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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?"
Perhaps IPv6 is something you should look into. How many IT people are experts in that field?
The university I go to doesnt even look at it, which is a shame because it's got to be rolled out sooner or later. I think most people are hoping for the later.
Be you Admins? nay, we are but lusers!
Learn some solid OOP and modern languages like Java, C#, C++. It takes years of experience to write well designed OO code.
C# .Net is the biz. But the slashdotters will knock it since it comes from Microsoft. Doesn't change the facts tho ...
Just find an employer who understands that your vast experience should be enough to master any new interresting field. IMHO you just need to run into the right employer, not the right additional skills.
The most important for every developer in my opinion is Java. It is the current foundation of the general programming (no flames, please). A second step will be the Java-releated technologies - J2EE, XML processing and so on.
You probably already have a solid knowledge of SQL, relational databases and C (C++).
Then XML, HTML, the different CSS and DOM things and so on.
Also some TCP/IP and basic Unix administration will come handy.
This I think is more than enough for a good start. Java + C + C++ + XML + HTML + TCP/IP + SQL + relational databases are going to be around for a very long time and a lot of BIG and small systems are going to depend on them.
About the learning - a good book (finding a good book may be hard), a lot of interest and trying to understand the underlying principles should be enough.
Computers (or more generally IT) is a broad playground these days. Its simply not possible to do everything anymore, much less to do it well. The answer is to specialise, even if only a little.
Your history suggests a good deal of experience with embedded systems. This is a good field to be in right now - there are plenty of opportunities, from special-purposes devices to cell phones and PDAs.
If you want to stay in mainstream development, you probably need to skill yourself up in C++, C# and/or Java. For the former you're going to have to be familiar with the operating system under which you are developing; for the latter two, you're going to have to be familiar with the language and the platform, especially when it comes to enterprise systems.
If you want to move away from development, you have at least three choices: networking, design and management.
Networking moves you in between development and users -- you use, but you still have the skill ;) These is a lot of opportunity in network security in the future.
Design is a step "above" development, in which you're going to have to learn about formal methodologies, OO and patterns; how to control a development team effectively; and how to manage customer requirements.
Management is, well, management. Enough said.
My advice would be to decide what you want to do, and then investigate further to determine what skills you need.
i-name =twylite [http://public.xdi.org/=twylite], see idcommons.net
Well the brief CV that you have presented it seems that you haven't done a lot of OO in your programming life - it maybe a good thing to learn as OO is a beast it is still one of the best programming paradigm available today.
;-p
Don't worry about the programming lanaguage - as you have learnt so many new langauage in the pass I don't think you have problems picking new things up - have a look at C# and Java - they are the "same" aren't they
I say: Operating Systems and Programming Languages come and go, but good Software Engineering and technical understanding never dies. I mean file operation is the same principles in Unix, Windows, "Java", BillGatesMustDie OS (I make it up) - the difference is really whether they call it new File("hello").open() or open("hello", READ_ONLY).
About 6 months ago I left my System Admin / Level II support position at a local ISP and went into business for myself with another guy, our business is aimed at specialising in a key IT area that few local businesses do, that being UNIX consulting and specialist networking.
I think the only way to stay current and have something good on your Resume/CV is to diversify, not neccisarily specialise in a technology but be across many current technologies, read the literature - read mailinglist digests, visit as many free seminars as you can (visit some that you have to pay for if you think its worth while and you have the cash) if you know what the current products out there are, your better prepared than most people that are in the industry employed to work in one narrow area.
Just my 0.02cents
-- If at first you don't succeed, lie!
these days, if you're an application developer you have 2 main choices. you can learn .NET, or you can learn java. general java is good, but you'll be the one doing the hunting. if you have very solid j2ee experience under your belt, you'll probably be sought out. (conversely, if you've got 9 months development experience using .NET you'll probably be sought as well as people are starting to flirt with the devil on this technology front.).
in most other software development fronts, c/c++ are still the languages of choice, and your edge is in knowing how to use certain api's (visual c++, com+, unix threads, rdbms, etc) within those languages.
Actually it sounds like a joke but you shouldlook for buzzwords : :)
Learn Java, XML, or try to convert yourself to System Administration... You can also get some Oracle DBA certification or, if you don't mind the philosophico-political issues, get an MSCP (Microsoft Certified Professional)...
Well, the choice is yours but look for whatever sounds the most expensive *and* the biggest : Programming a desktop computer is not as promising as administering a cluster of Sun E10k...
