I started programming at the age of 32, five years ago. I dropped out of graduate school in mathematics, spent several years as a drug addict and ne'er do well, eventually got married and picked up a book by K&R. Since then, over the course of five years, I've developed OS/2 PM applications, Win16, Win32, porting Win16 to Win32, C++ OOA, OOD, and OOP. After a quick dip into the horrors of DCOM, I discovered Linux and now work as a C++ and Perl programmer in a UNIX shop.
You've got to keep your skills up, keep reading, find the BEST texts (not those garbage Learn X 21 days books), the ones that make you think hard and explore both theoretical and practical sides of the technology you're interested in, read trade journals so you're familar with the industry landscape, read newsgroups, and master the art of schmoozing with other programmers.
When you go on an interview, and are trying to break into a new technology, you've got to know enough about it not just to pass a technical quiz, but to be able to explain the use of the technology in its historical and technological context. Know the pros and cons of what you're getting into. Tell an old war story that parallels some pro or con of the technology you're trying to get into. That's the stuff that will make an interviewer's heart shine for you.
Well, this is my experience. I've got a 10 year gap from my college degree (math) till my first programming job. I tell them I did nothing relevant to my technical career during that time and leave it at that. Lump it or leave it. I've been coding for five years now, never spent more than 15 months at any job, all of which used different tecnologies/tools/platforms/languages. So I've got five years of proof behind me that when I say "Hey, I can learn that technology and be an asset to your org.", they believe you.
This is what I'm going to take with me into my fourties. Keep reading, coding, developing my skills and keeping up with industry trends.
After 7 years experience developing apps in C/C++ for M$ platforms, I've learn to hate M$ and all the bullshit that goes along with developing on their platforms.
I'm a Linux newbie, and would like to get some experience in developing Open Source code, and wouldn't mind getting paid for it. What should I do to get involved in this? I haven't written any Open Source code yet, but I'm not a shabby C/C++ programmer with reasonably good OO design skills.
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I started programming at the age of 32, five years ago. I dropped out
of graduate school in mathematics, spent several years as a drug
addict and ne'er do well, eventually got married and picked up a book
by K&R. Since then, over the course of five years, I've developed OS/2
PM applications, Win16, Win32, porting Win16 to Win32, C++ OOA, OOD,
and OOP. After a quick dip into the horrors of DCOM, I discovered
Linux and now work as a C++ and Perl programmer in a UNIX shop.
You've got to keep your skills up, keep reading, find the BEST texts
(not those garbage Learn X 21 days books), the ones that make you
think hard and explore both theoretical and practical sides of the
technology you're interested in, read trade journals so you're
familar with the industry landscape, read newsgroups, and master the
art of schmoozing with other programmers.
When you go on an interview, and are trying to break into a new
technology, you've got to know enough about it not just to pass a
technical quiz, but to be able to explain the use of the technology in
its historical and technological context. Know the pros and cons of
what you're getting into. Tell an old war story that parallels some
pro or con of the technology you're trying to get into. That's the
stuff that will make an interviewer's heart shine for you.
Well, this is my experience. I've got a 10 year gap from my
college degree (math) till my first programming job. I tell them I did
nothing relevant to my technical career during that time and leave it
at that. Lump it or leave it. I've been coding for five years now,
never spent more than 15 months at any job, all of which used
different tecnologies/tools/platforms/languages. So I've got five
years of proof behind me that when I say "Hey, I can learn that
technology and be an asset to your org.", they believe you.
This is what I'm going to take with me into my fourties. Keep reading,
coding, developing my skills and keeping up with industry trends.
It's not that hard.
After 7 years experience developing apps in C/C++ for M$ platforms,
I've learn to hate M$ and all the bullshit that goes along with
developing on their platforms.
I'm a Linux newbie, and would like to get some experience in
developing Open Source code, and wouldn't mind getting paid for it.
What should I do to get involved in this? I haven't written any Open
Source code yet, but I'm not a shabby C/C++ programmer with reasonably
good OO design skills.
"Do I watch Seinfeld? My life is a Jewish joke!"