root of all evil : Words of Wisdom

Root's Words of Wisdom: School to Job

root — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 01:54:00 GMT

So sitting here at my desk, in my apartment, awaiting youtube to accept uploads (currently they aren't) for ep4 and came across this PM:

"I'm thinking of getting into Networking. Don't you do something like that? Anyways, what school did you go to, what suggestions do you have for the people getting into the Corporate world?"

Well, I'm paraphrasing there. He didn't really say that word for word but you get the idea.

For the record, I'm a Storage Area Network engineer (SAN). I deal with storage. This is not closet space or shipping containers in a network. This is data storage. Hard drives. We have refrigerator size frames that are filled with hard drives, for a centralized location for storage, that we carve up storage from (LUNs) and allocate them to servers/mainframes that do various things with the storage (Exchange, Oracle, SAP, etc).

How did I get into storage? I can tell you now I never said to myself "hey, I want to get into storage." Hell, I never even knew there was such a job out there before I entered that fateful internship.

I went through high school imagining that I'd get into computers. I'd get a degree in computers and then get into the corporate world, happy go lucky. Boy was I off.

First off, 'computers', at least in the mid to large companies, is a very very broad term. There is the application team (Oracle, Exchange, SAP, Webapps, middleware, etc), the hardware team, the OS team, the data center team, the storage team, the backup team, the network team, the Desktop team, the security team, the... well pretty much there is a field for just about any part of the computer, depending on how large (or specialized) the company is. And each of those fields will have a specialized component to that field.

There isn't just SAN. There is NAS. There is the individual vendors of those products (EMC, IBM, Hitachi, etc) and within those vendors there are different types of frames (CLARiiON, Symmetrix, Sharks, 8000s, etc). The networking part (CISCO, Brocade (now including McData), Qlogic, etc). And the various technologies of all those products (Replication, Virtualization, iSCSI, FCIP, etc). Everything can be specialized and everything can be generalized.

Then there is the management part. You have the technical and the management. Someone who is fluent in both usually has skills that few individuals posses. Especially having translating skills from technical to management and vis vera (that's where you here those favored "examples"... err can't think of the name of it right now).

Even in college there isn't just a particular degree. All of your electives that you have at your disposal means that you can specialize in a particular field within your degree. And don't get me started on Master programs.

Well if you can understand this, how there is a lot more out there than what you probably think (daunting really), I'm sure you are thinking "What am I going to do? How can I prepare?"

Simplest answer?

You can't prepare for it.

I mean, sure, you can study for particular certifications (there is literally hundreds of thousands out there), you can research into the various fields out there but... well to be honest you won't know until you try it.

I personally got a degree in MIS (that's Management Information Systems). Which I still don't know what they heck it was about. Mostly had to do with databases I think. Pretty much a degree that's between a Business and Computer Science degree (the C.S. majors called us wannabies). I landed an internship with a pretty good company and got a feel for the corporate life. I liked it, for the most part. I was sort of tossed into the Storage team and about a year later got hired on full time.

In my own humble belief, you will never know what you want to do until well after college, when you have enough experience in things of said Life. I mean, even the company to choose isn't an easy task. Small? Medium? Big? Each has it's advantages and disadvantages. Do you want to travel a lot? You might think it would be fun now but most people get tired of it within the first few months. Do you just want to go where the money is at? Specialized? Generic? Consulting? Management? Technical? Entrepreneur? It all depends.

First step is getting your foot in the door (college is a great opportunity for this). Degree in Business or Computers, either one helps. College can prepare you some, just not as much as you think. You can get a good foundation to build on and, as you get into your first real job, you can use bits and pieces of it. But it's all about getting your foot in the door and getting it wet. This is where colleges have internship programs set up with most companies. This is a great opportunity. Without these internships, you might have to start from the ground up (call centers, desktop support, etc). There is a reason why they say experience counts.

"Well that isn't helping me at all root."

Join the club. I still don't know what the hell I want to do with the rest of my life. Comforting, I know, but at least I have 40 more years to figure it all out. I'll let you know when I do.

Please post up your own School to Job transition, and where you ended up.

