Forgive me, but I'm a cynic.......
I know it happens but it is very odd to me that there are so many posts here from people dying to state their age, and close to six figure salary.
I'm not going to be afraid to say it, I'm glad my employer isn't in the business of hiring sixteen year olds, or paying twenty year olds 90k+.
Don't get me wrong, ability is very important but as it has been stated numerous times by others, coding isn't everything. A couple of years ago during a Co-op, I worked with about six other different people approx. four years younger than me. Two of them could write better code than anyone I've met since. They also didn't fit in very well and seemed to annoy other people from managers, down to the administrative assistants. They were a bit weird but mostly just immature.
Say what you want, you can't dispute the fact that experience comes with age...... real-world experience, not, "I've been coding for 5 years" experience.
Don't take any of this to mean that I think you guys out there under 21 can't get the job done, but if I looked at things from an employer's standpoint I'd make sure you paid your dues and grew up before I gave you anywhere close to the salary you guys say you are worth. Your arrogance in post and willingness to approximate your salary shows that there is something you just don't quite get about business in general.
Key point is.... you had other college credit beforehand. Getting a Masters in a year is a wonderful thing but it isn't as unique as you'd think. ALot of programs offer fasttrack Masters... you usually need to know before you get out of undergrad though so you can take the right classes and earn the right grades that will get you exempt from many of the other credits.
This thread was started by someone who didn't goto college and wants to get a degree in a year. I'm one of those never say never people, but this my friend doesn't seem too feesible.
This thread seems to have an interesting trend. Ok so this guy says he has been working for a while without a degree and is now seeking one... Why does this seem to bother some of you in similar situations who DON'T want a degree???
Somehow this took a turn towards a flood of people saying "I don't have a degree", "You don't need a degree". What the hell is this. I DO honestly think that skills are the most important thing. Thats an obvious thing. But there is no way any of you can logically say that earning a college education is NOT beneficial.
You can tell your story over and over about how you've worked for ten years and don't have a degree. blah blah blah. I don't care if you make three times my salary. Your story does not negate the millions of people who graduate from college every year.
I don't doubt that you can still have a wonderful career in the tech world without earning a degree. I'd bet plenty of money on the fact however that for EVERY ONE of you guys with a story of how you've been a manager WITHOUT a degree for 'X' amount of years, there are a thousand doing the same WITH one.
I honestly think its great that many of you made it without having a degree. I love my job and I got here because of good skills and a college degree, but I don't think I am better than you because of it. In turn, you're not better becuase of the tract you took.
I've only seen one person in this thread who didn't graduate from college come close to remotely admitting that a degree does mean something. Many of you seem so defensive about not getting your degree. Hey it worked for you and thats great but your experience alone can't discount the facts for others.
One day when you all have kids, I hope someone shows them all your comments about how "USELESS" getting a degree is.
You should rephrase and say, "Its not that hard for me". I should add that I had the same experience as you, I had a relatively easy time at gettting a job but I know too many others who haven't.
You're correct about knowing the right people and having the right skills. I was fortunate to work at a company that paid Co-Ops very well. I made more money before I got my degree than many people I know with Higher levels of education.
It probably depends alot upon the region.... I can say that the scenerio you describe is not the case for alot of people here in RTP and surrounding areas in North Carolina. I don't think things are "That bad"... but they seem to be a far cry from two years ago. You can always find exceptions to the rule.... I'm sure there are plenty of other companies doing as yours does, hiring without degrees but I'd have to guess that the number of those doing so has declined sharply. In 1998 I had a couple of offers in Charlotte that paid well and I was 2 and a half years credits shy of completing my degree. I am so glad I didn't take them though, alot has changed since then. Many of the companies around here that were so eager to hire don't seem to be around anymore.
I'm like you, I feel pretty damn stable and if for some God foresaken reason I didn't have a job tomorrow I'm pretty confident I'd have another soon... mainly I'm confident in what I know how to do, secondly, I am confident because I have a degree in CS.
Please don't misunderstand, I think there are tons of people out there without degrees that know more about what I do than I could ever hope to. There are so many talented people though... during times of a slower economy there has to be ways to discriminate.... I think a college degree is one of them
You are totally right about knowing your stuff and not being able to hide behind a degree. I have to say that I think times are very different from the past when it comes to working without the degree however. The shape of the market and the economy right now isn't the same as it was two years ago or eighteen for that matter. I know alot of good, experienced developers and engineers who have had to find new work in the past year (and they weren't working for "dot.com companies"). You have alot of experience and so does the person who started this thread.... you also got your foot in the door a while ago. I took about 3 years off to get some of the same expereince you guys have and I just completed my degree this summer. I truly believe that I currently work because I have my degree AND I know my stuff. Alot of places want a degree AND expereince. The funny thing about getting the experience though, you need to be working toward a degree to get many of the Co-Ops/Internships out there.
