What do you want?
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Are you going to post me that advice such that it arrives 5 years ago? ;)
regards, Paul Watson Ireland & South Africa
Andy Brummer wrote:
Watson's law: As an online discussion of cars grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving the Bugatti Veyron approaches one.
Just as soon as I can get the damned Delorean to start again. :)
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
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That certainly sounds like a modest and achievable goal. What's standing in the way of you getting it?
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
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Don't know how rewarding you find the mentoring process, but you're right about the value of experience. Of course, what took you years to figure out doesn't have to take the next guy years, if you're willing to share what you've learned. That, too, can be rewarding. :)
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
I've got to file that idea away. Somewhere between 5 and 8 years from now, I'll be retiring and mentoring based upon experience sounds like it would be enjoyable. Might even still provide that level of accomplishment I no doubt will still be seeking. :)
Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] Donate to help Conquer Cancer[^]
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More money: only started working 7months ago so it's normall that that's not going to happen soon. Promotion: small company (only 15 people working there) Car: no problem just a company polacy, only after working there for at least 1.5 years you get a car opertunaty for study: at the moment not much problem only time shortage
If my help was helpfull let me know, if not let me know why. The only way we learn is by making mistakes.
TDDragon wrote:
More money: only started working 7 months ago so it's normall that that's not going to happen soon.
That's an invalid assumption, but as long as you believe it, it will be true. My careers in several industries over the years have verified that it's all about how you present yourself. When I started programming in '89, I had no college and only 5 months of self training on the living room computer at my house. I took my first job for $16k (little more than minimum wage). 10 months later, I started changing jobs once a year (or less), increasing a minimum of $10k per job. If I believed I had to slug it out with one company and accept what most people accept, 5 years later I would have only received a modest increase. Promotion and car work the same way. The only difference between me and you is that when I started programming, it was already my third career. That means I had enough road behind me to realize I could get whatever I could sell. No need to settle for less, man. Just show people why you're worth it. :)
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
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I've got to file that idea away. Somewhere between 5 and 8 years from now, I'll be retiring and mentoring based upon experience sounds like it would be enjoyable. Might even still provide that level of accomplishment I no doubt will still be seeking. :)
Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] Donate to help Conquer Cancer[^]
One of the reasons I'm focusing on writing and speaking these days is the joy I find in helping others. To me, it's incredibly rewarding to see people succeed (or avoid doing the stupid things that I did early in my careers). I suspect when you get to that point, you'll enjoy it immensely.
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
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At my company only managers get cubes with doors or actual offices. X|
-- If you view money as inherently evil, I view it as my duty to assist in making you more virtuous.
Which frames the question pretty clearly, don't it? :-D
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
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Which frames the question pretty clearly, don't it? :-D
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
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yeah, cube without a door, interesting work, minimal overtime; cube with a door, boring work, pointy hair, and long hours. Tough call.
-- If you view money as inherently evil, I view it as my duty to assist in making you more virtuous.
Or self employed, buy your own door. :)
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
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Hey, folks. I'm doing more research for my next book, and as many of you know I tend to focus on the career aspects of the biz rather than techie stuff. I figure we have a pretty good variety of people here, which gives you a strong collective voice. What non-techie things do you want from your job / career (promotion, more money, work / life balance, more decision making authority, flexibility, etc.), and what are the problems that keep you from getting them?
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
To be the boss. Which I am now. But, as an employer and business owner I want potential employees to stop being sheep and actually engineer things rather than wait for a dispensation of knowledge from a corporate blog. -- modified at 15:27 Wednesday 31st October, 2007
My Blog A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. - -Lazarus Long
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To be the boss. Which I am now. But, as an employer and business owner I want potential employees to stop being sheep and actually engineer things rather than wait for a dispensation of knowledge from a corporate blog. -- modified at 15:27 Wednesday 31st October, 2007
My Blog A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. - -Lazarus Long
Chris Austin wrote:
But, as an employer and business owner I want potential employees to stop being sheep and actually engineer things rather than wait for a dispensation of knowledge form a corporate blog.
What's their incentive to do so, and how many of them are aware of this incentive?
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
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Hey, folks. I'm doing more research for my next book, and as many of you know I tend to focus on the career aspects of the biz rather than techie stuff. I figure we have a pretty good variety of people here, which gives you a strong collective voice. What non-techie things do you want from your job / career (promotion, more money, work / life balance, more decision making authority, flexibility, etc.), and what are the problems that keep you from getting them?
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
I want to know what I should be wanting and what I can get?