Bon courage
Trolling using another account since 2005.
As a new CS grad who knows lots of the latest technology buzzwords, I've been surprised at the number of openings there are for mainframe COBOL programmers. There are enough big mainframe apps out there (and few enough who know how to work with them) that there will probably be a demand for COBOL programmers for quite a while yet.
On the other hand, the same can probably be said about C or FORTRAN. With that many years of experience in the industry, I'm surprised you haven't gotten into management or consulting of some sort.
The requested URL
it is best to get hold of as much knowledge as possible. Don't target anything trendy, but strenghthen yourself with basic computing knowledge such as server administration, network implementation, and computer repair & maintenance. Although it does sound blue-collarish but believe you me, in the IT business, they are a must.
Since you already have good programming-based skills, you should just keep them polished.
And when you actually apply for a job, don't over-pimp your skills, they will then have a reason to categorize you as over-qualified. It's suffice just to exibit your ability to handle situations from hardware to code and vice-versa. This will make you appear more all-rounded and project an image that you will be beneficial in the long run.
Just speaking from experience watching all my Masters degree friends stay home because of lack of work whilst I have a fixed income to look forward to at the end of every month.
Best of luck in your endeavours!
Welley Corporation - SLM Scammers
Not necessarily, there is something to be said for being a generalist. A specialist often will fall to the "everything looks like a nail" syndrome, because they only know how to solve problems one way.
For example, the submitter might think of a hardware solution that is better than a software one, when a specialized computer programmer would only think in terms of what software he had to write to address the problem.
The thing about being a generalist is that you need to find jobs where you are either semi-management, or have enough latitude and influence to be able to propose the solutions you want to implement. A generalist won't last long in a rigid top-down organization where the management wants to control every detail of implemention.
I don't know that this helps the original submitter much... Really my advice to him is to just not worry about learning new skills just because a bunch of people think they are hot... Just keep it to the basics of job hunting, personal networking, keep your eyes open... and learn whatever you are interested in. If you are interested in the field, then you will learn much more about it than if you are doing it just because you think it is a hot skill to have.
I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
As the guy you'd be seeing who does the interviewing, here are my five tips for a long and interesting career:
.NET, etc), read the other 500 posts. As you already know, they mean nothing in 5-10 years. My tips will last a lifetime.
1. Do whatever YOU like, but do it well.
2. Only work for employers that you want to get up in the mornings for.
3. Dedicate at least 10% of your "work" time to professional development, even if you have to pay for it. Go stale = out of job
4. If you're not having fun, leave. Life is too short to put up with crap.
5. Don't choose the boring staid job unless you want to retire. Be different. Work for Microsoft*.
If you're after buzzword compliance (j2ee,
Andrew
* by this, I actually mean for *you* to pick the most interesting job you can find. A friend of mine interviewed for a job in Antarica, for instance. Think about it.
Andrew van der Stock
The mindless automatons in H.R. need to see the right words and letters on the resume before they will forward it to a hiring manager.
Sometimes it isn't even a human doing the processing these days - OCR for the few that still snail mail their resumes (a red flag in itself), coupled with full text indexing and data mining determine which resumes are deleted and which are forwarded.
I am very small, utmostly microscopic.
Do whatever interests you.
You sound you have plenty of experience under your belt and a good understanding of things.
I've seen people make a living off of just about any computer specialty out there, good economy or bad. Find something that can get you some clients and do what you love.
Just stay involved in the community around a product or technology, and you'll have no problems. I've found that posting intelligently to a newsgroup or mailing list leads to job offers when you are not even looking for work.
Conformity is the jailer of freedom and enemy of growth. -JFK
I'd say get a firm grasp on .NET. I've been on all of the job sites lately and all I see is C# this, ASP.NET that, etc, etc. It's a Microsoft world, and, unfortunately, we're just living in it. My .02
Whenever I'm recruiting, I'd much rather interview someone who has a solid technical mind with a splash of creativity and self-motivation. This will go a lot further than someone with a bunch of paper qualifications but no true passion for the subject.
Those who have self-motivation and a passion for technology, whether this is networking, MS Windows, Unix, whatever, will generally pick up whatever technology you throw at them. i.e. a solid investment for the future.
Contribute to the online videogame encyclopedia: GamerWiki
Unfortunately that isn't true. Employers want cheep young expendable labor. If you are 50ish and speek fluent English as well as C you are, by default, to expensive and over qualified. Duh! We need to eat too. Last summer I walked past a DEC/Compaq/HP department picknic - no one there was over 40 and no one there spoke English as a native language. I am bidding on jobs I could do in my sleep at rates I was paid in the early 1980's and I still can't get good jobs. I have been reduced to teaching MS Office at a local junior college. You want bugs with that?
