The field of computer training is filled with promises. Sometimes those promises are met. But many times they are not …

What did it take to get you over the hump? Do you rely on computer how-to books, interactive DVDs, specialized computer training centers, community college courses, a handful of websites, or perhaps a patient friend or relative?

I’ve always been a hit the books and thrash it out kinda guy, but I pondered the idea of going the MCSE boot camp route last summer …

I’ve been thinking about attending a MCSE boot camp. While I’ll never have a fancy phd to hang after my name like my old man, I thought it might not hurt to pick up a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MSCE) designation. MCSE boot camps seem like the fastest way to make that happen. An exotic location would certainly make it more fun. Who couldn’t love the idea of a MCSE boot camp in Hawaii?

… after giving it some thought, I passed on the idea. If I had someone else’s education budget (rather than a dwindling personal checking account balance) to squander I might have taken the plunge.

Fifteen years of writing software training materials has given me a somewhat time-worn perspective on the business. While much has changed over the years, what seemed like an ever-quickening pace (at the time) has slowed dramatically.

Smack me with a halibut, but I’m just not compelled to memorize the menu structure and keyboard shortcuts of any given piece of software as soon as it hits the streets, anymore … a good old cheat sheet will do just fine.

Tags: computer training