Tuesday 27 November 2018
Self Taught or Attend "Koyok" Classes?
One of the animals at this watering hole has decided to resurrect himself from the dead!
After a year of hiatus from blogging, he is back!
Learning through cheap books/internet versus expensive training courses
There's one part I find quite illuminating:
Do you know some courses/workshops are charging on a hourly basis more than MBA classes?
Its like those clueless first time property "investors" who paid for "more affordable" shoebox apartments that are way more expensive than regular condos on a per square foot basis!?
OK, some may argue that's why they have to attend courses mah!
A bit like first time travel overseas, "sotong sotong" will get cheated or fleeced by the tour guide or restaurants/shops there. Fair enough.
I find the reasons why Singaporeans have a love affair for courses more insidious.
It wasn't intended.
But the paper chase culture has resulted in "bei kambings" mistakenly associating the accumulation of certificates/diplomas as the path to "success" - like collect boy scout badges.
Career not going anywhere? Take more courses! One degree not enough? Take two! Two not enough? Take three!!! Still can't get a job? Well, can always teach mah!
Big daddy has recognised this disease; hence the pivot to competence now. Wink.
There's nothing wrong in taking courses. I took part-time night classes and corrrespondence courses in my early 20s.
What's important is the application of the knowledge we have acquired!
And be good at it!
What you do cannot be anyone and everyone can also do OK?
Hence its called competence. Wink.
What's your motivation?
Do you want to learn how to fish?
Or you want just to have fish thrown to you?
If its the former, then avoid those courses that make promises you'll be financially free; or be a millionaire; or can achieve passive income by doing nothing; or invest/trade just using 5 minutes a day...
Got common sense you'll know they are throwing the fish at you as bait! And you're lunch!
If you want to learn baking, you'll attend a baking class. Nothing more; nothing less.
Are you willing to pay more if the baking course "promises" it will help you become a milionaire or you'll be a michelin star pastry chef?
You'll probably laugh your head off!
Yet when it comes to money matters....
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Baking is harder than investing as in baking you have to get your hands dirty to learn. :-)
ReplyDeleteCW,
DeleteNow try marketing "passive" baking courses!
LOL!
Some concepts just don't make sense at all.
For us in the snake-oil trade, we come up with meaningless words as "hooks" to attract the attention of our meal tickets.
Sounds very attractive and promising, but like sugar, they are just empty calories...
But who doesn't like sweet?
Got instant cake mix & cookie mix. Also got bread maker.
DeleteOr else send maid to baking class. Use mouth to direct & scold maid to ensure baking is done to your liking.
See? Hands still clean! Kekekeke!!!
Spur,
DeleteI prefer to outsource.
Just go to cake shop and buy one!
No mess; no fuss.
Hi SMOL,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your support.
There are also some people who paid to attend baking classes and instead of trying out how to bake cake themselves after the class, they ended up buying cakes from the trainer.
These are the people who attended financial courses and ended up subscribing to signals from the trainers. The signals tell them what to buy, when to sell. Recurrent, stable income for the trainers. Even better than training because training income is one-off. Teach people how to fish, then sell them the fish with the disclaimer that there is no guarantee that the fish will taste good or even free from food poisoning. Eat at your own risk. Earn good money with backside covered. Wonderful business model! LOL.
hyom hyom,
DeleteYou're welcome :)
Yup, there are marketing and sales sessions masquerading as "training" workshops. These are the snake-oils that wear the black hats.
Its the same technique used by tour guides.
In the tour coach, with everyone being the captive audience, the tour guide will skillfully "lay the foundation" by ever so helpful sharing the "tips" about the delicacy or "famous" product of the city or place of interest you are visiting next.
Loh and behold, with your interest pique, and with just a few minutes of pep talk, you'll think you are an "expert" on the subject matter!
You unsure or don't know; you don't buy.
But when you think you know; you buy more!
Sounds familiar?
Smol,
DeleteAfter making his victim buy, the skilful snake-oil manipulator praises his victim for making a wise choice. His victim feels so good about himself, thanks the manipulator and promises to come back to buy from the skilful snake-oil next time. LOL.
Indeed, a little knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance. No advice is better than biased advice.
One aspect I like about buying things online is that one does not come under the influence of a skilful snake-oil manipulator. If I don't know a product, I google until I know. Knowledge is gained from different sources (or search results) rather than gained from a single biased source (the skilful snake-oil). If different sources say the same thing, then that probably is the truth. If the snake-oil misleads me with biased half-truths, how would I know given my ignorance? I can only say "ya lor ya lor, thank you for teaching me."
Unfortunately, this is a time-consuming approach. So, for trivial cheap items, just buy lah. Don't waste time.
hyom hyom,
DeleteNothing is completely "safe".
Online there's lots of fake news, half-truths, misdirections, and what not!
We still need to use our own judgement.
Remember the 1MDB scandal involving an independent research house?
The "sell" is independent means unbiased research, but in reality just as long kopi money big enough, they can write whatever you want them to write!
Paying subscribers are not their customers; they are the muppets.
Bloggers with principles will put "sponsored post" if its a paid blog post.
Some bloggers write posts that walks like a sponsored post, quacks like a sponsored post, but don't even bother to say its so - I mentally pigeon hole them as "prostitute bloggers".
"Prostitute bloggers" is not exactly the right word. When customers have sex with prostitutes, the customers know they are prostitutes and they will wear protection accordingly. Prostitutes don't hide the fact they are prostitutes. Writing sponsored posts without revealing they are sponsored is like a prostitute who have sex with other people without revealing they are prostitutes. Victims don't wear protection anymore and that's where the trouble comes.