Your running in a rat race... Get skills which will be almost timeless. Like Managerial skills...
If you already have a bachelors, it will only take 2 years.
Or start your own business...
Free Web based FTP
Firstly, forget C. This language is hardly ever used, so you might as well leave more room in your brains for something a little more useful. I'd also avoid learning Java. It's a mature language. Nobody is interested anymore unless you have at least 10 years experience.
Up and coming technologies are the more specialised areas such as Occam and INTERCAL programming. People witht these skill are rarely out of work
I'd also suggest singing lessons. A more formal working environment like that in IBM's early days is becoming typical, and as we all know, IBM used to have company songs. What better way of climbing the career ladder than showing this sort of team spirit.
Wow, he managed to get his job ad on slashdot! Ten bucks this will get him a job!
Martin
You sound like you have been around the block, more than once. If you are getting on in life (say, mid-fifties or older) you may find that it is more and more difficult to keep up with all the changes in technology nowadays. And learning a new skill is getting harder and harder also.
Neverfear, it is just Mother Nature kicking in.
The solution? Move up to (technical) management. There really *IS* a need for technically competent managers to guide the young hotshots. Your experience counts, even if you don't understand the latest and the greatest (have your hotshots explain it to you in their own words).
Yeah, management can be a drag, stuck in the middle between the upper-level and the people who actually get things done; and good technical people don't necessarily equate to good managers; but it is worth looking into. Even if you wanted just to be a techie-nerd for the rest of your life.
Of course, you could always become an instructor (assuming you have some communications skills) and pass your experiences and techniques on to the next generation.
Just some thoughts...
(From a fifty-ish longtime technical instructor)
Your "obsolete CV" might serve you better than you think. With all of the skills you listed, there is an implied skill that you left out, that will serve you and your future employers better than any stack of certifications will.
That is the skill of learning new skills. Flexibility and adaptability will always be in demand. Sell yourself on that.
True, a lot of employers put together a laundry list of skills for each new position. But they rarely find people who are a perfect fit for those kinds of lists.
I am not your blowing wind, I am the lightning.
Java. All you need is to visit Sun. Start with the tutorials, download the jdk, and get a decent text editor. Download Apache and Tomcat. Then move onto Netbeans if you desire a development environment. Nothing to buy. No classes to enroll in. No proprietary system to learn. No silly license issues to deal with. A great start.
With your background across different systems you sound like a good candidate for getting into the security game. As you might expect, this is becoming big business at the moment.
Security is a process, so you wouldn't really have to learn much new technology. There's a lot of value in talking to someone rich in experience when it comes to security, especially if you're trying to secure legacy platforms.
If that doesn't sound like fun and you want to stick with programming, I'd suggest picking up either Java, C#/.NET, or Obj-C/Cocoa. Learning these technologies will certainly keep you relevant and will probably be fun too!
(Since you already know C, Obj-C/Cocoa would be really straight forward, and we can't have too many Mac developers you know.)
I'd recommend that you either go into systems engineering (that includes architecture and can include business-process re-engineering) if you want to stay technical or go for an MBA if you want to plunge into the business end.
Take this advice at your own risk:
This requires that you are really crazy about technology, but so far it's been working out ok for me.
Learn everything and then master one part at a time.
Read/Skim a lot of books. No, I'm not saying RTFM, I'm saying there are many good books out there that can get you up to speed quickly (don't need to waste time and money on fancy classes-though perhaps it would be worth your time to get certified in a few areas [RHCE, MSCE, and A+ is a powerful combination])Be fluent in M$ Windows (9x/NT/2k/XP), OS X, and Linux/UNIX and be able to code with some decency in Perl, C++, C#/VB, PHP(or ASP I suppose), and XML per say. You can pick and choose to favor your interests somewhat. Once you have something like that going, then you peek at the market out there, to see what the 'big need' is. Say it's XML devels-then you get the job, because you know your XML enough to get in, but while you're there you specialize in that so they don't give you the boot. The key is to have many skillz in many areas so you are "multi-purpose"
I think a lot of people will disagree w/ me and say that this requires too much time and is a waste if you only need to learn one skill to get a job. On the contrary, so far this has worked for me, and as long as you stay up on what you know (DON'T FORGET EVERYTHING YOU KNOW JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T USE IT!) and get educated about the latest and greatest technology, then you will never need to "start from scratch" (like perhaps where you are now) you will simply need to master another area.
