Do what you love
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I was also lucky enough to land a job writing software while I'm in school. I've learned so much being "in the field" and I learn more every day. As someone who picked a Computer Science major out of the hat because I liked gaming, I must say that I'm very glad that I have the opportunity to write code that gets used on a day to day basis. I even like it when some of the users call just to gripe about why something doesn't work the way they wanted it to, it gives me a chance to look into doing something new with the application. On top of that I have a boss that is literally the best programmer I've met and is always willing to answer my many questions and give me very tidy snippets of code to replace my rookie ramblings. (-: Signature under Construction :-) Lil Turtle
That sounds familiar. I got a part-time job as a programmer when I was a sophomore in college. There were plenty of times that I was doing more advanced things at work than I was doing in school. The two (school and work) complemented each other pretty well. School gave me a breadth of knowledge, while work gave me depth of experience.
Lil Turtle wrote:
I have a boss that is literally the best programmer I've met
Ironically enough, my current boss is the same guy who I worked for in college 25 years ago. At that time, he was one of the best programmers around. His knowledge of current technologies is a little lagging, but he's still the best debugger I've ever met.
Software Zen:
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I'm doing software QA these days and don't often get a chance to 'get my hands dirty' but yes, I do enjoy my job. A lot of this is due to the environment and good management. Elaine :rose: The tigress is here :-D
Have you been doing QA very long? I'm interested in your perspective, and anything your management does to improve the appeal. One of the problems we've had where I work is, if we get a technically savvy software type doing QA, they eventually get tired of testing and want to be writing software instead. It seems that the requirements for the job are to find someone who is a good programmer, but likes testing even better. That's a rare combination, and difficult to find. The end result is our QA group is good at testing, but they're not sufficiently good at software to be truly effective.
Software Zen:
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It's funny, when people learn I telecommute and write and sell software for a living they say it must be a dream job and are jealous, but the only people who really understand how much work it is are other business owners. It *is* a dream job for me, but I bet a lot of people would hate it if they don't like the business aspect.
John Cardinal wrote:
a lot of people would hate it if they don't like the business aspect
Which is why I'm not a consultant, other than on a very limited basis. It's not that I dislike the business aspects, I just don't think I'd be very good at them. Marketing, sales, cold contacts, and negotiation all require a certain professional detachment and unemotional approach to things that is difficult for me.
Software Zen:
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Marc Clifton wrote:
It often results in superficial emotional highs by both parties.
I assume you are right about this, but I do not understand it yet. Thanks for giving me something to meditate on, Marc. :josh: My WPF Blog[^]
Josh Smith wrote:
It often results in superficial emotional highs by both parties.
The difference lies in whether your satisfaction, fulfillment, happiness, etc. is under your control, or not (and note - partially not under your control is effectively not under your control at all). When your happiness is only dependent on you doing what you know is the right thing to do nobody can take it away from you :-D. When it is dependent on the boss being happy - then you're a bad hair day waiting to happen :((. Chris Use what talents you possess; The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best. (William Blake)
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I'm so in love with what I do. I'd do it for free as a hobby and still love it. In fact I do charity work for free (I think everyone should.) and it brings me more joy than anything. Great post man!!! You've only been here a while or you just came back but I'm really starting to like your style. Come to Boise let me know. I'll buy you lunch... Did you know I'm a manager?:laugh: A big fat 5 for you.
When I'm joking people take me seriously.
When I'm serious they think I'm joking.
I'm left to conclude my life must be a complete joke. :sigh: :laugh: :cool:code-frog wrote:
You've only been here a while or you just came back but I'm really starting to like your style.
Thanks code-frog! :-D
code-frog wrote:
Come to Boise let me know. I'll buy you lunch... Did you know I'm a manager?