The Booty makes a good point. I would assume you are looking more towards managing...... if you have all of the skills you say you have you can probably have any of the technical positions you want right?? I think you might waste some valuable time looking for a way to get it done in a year. You'll be able to place out of a few classes but most of them will be the general Ed. type requirements like basic maths, English, etc., but not the core curriculum. If you have at least some general Ed. done then you could QUIT work and get it done in two years, MAYBE. A year though... if you find a place to get that done please email me, I'd like a PHD by summer. You're gonna have to spend some time... I think your main question is what kind of degree do you need? You've got alot of CS knowledge so you might be able to use a business degree better to advance in your company.
Alignment can do wonders for a television. If you are going to invest in an HD set then its a good idea to invest in having it professionally aligned. The picture will look much better, and certain aspects of the picture tube quality and life will be preserved longer. I think you can probably get this done for $150 - $200 in home. It sounds like alot but the difference can sometimes be as great as comparing a DVD to a "previously viewed" VHS from Blockbuster. If you buy from a local HT shop rather than a chain like Worst Buy or Circuit Sh*tty then you can often buy an extended warranty which may include such in home service.
As for set recommendations..... your own eye is your best friend, all the reviews in the world won't be better than what you see wih your own eyes. Just make sure you know the facts about the set and anything extra the shop may be using. I've noticed that commonly people don't ask to see the screen with an analog/regular signal instead of a progressive scan DVD or HD signal. This is so odd to me seeing as how the large percentage of programming isn't HD yet. I'd look for a set with the best picture all around rather than one with the "Best" on an HD signal.
You also may want to take into account additional hardware like the set top box and/or a TRU progressive scan DVD player. Unless you're lucky enough to have a cable provider in your area who can magically produce those hard to find HD cable boxes, you'll need to spend a few hundred in addition to the television itself.
Maybe someone here could answer this question...
My DSL company gave me a USB modem instead of ethernet. I currently have a basic hub and this is how I share my internet connection (using internet connection sharing in win2000). I've always wanted to know if I could use internet connection sharing with my linux box or another device like the PS2, TIVO etc. IS there a way I can do this using just a hub?
Slashdot Mirror
Maybe they should focus more on writing code that detects someone cheating the hiring process and/or discrepancies in media guides.
Forgive me, but I'm a cynic....... I know it happens but it is very odd to me that there are so many posts here from people dying to state their age, and close to six figure salary.
I'm not going to be afraid to say it, I'm glad my employer isn't in the business of hiring sixteen year olds, or paying twenty year olds 90k+. Don't get me wrong, ability is very important but as it has been stated numerous times by others, coding isn't everything. A couple of years ago during a Co-op, I worked with about six other different people approx. four years younger than me. Two of them could write better code than anyone I've met since. They also didn't fit in very well and seemed to annoy other people from managers, down to the administrative assistants. They were a bit weird but mostly just immature.
Say what you want, you can't dispute the fact that experience comes with age...... real-world experience, not, "I've been coding for 5 years" experience.
Don't take any of this to mean that I think you guys out there under 21 can't get the job done, but if I looked at things from an employer's standpoint I'd make sure you paid your dues and grew up before I gave you anywhere close to the salary you guys say you are worth. Your arrogance in post and willingness to approximate your salary shows that there is something you just don't quite get about business in general.
Key point is.... you had other college credit beforehand. Getting a Masters in a year is a wonderful thing but it isn't as unique as you'd think. ALot of programs offer fasttrack Masters... you usually need to know before you get out of undergrad though so you can take the right classes and earn the right grades that will get you exempt from many of the other credits. This thread was started by someone who didn't goto college and wants to get a degree in a year. I'm one of those never say never people, but this my friend doesn't seem too feesible.
This thread seems to have an interesting trend. Ok so this guy says he has been working for a while without a degree and is now seeking one... Why does this seem to bother some of you in similar situations who DON'T want a degree???
Somehow this took a turn towards a flood of people saying "I don't have a degree", "You don't need a degree". What the hell is this. I DO honestly think that skills are the most important thing. Thats an obvious thing. But there is no way any of you can logically say that earning a college education is NOT beneficial.
You can tell your story over and over about how you've worked for ten years and don't have a degree. blah blah blah. I don't care if you make three times my salary. Your story does not negate the millions of people who graduate from college every year.
I don't doubt that you can still have a wonderful career in the tech world without earning a degree. I'd bet plenty of money on the fact however that for EVERY ONE of you guys with a story of how you've been a manager WITHOUT a degree for 'X' amount of years, there are a thousand doing the same WITH one.
