Comments on: MySQL CEO Says, “It is dangerous to hire someobody who has too much experience.”

By: 14 Myths about Technical Writing | I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson

14 Myths about Technical Writing | I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:30:51 +0000

[...] This myth is turning into my pet peeve. How many bios have you seen that begin, “Joe has 15 years of experience …” or “Kate has over 20 years of experience as a technical writer….” Experience means nothing unless learning is taking place. I can go to my same job for 15 years, do the exact same tasks, use the exact same tools, never taking any creative risks or moving into new territory, just doing what I’m told, or what I’ve read, for my entire life. The pace of learning can be compressed into a very short time period, or it can drawn out over a life time. The time (years of experience) does not matter as much as the learning that takes place. (See this related post, MySQL CEO Says, “It is dangerous to hire someone with too much experience.”) [...]

By: Keep an Open Mind: Detention Without Amanda Jones Isn’t Necessarily Bad | I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:01:13 +0000

[...] least two major CEOs (of MySpace and MySQL) both caution that people with experience in an outdated marketplace may be at a disadvantage today. A successful [...]

By: I’d Rather Be Writing » Google CEO’s Advice for People Entering a Technology Career: Stay Engaged, Keep Learning, Trying Things

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 03:44:08 +0000

[...] for success. His advice contrasts a bit with that of the MySQL CEO, Marten Mickos, who says “It is dangerous to hire someone who has too much experience.” In Schmidt’s view, the more “at-bats” (experiences) you have, the more [...]

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:08:35 +0000

Dan,

Your classification of old school and new school writers seems right on, and particularly true for technical writers. Sometimes people use the Kiersey temperament test to group these two camps into “Guardians” and “Innovators.” Guardians are resistant to change; innovators embrace it and freely break with tradition.

The discussion about how too much experience or tradition can cripple learning reminds me of some classic quotes about unlearning being the first step in learning:

“The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.” — Gloria Steinem

“The chief object of education is not to learn things but to unlearn things.” — Thoreau

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” –Alvin Toffler

By: avi

avi — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:22:59 +0000

There has always been a fear of old people. Old people have more experience, including experience in buby-trapping the young-and-the-smart.
I am growing into this niche (= getting older and haven’t found a way to tackle this, yet.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 07:09:22 +0000

My opinion is that the key distinction Mikos makes is that the dangerous employees are those “bound by tradition.” I see this often in tech writing. It seems that writers fall in to two groups: old school and new school. Old school writers aren’t always the ones with the most years of experience, but rather are those bound by old writer traditions like dedication to specific tools, style and format are tied to content development, and are often resistant to change when it comes to how he or she does her job. Alternately, the writers from the new school can be rookies or seasoned vetrans. Their best characteristic is that they are open to change and are always trying to think of better ways to do things and improve the situation at the company where they are currently employed.

By: Classic Information Record

Classic Information Record — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Two Major CEOs Warn About the Value of Experience At least two major CEOs (of MySpace and MySQL) bothcautionthat people with experience in an outdated marketplace may be at a disadvantage today. A successful business strategy in 1970 probably doesn’t apply to 2007’s marketplace, where open source technologies, globalization, search engine optimization,