Slashdot Mirror
Re-Tooling Your Skills for the Future?
nojayuk asks: " Over the decades I've re-skilled myself several times, from mainframe FORTRAN through minicomputer PASCAL to microcomputer C. In between I've done microcontroller development and programming in Assembler, robotics, graphics design and 3-D animation for TV, PC build and repair, Website design etc. Currently I'm looking for work and I'm wondering what new skills do I need to stay in the computing biz. What OSes do I need to know, what technologies do I have to have under my belt for the employers to come hunting for me instead of me passing my obsolete CV around and being told to get lost? I'm looking for advice, not just for next week but for a few years down the line. What can I do to acquire these essential new skills?"
Slightly off topic.
You're looking for work. So are a lot of qualified and talented people.
I hate to say this, but a huge number of IT jobs are going to India, and other low cost places.
You may have heard about this before. But hear me, please. Major US corporations are signing huge deals with Indian, and other offshore IT firms. (Prudential Securities, Lehman Bothers, Citigroup, General Electric).
There are huge differences in salary between an Indian developer($8-$12) and his US counterpart(>$75000). Do the math.
Educating yourself about this important issue, IMHO, should come before diving into the latest O'reilly book.
These big companies are sending our jobs overseas a little at a time. This is a serious problem.
I don't have time to post any more about this, but please take the time to read about this. Join a local IT group. Network, and spread the word about this.
Maybe if we're organized, we can slow this train down before it's totally out of the station.
Huh?
I've misread the title as "Ask Slashdot: Re-Trolling Your Skills for the Future?".
guru in training
WWII is the *only* case where war helped the economy.
Christ, the economy was so bad then, dieing in a foxhole in france was a good way to put food on the table for your family back home.
WWII is an exception.
The Korean war hurt the economy.
The VIetnam war hurt the economy.
The Gulf war hurt the economy.
Therefore, I can conclude that teh "war helps the economy" talking point is false, except when we have 20% unemployment, and undergo a MASSIVE mobilization and conversion to a command economy.
... hi bingo
its a sad statement that you need to work two jobs.
and if you are thinking that the current job market problems are due to people not looking, you are seriously deluded.
as for WWIII - i hope not, but fear you may be correct.
... hi bingo