How many People have changed careers to a second career in I.T.?
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If so what drove the change to do so?
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If so what drove the change to do so?
I'm one. Attempted to be a 2nd grade teacher in 1988-89. Was double plus not good at it. Went back to college for CS degree. Been paid to do programming since Nov 18, 1991.
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If so what drove the change to do so?
I worked as a chemist for 13 years, but programmed on the side (self taught). I got bitten by the programming bug back in the early 80's and when I found myself programming at work in the lab, it grew from there. The job market for chemists in the late 90's was shrinking and the pay wasn't great and it was at the same time as the .COM bubble, so I went into consulting. The rest, as they say, is history.
When you are dead, you won't even know that you are dead. It's a pain only felt by others. Same thing when you are stupid.
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If so what drove the change to do so?
I started out as a photographer but then was seduced by DbaseIII+ and it's shiny appearance to become a database developer, oh how I long for those MSDOS days :-\
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If so what drove the change to do so?
I did. But it's our own mom n' pop company. I wrote code and did hardware for various cool tech companies in Orange County California in the 70's and 80's when there was such a thing there. We ran away from that just in time to the high country of Colorado where if you don't do freelance IT you're working on skis and bikes or various other remedial jobs as the is NO Manufacturing of anything but food in a resort town. I did a little stint of IT within a company of "normals" on the internet and it's a nightmare if you have to be there from 8-5 and they know your name. We've been at it since 94. When clients get to be a pita we can weigh things in the balance and send them off to be a pita to a competitor. - I love to do that to both parties just for sport. - My wife, not so much. prolly cause she pays the bills. :cool:
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If so what drove the change to do so?
I graduated from a degree in Information Systems back in 1992 and after graduating did not want to work in IT. So I worked with some friends first in a shop then in a warehouse. When word got out that I had a previous interest in IT, as well as a degree, one of the directors persuaded me to join the IT team. That was back in 1997 and since then I did a short stint of manual work but other than than have not looked back and enjoy the daily intellectual challenges that IT brings with it.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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If so what drove the change to do so?
My degree is in Cartography. But while I was in college, the entire map-making industry was revolutionized by GIS software, which at the time, required a lot of back-end customization (programming mostly macros and configuring databases) to make things happen. That background, and a lucky break in the job market put me into programming - plus I still get to design maps.
Brent
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If so what drove the change to do so?
I used to be a clown. When the circus closed quite a long time ago, given my skills and experience, I got several opportunities as world sales manager or main product developer for big software companies, but I turned down the offers, and being a funny guy with a witty humor, started programming in Visual Basic for the financial industry.
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My degree is in Cartography. But while I was in college, the entire map-making industry was revolutionized by GIS software, which at the time, required a lot of back-end customization (programming mostly macros and configuring databases) to make things happen. That background, and a lucky break in the job market put me into programming - plus I still get to design maps.
Brent
dbrenth wrote:
I still get to design maps
std::map design;
:-D
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If so what drove the change to do so?
Started as a mechanical engineer, then moved to IT (networking, DB management, etc...), then C++ development, then PLC and HMI development - now I manage an electrical engineering department and keep my hands "in the game". All at one company over nearly 33 years. :-O
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If so what drove the change to do so?
Started studying Law - met a lot of lawyers, didn't like any of them so switched to Science - a much better class of party. Did a combined science degree in Astronomy, Mathematics (stats and computing) and psychology (just for fun/filler). Got a PhD in Computer Science - became a professor of same for three years! Second career: Got a real job as a developer - never looked back.
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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I used to be a clown. When the circus closed quite a long time ago, given my skills and experience, I got several opportunities as world sales manager or main product developer for big software companies, but I turned down the offers, and being a funny guy with a witty humor, started programming in Visual Basic for the financial industry.
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Started as a mechanical engineer, then moved to IT (networking, DB management, etc...), then C++ development, then PLC and HMI development - now I manage an electrical engineering department and keep my hands "in the game". All at one company over nearly 33 years. :-O
Mike Mullikin wrote:
Started as a mechanical engineer...
So you've been designing you're new knees and hips.
Mike Mullikin wrote:
...then moved to IT (networking, DB management, etc...), then C++ development, then PLC and HMI development - now I manage an electrical engineering department and keep my hands "in the game".
So the next upgrades will be including what exactly?
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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If so what drove the change to do so?