Example:
If you get a job as a web devel, your *ML skills will become excellant along w/ perhaps your PHP/MySQL and JavaScript abilities. However, if you don't practice them, your sys/net admin skills will waste away along w/ any others you let the dust collect on, so be sure to keep up your other skills at home, such as linux/perl. You could say, set up an automated backup server on your network or something.
This prevents you from forgetting everything and it lets you have some fun w/ other technologies then your forte.
Perhaps why this approach works for me is because I am an exicted engineering student w/ a lot of projects. (how many other people have their own linux based MAME in their basement and a music server in their car?)
I hope that's good advice, again, depending on who you are this could help you or confuse you. GL
Sigs pose an operational security risk and help the baddies aggregate data. I guess commenting does too, oops.
Your skill base mentions technologies from over 20 years ago, so you are probably pushing 40 if not over. The tech field is very ageist, presuming near senility over 35 or so. Yet another NY Times article complaining about this.
My recommendation would be eCommerce and all that revolves around it: Here's some ways to get started:
You'll need to know how to work in a operating system that runs on servers. Maybe install and get used to working with Linux?
If you don't know how webserver's work, now is a good time to install one and play with it, how about Apache?
If you don't understand the scripting languages that make the internet work, learn one, how about PHP?
If you're not at least a little familar with how datbaases work, you should at least know how to get info from a database to a webpage, why not learn some SQL, so install and play with a database, how about mySql?
With a few more basics (security + content management + etc) you're now fairly versed in what you need to develop websites using LAMP (linux + apache + mySql + PHP)
The best part, you don't have to spend a dime to use any of these technologies. They are all free (as in beer). What I really like about all these technologies, is the ammount of documentation and help you can also find for free. Be sure to kick back a little, answer a couple questions after you've found a few thousand answers.
And if you need links to find mroe (alias more mroe) info, you haven't heard of google. (i.e. look for LAMP)
M@
Krispy Cream is people
Agreed, although some say this apparently gets harder with increasing antiquity ;)
I would say there's another thing to be on the look-out for: abstraction. Someone who "learns Pascal" or "learns Fortran" or "learns C" might be said to be missing out on the general "knows how to program" aspect, which is far more employable. Likewise "knows web-design" is missing out on the fun of the open w3c standards and tagged-up text-processing tools that go with XML.
Ask yourself what aspects of IT will be around in 10yrs' time.
Windoze? No way. Linux? Probably not in any form similar to present. Cisco? Likewise, mutation expected.
It's not worthwhile investing time and money for certification in any proprietary single technology. I'd say two key things that'll still be around are an understanding of SECURITY and of ETHICS. Read up on those - get to know security for what it is, and how best to apply it to a couple of current OSs, and work through the moral mazes of a few ethical questions, and you'll set yourself up for a longer career.
$0.02. HTH.
~Tim
--
Rushing on down to the circle of the turn
What wonderful logic. Truely insightful. And, tragically, completely useless in today's IT job market.
Companies looking for temp workers (heaven forbid they think about actually hiring someone) have a long and detailed laundry list of "buzz words" that they think are job requirements/necessary skill sets. If your resume doesn't hit in the word matching then out it goes.
The best "buzz word" to have these days is probably Web Services. The good thing is that successfully implementing real Web Services actually requires a generalist.
So, tack a little XML knowledge onto the old resume and slap in a few words about B2B and EAI. This could actually lead to something interesting.
Good luck.
--- I wish I could hear the soundtrack to my life. That way I'd know when to duck.
Not necessarily, there is something to be said for being a generalist. A specialist often will fall to the "everything looks like a nail" syndrome, because they only know how to solve problems one way.
True.
As you progress up the chain in MIS you get to a level where you are expected to understand business. Not just that you know that you need to bring in more than you spend but REALLY understand business. Take an accounting course or two, a couple business management courses etc... Of all the hammers I own this one did the most for my income.
The next big thing will probably be mobile application for PDA's and Phones and anything else, so I'd learn Mobile Java next.
thank God the internet isn't a human right.
