Have you ever prepared a meal for the first time, taught yourself to repair something, assembled toys at Christmas or learned how to use the cool new features on your iPhone?
Of course you have. Almost everyone, at one time or another has assumed the responsibility to learn something new and to work their way through the assembly manuals, training videos, and support systems available to achieve operational success.
Today’s economic climate is forcing many IT professionals to take a similar approach to obtaining the training they need to achieve ITSM operational success. The following DITY outlines some of the paths they are following.
With the recent changes in the job market, along with cutbacks in travel, training budgets and time out of the office, IT professionals are now venturing outside of their training comfort zone (i.e., “the classroom”) to acquire the knowledge, skills and certifications necessary to operate as an IT Professional in the 21st century.
We have probably all tried to assemble something without reading the assembly manual. Most of us do that only once as we quickly face the reality that we have to take it apart and start over again.
It is the same with the ITIL library. Like most assembly manuals, the ITIL books are not an easy read. However, the ITIL books are rich in guidance and content. They contain the accumulated wisdom of organizations of all types and ages and within all industry sectors.
In addition to the ITIL library, there are several books, newsletters and white papers that provide low cost or even FREE guidance on how to master some portion of the ITIL. Examples include:
However, experience also shows that “do-it-yourself” is not always the fastest way to learn something new. Just think of the times your friendly neighbor or tech-savvy nephew have shortened the learning process by showing you how to do something.
Similarly, students who have read the underlying OGC material along with taking an accredited training program quickly move to a higher level of discussion and learning accomplishments, not to mention passing the ITIL exams.
The ITIL V3 syllabi have opened the doors to a new generation of online instructional videos and reference materials that enable students to acquire the knowledge they need to pass the exams, and the skills to apply that knowledge in a real world environment.
These new online solutions enable students to configure an ITSM education program that aligns with their personal learning style along with their individual schedule and budget needs. Example video solutions and communities include:
The successful adoption of any new method, standard or best practice can be directly attributed to many factors, including the vision and drive of its creators, as well as clients and service providers willing to share their secrets for success. In the past, connecting with industry peers was very difficult and was often limited to training classes, trade shows and in some cases clunky custom-built web sites.
Social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook and others have changed all that by providing an underlying navigation system that not only enables you to easily connect and collaborate with peers from across the world but also learn a lot more about their professional credentials before doing so.
These now-generation social networking systems enable the creation of independent, thought leadership communities that can be organized by industry, ITSM domain or a specific process area.
Indeed, one of the most powerful things to come out of such mentoring communities is their scope of coverage. The question topics can range from an inquiry about the benefits of reading the OGC book prior to taking a Lifecycle course (it is always a benefit) to a detailed technical question about handling a specific relationship in a Configuration Management Database (CMDB) to a question by IT management on what has been successful in other organizations in making the benefits of ITSM visible to the business.
Sample Online Support Communities Include:
Hopefully the above information has provided some insight into this new world of Self-Taught ITSM Training. Based on the current state of the economy, this new approach to ITSM training could become the preferred path for many IT professionals.
Does your busy role leave limited time available for acquiring the recommended training? View the online role-based course offerings at the itSM WebSolutions website.