This January , I complete my third anniversary, working as a technical trainer with world's leading telecommunications company.
My international work experience started the same year. The week I joined North American headquarters for this telecom giant in Plano. There was a record breaking snow in DFW metroplex, which resulted, shutting down of major school districts ,work places etc. I wondered, what a welcome as I joined my first week, everyone headed home to work remotely.
Three years by far is a reasonable duration and one gets a good picture about the in n out , ups and downs of a specific position.
I decided to document Pros and Cons of being a technical trainer . Anyone interested in the profession superficially or religiously can certainly benefit from it. Any additions or feed-backs are welcome as comments.
PROS:
- Talk , Talk and Talk: If you are an introvert,extrovert or ambivert. This position will give you plenty of opportunities to sharpen your public speaking skills. Enables you to get a handle on your speech velocity. Estimated 75% of all people experience some degree of anxiety/nervousness when public speaking[1]. Working as a trainer, will let you stand out of the crowd. Say goodbye to your Glossophobia struggles.
- Travel and Tours :Unless you teach virtually, most technical trainers get to travel at different places and client locations domestic and international . If you know your subject matter well, can spare some time after training sessions: eat at your favorite restaurants, while at the same time you get to fly your favorite airlines and stay at hotels chains of your choice, accumulating points. I have more miles with American Airlines , than on my car which sits at the airport parking lots during weekdays. Top of all if you would like to travel for the sake of it , while your wallet remains heavy with nothing to lose. This is the job for you. However, if traveling is not your cup of tea, then it can be a bumper.
- Networking Diversity : Traveling so much around, and meeting new people in every other class and training, enables you to experience diversity. In US alone, traveling to different cities within each state or different states , makes you realize diversity is relative. Meet people working in the same field as yours. It open doors for future networking and connection opportunities.
- Presentation Skills and Learning Style : This is important, while training every day, you get to learn the big secret: one size fits all approach does not work. If you know formal presentation skills, don't expect , you will champ and win everyone's favor. There are different type of learners in every audience. With time, you learn the art of filling everyone's appetite for an appetizer or an entree , while completing your training objective at the same time.
- Ways of Working : Training internals and clients from different companies will give you more insight about the corporate culture of each company. During small talks by the water cooler or lunch breaks, you will learn real world insights of each enterprise, which are not evident from outside. No need to read, yearly reports and compensation benefits of each company, when you can know the real story from real people out there.
- Highest form of Learning: Teaching others is the highest form of learning. Being a technical trainer, teaching the subject matter, back and again reinforces the concepts. Gives the opportunity to look at the subject from learner and trainer perspective. It results in technical trainer acting as a Subject Matter
-Stay on TOP of your Game: Learning is a duplex communication. It goes both ways. With more novel questions asked every time, instructor is forced to look for answers. Software upgrades and releases are updated on average every 6 months. Learn first as its fresh out of oven and teaching others already in the field, reinforces learning for you as a technical expert . Questions are asked for the same concept from new and different perspectives every time you teach a class . This position allows you to analyze the perception of experts in field or theory. Trainer amalgamate , these two sides of the coin: can sandwich both sides and present the training as an Oreo cookie. To top it off, with the secret sauce of different corporates, is a brainer: puts technical trainers in a sweet spot. Don't be surprised if you start getting offers from other companies within first 12 months , once you mastered these unbeatable skills.
CONS:
- Ramp Up: Technology doubles every 18 months and new software releases and upgrades takes place on average every 6 months. If you remain packed with teaching load back to back, bring millions to your company, it leaves very less time to learn new things ahead of time. Learning on the go, as it happens is your only constant here.
- Copyrights and Intellectual Property: Teaching as a trainer is very different from academic setting. In academic teaching , things are explained and discussed by giving a firm foundation to think without limits. In corporate teaching, policies and agreements restrict from real knowledge sharing, to some times mere exchange of concepts according to business perspectives. Discussions takes place exact to the point and involve black box analogies.
- Industry Practice : The dichotomy with corporate teaching is: usually it does not provides research opportunities and freedom , compared to academic settings. Even though teaching to the technical staff of an enterprise and day to day acting as subject matter expert ; trainers still remain under exposed to best field practices, of an organization.Hands on technical staff carry an edge over technical trainers in practical field exposure. Mainly , on account of restrictions and departmental politics of each corporate, technical trainers(even if exceptionally competent) are seldom invited to give their two cents on market trends, customer expectations and solutions, though they deal with customer everday
While college lecturers and professors posses more freedom for research and development, sharing information and knowledge. Technical Trainer on the other hand , is a confused soul , trapped among the two cultures . Bridges the gap between theory and practice. Technical trainer is not researcher as a whole, nor purely a lecturer.