DeleteIt is absolutely ok to take other people's money and write biased reviews for them. In fact, a principled money-taker should do exactly that. How can take money and don't benefit pay-master? But need to draw the line somewhere. Should declare bias upfront.
hyom hyom,
DeleteOK, your standard higher than mine ;)
I cannot put the bar too high.
I'm a manwhore afterall...
You declare upfront you are man-whore. Pass liao!
Deletetemperament,
ReplyDeleteExactly ;)
When I got interested in photography before NS, its all about "crash got sound" experimentations to discover what subject matters I interested in:
Nature, wildlife, close-up photography, portraits, architecture, cityscape, night-time, day-time, candid, animals, people, sports, and a thousand other themes and specialisations!
The same goes for investing and trading. So many different techniques, styles, and vehicles to choose from.
Can a few sessions cover everything?
Having said that, all of us have different learning styles. Some just can't learn by reading. Can't sit still!
So reading is out :(
Some learn best by doing. So forget about theoratical courses or self reading. Just jump into the deep end and follow "crash got sound"!
You either sink or swim ;)
LOL!
Hi SMOL,
ReplyDeleteNot too long ago, an aunty from another department came over to peacock her sophistication in attending an atas SGD $4000 conference overseas to teach her how to open up her most repressed emotions and let the waterworks out.
Surely there are better avenues such as spiritual retreats and wellness clinics for it, especially seeing she's religious?
Oh right. Got cert to attend crying conference one!
Unintelligent Nerd,
DeleteMost religious organisations now got councellors - some free, some got token charges.
But of course no certs or bragging rights mah!
LOL!
Zip up. Never tell her what we know. Its best she discover for herself she has been taken for a ride due to her "vanity".
If you tell her the truth, she'll hate you for it!
temperament,
ReplyDeleteHuman nature is easy to exploit and manipulate.
When we don't know anything, we use proxy.
A high price tag is a convenient proxy to equate "quality".
That's why retail investors buy high and sell low ;)
I opt to learn on my own. Gain experience along the way.
ReplyDeleteBen,
DeleteThat's one of the bitterest way of learning according to Confucius.
But to some of us, it fits our feet best ;)
Self taught requires a lot more effort than attend course, but good things always require more effort.
ReplyDeleteMacroanalyst,
DeleteOf course. We may have to reinvent the wheel again and again :(
The trouble is finding the right teacher/class is a lot harder than one might think...
But then again, avoiding the "wrong" ones are not that difficult ;)
Some people are weird. They go to fishmongers to seek investment advice about stocks, and go to remisiers to ask about fishing tips!?
LOL!
I never really did understand the meaning of "reducing" in cook books until a chef in cooking class told me it's just turning up the heat and boiling till the liquid evaporates. I was then thinking "aiya, boil say boil lah..." Then for baking, I had to learn the meaning of proofing, rising, salting, autolysis for baking and thinking it's like back in a chemistry class (actually baking is mostly chemistry processes).
ReplyDeleteI think classes are still needed for skills transfer. Just gotta make sure that the chef is someone who cooks for a living, not one who specialised in cooking for a living.
There is nothing wrong attending classes. It is how financial and investment trainers advertise their service. Same as "boil say boil". LOL!
Deletepatty,
DeleteSo does knowing all the "proper" industry terminology make you more competent in cooking and baking?
Is thst knowledge or skill transfer?
Just like cycling. I can goggle and read all the books and articles about cycling. I can bluff my way through when we "talk" about cycling.
How to "trust but verify"?
Just organise a cycling trip and we can filter out those who are competent in the actual act of cycling from those who are well versed in the theory of cycling ;)
Ah... I think knowing how to do, what those terminologies described, properly is most important.
DeleteIt will be hard not to believe when they walk the walk. So... never attend a cooking class where the chef is not going to let try what he cooked. lol~
patty,
DeleteWe are on the same page ;)
Knowing the meaning of the terminologies and knowing HOW to do with the knowledge is the difference between attending a "koyok" class and one that is taught by a craftsman ;)
Hi smol
ReplyDeleteI always find theory & practical is different. So every time in practical class like wood or electronic class, I will try to do myself practically so I will know how it work n why sometime can't work. Then I can practise a lot myself before submit my project work to get better grade. Even now working also same :)
Sy
sy sy,
DeleteTheory is not without merit. But at best, can only be "guru", consultant, advisor, professor; etc.
If we want to achieve real stuffs, like being prime minister, CEO, do well in career, build our own businesses, then practical is more important. Applied knowledge.
Just like investing/trading. Many can parrot who says this, who said that. What is P/E, what is death cross, blah, blah, blah.
At the end of the day, we only care who comes home with the kill of the day ;)
Many, if not most, people cannot think logically when it comes to money matters. It is quite easy for salesmen to manipulate their victims where money is concerned. The financial training industry is full of disgusting hypocrites.
ReplyDeleteEven a moral person can be tempted to turn bad once he has tasted how easy money can be made, given so many people are suckers when it comes to money issues. If a person values his sense of morality and integrity, he had better avoid this industry.
Once a person has enough money, why sell his soul for more money?
think-free-and-fair,
DeleteWhen lawyers and doctors go for upgrading workshops to sharpen their saws, they will only do so when the trainer is more senior, experienced, or the acknowledged industry specialist of the topic.
Similarly, where do remisiers, dealers, analysts, and fund managers get their continuous trainings?
Exactly.
Of course these courses and workshops are not for beginners ;)
That's why snake-oils can only target bei kambings. When you are a piece of white paper, you can't tell who is real, who is charlatan ;)
Doesn't it ring your alarm bell when all your classmates are "retail"?