I've been learning about, and executing SEO, SEM at Coalmarch for about 18 months. I say learning about for two reasons, 1) there is no end to the education for SEO with the changing goals of clients, and the changing algorithms of search engines; and 2) I was recruited by the owner for my lack of knowledge of the industry, hoping that I might bring in some fresh thoughts and ideas.
I'm still here, and I'm not certain that I have brought many new ideas, but I have learned more than I would have imagined, and I have implemented a fair amount of change.
Having written that, I feel that it is now obsolete.