Information Technology vs. Business Management
A man is flying in a hot air balloon and realizes he is lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts, "Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?"
The man below says, "Yes, you're in a hot air balloon, hovering 30 feet above this field."
"You must work in Information Technology" says the balloonist.
"I do," replies the man. "How did you know?"
"Well," says the balloonist, "everything you have told me is technically correct, but it's no use to anyone."
The man below says "You must work in business management."
"I do," replies the balloonist, "but how did you know?"
"Well," says the man, "you don't know where you are, or where you're going, but you expect me to be able to help. You're in the same position you were before we met, but now it's my fault."
Are you at a career crossroads? Are you asking "Should I become an astronaut, a firefighter, or a system administrator?" Here is a handy comparison chart that may help you make your decision.
PURPOSE OF YOUR CAREER
Astronaut: Advancing scientific knowledge for the good of humanity.
Firefighter: Saving lives and property.
Sysadmin: Assuring uninterrupted access to alt.binaries.erotica.
ADVICE YOU'LL GIVE KIDS WHO WANT TO FOLLOW IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS
Astronaut: "Study science and math and eat your vegetables."
Firefighter: "Study science and math and eat your vegetables."
Sysadmin: "DON'T DO IT! RUN AWAY!"
QUESTION YOU'LL BE MOST TIRED OF ANSWERING
Astronaut: "Where do you go to the bathroom?"
Firefighter: "Do you really slide down a pole when the alarm goes off?"
Sysadmin: "Can't you do anything about all this spam I've been getting?"
WILL YOU EVER BE ON TV?
Astronaut: Yes!
Firefighter: Occasionally.
Sysadmin: Only MSNBC's "The Site," which doesn't technically count as TV.
WILL YOUR JOB EVER GET ANY EASIER?
Astronaut: As computers get more and more advanced and able to control more of the functions of the space vehicle, yes.
Firefighter: As more and more people install smoke detectors in their homes, yes.
Sysadmin: As more and more clueless newbies discover the Internet, absolutely not.
INSPIRING MOVIE ABOUT YOUR PROFESSION
Astronaut: "The Right Stuff"
Firefighter: "Backdraft"
Sysadmin: Uh... gee, I'm really drawing a blank here... "Wargames"?
YOUR WORK HOURS
Astronaut: Fairly long days during the mission, but lots and lots of time between missions to relax.
Firefighter: 24-hour shifts, but 48 hours between shifts to relax.
Sysadmin: Not really "work hours" or even "work days"... more like "work millenia."
FRINGE BENEFITS OF YOUR JOB
Astronaut: Lots of good stories to tell to impress members of the opposite sex.
Firefighter: Lots of good stories to tell to impress members of the opposite sex.
Sysadmin: You get ALL of the jokes in "Dilbert."
NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT YOUR PROFESSION
Astronaut: A few, from people who think the government should be spending its money in different ways.
Firefighter: A few, from people who think you take too long to arrive following a 911 call.
Sysadmin: You'll have to learn what comes after "trillion" to be able to count them all.
YOUR VEHICLE
Astronaut: Multimillion-dollar space vehicle atop multi million dollar rocket.
Firefighter: Big red truck with flashing lights and siren.
Sysadmin: 1992 Toyota Corolla.
In conclusion, if the sysadmin option has seemed the most appealing in even one of these categories, you should become a sysadmin.
Top 10 Signs you work as a Project Manager in today's world !!
10. You lecture the neighborhood kids selling lemonade on "ways to improve their process".
9. You get all excited when it's Thursday so you can wear sweats and attend "Change Control Approval Meetings".
8. You refer to the tomatoes grown in your garden as "deliverables".
7. You find you really need PowerPoint to explain what you do for a living.
6. You normally eat out of vending machines and at the most expensive restaurant in town within the same week.
5. You think that "progressing an action plan" and "calendarizing a project" are acceptable English phrases.
4. You know the people at the airport hotels better than your next door neighbors.
3. You ask your friends to "think out of the box" when making Friday night plans.
2. You think Einstein would have been more effective had he put his ideas into a matrix.
1. You think a "half-day" means leaving at 5 o'clock and calling Developers in India, Russia and Shanghai on your cell phone, requesting updates.
