ML
    • Recent
    • Categories
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Groups
    • Register
    • Login

    What constitutes an IT Pro?

    Self Promotion
    it basics it careers it education
    13
    66
    9.3k
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • ChrisLC
      ChrisL @wirestyle22
      last edited by

      @wirestyle22 said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

      @art_of_shred said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

      @DustinB3403 said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

      Well by definition your are a professional if you are paid to do a certain task. IT professional is no different than professional wrestler.

      Your paid to do X. Which means your a professional

      No difference between a pro wrestler and an IT pro? Hmmm... 😛

      I performed my signature move the "Tombstone" on that 2003 Exchange server. It's completely out of commission.

      I gave an open cabinet door the Sweet Chin Music the last time I visited the DC.

      MattSpellerM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
      • MattSpellerM
        MattSpeller @ChrisL
        last edited by MattSpeller

        @ChrisL said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

        @wirestyle22 said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

        @art_of_shred said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

        @DustinB3403 said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

        Well by definition your are a professional if you are paid to do a certain task. IT professional is no different than professional wrestler.

        Your paid to do X. Which means your a professional

        No difference between a pro wrestler and an IT pro? Hmmm... 😛

        I performed my signature move the "Tombstone" on that 2003 Exchange server. It's completely out of commission.

        I gave an open cabinet door the Sweet Chin Music the last time I visited the DC.

        Good grief what am I doing wrong. I never physically abuse the equipment, it typically abuses me!!

        Matt directs laser eyeballs at the rack hardware that has sliced him up on multiple occasions

        art_of_shredA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
        • art_of_shredA
          art_of_shred Banned @MattSpeller
          last edited by

          @MattSpeller said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

          @ChrisL said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

          @wirestyle22 said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

          @art_of_shred said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

          @DustinB3403 said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

          Well by definition your are a professional if you are paid to do a certain task. IT professional is no different than professional wrestler.

          Your paid to do X. Which means your a professional

          No difference between a pro wrestler and an IT pro? Hmmm... 😛

          I performed my signature move the "Tombstone" on that 2003 Exchange server. It's completely out of commission.

          I gave an open cabinet door the Sweet Chin Music the last time I visited the DC.

          Good grief what am I doing wrong. I never physically abuse the equipment, it typically abuses me!!

          Matt directs laser eyeballs at the rack hardware that has sliced him up on multiple occasions

          Just as long as you're not trash-talking to it before it kicks your a$$. That would be embarrassing.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
          • scottalanmillerS
            scottalanmiller
            last edited by

            I'm jumping in pretty late, but I think that a big thing that we have to consider is if "pro" applies to IT. IT is nothing like doctors, lawyers and not much like traditional engineers. I hate the term pro as it brings connotations of fields with which IT really does not have anything in common. I like the term practitioner better. IT is a business field and business isn't a field of professionals. Business is about "who can do it the best." Professionals are traditionally all about certifications and regulations - following rules and being locked "inside the box."

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • scottalanmillerS
              scottalanmiller @DustinB3403
              last edited by

              @DustinB3403 said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

              Well by definition your are a professional if you are paid to do a certain task. IT professional is no different than professional wrestler.

              Your paid to do X. Which means your a professional

              That doesn't match US employment rules as to professional versus non-professional. There is the loose "paid" definition but there are much more strict definitions that make only a handful of jobs listed as professional - and none that IT would happily identify with.

              DustinB3403D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • scottalanmillerS
                scottalanmiller @RojoLoco
                last edited by

                @RojoLoco said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

                I thought the definition of "IT Pro" was: "anyone and everyone who manages to figure out how to make a spiceworks account". Or is that just SW's definition?

                Anyone and everyone for whom an account is made. You adding way too much constriction.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                • DustinB3403D
                  DustinB3403 @scottalanmiller
                  last edited by

                  @scottalanmiller Professional Defined.

                  scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • scottalanmillerS
                    scottalanmiller @DustinB3403
                    last edited by

                    @DustinB3403 said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

                    @scottalanmiller Professional Defined.

                    Yup, and the major definition is part 1, not part 2. That was my point. And if you use part 2, then you lump IT in with ALL work, like garbage men or janitors. And in one case you can call yourself "a professional" and in the other you cannot. Just because you flip burgers at McD's does not mean that you can say that you are a "professional."

                    DustinB3403D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • scottalanmillerS
                      scottalanmiller
                      last edited by

                      US Legal Definition of Professional:

                      0_1484362189095_Screenshot from 2017-01-13 21-49-31.png

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • DustinB3403D
                        DustinB3403 @scottalanmiller
                        last edited by

                        @scottalanmiller the definition is based on by all descriptions of it, as something done to earn income. In a general summary.

                        The only thing that allows variance is the 1b which describes a professional as a learned profession. Like a personal accountant, or lawyer.

                        But in any case it boils down to, what you're paid to do for work.

                        scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • scottalanmillerS
                          scottalanmiller
                          last edited by

                          Because IT does not yet have a specially organized body of knowledge, IT isn't eligible for professional status. In many ways, it's higher than a professional status because it requires a degree of knowledge that cannot yet be codified.

                          DustinB3403D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • scottalanmillerS
                            scottalanmiller @DustinB3403
                            last edited by

                            @DustinB3403 said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

                            @scottalanmiller the definition is based on by all descriptions of it, as something done to earn income. In a general summary.