- Clock runs faster : The life clock of trainer runs faster compared to a professional desk job. For example ,if you are supposed to teach a 40 hours long course. You will end up teaching 40+ hours including consulting services, offered via emails for follow up questions. every day 6-8 hours teaching is mandatory. Though it keeps the instructors disciplined, since they know statistics of each project and timelines. It has a down side. You cannot enjoy flexibility in work schedule. For example you cannot teach 4 hours in the morning and 4 hours at night to compensate for total 8 hours. Classes are scheduled for fixed time and duration. If class starts at 7:30 am morning, means 7:30 firm. You cannot show up at your desk 9:30 am thinking you may compensate by working a little longer that day. Weeks fly by like a day, and teaching the same course week after week , may feel monotonous for real. Catching flights, checking in, checking out from hotels, driving like running for your life to catch 5 pm flight at the airport on Fridays, sure adds extra spice and adventure to your life. All this at the expense of burning time cells of your life at a faster rate.
- Compensation and Benefit: Learning and Education in general considered as non-profit globally. The good news is, working for a corporation , it does pays more than a conventional teaching position . However, this compensation is not very encouraging ,provided the fact as cash cows, trainers bring all the money for flying over the weekends, training the clients, coming back to home on Saturdays and flying back again next day. This all contributes to 70+ hours or more regularly . Road warriors get compensation as peanuts , while people getting trained by technical trainers get served with cashews and almonds is a shame.
The reality check is: does management of a company really cares about their training and teaching department ? Even if it does, mere to get check boxes filled on papers for training budget each year.
Training budgets are fixed, and minimal compared to rest of the allocations. The negative effect of reflected on compensation of these technical bakers of Oreo cookies.
An organization, serious about getting their staff trained, would allocate more budget. It would result in retaining high quality trainers within organization. Better rewards and incentives offered would attract more competent professionals to join and stay for long term.
[1] Hamilton, C. (2008/2005). Communicating for Results, a Guide for Business and the Professions (eighth edition). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth
Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are his own and do not represent companies he is currently associated with or in the past.
My international work experience started the same year. The week I joined North American headquarters for this telecom giant in Plano. There was a record breaking snow in DFW metroplex, which resulted, shutting down of major school districts ,work places etc. I wondered, what a welcome as I joined my first week, everyone headed home to work remotely.
Three years by far is a reasonable duration and one gets a good picture about the in n out , ups and downs of a specific position.
I decided to document Pros and Cons of being a technical trainer . Anyone interested in the profession superficially or religiously can certainly benefit from it. Any additions or feed-backs are welcome as comments.
PROS:
- Talk , Talk and Talk: If you are an introvert,extrovert or ambivert. This position will give you plenty of opportunities to sharpen your public speaking skills. Enables you to get a handle on your speech velocity. Estimated 75% of all people experience some degree of anxiety/nervousness when public speaking[1]. Working as a trainer, will let you stand out of the crowd. Say goodbye to your Glossophobia struggles.
- Travel and Tours :Unless you teach virtually, most technical trainers get to travel at different places and client locations domestic and international . If you know your subject matter well, can spare some time after training sessions: eat at your favorite restaurants, while at the same time you get to fly your favorite airlines and stay at hotels chains of your choice, accumulating points. I have more miles with American Airlines , than on my car which sits at the airport parking lots during weekdays. Top of all if you would like to travel for the sake of it , while your wallet remains heavy with nothing to lose. This is the job for you. However, if traveling is not your cup of tea, then it can be a bumper.
- Networking Diversity : Traveling so much around, and meeting new people in every other class and training, enables you to experience diversity. In US alone, traveling to different cities within each state or different states , makes you realize diversity is relative. Meet people working in the same field as yours. It open doors for future networking and connection opportunities.
- Presentation Skills and Learning Style : This is important, while training every day, you get to learn the big secret: one size fits all approach does not work. If you know formal presentation skills, don't expect , you will champ and win everyone's favor. There are different type of learners in every audience. With time, you learn the art of filling everyone's appetite for an appetizer or an entree , while completing your training objective at the same time.
- Ways of Working : Training internals and clients from different companies will give you more insight about the corporate culture of each company. During small talks by the water cooler or lunch breaks, you will learn real world insights of each enterprise, which are not evident from outside. No need to read, yearly reports and compensation benefits of each company, when you can know the real story from real people out there.
