Whatever you do, remember also that communication skills are important. You're not typically taught them in college (at least not very well); but your advancement will to some degree depend on them.
In my experience, in multiple industries, including entertainment (tv/film), music, government, legal, planning and IT, communication skills are more important than any other skill.
If only more CS types understood this they might keep their jobs longer or have an easier time getting them in the first place. Instead many are arrogant, poorly organized, smell bad, have poor table manners, rude or are just inarticulate. Somebody who does *not* have any of those traits will beat out somebody who *has* any of those traits almost every time.
I don't care if you can build 4 computers from scratch simultaneously with each of your limbs and write tight code with your nose at the same time (well, I might pay to see that once) if you're rude or make me gag to stand too close to you, you're gone.
I'll tell you exactly what a BS/CS tells an employer : no matter how bad the project you get stuck on, no matter how painful, how many long nights or 72 hour weekends it takes - not only will you see it through to the end (even if quitting / dropping out is a LOT easier) and you will succeed.
If a degree tells an employer that then that employer is a fool. Earning of a degree, while a necessary step, has very little relation to the worth/ability of the person holding it. I have a degree and it has no bearing on my ability to complete a job. Education has no value in itself - only in relation to the person holding it. I'm an IT manager and I have to say that without question almost every CS degree that has walked through my door has been an idiot who basically has to be trained from scratch. The best IT people I know are ones who are simply exceptionally interested in the subject and put in huge hours doing and by doing, learning.
To compare to another industry, if you tell me that you have a music degree, that tells me nothing about your skills, abilities, or *most important and what you are mentioning here* your ability to push through and finish things and keep going when it gets rough. If you tell me that you are a professional musician who makes a good living that way and gigs continously, (and you appear to be telling the truth) that tells me a) you know your profession b) you know how to develop skills c) you know how to practice and keep doing even when you are in pain or would rather be somewhere else d) you are easy enough to work with that people choose to keep hiring you.
It's the same with CS/IT. A degree tells me nothing about you. Your successful work history, good references and ability to keep working with the same people for a reasonable period of time does.
Slashdot Mirror
wow, I kept hoping it would come to a point or start making sense, but it never did.
How much of it is frozen poop from the shuttle and Mir?
whoops, I see the error now.
uhhh, his math is right. 150 TB / 1500 employees...equals 100gb.
"...150 TB of storage..." ...don't put me in charge of backups
dude, they really screw the UK folks on pricing, eh?
Whatever you do, remember also that communication skills are important. You're not typically taught them in college (at least not very well); but your advancement will to some degree depend on them.
In my experience, in multiple industries, including entertainment (tv/film), music, government, legal, planning and IT, communication skills are more important than any other skill.
If only more CS types understood this they might keep their jobs longer or have an easier time getting them in the first place. Instead many are arrogant, poorly organized, smell bad, have poor table manners, rude or are just inarticulate. Somebody who does *not* have any of those traits will beat out somebody who *has* any of those traits almost every time.
I don't care if you can build 4 computers from scratch simultaneously with each of your limbs and write tight code with your nose at the same time (well, I might pay to see that once) if you're rude or make me gag to stand too close to you, you're gone.
I'll tell you exactly what a BS/CS tells an employer : no matter how bad the project you get stuck on, no matter how painful, how many long nights or 72 hour weekends it takes - not only will you see it through to the end (even if quitting / dropping out is a LOT easier) and you will succeed.
If a degree tells an employer that then that employer is a fool. Earning of a degree, while a necessary step, has very little relation to the worth/ability of the person holding it. I have a degree and it has no bearing on my ability to complete a job. Education has no value in itself - only in relation to the person holding it. I'm an IT manager and I have to say that without question almost every CS degree that has walked through my door has been an idiot who basically has to be trained from scratch. The best IT people I know are ones who are simply exceptionally interested in the subject and put in huge hours doing and by doing, learning.
To compare to another industry, if you tell me that you have a music degree, that tells me nothing about your skills, abilities, or *most important and what you are mentioning here* your ability to push through and finish things and keep going when it gets rough. If you tell me that you are a professional musician who makes a good living that way and gigs continously, (and you appear to be telling the truth) that tells me a) you know your profession b) you know how to develop skills c) you know how to practice and keep doing even when you are in pain or would rather be somewhere else d) you are easy enough to work with that people choose to keep hiring you.
It's the same with CS/IT. A degree tells me nothing about you. Your successful work history, good references and ability to keep working with the same people for a reasonable period of time does.