Until Youtube gets their site working again,

Root's Words of Wisdom: Women

root — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:41:00 GMT

What I've learned over the years:

When asked how they look, do not say "heifer?".
When they say "fine", it is in fact not fine.
Do not get caught looking at another woman, and never say she (other woman) is hott. Key word? "Caught"
You may be bring in the money, but you aren't the one who will be spending it.
What is "ours" is actually "hers"
Compromise by definition is giving and taking. In the context of women, it's all giving.
Being spontaneously romantic is great, just don't waste it all in the beginning.
Her friends and/or family are more important than you.
"Forget" to do the laundry enough times, and you can get her to do it every time.
Don't expect to be doing the "salty tango" four times a week after 2-5 months of dating.... unless she is your mistress.
If you have a mistress and/or are cheating, invest in life insurance and make me your beneficiary.
What ever the situation is, in any argument, you are wrong. You loose by default, she has ta-ta's and your man boobs don't count.
When you first meet her, know that all women are all liars (they wear makeup, high heels, shave, etc). So don't be surprised that the woman you like now won't be the same 1-2 months from now.
Move in together and try it out for a few months before you pop the question.
"I'm sorry", "I love you" and "Yes Dear" will be the three phrases that you'll need to survive.

Feel free to add your own, or to tell me I'm wrong *grin*

Until next time users,

Root's Words of Wisdom: THAT coworker

root — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 04:50:00 GMT

Do you know the coworker I'm talking about? You know, the one that's quietly starring at you... the one that no one talks to?

My Words of Wisdom to you: talk to him.

If he goes postal on you, he might spare you. Buy him/her a drink. 50 cents will go a long way when the bullets start flying.

You need every advantage you can get to survive the work place.

Until next time users,

Root's Words of Wisdom: The Code

root — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 03:19:00 GMT

The code I live by:

Live with no regrets.
Feel the fear, then do it.
Past is past, learn from it and live in the now.
Speak your mind, but don't forget karma
Black and white is rare. Gray is life.
Do the best you can with what you have at hand (see rule 1)
The best lie is laced with truth
Protect those you love (see rule 7 and 1)
Even something as thin as paper has two sides to it.
"I'd be happy to" will get you far at work.

Feel free to add your own code.

Till next time users,

Root's Words of Wisdom: Elevators

root — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 20:40:00 GMT

If you are ever in the situation where the elevator--that one that you ride up and down every day at work--happens to have it's line break and the emergency breaks don't kick in... and you suddenly go into a free fall... lay down flat (face down) against the center of the floor. If you have coworkers, shove them out of the way. Your life is more precious.

This will ensure your maximum survival. Similar to walking on an icy pond, your weight is being distributed across your entire body surface, instead of just on your feet (where your body will crumple on impact).

Another elevator tip: Hit the floor you wish to go to and "Close Door" at the same time. Depending on the elevator's programing, you will go straight to your floor without pause (even if someone hits the button). It's a hidden override. Great for when you are in Japan in those 300 story buildings.

Till next time users,

Root's Words of Wisdom: Money and Wealth

root — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 05:31:00 GMT

“Money is not the most important thing in the world. Love is. Fortunately, I love money.”

- Jackie Mason

I'll keep it simple. In fact, these Words of Wisdom will be said in 3 words.

Pay Yourself First

If you can live by this code, you can become a wealthy man/woman. No matter the situation, always save a little into an account, before you spend any money. You should also make some rules, for yourself, that must be met for you to access this little nest-egg account (bad health, family emergency, buying a house, etc) and stick by those rules--no matter how tempting that new 60" TV looks.

Even if you are eyebrow deep in debt, always pay yourself first. Doesn't matter how small it is, just set aside some money. You will be surprised how much it can grow over time.

Feel free to add your own Money tips.

Root's Words of Wisdom: Computer Shopping

root — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 05:22:00 GMT

These are the lessons I have learned:

The number 1 part you can't skimp on is the PSU
Case should be bought for cooling/usability and looks should be second in mind
Next best thing to invest in is Memory
(In order from highest to lowest) Video Cards, Processors, and Motherboards have a higher rate of change than all the other parts.
Technology, prices, and power change frequently, so don't waste you money in bleeding/cutting edge.
Find the mobo first, then build around it.
Always buy two drives, 1 for your OS and the other for applications/games
Don't invest in RAID0. For the desktop, build for RAID1 if you want RAID.
Read the reviewer's Cons first and ignore the Pros. Know how to identify the "whiners" and the legitimate problems
Always check for OS compatibility (drivers).
Keep the purpose of the build in mind at all times (A particular application/game/Word/etc)
If you are getting an after market Heat Sink & Fan (HSF), you will need thermal paste
Keep in mind SATA cables for all your devices (many mobo come with 2)
Part's Warranty, take it into consideration
Don't buy without research.

Feel free to add your own!