Without actually naming language. You need to find methods of producting stable quality code more quickly. Get use to OOP Programming. You have to realize now that computers are getting smaller faster and cheaper it is the fact that it is now cheaper for a company buy a less efficient program that took less time to make then to buy extra hardware to to make the program run faster. So brush up on styles of programming that improve programming speed then working on ways to make you code more optimized. I like nicly optimized code as much as the other person but you have to realize if it takes you an extra week to code at $85 an hour that is an additional $3400 in the cost of the program. Which may or may not be broken up by multable purchacers. But if you are making a custom application for 1 customer. That extra week to make the code run 25% faster cost as much as a second systems that can split the work load and make your code twice as efficient.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
I can only agree with this.
;-))
Being a generalist I found that I can work with any OS (I deny all knowlegde of M$ OS'es), solve any problem they trow at me and I'm able to advise and educate others.
When I'm stuck... wel, it's specialized knowledge that can be found on the web, with suppliers, coworkers, friends,...
It's always nice to know how brand X works, in detail, but what happens when management decides that brand Y is better. I'd prefer to be able to advice them to go for the correct brand for the job, instead of finding myself looking for another job just because they switched to brand Y.
Know what happens in the environment that you work in, never forget to fiddle around a bit while sorting things out, just to get the feeling of the systems you're working on.
Once you know how to drive and maintain a crappy old mini you shouldn't have a problem with that shiny ferrarri they want to buy. (and once you've convinced your boss that a BMW is better you can play with the ferrarri for yourself
Yeah, I'm also a carnut...
Just to summarize, general, in depth knowledge of the design of a computer, an OS, an application is rare, very rare. I guess it's less then 5% of the IT business that know what's going on when they for example send an email. (and I mean know exactly what's going on, including the content of the IP packets) I'm at least not yet one of them, not on that level.
Or was this just because the Y2K and euro 'problem', which 'required' lots of MCSE drones.
... Wenn ist das Nunstruck git und Slotermeyer? Ja!... Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!
As always, especially in the tech industry the best thing you can do is tailor your resume to the specific place you are applying to.
:)
Yes, this takes more time than emailing the same resume 1000times to different places.
A large company (like IBM), might want to see you as a specialst in one particular aspect of programming. Like an expert in C, and compiler design.
I'd think a smaller company might want to see more of a "Jack of all trades". C/Java developer, web applications, Unix administration.
Worst thing you can do, is assume you know what MOST companies are looking for, and tailor a single resume because of that.. or make generalizations such as "They want quality, not quantity". Many BIG companies would rather hire newbies for less, and train/MOLD them into the skilled guru they are looking for.
Of course add in the "economic slump" factor.. and things get a bit more difficult.
Perhaps the "Iraq" factor, will smooth the economy a little
--noodles
Here (UK) it seems you are considered past it at 30! All IBM iSeries(AS400) jobs advertised on the Big Board - www.jobserve.com are for people with specific package experience or foreign language skills. The clients seem to believe technical competence is not important. But at least 12 months using their particular installation is.
Why ? Maybe because when the job fails to get a "suitable" candidate. It's inter-company transfer time (India). It is easy to hoodwink governments with this "skills" shortage crap.
And being cynical, I expect the guy brought in to do the work eventually, will most likely become familiar with the package on the job
like I used to do in my 20s, when I had no family to support.
You have to leverage your existing skill-based assets to synergize with strategic technical learning opportunities so that you are empowered to become the mobile information architect of the future.
Duh.
And case mods. Make sure you have lots of case mods. Those are cool. You can be a web typist in no time!
It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
A lot of people consider it to be a stepping stone position, where you put the new developers so they can get an overall idea of the product. I don't. That is good for me, because companies want people who are serious about the position. They don't teach QA in school, they teach programming. I went with the odds that I wouldn't be fighting for my job every year against a fresh batch of bright-eyed programmers.
Some people aren't suited for QA, others are. I think I am, because I get to problem solve quite a bit, and even write a little code. I am currently working on QA process, and test automation. You get to really be anal-retentive and picky, which I am good at. If you program, you only know X number of languages, but I can test pretty much anything you throw at me. My job is based on methodologies that I can pretty much apply to anything. I admin my own Linux system on my home network, which I find really interesting, but I don't think I want to be an admin. But it helps me when I need to talk to the admins, or other tech people I come across in my job.
No matter what your job is, I think you should always pursue what you really like outside of your job. Maybe they are the same things. Develop YOU, because no matter where you work, you will have to interact with other people.
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
Well speaking for some of the "West". We have NO problem competing with India on codeing, however we pay 60% of our income in taxes. Those taxes go to pay for stuff here in the west. Those coders over in India don't pay anything! So much like cars that are taxed on import, code should also be taxed. Will this happen? No. Will Unions happen? Yes.
