Take responsibility for your own training

Q. My employer expects me to manage a new database system without sending me for any training program.

I ended up buying books at my own expense to handle the new systems, which have been causing me a lot of stress. My boss says if I can't do it, he'll hire someone else who can. What should I do?

Career advice from Yeo Gek Cheng, director, IT and Telecoms, Hudson Singapore:
Managing by issuing ultimatums is not the best way to motivate employees to come up with solutions to resolve the problems at hand. While it is not uncommon for IT staff to manage systems, databases or applications without prior training since technologies evolve at a fast pace, it is not advisable for such situations to persist in the long run as the organization and employees will suffer.

Not all companies or training schools are able to provide adequate training programs. Being an IT professional, you have to constantly keep up with new technologies with or without formal help--it is part and parcel of being in this industry and your passion for IT should propel this constant need to know and learn more. Seek to gain your boss' understanding that time and patience are needed. Let him know that while training will be helpful to start you off well and provide a certain level of comfort when working with a new technology, there are still lots of reading and practical learning involved and a one-time training will not make you an expert overnight.