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    Leadership & Self-Worth: A Tech Nerd's Guide
    Leadership & Self-Worth: A Tech Nerd's Guide
    Leadership & Self-Worth: A Tech Nerd's Guide
    Ebook124 pages1 hour

    Leadership & Self-Worth: A Tech Nerd's Guide

    By Jamin Chavez

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    About this ebook

    Do you really know what it takes to be a Technologist? Did you know that's even a profession......and what is technology? There's two general categories. What does a Tech Nerd have to do with STEM and CTE? How are we going to train our future generations of aspiring Tech Nerd's, what's going to guide them into being the professionals they will be, and where can you find the information you need in one place? "LEADERSHIP & SELF-WORTH: A TECH NERD'S GUIDE" answers all these questions. Engineers, computer programmers, and scientists all have an interest and experience in STEM. So does the upcoming generation of Tech or "New-Collar" professionals. But it seems STEM subjects are too difficult and the commitment isn't there. Not really, we just have to teach a better way, help students gain the perspective they need to connect the dots, and while doing that teach them leadership, standards, ethics, principles, and just how valuable they are. If you want to know how we are going to train the next generation of Technologists and "New-Collar" Professionals with the help of STEM and CTE then you need to read "LEADERSHIP & SELF-WORTH: A TECH NERD'S GUIDE."

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPPHC Compass
    Release dateJul 29, 2019
    ISBN9781733921619
    Leadership & Self-Worth: A Tech Nerd's Guide
    Author

    Jamin Chavez

    Jamin Chavez is an Army Veteran where he served as an Equal Opportunity Leader, Instructor, and Patriot Missile System Technician. He is currently the Chief Administrator and blogger for the PPHC Compass website. He has a Bachelors of Science degree in Computer Science.

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      Book preview

      Leadership & Self-Worth - Jamin Chavez

      Introduction

      ––––––––

      I was in high school trying to figure out what I wanted to do after I graduated my Senior year. I took classes in drafting, physics, small engine repair, and computer programming. Back in the early 2000s the only computer programming language offered at my High School was QBASIC. Most reading this, might not have ever heard of that. However, they might have heard of a more well-known programming language such as FORTRAN more popular with the Department of Defense.

      I was exploring the possibilities and still wasn’t sure. However, the only thing I knew about my future was my technical classes would bring me an even greater sense of self-accomplishment the more I studied and learned. Programming was, to me, a challenge. Not the type of challenge like pushing myself to do my homework. Rather, programming was exhilarating and gave me a different and positive sense of self-worth.

      I explain more about programming and developing more in this book because I look around me either out and about or while working and I’ve noticed that this sector in our Industry needs work on leadership. I see the kind of programmers and developers that work at various social media platforms and businesses. I’ve seen employees going about their business either at work or during a break with each other. I’ve interacted with some information technology employees and I have not been impressed by the level of professionalism and leadership skills they lack. This bothered me and decided to write this book to provide purpose and direction from what I have learned as a Senior NCO in the Army, Technician of the Patriot Missile System, and Instructor.

      Developing a computer program involves many different problem solving and analyzation skills including techniques. I use programmer and developer interchangeably because they’re pretty much the same. Programming is a sort of puzzle. However, the first step is to identify the purpose of the program. Then ask what the need and requirements are. A developer must learn the basics to include the structures, syntax, how to use the pseudo code before coding, understand conditional and logic statements, and how to build functions.

      Programming isn’t necessarily like trying to figure out a jumbled Rubiks Cube, and shouldn’t, rather how to design and build one from the ground up. Imagine there wasn’t such a thing as a Rubiks Cube, but somebody wanted to design and build the same type of puzzle. The person wants a challenging puzzle that is lightweight and portable. They want the puzzle to be three dimensional and interactive. The person wants the puzzle to be comprised of twenty-seven cubes to make one larger cube that is capable of shifting in either direction while staying together.

