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Discussion on: How much does your job dictate what new tools you learn vs self-direction?

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John Peters • Edited

Self-directed all the way. Here's what companies do often, the folks in the trenches carry on the legacy things. They are experts many times over. When new stuff is needed companies reach for outsider consultants. Many of which don't have the depth they are looking for in that new thing! I've witnessed multi-million dollar consultant deals whereby the consultants themselves weren't on to the latest greatest, they were just legacy people in their own/other area.

The truly new stuff takes a lot of time to really get it, without self direction nobody is going to lead our careers. The only issue here is that you need to find a job in that new area (as a greenhorn) to get the proper pressure needed to become a SME.