A Generalist in a World of Specialists
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Greetings,
I didn't come into the coding world via a Comp Sci degree, I just sort of "picked it up" here and there. I don't have a specific field to call my own. I have tried to be "all things to everyone" and I think it has caused me to be overlooked.
I am looking to find a focus and a niche, but the possibilities are seriously overwhelming. I started doing custom application development in C and C++ and then VBA and VB6, and then I got the VS.NET Academic Edition.
As I've begun to explore, it seems like VB isn't as powerful as C++ or C# is for doing custom Windows applications. I am wondering what I should specialize in and what certs I should be looking at.
I have been stuck in sub-contract purgatory and I'm pretty tired of being in freefall when a contract is over. Anyone have some suggestions to help me fine tune my skills? Thanks.
Jeffrey ;) A generalist lost in a world of specialists.
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Greetings,
I didn't come into the coding world via a Comp Sci degree, I just sort of "picked it up" here and there. I don't have a specific field to call my own. I have tried to be "all things to everyone" and I think it has caused me to be overlooked.
I am looking to find a focus and a niche, but the possibilities are seriously overwhelming. I started doing custom application development in C and C++ and then VBA and VB6, and then I got the VS.NET Academic Edition.
As I've begun to explore, it seems like VB isn't as powerful as C++ or C# is for doing custom Windows applications. I am wondering what I should specialize in and what certs I should be looking at.
I have been stuck in sub-contract purgatory and I'm pretty tired of being in freefall when a contract is over. Anyone have some suggestions to help me fine tune my skills? Thanks.
Jeffrey ;) A generalist lost in a world of specialists.
I understand that perhaps too many people ask for advice that the rest of you are hesitant to give. I started on a path to learn VB.NET and I believe I will start there. I figure if I can at least pass one test towards MCAD/MCSD and qualify as an MCP, that will put me on the road towards something more specific. If I need to add other languages at some point, I will do so. Any suggestions or comments are welcome, I do not offend easily, so if you have something to say, say it. :rolleyes: Still coaxing software out of the can after all these years...
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Greetings,
I didn't come into the coding world via a Comp Sci degree, I just sort of "picked it up" here and there. I don't have a specific field to call my own. I have tried to be "all things to everyone" and I think it has caused me to be overlooked.
I am looking to find a focus and a niche, but the possibilities are seriously overwhelming. I started doing custom application development in C and C++ and then VBA and VB6, and then I got the VS.NET Academic Edition.
As I've begun to explore, it seems like VB isn't as powerful as C++ or C# is for doing custom Windows applications. I am wondering what I should specialize in and what certs I should be looking at.
I have been stuck in sub-contract purgatory and I'm pretty tired of being in freefall when a contract is over. Anyone have some suggestions to help me fine tune my skills? Thanks.
Jeffrey ;) A generalist lost in a world of specialists.
tanstaafl28 wrote: it seems like VB isn't as powerful as C++ or C# is for doing custom Windows applications if you talk about VB.NET .. it has neerly the same functionality as C#.. unless you need to make high performance Apps. or switch to linux you don't need C++ (but i encourage you to learn it anyway) tanstaafl28 wrote: I have been stuck in sub-contract purgatory and I'm pretty tired of being in freefall when a contract is over. me the same :sigh:
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tanstaafl28 wrote: it seems like VB isn't as powerful as C++ or C# is for doing custom Windows applications if you talk about VB.NET .. it has neerly the same functionality as C#.. unless you need to make high performance Apps. or switch to linux you don't need C++ (but i encourage you to learn it anyway) tanstaafl28 wrote: I have been stuck in sub-contract purgatory and I'm pretty tired of being in freefall when a contract is over. me the same :sigh:
Thanks for your advice. I have the books and VS.NET and that is my plan. Should I need to add another language at some future point, I will be that much more able to do so. ;) Still coaxing software out of the can after all these years...
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Greetings,
I didn't come into the coding world via a Comp Sci degree, I just sort of "picked it up" here and there. I don't have a specific field to call my own. I have tried to be "all things to everyone" and I think it has caused me to be overlooked.
I am looking to find a focus and a niche, but the possibilities are seriously overwhelming. I started doing custom application development in C and C++ and then VBA and VB6, and then I got the VS.NET Academic Edition.
As I've begun to explore, it seems like VB isn't as powerful as C++ or C# is for doing custom Windows applications. I am wondering what I should specialize in and what certs I should be looking at.
I have been stuck in sub-contract purgatory and I'm pretty tired of being in freefall when a contract is over. Anyone have some suggestions to help me fine tune my skills? Thanks.
Jeffrey ;) A generalist lost in a world of specialists.
Try and find what you enjoy doing, and focus on that. Learn all you can about it, and you will be a specialist, in an area that you enjoy. Of course, easier said than done. In terms of the market, my impression is that there is a lot of .NET and Java work out there. C++ is also popular in the non-MS world, although IMO that will change. Certifications are ok as a way to learn the subject matter in a structured way. As a means to obtaining contracts and work, they are less valuable.
