5 principles of working with knowledge for the engineer

I think no one will argue that knowledge is needed (I mean those who have the definition of "professional"). Do I need a higher education? This is where you can debate. As for knowledge, the answer is quite obvious, in any case, I think so. The question of their quality, depth and breadth leave behind the scenes. Very much depends on the context where they apply. I propose to talk about the patterns associated with professional knowledge. And since the area of ​​activity is decisive in their composition and quality, I’ll make a reservation right away, it’s about the knowledge of engineers in the system integrator.

The best way to understand something is to try to explain it to someone else.
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Situation. We need to sort out something. For an engineer in the integrator practice standard. I took a book, read it, opened a profile site, read it, maybe I looked at the forum. It seems to have absorbed all the necessary knowledge molecules. I assembled a puzzle in my head. Got it. Is it all right? And is it enough to understand the picture of the World? How to check?

The first option is to ask yourself different questions. Here the main thing is not to finish playing until a split personality. But not everyone can do it. Personally, I have difficulty with this. What else will help? Go to take the test (most importantly not blood, although it is also periodically worth doing). Not always applicable, more precisely even rarely applicable. There is another option - to try to tell someone, for example, a colleague that he has only learned something. This method is effective, since if there are gaps in knowledge on a new topic, they will surely emerge in the process of the story.

As part of this pattern in our company, we practice holding internal seminars. Preaching new technologies to the masses is good. But another fat plus is getting more knowledge in preparation for such a seminar. Understanding that you will need to talk about something new, answer questions, very well stimulates the process of knowledge. Moreover, during the seminar, the speaker can understand what else he should pull up.

Yes, by the way, another option is to prepare an article on Habr. Here, too, will have to understand the question.

IT, as a sport, if you stop training quickly lose your form

The world of IT is transforming and changing with great speed. All the time there is something new. New technologies, protocols, languages, equipment. Just yesterday, I thought that software-defined networks (SDN) are something abstruse, invented by Cisco (note the opinion of the author may not coincide with the opinion of the developers of SDN). And today there are many solutions on the market that implement this concept, and Cisco has such solutions. In IT sit out on the sidelines fail. If you do not follow the new trends very quickly take off from the big sport clip.

The only thing you can do in this situation is to continuously study. Of course, fanaticism is not needed here (although a healthy fanatic is rather a plus). But from time to time it is necessary to delve into something new. For example, attend conferences, listen to webinars, and more. Everyone chooses the method of obtaining knowledge that is most suitable for him (someone is well perceived textual information, someone is sound, someone needs pictures).

Knowledge tends to leach out. Being at the peak is not easy

If you do not use any knowledge they are forgotten. Such is the nature of the human brain. Therefore, not only is it necessary to sort things out, it is necessary to make efforts not to forget it.

It seems to me, the amount of knowledge can be described in the following figure.



In the process of studying a new material, the volume of our knowledge begins to grow rapidly, reaching a certain peak. The peak of knowledge comes at a time when we decide for ourselves that everything is known and there is no need to study the subject. For example, a peak may coincide with passing tests to obtain a certificate. After this, the leaching of knowledge begins. Since, in the process of studying, we picked up the “excess”, it begins to go away. Of course, the “excess” is not entirely superfluous. Just to sort things out, we have to study the question a little wider to get the full picture. But since the goal was originally to understand the skeleton and the brain focused on this, all the extras are quickly forgotten. Ultimately, we descend to a new basic level. At the same time, if you do not periodically recall how our "skeleton" works, we will eventually slide to the initial level.

Personally, the periodic passing of the certification exams helps me to maintain the new basic level. Often the certificate has a limited duration, for example, 2 years. Extending the exam is required to extend it. Honest preparation for the exam allows you to remember forgotten material. And this in turn ensures the maintenance of the necessary level of knowledge until the next date of renewal of the certificate.

Sclerosis at 30?

It is worth noting another local feature of the previously mentioned pattern. I think everyone got into a situation where at some point in time they dealt with a specific question in detail. But as time passed, the same question arose again. Here, with horror, you realize that you have sclerosis (although it seems that there are not many years). You know for sure that you understood this question, but what you found out in the end, you don’t remember. And, well, if the answer to the question is contained in any one source. It is usually easy to remember where you looked for it and quickly view it. It is worse if the answer is spread over many sources and moreover, some small testing is required, for example. It gets harder. The first option is to go to the doctor and ask for pills for IT sclerosis. Oh, did not come up with more, then you have to write everything down. In this situation, maintaining an internal knowledge base can help, where you can quickly find information about what you have already come across.

That was not interesting to anyone, and then suddenly everyone needed it.

Periodically, in the process of learning new things, an interesting situation arises. You find some new information for yourself, almost by accident. Moreover, this information is long known by itself and is not some kind of know-how. Before that, no one asked you about this, or simply did not have to deal with it in the process. Therefore, you never understood the question. But then it became interesting to you (so to say “just for fun”), and you began to study the subject. A week goes by and suddenly a colleague or customer asks you a question on this topic. You answer brilliantly, grow in the eyes of a customer or colleague. Everything is super. Although you understand about yourself, ask me about it a week earlier, you really would not have answered anything. It would be necessary in an engineering way, hanging on the handset, to look for the requested information. In such a situation, it is unlikely to work out the question deeply. After this, some more mild period of time passes and you are asked again on the same subject. And here you are asking a question. Coincidence, magic? It was not interesting to anyone, but suddenly everyone was interested. Of course, many will stop at the first option, which is a coincidence. But the very feeling of this situation is quite interesting. At first I thought that this only happens to me. But then I found out that the same magic happens periodically with my colleagues.

In conclusion, I would like to point out several generally known recommendations that help us work with knowledge, and without reference to the IT industry:

• We learn best when we are in a good mood.
• It is worth acquiring knowledge when our brain is still fresh or most active, for example, in the morning.
• Not worth a very long time to learn something. It is necessary to take breaks. The brain tends to fatigue.
• Do not take long breaks when studying some material. This can spoil the perception of the integrity of the studied subject.

I’m sure each of you will add more than one recommendation on how to work with knowledge.