The real problem is greed. Do coders over here deserve 70+k a year? Most don't. However, does top management of companies over here deserve >100k/year? Very few do.
That management wants to protect their jobs and salary so they see an easy solution. Farm out all development to slave labor err I mean India.
Now if that development out of the country was taxed at around 100-160%, then both sides would win. The Indians would still get some jobs, the "West" could comete and still pay taxes over here for schools and hospitals etc.
The more I learn about science, the more my faith in God increases.
As such and admin, let me summarize the market condidtions:
Admins: 4 for a $1
Programmers: $2.49/lb
Seriously, there's not that many people left that *need* admins any more. They are either huge and already well staffed, or they are small and have their programmers do the admin work. Putting people out of work by automating their job is ALWAYS in season; it's computing's promise to the capitalist. This includes automating IT, and as such, IT IMHO is a doomed career choice. Think of all of the "computer operator" positions that used to exist. That has almost disappeared, and very soon, so will the network/system/database administrator positions.
So ignore his advice about being a sysadmin. Let me add my advice; it's not what you know, it's who you know. Trusted human networks are far more profitable than trusted computer networks.
Democrats and Republicans only disagree about how to enslave you
Those that really can, teach. You have a wide variety of experience and knowledge, why not pass it on the to next generation.
You will stay cutting edge and help a few young folk to not make the same mistakes you once did. You will learn the newest technology from them, too.
I'm amazed how much I've learned from students. It is sometimes a challenge to keep up with their knowledge, if sometimes misdirected. Above all stay openminded.
This thread is interesting, and shows the dichotemy between "what should be" and "what is." I would say that the underyling problem is not the questioner's skills, but (as some have alluded to in the HR-filter for keywords comments) is the mindset of businesses.
What most fail to realize is that 5 years in a single tech is probably a bad sign. A "better" programmer would probably have gotten bored and moved on, or moved on because it's highly unlikely that a single technology remains the best solution for that long a period of time.
My advice would thus be this: if you're good, don't worry about it. It takes a few days to pick up 98% of any language/tech., a few hours to learn 98% of the commands and interfaces for an OS etc. (unless you're administering the thing, which takes us back into the few days bit). So, just skim a Java reference, a Linux book, etc. and throw them all on your resume.
If you're not that good, you can hang yourself with this, but, then again, most companies don't know what they're doing with tech anyway (even the experts within the company), so you can get away with just being mediocre.
And, if you find a company that thinks the right way about technology, they'll understand it's a fluid thing and they'll be looking for smart people, not people who've memorized wasted their time memorizing reference books that are available for $20 or online for free.
Funny, when I took it as an IBM-run public class it covered in 4 days what took me 6 years to teach myself. A lot more than just making "expert installers" out of us. I really enjoyed that class.
Looking back on it, I didn't really learn all that much that I didn't already know, except for some advanced X Windows administration. Over half the class failed the exam, so it was more of a confirmation for me that I was making the kind of progress that I thought I was.
Intelligent Life on Earth
The one problem we did have is that we couldn't do source-level debugging on an HP emulator we bought. When more tools are updated to support C++, you'll see lots of embedded systems development switch from C to C++, just like it switched from assembly to C many years ago.
What a fool believes, he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.
Networking. Not computers. People.
I was recently laid off, and I just got a new job yesterday. Out of the dozens of places I applied at, only one even bothered to send a rejection letter. (plus another one sent a rejection email).
Where did I eventually get a job?
A place where a friend works, and pulled some strings for me - they looked at my resume and created a position for me.
Yes, I realize that I am very, very lucky - but it just goes to show; that if you aren't exactly what someone's already looking for, and if you aren't exactly the strongest candidate, your chances of actually getting a job, whether you have all the skills you need, or whether you're so technically good that you can pick up new skills in a trivially short time, are exactly zero.
These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
Let me second that statement.
30 years of programming experience. Worked on international standards body (X consortium). Two degrees in CS. Web services experience. Network architectures. Corporate R&D. Business analysis. Long range forecasting.
In my last job as the company shrunk I was moved from a pure R&D/technical analysis job, to an architecture job, to a design job, to a coding job. And then they laid off all the coders and hired a company in India to do the coding work.
I can't even get a job at the local Junior College. They went broke because of the decline of the "tech sector" in this dear town. Best I've been able to find is the occasional testing job that pay about half what I made in the '80s.
The truth is that there are some very good people in India and China who will do the low level coding work work for very little money. And, in this market, no one is hiring people to do the kind of high level work I used to do. That is life, I have adapted to it. And I am.
