[TriLUG] Employed/Unemployed Poll

[John Turner]

On Friday, June 13, 2003, at 09:53  PM, Chris Bullock wrote:

> I fortunately am employed, but I am, and will probably always look to 
> better
> my career.  I have been on some interviews over the past few months 
> with
> little luck.  I have been targeting the IT field in the healthcare 
> arena.  My
> interviews have stretched from eastern NC to the triangle.  Mostly 
> with very
> large employers >5000 employees.  Although, I consider myself 
> competent in a
> wide diversity of IT, most large non-IT based companies are looking 
> for the
> paper employees.  Everyone now is buying their products ready-made 
> with a
> support contract that a monkey could administer.  I really think that 
> is
> where are the jobs are going.  Why hire programmers if I can buy 
> something
> off the shelf that I just load and it works?
>
> Most of the companies I have spoken to rely strongly on the big names, 
> Cisco,
> Microsoft, and Oracle.  And unless you are VERY proficient in one of 
> these
> fields there is a line at the door waiting for the same interview.  
> From what
> I have seen most companies see a name and say "hey, their big, been 
> around a
> long time, so they must be good."  They also want paper proof that you 
> can do
> the job..ie..MCSE, CCNP, CNA.  The best IT professionals I know have 
> had
> little or no formal education in the IT field.  These are the people 
> who
> desire to learn because they like what they do, not just to get a job. 
>  But,
> business managers do not realize this and hire John Q MCSE (no offense 
> to
> MCSEs) and then the manager complains when the IT budget hits 7 digits.
>
> My $.02
> chris
>

I would have to disagree about formal education. While it is not always 
the case, a strong background in a real CS/CE program can work wonders 
for your ability to understand a problem and solve it without having to 
have someone else show you. I know that in the Unix system admin world 
M.S./PhD it not the norm, I would take that over a 
MCSE/CCNP/CNA/name-your-product Cert any day.

While a degree is not required it often shows the ability to learn, 
meet deadlines, deal with crap (i.e. taking Latin), etc. Having taught 
some programming classes at the college level, it is my feeling that 
someone either gets it or they don't. Many of the "developers" that 
don't get often perform other more routine duties on projects. But I 
bet everyone who has worked on a large team (10+) develop project can 
quickly point out the members who get it.

It is late (for a father or a 9 month old) so I have gotten off the 
off-topic and will end now.

John