What a week

It has been some time since my last post, is not a moment for excuses. Rather a moment for reflection. The mother of a good friend of mine passed away last week and the Governor of Puerto Rico was charged with 19 counts in Federal court. For my friend I wish the best and pray that God will give her strenght and wisdom in her moment of need.

I ask for strenght for Puerto Rico and everyone involved in this sad chapter of our history. As to the political and social ramifications, that would be topic for another day.

Who's responsibility is it?

I was reading the other day an article in the online version of El Nuevo Dia, a newspaper in Puerto Rico detailing some of the reasons that ethanol is not currently available in Puerto Rico. One of the persons interviewed was identified as a leader in the association of gas retailers, he said something to the fact that it will not be up to them to bring ethanol to the market. That was government's business.

Now, that sounds to me like a lack of vision from a person that should be providing leadership in an industry that directly affects the consumer in the island. Rather than assuming a "that's not my problem attitude", a really savvy business leader could seize on the opportunity and get involved and start looking for ways were he can capitalize on renewable technologies. It is no longer a matter of if, is a matter of when we will start moving from the dependency on fossil fuels to environmentally sound altenatives.

That does not mean that government's role is not necessary. Government can start by setting targets for the government fleet to be on ethanol. This could be the spark that can ignite the fire of the alternative fuel market and make it commercially viable. The experiences of cities like Caguas and others that have experimented with biodiesel has been positive, it is time that we start working together to cut our dependency on the black gold.

Customer support

At one point or another we all have been in at either end of the customer support spectrum. As a receiver or as a provider of customer support. It does not matter if it is at a restaurant or while taking a flight, customer service has great impact on how an organization is viewed and the likelihood of repeating business. Even if you "are your own boss" you still have clients and customers that you have to support. Next time that you are taking care of a customer, think about what you are doing and analyze if you are treating them the way you would like to be treated yourself. It might make the difference between a one-time customer and a regular customer.

Another day

"Another day, another dollar", at least that is what I heard. Six courses and one half hour excercise done. Plenty more to go, one day at a time. :-)

New projects, exploring new frontiers

It is amazing how new projects can influence your mood and your interests. I am excited at the projects and I have on the pipeline and the difference those projects can have in many lives, specially my personal and professional future. As part of that I have to master new technolgies which I should start shortly. But, at the same time I am developing and using all my skillset from business, to soft skills that make for a very exciting phase in my life For the time being I have started preparing to become a certified Project Management Professional, I am taking a course online and my PMBOK guide should arrive shortly.

I have to admit, I have been surprised about how much of what I learned in my undergraduate and graduate studies I have been able to recall. Now, I just have to remember that I am just starting the course and that it will become more challenging as it progresses. I am plan to complete my certification in the next two months. It is a tight schedule but I am confident that I will achive it.

If you want to pursue a career in IT you need to be able to adapt and learn or pick up new skills to stay relevant. One of IT's biggest challenges as a career is adapting to the idea that you might be working with a technolgy today and look back in just a couple of years and look at that as ancient history. The only difference is that "ancient history" can be just 18-24 months ago. I you think you can get accustomed to that, then IT might be the career just for you.

Being and "IT guy"

Being by accident or by divine intervetion somehow I ended up working with information technology. I have to admit that I like the challenges and the constant change. Technology changes at such a dramatic pace that it amounts to almost having to learn a whole new language every 18-24 months. On the same token it contradicts past notions of learning your job and doing it until retirement age. Today's economy for better or worst does not allow for such luxuries anymore. No matter how we miss the old days in order to stay competitive you need to commit to updating your skills continuously and adapt to a rapidly changing environment. It should not be confused with entering a rat race, of "keeping up" you should do your homework and strive to maintain a certain level of skills to help you be more competitive. It is not a assurance of work, but it will definitely make your search a lo easier.

La vida te da sorpresas

Bueno, me estoy preparando para certificarme como gerente de proyectos. Mientras preparo la solicitud me sorprendo de la cantidad de proyectos en los que he estado envuelto. El tiempo no pasa vano, y no te das cuenta que pasa si te gusta lo que haces.