Stonewolf
Exactly. You just have to fake it enough to get in the door. A good generalist can spend the evening before the interview soaking up enough pertinent details to pass himself off as a specialist--and then it's generally easy enough to pick up the details after you've got the job.
In fact, this is one of the best ways to become a generalist. Having to absorb a lot of information about something you only know a little about, relatively quickly, is the hallmark of a good generalist. The important thing is to be able to adapt.
No relation to Happy Monkey
...richie - It is a good day to code.
In today's rapidly changing and down-sizing business environments it is often the MIS and development people who find themselves on the short end of the stick for the simple reason that they generally do not generate enough cash flow to cover their employment expenses. Exceptions might be in smaller software firms where their only business is contract development.
When a company falls on hard times, rather than expanding your skills in whatever your specialty is, try talking to sales people or some of the tech writers or try coming up with some business ideas to present to your higher-ups or generally try to demonstrate your flexibility and "swiss army knife - like" ability to do multiple things well.
Particularly in the software field there are a large number of people who's primary language is not English. It may be politically incorrect of me...but here it goes. English is the language of business. If you have better English skills (reading, writing, communication, bull$hitting) you will have a leg up on your peers. A well written email with some industry buzz words and a few $2 words thrown in for flavor will likely impress people. Use spell check every time!!! There is nothing worse than trying to impress people with your verbal skills and getting a word's, or worse, a colleague's name wrong.
Are you a hard-core engineer? Try writing a white-paper on some piece of technology you have expertise with. Your initiative and competence will likely be noticed by someone, and if it isn't, keep a copy and add it to your resume as another selling point if you ever find yourself looking elsewhere for work.
Communication skills are key for getting, keeping, and excelling in any job. All the technical expertise in the world in useless if you can't express to you your employer exactly what you can, and are willing to do.
--this is for the guy who submitted the questions, it's different in a lot of ways from the techie answers he's getting, but perhaps it's useful to him
--biggest problem I am seeing here is lack of understanding of what to DO with IT skills. companies are in the widget business. They USE "IT" skills to make and sell widgets. The PRIMARY goal is to make and sell widgets, all the IT skills are to be used as TOOLS to make and sell the widgets. Just IT in and of itself is only a market that sells the tools or builds the tools, but it's NOT the primary end market. The thinking should focus first on identifying a niche in the widget market that needs to be filled and isn't adequately yet.
Now the problem is there's a sort of depressed widget market. Along with IT, widget making is being outsourced, mostly to china and some other asian nations.
OK, now this is a double problem, short thinking bean counters and owners/managers only want their loot now, they could care less about eventually losing their customers, as they DON'T CARE that every outsourced job is also an outsourced consumer. They get their loot now, later on their plan is to live on that loot, they are fully prepared to drive by you huddled on the sidewalk begging, just like they do in any other technofuedal 2nd world nation now.
THINK on that aspect of society and the job market right now before you proceed.
Don't expect any of them to be loyal to you, so don't work for them. You'll just keep getting screwed, over and over again. if this wasn't true you'd still be employed, yes?
The only person who will be loyal to you is YOU, and only YOU will keep yourself employed.
Figure out a widget niche, then use your OWN IT technical skills for your OWN business model. You need your own business, and I DON'T mean just consulting for someone else's business.
Here's an analogy, it's rough (crappy really) but it might get this concept across.
Joe is a car/truck mechanic, over the years he's learned how to work on a lot of cars.
Joe worked for years for belchfire motors, but they gradually switched to using foreign parts and foreigners in general, eventually moving their factories and finally even outsourcing any repairs. His job got to be less and less hours until finally one day he got his last check, then was unemployed, despite being this great mechanic.
He then went around applying for mechanic jobs, but all over it was the same scene, mechanics not needed unless you today have this exact single thing we need and once that's finished good bye, see ya later.
He picks up a day here, a week, there, but it's rank and not really steady.
He's still a good mechanic.
He thinks, "hmm, what was I working on again?" "oh ya, I was a mechanic to make cars and trucks work"
He thinks again, "what do people use cars and trucks for to make a living with, something besides generic transportation?"
"Well, taxicabs, delivery, construction specialised truck-tools, etc".
So he gets a brainstorm, he goes into the commercial application vehicle business, he notices locally there's an unfilled niche, there's no light duty delivery service. He gets a fleet of small trucks, hires drivers, and uses his previous mechanical skills to keep the trucks running so he stays profitable. He starts with one truck, builds from there. he knocks on doors, gets contracts. he fixes his own truck at night if it needs it, and does deliveries during the day, always stopping at some new place to pitch his business. He's relentless.
