[TriLUG] OT: PT One tech issue from tonight's debate

R Radford rradford at mindspring.com
Sat Oct 20 08:29:54 EDT 2012


On Sat, Oct 20, 2012 at 4:51 AM, Joseph Mack NA3T <jmack at wm7d.net> wrote:
> I was talking about the jobs with very nice salaries, which for me is
> 100k$+. Can you get these with zero storage experience?

Yes.  I had embedded Linux experience (which I actually started
learning on my own, at home, before my first job with it 10+ years
ago.  So while I had no storage experience, I definitely had embedded
Linux experience.  The interesting thing is that NetApp uses FreeBSD
so if you were to come in with any embedded FreeBSD experience, that
would put you a step ahead.

> I was at EMC in RTP last year and told that there was no developement there.
> Sounds like things have changed.

I am not sure who told you that, but they have had development there
for at least the last 3-4 years which is when they acquired Data
Domain.  I can't speak about any development work prior to that time.

> You usually need experience to get 100k$. This is reality, not whining.

If you really have no experience in any of the skills they want, then
you are correct.  However, if you have experience in enough things
that shows a company you can learn, and if you can show the company
that you are continuing to improve yourself (in my example, getting my
MSEE a few years ago while working two jobs), they are open to
listening to you.

Prior to my first job programming in C, the only C experience I had
was reading K&R, but I convinced them I could do the work.
Prior to my first device driver work, the only experience I had was
writing device drivers at home for made-up uses, just to learn.
Prior to my first embedded Linux job, my only experience with Linux
was what I experimented with at home.
Prior to my first storage job, my only experience was in embedded
programming and showing them that I liked to learn, could learn, and
would be a good asset.

I know I am not alone in the above as I have personally recommended
hiring people without the exact knowledge needed if I recognize a
desire to learn, and an ability to learn.

> You're elated to know that NC is 39th in SATs, the 3 best high schools in...

I never said I was elated, but I also don't look at only the negatives
- there are a of positives here.  That is the difference in what
appears to be our view - instead of naming off all the things that are
wrong, look at what is right and embrace it.

> Chris Merrill thinks that if something is wrong you should move too. This
> doesn't scale. You can't abandon a place because you aren't prepared to fix
> the problems. Using that approach, soon nowhere will be fit to live. To fix
> problems, first you have to make people aware that they exist.

The difference is that I like what I see.  I do agree that no place is
perfect, as if a perfect place did exist, everyone would move there
and then it would certainly not be my idea of utopia.  I just don't
see how those items you listed before should affect anyone's ability
to get a good job in this area, which was what this thread was all
about.  Regarding moving, you are the one who keeps pointing out how
bad this state is compared to others, and if you really feel the state
is that bad, perhaps you would be happier somewhere else.  Personally,
I am very happy here and am offended when someone tells me that this
is one of the worst states in the nation.  I look around and I see a
great mixture of high tech, interesting people, great geographic
location (couple hours to either the beach or the mountains), etc and
I call this place home.



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