Category: Thoughts

Post about random thoughts I have, that may pertain to anything from my personal life to technology to industry trends

Never compromise on your best practice standards

IT, Thoughts

Today I had some users request for an implementation that would have gone against the best practices set up by me and my team. They actually had a very good use case, and if I did not make an exception for them, their application would stop functioning.

I told them that if they acknowledged the risks and sent me a written confirmation, I would implement the change pending my manager’s approval. My manager replied to me within five minutes to let me know that we wouldn’t be making any exceptions. This is what she said:

I don’t like it when we break our own standards. The minute you start compromising, you set a precedent and bad things start happening.

I don’t know why, but I really liked it when she said that. A lot of people are going to be angry with us today, but we stuck to our expertise and experience. I feel like being able to judge whether or not to compromise is a great skill to have, and I will strive to get better at it. It’s funny, the conversation I had with her was professional in nature, but I feel like this can apply to all aspect of my life.

Major layoffs

Personal, Thoughts

It’s my first time experiencing massive layoffs. Someone who I had worked with since my first arrival to Houston was let go last Friday, and the empty cubicle next to me gives off really sad vibes. The economy (in my sector at least) is doing terrible. Hopefully things pick up soon.

I read somewhere that during an economic slump, the best thing you can invest in is yourself. Last year this was definitely the case. Did you know that the #1 investment performer last year was cash? That means that on average, if you did literally nothing with your money, you performed better than anyone who invested in stocks or bonds. I’m sure this isn’t the first year for that to happen, but I haven’t read an article like that before. It’s hilarious in a sad way.

Right now the best thing to invest in is myself, so I’m taking the time to look into different career acceleration options. As a Technology Consultant, I can of course increase my technical skills. The problem with that though, is that I don’t know what technology my next client is going to value the most. Right now it is mobile device technologies, but who knows what the next client will want?