Using Analogies

Having been involved in technology pretty much my entire life, tech concepts come pretty easily to me. But I also understand that it’s not the case for everyone, regardless of age or exposure. For example, we may often wonder — especially from my generation — why younger folks seem to have difficulty with technology when they’ve grown up with more exposure than we have.

That can be countered simply by saying that we, of my generation (born in the ’70s), have grown up exposed to cars all of our lives….but we are not necessarily qualified to repair them.

Exposure doesn’t equate expertise.

This is one of the examples of analogies that I like to use to bridge gaps in understanding when it comes to technology. Not everyone I encounter in my role in IT is going to be up to speed on all aspects of tech (that’s why I exist). But framing technology into terms that mirror ubiquitous concepts, like cars or the medical profession, seems to help open up the listener’s mind to the possibilities in the conversation.

By framing technology into familiar concepts and terms, audiences can start to see that technology is not as intimidating or daunting as first feared; that, like the other familiar concept, it can be learned and understood one piece at a time. Similarly, even complex technological concepts can be broken down and more easily digested once the fundamentals are understood through the use of analogies.

Another parallel conversation regarding information technology can be the profession itself. Young professionals and students exploring careers in IT may not be aware of the range of choices and specialties that fall within the broad umbrella of IT. Thus, it can be tempting to ask “what’s the best way to break into IT?” or “what degrees/certifications do I need in order to become an IT professional?”

Unfortunately, a question like that is akin to asking “how do I become a medical professional?” without specifying what professional study in medicine or even a specialization. In medicine, one must choose a professional path (doctor? nurse? research scientist? EMT?) and specialization (trauma surgeon? cardiology? rheumatology? orthodontics? optometry?), and that in turn will determine the education, certification, and residency requirements in order to fulfill those goals. IT is no different — choose a path, choose a specialty, then determine the requirements to achieve that goal.

Despite its commonplace existence, IT is still in a way considered a nascent industry. Thus, understanding the underpinnings of “the job” is not nearly as commonplace as presumed. Using analogies to equate the aspects of information technology fosters that understanding and learning about our profession by those who are not as familiar with it, without taking on a haughty and arrogant attitude that seems unfortunately too commonplace within our peer group.

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