you may be a practitioner of teaching but not for IT services.