      The prior described is the design specifications and also describes the purpose of the puzzle. However, in designing a program to simulate such a physical object there exists a programming language, that in its comprised syntax, forms object-oriented programming. Not all programs use object-oriented programming but is the best example for what I’m explaining. For the beginner, this concept might be difficult to grasp. More seasoned programmers understand this easily.

      I did not learn these things overnight nor by osmosis. Learning what I know about programming took more than a couple of years of study while gaining experience. What also helped was that I was interested in other areas of technology and innovation. I grew up working on cars, motorcycles, repairing lawn mowers, tinkering with electronic components, I learned how to solder, learned basic electronics, learned how to work with wood, and worked on computers every now and then.

      Learning how to do these other things allowed me to better understand what would later become something I enjoyed doing. This also helped me to become well rounded and understand different areas of technology from various perspectives. This meant I had a greater understanding, also, of how different types of technology interact with each other and how they sometimes get intertwined in their function and purpose.

      Some years after I graduated from high school I was in the Army and worked on the Patriot Missile System. The Patriot Missile System is a Tech Nerds dream come true so-to-speak. I got to work on electronics, I learned electromechanical maintenance techniques, I learned about maintenance intervals, I learned how to operate the various diagnostic tools used to troubleshoot and maintain the Patriot system, and I also learned that a good technician needs to know how other types of systems integrate into their main area of expertise.

      In the Army and Patriot world this is called a Systems Maintainer. In civilian terms, this is called a maintenance technician. In cool, hip, and nerdy terms this is called a Technologist. Technologists are educated and multifaceted individuals that understand how various technical systems and subsystems work together. Also, that is what a portion of this book sets out to explain, what a Technologist is and does.

      I am not saying that every aspiring Tech Nerd needs to join the Army to gain leadership experience or to learn how to work on sophisticated technological weapon systems. However, I did learn leadership skills, mentoring techniques, how to better present myself, and communicate with people from walks of life different than my own.

      My purpose is to take the experiences and knowledge I gained while I was in the Army and use them to explain to the aspiring Tech Nerd or New-Collar professional how to set themselves up for success. The technological world can be intimidating sometimes, the amount of knowledge to be gained can seem monumental, the opportunities for experience might not be in reach, and where does a programmer or mechatronics engineer go to learn about leadership? They might need those things to advance their career or break through barriers.

      In and after high school, after college, and while looking for work the explanations in this book are a good segway, and beginning, to get your foot in the door. If you are reading this while still in high school or college my hope is that you will use this book as a guiding tool to help you know what to do and where to go. If you are in college or a university reading this my hope is to help you understand and prepare for what you need to know after you graduate in case you didn’t. The world sometimes gives a different definition of how much it thinks we are worth. This does not have to be. What matters most is what you think of yourself. When you know you have done your personal best what is there to stop you?

      If there are IT professionals reading this my hope is to help you understand some of the things aspiring technologists in their future professions might be going through so they can better be able to work for YOU. Also, this is intended to help prepare your future employees with possibilities that they might not have thought of. Before working at a professional avocation or for an organization, IT or technological professionals might have different ideas based on what the world has taught them. Another purpose of this book is to dispel crazy expectations, crazy ideologies, incorporate the common sense philosophy and technology together of leadership, help get minds right, and let the Tech Nerds know what they are to do before they make you shake your head.

      Chapter 1

      What Is A Profession?

      I am impelled, not to squeak like a grateful and apologetic mouse, but to roar like a lion out of pride in my profession. -John Steinbeck

      ––––––––

      You might be asking yourself, What does being a professional have to do with leadership and self-worth? Actually, this has a lot to do with leadership and self-worth. In the following chapters, I will be providing explanations of and educating you on the various resources available to you so you can know what to do and where to go to obtain a professional career in technology. Pretty much, generally speaking, every technical career begins with an education in STEM.

      Before you can become a leader and know your self-worth you have to be educated. You have to know what you’re talking about. If you don’t, you’re not much of a leader and people will cease going to you for leadership and guidance. They will realize quickly that you do not have the answers or experience they’re looking for and they will go elsewhere. Plus, you can always be a leader of yourself if you

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