This week I am back in all-day classes learning the fundamentals of Hewlett-Packard’s Operations Orchestrator software package. This product is likely going to be the center post of my work for the next year or so. If I understand my future work orders (I say that knowing that no plan ever survives implementation), I will be working on many of the business standards documents, working samples and technical consultant on using the product in the company. Today I start the steep initial learning curve.

Some people think this would be like re-training for a new job, after losing a job. As an operations-oriented software architect and developer (meaning I design, write and implement software for daily operations in my company, not write general applications like a work processor), my job has always been about learning new skills. I would be unemployed if I did not deal with change, usually large, fundamental business change. In my initial interviews with my employer, twelve years ago, I stated that if I do my job right my result will be to work myself out of my job. This philosophy has never changed in twelve years and I am fairly certain that has kept me employed, working on new and increasingly complex projects and through five lay-off cycles since.

After the initial learning curve, I will take the best of everything I have learned before and what I am learning to make the best product for my employer. If I do this well, I will have passed on my work and reach a point where I will have little more to contribute for my time. By that time, I hope to be where I am right now – learning the fundamentals for my next assignment.