He's not getting paid as a mechanic per se anymore, but he's still using his mechanic skills to "make money", but this time he's the boss and can make better decisions, like, he knows such and such a truck has a better track record for not breaking as often. Done, that's what gets decided. Other companies have the bean counters decide on the cheapest truck, so they suffer breakdowns later on but blame anyone but themselves. He knows that aftermarket part A is better than OEM part B, so he uses that part if needed. He knows that preventative maintenance is a good idea, so instead of running his vehicles x-thousand miles from tune ups and oil changes like his competition, he runs them in sooner-yes, higher short term cost, better long term average cost, it's cheaper in the long run to do it intelligently.
and etc.
Hope this helps, think one step higher in "business" mode rather than concentrating on "tech" mode, as being self employed is what's going to count in the future, not the overly niched skill set. use your skills to do business for yourself, don't make the money for other people. If they can afford to pay you x thousand, they are making x + thousand, might as well get the whole amount.
The handwriting is on the wall as to the two class global society coming, best you can do is to stave off the timing, get as self employed as possible, in at least two different areas, and for sure (this one is my really only serious detailed recommendation), make sure you move rural and own property outright that has it's own water, garden area and woodlot. Commute if you have to now or tellecommute, but DON'T stay major urban bound in a piped in reality apartment or house.
Look around, the %^&t is getting bad out there.
All the tech in the world won't eliminate the basics of being a carbon based lifeform. In times of economic or social crisis or depression, having the ability on site to feed, water and heat yourself and family will be more valuable than any number of high tech gizmos. Don't think in terms of just representative wealth in the form of money, think of what the basics are you use that "money" for, and get ahold of them now while still possible and affordable.
I listened to the stories from my grandmothers and great aunts about the great depression, it was no joke, there's no guarantee it won't happen again. People in the city who lost their jobs lost a LOT, those in the rural areas might have been poor but at least they had food and water and a place to sleep. Cover your basic human needs, proceed from there. It's real insurance, a great adjunct to that piece of paper in the file cabinet.
And anyone who don't think it can happenm, here's some clues.
Large corporations get a tax break to relocate outside the US. They are doing so. This is a bad idea and is part of the great economic snakeoil salesmen's spiel. Check the daily headlines, you aren't seeing "xyz corp anounces a new plant and hiring thousands" you are seeing "xyz corp announces layoffs". this is across the board, every sector you can point at practically. This is single major clue # 1.
The government cooks the books on unemployment to avoid panic, we are over double digits now, it's not the 5-6% they spout on teevee, it's double that. It's 10 to 12%, they DON'T count people who have exhausted unemployment benefits or who have been out of work past a few months.
Look at the major US banks derivatives exposure.(scary)
Look at the fortune 500 (and government) pension exposure(ditto, scary)
Look at where the major insurance carriers have their eggs piled now(nothing that's making any money beyond theoretical poker chip bond money. bonds can only be paid if people are working. bonds can default same as anything, and government printing press money won't help if the work itself defaults.)
Look at projected energy demands and what is related to what and where it comes from(we have a certain amount of cheap to extract by the BTU energy, hint, we don't own much of it anymore)
Look at which nations are going to be needing how much energy and when, timewise (china, 1.5 to 2 billion people, ramping up manufacturing and all those people demanding jobs and to become sort of kinda middle class, at least to have some bones thrown to them, projected crisis level roughly 2010)
Do that, you'll get reality religion and get self employed and move rural most likely. Most guys won't, the concept of "not having" and "$%^&* this is bad" hasn't been hammered in yet so it's "not possible". Latest release of quake and who won the ball game is still tops. Don't go there.
good luck and better skill
I'm an academic purist, so normally I'd tell you that if you want to know about something new: get off your ass and learn it yourself. However in the case of networking I'd have to agree with you.
Let's face it: TCP/IP and UDP/IP are the only protocols worth a damn. Networking courses are filled with archaic ideas like ATM which clearly has no future (QoS will be implemented on top of TCP/IP). You could argue that learning about the good old days will teach students general design principles, however so would learning about the exotic ideas that might not be here for the long haul.
So rather than spend a bunch (it's okay to spend a little) of time on history or cut back the low-level portion of networking courses, I'd rather see students learning about things like IPv6, IPSec, and Mobile IP.