                            The only thing that allows variance is the 1b which describes a professional as a learned profession. Like a personal accountant, or lawyer.

                            But in any case it boils down to, what you're paid to do for work.

                            That's neither what the primarily (part 1) definition says, not how the word is most commonly used and not how it is used legally in the US. Professional can be used in the silly way of "I'm a professional burger flipper" but a burger flipper cannot say "I'm a professional." That would be outright lying.

                            DustinB3403D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • DustinB3403D
                              DustinB3403 @scottalanmiller
                              last edited by

                              @scottalanmiller said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

                              Because IT does not yet have a specially organized body of knowledge, IT isn't eligible for professional status. In many ways, it's higher than a professional status because it requires a degree of knowledge that cannot yet be codified.

                              Wrong. IT is codified as being intellectual and varied in character.

                              scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • scottalanmillerS
                                scottalanmiller @DustinB3403
                                last edited by

                                @DustinB3403 said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

                                @scottalanmiller said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

                                Because IT does not yet have a specially organized body of knowledge, IT isn't eligible for professional status. In many ways, it's higher than a professional status because it requires a degree of knowledge that cannot yet be codified.

                                Wrong. IT is codified as being intellectual and varied in character.

                                That is not what the term codified means at all. IT is not codified, plain and simple. There is no standard corpus of knowledge. None whatsoever.

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • DustinB3403D
                                  DustinB3403 @scottalanmiller
                                  last edited by

                                  @scottalanmiller said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

                                  @DustinB3403 said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

                                  @scottalanmiller the definition is based on by all descriptions of it, as something done to earn income. In a general summary.

                                  The only thing that allows variance is the 1b which describes a professional as a learned profession. Like a personal accountant, or lawyer.

                                  But in any case it boils down to, what you're paid to do for work.

                                  That's neither what the primarily (part 1) definition says, not how the word is most commonly used and not how it is used legally in the US. Professional can be used in the silly way of "I'm a professional burger flipper" but a burger flipper cannot say "I'm a professional." That would be outright lying.

                                  But the basic definition of professional is "what you get paid to do as your primary work". So if 60% of the time you're flipping burgers, you are a professional burger flipper.

                                  scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • scottalanmillerS
                                    scottalanmiller @DustinB3403
                                    last edited by

                                    @DustinB3403 said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

                                    @scottalanmiller said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

                                    @DustinB3403 said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

                                    @scottalanmiller the definition is based on by all descriptions of it, as something done to earn income. In a general summary.

                                    The only thing that allows variance is the 1b which describes a professional as a learned profession. Like a personal accountant, or lawyer.

                                    But in any case it boils down to, what you're paid to do for work.

                                    That's neither what the primarily (part 1) definition says, not how the word is most commonly used and not how it is used legally in the US. Professional can be used in the silly way of "I'm a professional burger flipper" but a burger flipper cannot say "I'm a professional." That would be outright lying.

                                    But the basic definition of professional is "what you get paid to do as your primary work". So if 60% of the time you're flipping burgers, you are a professional burger flipper.

                                    Correct, I already agreed to that. But under no terms can you also claim to be "a professional." Burger flippers, like IT, do not meet the list of necessary qualifications to be "a professional."

                                    DustinB3403D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • scottalanmillerS
                                      scottalanmiller
                                      last edited by

                                      We've covered this, there is a meaningful use of the term "professional" like doctor or lawyer, and a silly, pointless one meaning "anytime you get paid." There is no purpose to talking about or discussing the latter here. Your point is made that that is a valid English use of the word, but that discussion is over and we are talking about the real job description here.

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                      • DustinB3403D
                                        DustinB3403 @scottalanmiller
                                        last edited by

                                        @scottalanmiller I disagree.

                                        Many people would agree anyone who works in a field with experience is then a professional. And to be a "pro" at something requires 2000 hours of experience (recalling from memory).

                                        So anyone who works at a job doing their primary tasks for 2000 is a Pro, and therefore a professional!

                                        scottalanmillerS 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • scottalanmillerS
                                          scottalanmiller @DustinB3403
                                          last edited by

                                          @DustinB3403 said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

                                          @scottalanmiller I disagree.

                                          Many people would agree anyone who works in a field with experience is then a professional. And to be a "pro" at something requires 2000 hours of experience (recalling from memory).

                                          So anyone who works at a job doing their primary tasks for 2000 is a Pro, and therefore a professional!

                                          They can agree, but they are just making things up. Lots of people do that, but it doesn't make them right, it just makes them uninformed and ignorant. There are clear English language (part 1) and legal definitions that I showed to make sure you couldn't make that mistake here.

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • scottalanmillerS
                                            scottalanmiller @DustinB3403
                                            last edited by

                                            @DustinB3403 said in What constitutes an IT Pro?:

                                            And to be a "pro" at something requires 2000 hours of experience (recalling from memory).

                                            That's expert, unrelated to professional. Professional, one could argue, is contrary to expert because the needs are often conflicting. They are, at least, two completely different vectors, however. And the number is 10,000 hours. And it is not that 10K hours makes you an expert, it is that in a skilled area (so the things you are talking about don't apply anyway) that on average someone practicing that much will reach expert level. The hours themselves don't do it, and only certain activities apply and none of it is related to this discussion.

                                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                            • 1
                                            • 2
                                            • 3
                                            • 4
                                            • 3 / 4
                                            • First post
                                              Last post