Tell Us Your Story

Good stories typically have a beginning, middle, and end. Occasionally in modern publishing we have lost track of that fact, largely because the Oxford linguist and fantasy novelist J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote a book so long that post-World War II paper shortages forced his British publisher to divide the manuscript into more readily publishable thirds. The runaway success of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings eventually gave rise to a belief that everything should be a trilogy.

In 2017, trilogies have gotten bigger than ever before, frequently containing as many six or seven volumes. In fantasy, where the trend has its roots, Robert Jordan's epic The Wheel of Time yarn spread out to encompass 14 massive page-turners and was completed six years after Jordan's death by pinch-hitter Brandon Sanderson. Even movies that once would have gone to theaters in one tidy 186-minute package now often have a "Part 1" and a "Part 2."

What was the point of all of this? Ah, yes, stories. As satisfying as the average reader may find it to know (eventually) what the "ending" of a favorite novel is, the truth is that some of the best stories are the ones that aren't finished yet. And in that sense, we're talking about personal stories, not stories about boy wizards or pale teenagers who smell unnaturally good to lonely immortal bloodsuckers. Your story, for example.

Since you're here and you're reading this, it's probably safe to assume that you're an IT professional, or someone who aspires to become an IT professional. Whether you're just starting out, or have been working with computers for a while now, there have doubtless been interesting twists and turns along the way. Everyone's IT journey is unique and, in its way, fascinating. If you doubt us, ask a peer sometime how he got started in IT. If he or she doesn't seem to think there's much to tell, keep asking questions.

Here at the IT Insights Blog, we love a good story, especially one that involves TestOut Continuing Education and its products. (We're biased. Sue us.) More specifically, we'd like to hear from you about where you started, where you are now, and how TestOut CE helped you to get there. The story doesn't even have to have a good ending, because — heigh-oh! — it's not over, is it? (Well, unless you're a ghost with nothing better to do than see what's cooking on the IT Insights Blog.)

You can even tell us about the time that you forgot to cancel your subscription, and we billed you for an extra month. (It happens more than you'd think.) Or maybe about the time that we ruined your life by deleting an entire semester's worth of work. (Are we that cruel, really? It depends on who you ask.) (Apparently.) Anyway, we love hearing from people who've used our stuff, and we hope that YOU, dear reader, will be the next person to take a moment and tell us all about it.

Happy training, and keep those certifications rolling!