I honestly think its great that many of you made it without having a degree. I love my job and I got here because of good skills and a college degree, but I don't think I am better than you because of it. In turn, you're not better becuase of the tract you took.
I've only seen one person in this thread who didn't graduate from college come close to remotely admitting that a degree does mean something. Many of you seem so defensive about not getting your degree. Hey it worked for you and thats great but your experience alone can't discount the facts for others.
One day when you all have kids, I hope someone shows them all your comments about how "USELESS" getting a degree is.
You should rephrase and say, "Its not that hard for me". I should add that I had the same experience as you, I had a relatively easy time at gettting a job but I know too many others who haven't.
You're correct about knowing the right people and having the right skills. I was fortunate to work at a company that paid Co-Ops very well. I made more money before I got my degree than many people I know with Higher levels of education.
It probably depends alot upon the region.... I can say that the scenerio you describe is not the case for alot of people here in RTP and surrounding areas in North Carolina. I don't think things are "That bad"... but they seem to be a far cry from two years ago. You can always find exceptions to the rule.... I'm sure there are plenty of other companies doing as yours does, hiring without degrees but I'd have to guess that the number of those doing so has declined sharply. In 1998 I had a couple of offers in Charlotte that paid well and I was 2 and a half years credits shy of completing my degree. I am so glad I didn't take them though, alot has changed since then. Many of the companies around here that were so eager to hire don't seem to be around anymore.
I'm like you, I feel pretty damn stable and if for some God foresaken reason I didn't have a job tomorrow I'm pretty confident I'd have another soon... mainly I'm confident in what I know how to do, secondly, I am confident because I have a degree in CS.
Please don't misunderstand, I think there are tons of people out there without degrees that know more about what I do than I could ever hope to. There are so many talented people though... during times of a slower economy there has to be ways to discriminate.... I think a college degree is one of them
You are totally right about knowing your stuff and not being able to hide behind a degree. I have to say that I think times are very different from the past when it comes to working without the degree however. The shape of the market and the economy right now isn't the same as it was two years ago or eighteen for that matter. I know alot of good, experienced developers and engineers who have had to find new work in the past year (and they weren't working for "dot.com companies"). You have alot of experience and so does the person who started this thread.... you also got your foot in the door a while ago. I took about 3 years off to get some of the same expereince you guys have and I just completed my degree this summer. I truly believe that I currently work because I have my degree AND I know my stuff. Alot of places want a degree AND expereince. The funny thing about getting the experience though, you need to be working toward a degree to get many of the Co-Ops/Internships out there.
The Booty makes a good point. I would assume you are looking more towards managing...... if you have all of the skills you say you have you can probably have any of the technical positions you want right?? I think you might waste some valuable time looking for a way to get it done in a year. You'll be able to place out of a few classes but most of them will be the general Ed. type requirements like basic maths, English, etc., but not the core curriculum. If you have at least some general Ed. done then you could QUIT work and get it done in two years, MAYBE. A year though... if you find a place to get that done please email me, I'd like a PHD by summer. You're gonna have to spend some time... I think your main question is what kind of degree do you need? You've got alot of CS knowledge so you might be able to use a business degree better to advance in your company.
Alignment can do wonders for a television. If you are going to invest in an HD set then its a good idea to invest in having it professionally aligned. The picture will look much better, and certain aspects of the picture tube quality and life will be preserved longer. I think you can probably get this done for $150 - $200 in home. It sounds like alot but the difference can sometimes be as great as comparing a DVD to a "previously viewed" VHS from Blockbuster. If you buy from a local HT shop rather than a chain like Worst Buy or Circuit Sh*tty then you can often buy an extended warranty which may include such in home service.
As for set recommendations..... your own eye is your best friend, all the reviews in the world won't be better than what you see wih your own eyes. Just make sure you know the facts about the set and anything extra the shop may be using. I've noticed that commonly people don't ask to see the screen with an analog/regular signal instead of a progressive scan DVD or HD signal. This is so odd to me seeing as how the large percentage of programming isn't HD yet. I'd look for a set with the best picture all around rather than one with the "Best" on an HD signal.
You also may want to take into account additional hardware like the set top box and/or a TRU progressive scan DVD player. Unless you're lucky enough to have a cable provider in your area who can magically produce those hard to find HD cable boxes, you'll need to spend a few hundred in addition to the television itself.
Maybe someone here could answer this question... My DSL company gave me a USB modem instead of ethernet. I currently have a basic hub and this is how I share my internet connection (using internet connection sharing in win2000). I've always wanted to know if I could use internet connection sharing with my linux box or another device like the PS2, TIVO etc. IS there a way I can do this using just a hub?