- Highest form of Learning: Teaching others is the highest form of learning. Being a technical trainer, teaching the subject matter, back and again reinforces the concepts. Gives the opportunity to look at the subject from learner and trainer perspective. It results in technical trainer acting as a Subject Matter
-Stay on TOP of your Game: Learning is a duplex communication. It goes both ways. With more novel questions asked every time, instructor is forced to look for answers. Software upgrades and releases are updated on average every 6 months. Learn first as its fresh out of oven and teaching others already in the field, reinforces learning for you as a technical expert . Questions are asked for the same concept from new and different perspectives every time you teach a class . This position allows you to analyze the perception of experts in field or theory. Trainer amalgamate , these two sides of the coin: can sandwich both sides and present the training as an Oreo cookie. To top it off, with the secret sauce of different corporates, is a brainer: puts technical trainers in a sweet spot. Don't be surprised if you start getting offers from other companies within first 12 months , once you mastered these unbeatable skills.
CONS:
- Ramp Up: Technology doubles every 18 months and new software releases and upgrades takes place on average every 6 months. If you remain packed with teaching load back to back, bring millions to your company, it leaves very less time to learn new things ahead of time. Learning on the go, as it happens is your only constant here.
- Copyrights and Intellectual Property: Teaching as a trainer is very different from academic setting. In academic teaching , things are explained and discussed by giving a firm foundation to think without limits. In corporate teaching, policies and agreements restrict from real knowledge sharing, to some times mere exchange of concepts according to business perspectives. Discussions takes place exact to the point and involve black box analogies.
- Industry Practice : The dichotomy with corporate teaching is: usually it does not provides research opportunities and freedom , compared to academic settings. Even though teaching to the technical staff of an enterprise and day to day acting as subject matter expert ; trainers still remain under exposed to best field practices, of an organization.Hands on technical staff carry an edge over technical trainers in practical field exposure. Mainly , on account of restrictions and departmental politics of each corporate, technical trainers(even if exceptionally competent) are seldom invited to give their two cents on market trends, customer expectations and solutions, though they deal with customer everday
While college lecturers and professors posses more freedom for research and development, sharing information and knowledge. Technical Trainer on the other hand , is a confused soul , trapped among the two cultures . Bridges the gap between theory and practice. Technical trainer is not researcher as a whole, nor purely a lecturer.
- Clock runs faster : The life clock of trainer runs faster compared to a professional desk job. For example ,if you are supposed to teach a 40 hours long course. You will end up teaching 40+ hours including consulting services, offered via emails for follow up questions. every day 6-8 hours teaching is mandatory. Though it keeps the instructors disciplined, since they know statistics of each project and timelines. It has a down side. You cannot enjoy flexibility in work schedule. For example you cannot teach 4 hours in the morning and 4 hours at night to compensate for total 8 hours. Classes are scheduled for fixed time and duration. If class starts at 7:30 am morning, means 7:30 firm. You cannot show up at your desk 9:30 am thinking you may compensate by working a little longer that day. Weeks fly by like a day, and teaching the same course week after week , may feel monotonous for real. Catching flights, checking in, checking out from hotels, driving like running for your life to catch 5 pm flight at the airport on Fridays, sure adds extra spice and adventure to your life. All this at the expense of burning time cells of your life at a faster rate.
- Compensation and Benefit: Learning and Education in general considered as non-profit globally. The good news is, working for a corporation , it does pays more than a conventional teaching position . However, this compensation is not very encouraging ,provided the fact as cash cows, trainers bring all the money for flying over the weekends, training the clients, coming back to home on Saturdays and flying back again next day. This all contributes to 70+ hours or more regularly . Road warriors get compensation as peanuts , while people getting trained by technical trainers get served with cashews and almonds is a shame.
The reality check is: does management of a company really cares about their training and teaching department ? Even if it does, mere to get check boxes filled on papers for training budget each year.
Training budgets are fixed, and minimal compared to rest of the allocations. The negative effect of reflected on compensation of these technical bakers of Oreo cookies.
An organization, serious about getting their staff trained, would allocate more budget. It would result in retaining high quality trainers within organization. Better rewards and incentives offered would attract more competent professionals to join and stay for long term.
[1] Hamilton, C. (2008/2005). Communicating for Results, a Guide for Business and the Professions (eighth edition). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth
Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are his own and do not represent companies he is currently associated with or in the past.
1 comment:
Very well written Azar, a very balanced overview!
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