I suppose that I'll be required to show respect then, eh? :cool: :josh: My WPF Blog[^]
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I had a conversation yesterday with a long-time buddy of mine. We hadn't spoken for a few years, and it was great to catch up with him. Eventually the conversation lead to what we do for work these days. I told him that I write software, love it, and get paid handsomely for it. He was dumbfounded. Told me that I'm the only person he knows who actually likes his job. I was dumbfounded! We are lucky people, us devs. :-D Count your blessings, my friends!! :josh: My WPF Blog[^]
I also love what I do, but since I am nearly 30 years old, I have to think of the future. The bleak picture? After 30 my chances to be mentally able to cope with new situations start to diminish, therefore my ability to adapt to a rapidly changing world as the one of development. IT managers, even team leaders, earn twice or more my pay just by coordinating me. But I don't want to be a manager! :( Anyway, hard to imagine myself at 45 hacking code... ---------- Siderite
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I had a conversation yesterday with a long-time buddy of mine. We hadn't spoken for a few years, and it was great to catch up with him. Eventually the conversation lead to what we do for work these days. I told him that I write software, love it, and get paid handsomely for it. He was dumbfounded. Told me that I'm the only person he knows who actually likes his job. I was dumbfounded! We are lucky people, us devs. :-D Count your blessings, my friends!! :josh: My WPF Blog[^]
Trust me, I LOVE development. I am a developer with over 20 years of experience. I was out of the field for about 5 years and it was pure HELL! I worked in construction, the moving business, retail, for nothing ($10 an hr tops, usually $8) in a thankless job environment. I had taken time off for several years to care for my aging mother, then 911 hit and they froze hiring for another year. When I went to go back into the dev. field no one would touch me because I had been out of it for almost 5 years. I ran out of money, had to take any kind of job I could find. I worked rod-busting in the extremely hot August sun in South Carolina and nearly died of a heat stroke. I was one of those guys on the construction site that carry bundles of 10 to 20 foot long steel rods on their shoulders and then tie them into foundations and walls for concrete pours. I still have a scar on my shoulder where the hot rods branded me (they get VERY hot laying out in the sun in July and August). I'd use a chop saw to cut them to length, the sparks from the saw would set my pants legs on fire and I would nonchalantly beat the fires out with my bare hands. I was laid off from that job and went to work for a moving and storage company. While I was there I feel 10 ft. through the top of a shipping crate, broke my left shoulder blade in two places and fractured my spine. I was in the hospital for a month and in bed for 6 months. I sued and got $16K out of it because of South Carolina's workmen’s comp. laws. And by the way, I was fifty (50) years old. It would have probably killed someone else. I worked some more thankless jobs in retail suffering from the pain until I finally was given another shot at development. I excelled at what I am doing. In less than 2 weeks I was up and running in ASP and .NET and I had never touched a line of ASP or .NET code (I was a C++/Windows developer). I put in 60 to 80 hr. weeks not because I had to, I wanted to. I still can't believe how lucky I was to get out of that purgatory. And I'm still putting in 50 to 60 hr. weeks. Oh yeah, while I am at it on the subject of headhunters, those gutless, blood sucking, pimps of the corporate world. Do you know that they would not help me in the least? I went to four (4) interviews arranged by those pigs in two years. They all said the same thing, "Gee, your experience looks great but you appear to be a little dated. We'll call you when we find something suitable." The call never came. I found my current position on my own with absolutely no help f
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I also love what I do, but since I am nearly 30 years old, I have to think of the future. The bleak picture? After 30 my chances to be mentally able to cope with new situations start to diminish, therefore my ability to adapt to a rapidly changing world as the one of development. IT managers, even team leaders, earn twice or more my pay just by coordinating me. But I don't want to be a manager! :( Anyway, hard to imagine myself at 45 hacking code... ---------- Siderite
It's better than toting rebar.... Regards, John McPherson "Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arthur C. Clark, inventor of the telecommunications satellite
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I had a conversation yesterday with a long-time buddy of mine. We hadn't spoken for a few years, and it was great to catch up with him. Eventually the conversation lead to what we do for work these days. I told him that I write software, love it, and get paid handsomely for it. He was dumbfounded. Told me that I'm the only person he knows who actually likes his job. I was dumbfounded! We are lucky people, us devs. :-D Count your blessings, my friends!! :josh: My WPF Blog[^]
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but sometimes, things don't go as you've forecasted. professional devs are always charged with more burden than other occupations:( Doing is better than saying.
derry755 wrote:
professional devs are always charged with more burden than other occupations
It sure beats shoveling sh*t! :-D :josh: My WPF Blog[^]
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derry755 wrote:
professional devs are always charged with more burden than other occupations
It sure beats shoveling sh*t! :-D :josh: My WPF Blog[^]
"It sure beats shoveling sh*t! " oh, I'm not sure what this sentence mean, frankly speaking, I'm not a native English speaker and always get puzzled when meet the slang sentences :P Doing is better than saying. -- modified at 23:26 Wednesday 19th July, 2006
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"It sure beats shoveling sh*t! " oh, I'm not sure what this sentence mean, frankly speaking, I'm not a native English speaker and always get puzzled when meet the slang sentences :P Doing is better than saying. -- modified at 23:26 Wednesday 19th July, 2006
derry755 wrote:
oh, I'm not sure what this sentence mean, frankly speaking, I'm not a native English speaker and always get puzzled when meet the slang sentences
It means that even if a software developer's job involves other duties, it's still better than doing back-breaking physical labor. :josh: My WPF Blog[^]
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derry755 wrote:
oh, I'm not sure what this sentence mean, frankly speaking, I'm not a native English speaker and always get puzzled when meet the slang sentences
It means that even if a software developer's job involves other duties, it's still better than doing back-breaking physical labor. :josh: My WPF Blog[^]