Co-Author ASP.NET AJAX in Action
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Hey, folks. I'm doing more research for my next book, and as many of you know I tend to focus on the career aspects of the biz rather than techie stuff. I figure we have a pretty good variety of people here, which gives you a strong collective voice. What non-techie things do you want from your job / career (promotion, more money, work / life balance, more decision making authority, flexibility, etc.), and what are the problems that keep you from getting them?
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
Christopher Duncan wrote:
What non-techie things do you want
Peace in the world, no hunger, global warming... ah, you mean
Christopher Duncan wrote:
from your job / career
to be rich enough not to need it any more :)
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The primary skills required are salesmanship and the ability to effectively navigate corporate / governmental bureaucracy when necessary. These two things make most techies twitch. Do you want the direct contracts badly enough to expand your training in these areas? If so, then there's no reason you can't accomplish your goals.
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
I was just saying what I would like to see in a book. Having the basic skills and being able to bridge the gap are two different things.
Need a C# Consultant? I'm available.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know. -- Ernest Hemingway -
Christopher Duncan wrote:
What non-techie things do you want
Peace in the world, no hunger, global warming... ah, you mean
Christopher Duncan wrote:
from your job / career
to be rich enough not to need it any more :)
What's keeping you from accomlishing it?
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
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What's keeping you from accomlishing it?
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
Christopher Duncan wrote:
What's keeping you from accomlishing it?
The peace in the world? Well, maybe if I was John Wayne, or at least John Simmons... ah, you mean the getting rich part? Lack of skills, determination, guts...
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I was just saying what I would like to see in a book. Having the basic skills and being able to bridge the gap are two different things.
Need a C# Consultant? I'm available.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know. -- Ernest HemingwayI find that to be a very common difficulty for most techies. It's easy for me to cover these areas as far as techinques to sell and / or deal with bureacracy, but I've always felt that there's something which eludes me in my desire to help my fellow geeks. I think you've hit it on the head with your comment about being able to bridge the gap. Without the ability to overcome their aversion to all things non-technical, nothing else will help them. I'm a little out of my element in this area because I have experience in sales, performing as a musician, writing, speaking, etc. Because of this, it comes naturally to me and I have a harder time understanding the perspective of others in this regard. What sort of help do techies really need to get over this introvert hump?
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
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Christopher Duncan wrote:
What's keeping you from accomlishing it?
The peace in the world? Well, maybe if I was John Wayne, or at least John Simmons... ah, you mean the getting rich part? Lack of skills, determination, guts...
Nemanja Trifunovic wrote:
Lack of skills, determination, guts...
The first one I can put in a book. The other two have to come from you. :)
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
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Nemanja Trifunovic wrote:
Lack of skills, determination, guts...
The first one I can put in a book. The other two have to come from you. :)
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
Christopher Duncan wrote:
The first one I can put in a book. The other two have to come from you.
Or you can hire a shrink to write a chapter on self-motivation :)
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I find that to be a very common difficulty for most techies. It's easy for me to cover these areas as far as techinques to sell and / or deal with bureacracy, but I've always felt that there's something which eludes me in my desire to help my fellow geeks. I think you've hit it on the head with your comment about being able to bridge the gap. Without the ability to overcome their aversion to all things non-technical, nothing else will help them. I'm a little out of my element in this area because I have experience in sales, performing as a musician, writing, speaking, etc. Because of this, it comes naturally to me and I have a harder time understanding the perspective of others in this regard. What sort of help do techies really need to get over this introvert hump?
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
Christopher Duncan wrote:
What sort of help do techies really need to get over this introvert hump?
can't speak for anyone else, but at a fundamental level I've never understood how 'normal' people's minds work. I can fake it within limits, but never really knowing what others are thinking/implying has pushed me hard towards introvert/recluse.
-- If you view money as inherently evil, I view it as my duty to assist in making you more virtuous.
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Chris Austin wrote:
But, as an employer and business owner I want potential employees to stop being sheep and actually engineer things rather than wait for a dispensation of knowledge form a corporate blog.
What's their incentive to do so, and how many of them are aware of this incentive?
Christopher Duncan Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalUSA.com
Christopher Duncan wrote:
What's their incentive to do so
I pay them well and am very flexible about working conditions, time off and, I don't nickel and dime them over hours. All I ask is that the job gets done well and on time. I also treat them to lots of lunches as well a weekly afternoon at the bar. It's all expensible you know :laugh: If they have an issue I listen and try to do everything I can to get the job done with and for them.
Christopher Duncan wrote:
and how many of them are aware of this incentive?
100% I am pretty clear when I bring them on that I truly despise sheepishness.
My Blog A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. - -Lazarus Long