I put in 10 years making cardboard boxes before going back to college at 30 and rediscovering computers. Before I quit school in the late 80s, I had been a comp sci major with a part-time janitor job at a local box plant. I started picking up extra time helping the crews working late and started missing time in the computer lab...then they started a second shift and that started a 10 year career across two different states. The last box plant I worked at tried to work me to death...12 hour shifts with one Sunday off every other week. I did that schedule for almost two and a half years which destroyed my relationship and gave me an opportunity to move away from it all and go live on a farm with my grandparents and finish college at a local university. Well, I could go on and on, but actually have work to do...as I'm sure we all have. :laugh: One last thought I'd like to share is how amazed and elated I was when I bought my first Windows 98 system and fired up Visual Studio 6 for the first time! :) Kind of like meeting my wife! :laugh:
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
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If so what drove the change to do so?
I always liked working with computers, that's why. Started as student, programmed mathematical models for my Doktor-Ingenieur. In Turbo Pascal. Then an Israeli guy wanted to make a start-up in Sofia and invited me to join. Learned for 2 years from the best hackers in town and then moved to Canada. Nobody ever asked me to do anything related to my Mechanical Engineering degree :)
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If so what drove the change to do so?
Good question. My first career was programming. So is my third (and current). But for 12 years I was in animation and visual effects for film/TV/advertising. My desire to become a filmmaker drove me first. My slightly painful insight of my artistic shortcomings drove me back... :sigh:
"If we don't change direction, we'll end up where we're going"
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If so what drove the change to do so?
I was in Sales and got way too burn out, sacked it in and went back to University to learn about computers, and sort of got the bug for programming!!!
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I put in 10 years making cardboard boxes before going back to college at 30 and rediscovering computers. Before I quit school in the late 80s, I had been a comp sci major with a part-time janitor job at a local box plant. I started picking up extra time helping the crews working late and started missing time in the computer lab...then they started a second shift and that started a 10 year career across two different states. The last box plant I worked at tried to work me to death...12 hour shifts with one Sunday off every other week. I did that schedule for almost two and a half years which destroyed my relationship and gave me an opportunity to move away from it all and go live on a farm with my grandparents and finish college at a local university. Well, I could go on and on, but actually have work to do...as I'm sure we all have. :laugh: One last thought I'd like to share is how amazed and elated I was when I bought my first Windows 98 system and fired up Visual Studio 6 for the first time! :) Kind of like meeting my wife! :laugh:
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
From 1969 through May of this year, I worked in I.T., lastly for a mental health facility (queue the puns, jokes and comments.... :-D ) Unfortunately, I was forcibly retired due to the seemingly imminent adoption of a third-party Electronic Health Record (EHR). Guess what? That still has not happened.
I miss being "in the game." However, on the bright side, I am working harder than ever, and am now in better physical shape, working on my wife's ranch. Here, I fix fence, haul feed, move livestock and so forth.
As you can tell, I live in a rural area. I have found that finding a nearby I.T. job at my age is akin to "Mission: Impossible." No one wants to hire an "old timer." At the same time, they bemoan that all the recent I.T. graduates are moving to the cities. :confused:
__________________ Lord, grant me the serenity to accept that there are some things I just can’t keep up with, the determination to keep up with the things I must keep up with, and the wisdom to find a good RSS feed from someone who keeps up with what I’d like to, but just don’t have the damn bandwidth to handle right now. © 2009, Rex Hammock
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If so what drove the change to do so?
> How many People have changed careers to a second career in I.T.? It feels like I do that every time I change jobs. Within I.T.!!! :laugh: Explanation (a sample of jobs): Learn about IT in voter registration and ballot counting. Learn about IT in satellite design. Learn about IT in boatyard management. Learn about IT in gentlemen clubs. Learn about IT in casinos. Learn about IT in the insurance business. Every one of those IT "experiences" was a whole different ball of wax -- different information, different tech, different processes and workflows, etc.
Latest Article - A Concise Overview of Threads Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny Artificial intelligence is the only remedy for natural stupidity. - CDP1802
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From 1969 through May of this year, I worked in I.T., lastly for a mental health facility (queue the puns, jokes and comments.... :-D ) Unfortunately, I was forcibly retired due to the seemingly imminent adoption of a third-party Electronic Health Record (EHR). Guess what? That still has not happened.
I miss being "in the game." However, on the bright side, I am working harder than ever, and am now in better physical shape, working on my wife's ranch. Here, I fix fence, haul feed, move livestock and so forth.
As you can tell, I live in a rural area. I have found that finding a nearby I.T. job at my age is akin to "Mission: Impossible." No one wants to hire an "old timer." At the same time, they bemoan that all the recent I.T. graduates are moving to the cities. :confused:
__________________ Lord, grant me the serenity to accept that there are some things I just can’t keep up with, the determination to keep up with the things I must keep up with, and the wisdom to find a good RSS feed from someone who keeps up with what I’d like to, but just don’t have the damn bandwidth to handle right now. © 2009, Rex Hammock