8th graders don't think you're cool
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I'd be curious to know: what did they express interest in? Besides winning American Idol or being the new flavor-of-the-week-reality-TV-star :)
¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF! Personal 3D projects Just Say No to Web 2 Point Blow
Surprisingly, that was only the choice of a very few. Being an entertainer is much like being a programmer - you either are or you aren't. Interests were all over the map, but it wasn't just programming that took a hit. There wasn't much interest in IT related fields at all.
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting Services -
Isn't it too soon for them to find out whether they are really interested in programming. What was the hot career? When I was in 8th grade, I wanted to be an Air Force Pilot.
Interests were all over the map, there wasn't any hot trend that I could discern.
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting Services -
Bring to the class a paper bag with bread, a jar of jelly, a jar of peanut butter, and a pre-approved plastic knife then ask the class to instruct you in making the sandwich. Follow instructions literally. If that fails to gain their attention, try this: "You know that game Call of Duty? Yeah, I made that" (Change name of the game for the times) Realistically, I think if I ever do a career day I will just lie. I will say I am an overpaid consultant that travels the country telling other people how to do their jobs. I spend my free-time on boats, flying airplanes, and playing video games. I will then show photographs of super models and claim to be their friends. I will then emphatically state that their teacher is a moron whose only goal is for them to pass the State mandated testing with a high enough score to ensure tenure. I will then point outside to the parking lot at the rented Ferrari claiming it as my own and ask if there are any questions.
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:
Realistically, I think if I ever do a career day I will just lie. I will say I am an overpaid consultant that travels the country telling other people how to do their jobs. I spend my free-time on boats, flying airplanes, and playing video games. I will then show photographs of super models and claim to be their friends. I will then emphatically state that their teacher is a moron whose only goal is for them to pass the State mandated testing with a high enough score to ensure tenure. I will then point outside to the parking lot at the rented Ferrari claiming it as my own and ask if there are any questions.
Well I didn't call the teacher a moron, and it's a Corvette rather than a Ferrari, but yeah, that was pretty much my pitch. :-D
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting Services -
I assume you had a control in place to verify your results? Did you ask them if they were interested in law enforcement, for example? You'd have to phrase it "law enforcement", not "fire fighting" or "CSI"... because those are obviously cool. ;P
We had real, live firefighters on this gig, too. Clearly, the geeks were just outclassed. :-D
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting Services -
Christopher Duncan wrote:
The wild and wooly geek was once an object of fear, awe and admiration, a creature so bold and exciting that large masses of people wanted to become one
Seriously, when was that? In all fairness, where I grew up girls liked smart guys and there was no "geek" stigma, but "an object of fear, awe and admiration"? You must be a writer ;P
Nemanja Trifunovic wrote:
"an object of fear, awe and admiration"? You must be a writer
Hey, it's all in the presentation. :-D
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting Services -
Does this mean I won't be able to retire since no whipper snapper wants to take my job. Guess I'll have to turn on Wally mode in another year or two. :)
Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. [Yogi Berra]
Don't worry, we can still outsource your lazy butt. :-D
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting Services -
i spent most of Jr High trying to hide the fact that i was a geek. i did that by spending a lot of time reading, playing on computers and avoiding jocks. somehow, they saw right through my charade.
And now when you drive up they ask, "Would you like fries with that?" :)
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting Services -
Surprisingly, that was only the choice of a very few. Being an entertainer is much like being a programmer - you either are or you aren't. Interests were all over the map, but it wasn't just programming that took a hit. There wasn't much interest in IT related fields at all.
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting ServicesChristopher Duncan wrote:
There wasn't much interest in IT related fields at all.
Well I don't find that very surprising, I think most people are almost completely unaware of what, if anything, we do, what it means, or even how it works. It's just a black box. I would be kind of curious to know what other interests there were and if they've changed. For example, I remember wanting to be an astronaut, and I seem to recall other boys my age also had that as an interest. Is there even any awareness of what an astronaut is? Are sciences represented at all? What about arts? Or is it mostly just lawyer/doctor/...?
¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF! Personal 3D projects Just Say No to Web 2 Point Blow
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I participated in a Career Day today for 8th graders. A group of businesspeople rotate through classrooms, talk about what they do and field questions. While I focused on my copywriting & speaking business, I touched on my previous lifetimes, including programming. In each of half a dozen classrooms, I asked how many people were interested in getting into programming / software development as a career. The grand total for all classes? Zero. The wild and wooly geek was once an object of fear, awe and admiration, a creature so bold and exciting that large masses of people wanted to become one. However, as best I can determine from limited empirical evidence, you are no longer cool. Certainly not in the eyes of the up and coming generation. Just thought you'd want to know. :)
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting ServicesWe were cool ? For what, five minutes in the 90s ? When I was in school, computers where the place geeks went b/c they could not get laid. Then there was a boom. Now, programming is a low paid, outsourced job.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
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Christopher Duncan wrote:
The wild and wooly geek was once an object of fear, awe and admiration, a creature so bold and exciting that large masses of people wanted to become one
Since when? I've never met anyone who wanted to be a geek - met plenty who wanted to punch one though :)
That's because you didn't run with a rough & tumble, black leather jacket wearing crowd of C++ programmers. :-D
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting Services -
Bring to the class a paper bag with bread, a jar of jelly, a jar of peanut butter, and a pre-approved plastic knife then ask the class to instruct you in making the sandwich. Follow instructions literally. If that fails to gain their attention, try this: "You know that game Call of Duty? Yeah, I made that" (Change name of the game for the times) Realistically, I think if I ever do a career day I will just lie. I will say I am an overpaid consultant that travels the country telling other people how to do their jobs. I spend my free-time on boats, flying airplanes, and playing video games. I will then show photographs of super models and claim to be their friends. I will then emphatically state that their teacher is a moron whose only goal is for them to pass the State mandated testing with a high enough score to ensure tenure. I will then point outside to the parking lot at the rented Ferrari claiming it as my own and ask if there are any questions.
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
I mostly take a guitar and claim to be a rock star.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
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We were cool ? For what, five minutes in the 90s ? When I was in school, computers where the place geeks went b/c they could not get laid. Then there was a boom. Now, programming is a low paid, outsourced job.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
Christian Graus wrote:
Now, programming is a low paid, outsourced job.
That was the next thing I told them after asking how many people wanted to be programmers.
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting Services -
That's because you didn't run with a rough & tumble, black leather jacket wearing crowd of C++ programmers. :-D
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting Services -
Christopher Duncan wrote:
There wasn't much interest in IT related fields at all.
Well I don't find that very surprising, I think most people are almost completely unaware of what, if anything, we do, what it means, or even how it works. It's just a black box. I would be kind of curious to know what other interests there were and if they've changed. For example, I remember wanting to be an astronaut, and I seem to recall other boys my age also had that as an interest. Is there even any awareness of what an astronaut is? Are sciences represented at all? What about arts? Or is it mostly just lawyer/doctor/...?
¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF! Personal 3D projects Just Say No to Web 2 Point Blow
indeed, when I was asked in primary school what I wanted to be when I grew up, I had no idea. Of the 3 long terms jobs I've had, none of the industries existed when I was in primary school...
I have no blog...
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I participated in a Career Day today for 8th graders. A group of businesspeople rotate through classrooms, talk about what they do and field questions. While I focused on my copywriting & speaking business, I touched on my previous lifetimes, including programming. In each of half a dozen classrooms, I asked how many people were interested in getting into programming / software development as a career. The grand total for all classes? Zero. The wild and wooly geek was once an object of fear, awe and admiration, a creature so bold and exciting that large masses of people wanted to become one. However, as best I can determine from limited empirical evidence, you are no longer cool. Certainly not in the eyes of the up and coming generation. Just thought you'd want to know. :)
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting ServicesWell, I don't care if I'm not cool for an 8th grader, you know, it would be illegal... :rolleyes:
If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
This is going on my arrogant assumptions. You may have a superb reason why I'm completely wrong. -- Iain Clarke
[My articles] -
I participated in a Career Day today for 8th graders. A group of businesspeople rotate through classrooms, talk about what they do and field questions. While I focused on my copywriting & speaking business, I touched on my previous lifetimes, including programming. In each of half a dozen classrooms, I asked how many people were interested in getting into programming / software development as a career. The grand total for all classes? Zero. The wild and wooly geek was once an object of fear, awe and admiration, a creature so bold and exciting that large masses of people wanted to become one. However, as best I can determine from limited empirical evidence, you are no longer cool. Certainly not in the eyes of the up and coming generation. Just thought you'd want to know. :)
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting ServicesTell them you work as a stuntman or male pornstar. It'll certainly get their interest. More importantly, it'll guarantee you don't get dragged into doing another.
"WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith
As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.
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I participated in a Career Day today for 8th graders. A group of businesspeople rotate through classrooms, talk about what they do and field questions. While I focused on my copywriting & speaking business, I touched on my previous lifetimes, including programming. In each of half a dozen classrooms, I asked how many people were interested in getting into programming / software development as a career. The grand total for all classes? Zero. The wild and wooly geek was once an object of fear, awe and admiration, a creature so bold and exciting that large masses of people wanted to become one. However, as best I can determine from limited empirical evidence, you are no longer cool. Certainly not in the eyes of the up and coming generation. Just thought you'd want to know. :)
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting Services[rant] I really don't know where did you get the impression that geeks were cool and object of fear or admiration. Our job have never been cool to the others and thanks to Heaven for that and I hope it'll stay that way. The last thing I want is bunch of idiots trying/pretending to do our job just because they think it's cool. To be honest, I really hate current coolness on popularity of the Interweb. There's no fricking day without someone bothering me with f*c*ing Facebook. I don't give a sh*t about god damn Facebook and the fact that it's popular and 'everybody' is using it, won't change that. I just want back the days when computers were mystery and uncool to other people, so I can enjoy my life without constantly being irritated with silly questions and discussions. If you want talk to me, talk about football, I don't give a sh*t about it, but still it's much more pleasant than discussing latest happenings on Facebook or your newest phone application or why your computer doesn't work or what AV you should use or whether I have some 'cool' application that I can share. And than this happened[^]. And I'm not sure what bothers me more, the fact it won by popular vote or look of that thing or that Society of Women Engineers approves this crap... It's just wrong on so many levels. I didn't choose this profession because it was cool, but because I loved it and that doesn't mean I like talking about my job with other people or trying to make them believe it's interesting. And if it every becomes popular, I'll seriously consider changing my profession. [/rant]
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I participated in a Career Day today for 8th graders. A group of businesspeople rotate through classrooms, talk about what they do and field questions. While I focused on my copywriting & speaking business, I touched on my previous lifetimes, including programming. In each of half a dozen classrooms, I asked how many people were interested in getting into programming / software development as a career. The grand total for all classes? Zero. The wild and wooly geek was once an object of fear, awe and admiration, a creature so bold and exciting that large masses of people wanted to become one. However, as best I can determine from limited empirical evidence, you are no longer cool. Certainly not in the eyes of the up and coming generation. Just thought you'd want to know. :)
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting ServicesChristopher Duncan wrote:
The wild and wooly geek
wool·ly[^] /ˈwʊli/ Show Spelled [wool-ee] Show IPA adjective,-li·er, -li·est, noun,plural-lies. –adjective 1. consisting of wool: a woolly fleece. 2. resembling wool in texture or appearance: woolly hair. 3. clothed or covered with wool or something resembling it: a woolly caterpillar. 4. Botany. covered with a pubescence of long, soft hairs resembling wool. 5. like the rough, vigorous atmosphere of the early West in America: wild and woolly. 6. fuzzy; unclear; disorganized: woolly thinking. _______________________________________________________ Perhaps, the 8th grade geeks were just sheepish?
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Christian Graus wrote:
Now, programming is a low paid, outsourced job.
That was the next thing I told them after asking how many people wanted to be programmers.
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting Services*grin* and you wondered why they didn't think your job was cool ? I'm surprised they didn't offer to lend you a few bob to tide you over to payday.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
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*grin* and you wondered why they didn't think your job was cool ? I'm surprised they didn't offer to lend you a few bob to tide you over to payday.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
Christian Graus wrote:
lend you a few bob
Product placement in schools? :)
Luc Pattyn [Forum Guidelines] [Why QA sucks] [My Articles]
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