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Try and find what you enjoy doing, and focus on that. Learn all you can about it, and you will be a specialist, in an area that you enjoy. Of course, easier said than done. In terms of the market, my impression is that there is a lot of .NET and Java work out there. C++ is also popular in the non-MS world, although IMO that will change. Certifications are ok as a way to learn the subject matter in a structured way. As a means to obtaining contracts and work, they are less valuable.
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Greetings,
I didn't come into the coding world via a Comp Sci degree, I just sort of "picked it up" here and there. I don't have a specific field to call my own. I have tried to be "all things to everyone" and I think it has caused me to be overlooked.
I am looking to find a focus and a niche, but the possibilities are seriously overwhelming. I started doing custom application development in C and C++ and then VBA and VB6, and then I got the VS.NET Academic Edition.
As I've begun to explore, it seems like VB isn't as powerful as C++ or C# is for doing custom Windows applications. I am wondering what I should specialize in and what certs I should be looking at.
I have been stuck in sub-contract purgatory and I'm pretty tired of being in freefall when a contract is over. Anyone have some suggestions to help me fine tune my skills? Thanks.
Jeffrey ;) A generalist lost in a world of specialists.
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hi jeffrey hope you need help but i just want u to do me a favor. pls tell me more about this site i just come across it. i'm a technical.
If you mean The Code Project, it's a great place to learn more about programming computers using some of the latest programming languages and strategies out there. I'm still pretty new at all of this, I come here to get ideas, code snippets, and learn new things. Still coaxing software out of the can after all these years...
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Greetings,
I didn't come into the coding world via a Comp Sci degree, I just sort of "picked it up" here and there. I don't have a specific field to call my own. I have tried to be "all things to everyone" and I think it has caused me to be overlooked.
I am looking to find a focus and a niche, but the possibilities are seriously overwhelming. I started doing custom application development in C and C++ and then VBA and VB6, and then I got the VS.NET Academic Edition.
As I've begun to explore, it seems like VB isn't as powerful as C++ or C# is for doing custom Windows applications. I am wondering what I should specialize in and what certs I should be looking at.
I have been stuck in sub-contract purgatory and I'm pretty tired of being in freefall when a contract is over. Anyone have some suggestions to help me fine tune my skills? Thanks.
Jeffrey ;) A generalist lost in a world of specialists.
Another, related, issue is the question of I.T. professionals with extensive skills beyond coding or network/DB admin. For example: logical data modeling, high-level functional specifications, third-party tool selection, report design, Q.A., testing, project planning, project management, requirements gathering, translating business functional specs into detailed technical specs, etc. Of course, there are the so-called "soft skills" too: strong writing and documentation skills (true, it's not technical, but essential to any project), presentation skills (both verbal as well as PowerPoint-related), negotiation skills, inter-departmental liaison skills, being tall and having a youthful "look" (again, not a technical asset, but one that is important to career success and to being taken seriously), knowledge of various development lifecycle methodologies, industry-specific knowledge and experience, business and finance knowledge, etc. If you're not on the track to being a CTO or CIO, then how can you convince an employer or a client to take advantage of these non-coding skills? One of my problems is that, even when I'm on a very hands-on contract or assignment, it becomes clear (very quickly) that I also possess these other skills and that I possess them to a greater extent than many others on my team (or in my department). So I get tagged to take on these tasks. I'm very good at these things, but it takes me away from hands-on experience so, when a contract ends or when an employer does a staff churning, I have a hard time selling myself as a technical person. What's a highly experienced professional to do? (Especially if he's over 39)? :sigh:
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Another, related, issue is the question of I.T. professionals with extensive skills beyond coding or network/DB admin. For example: logical data modeling, high-level functional specifications, third-party tool selection, report design, Q.A., testing, project planning, project management, requirements gathering, translating business functional specs into detailed technical specs, etc. Of course, there are the so-called "soft skills" too: strong writing and documentation skills (true, it's not technical, but essential to any project), presentation skills (both verbal as well as PowerPoint-related), negotiation skills, inter-departmental liaison skills, being tall and having a youthful "look" (again, not a technical asset, but one that is important to career success and to being taken seriously), knowledge of various development lifecycle methodologies, industry-specific knowledge and experience, business and finance knowledge, etc. If you're not on the track to being a CTO or CIO, then how can you convince an employer or a client to take advantage of these non-coding skills? One of my problems is that, even when I'm on a very hands-on contract or assignment, it becomes clear (very quickly) that I also possess these other skills and that I possess them to a greater extent than many others on my team (or in my department). So I get tagged to take on these tasks. I'm very good at these things, but it takes me away from hands-on experience so, when a contract ends or when an employer does a staff churning, I have a hard time selling myself as a technical person. What's a highly experienced professional to do? (Especially if he's over 39)? :sigh:
I know where you're coming from. Most HR professionals only look at the "surface" attributes and does not seem interested in digging a little deeper. Many qualified people get "circular filed" as a result. :confused: Still coaxing software out of the can after all these years...