Seeking opinions

[Brice Chaffin]

Thanks John. I did find that helpful in giving me some angles to
consider.

On Thu, 2007-05-03 at 13:00 -0400, John Van Ostrand wrote:

> 
> Well you have two of the big points covered: quick learning, and
> enthusiastic. I have found that really successful IT people are
> enthusiasts who spend a lot of time learning and experimenting and look
> at technical problems as interesting challenges. That is a generalism,
> because I also know people who are good at what they do but don't have
> enough passion to work after hours on it, they rely on other skills to
> be useful.
> 
> It sounds like you have some good base experience that you can leverage,
> but I have seen individuals with those same qualifications (plus formal
> education) have trouble dealing with the subtleties and scale of
> business systems.
> 
> Most businesses will not hire a person without experience and without
> relevant formal education. Holding certifications will help, but it's
> not a guarantee.
> 
> So I think you have three choices: enroll in college or university,
> obtain certifications, or try starting your own business.
> 
> College and university, although very time consuming, is the long-term
> best approach. Coop courses provide needed income and experience.
> 
> Certifications are a riskier route. Many of the training facilities
> (like Nexient) and colleges will offer certification tracks that take
> about year, cost more than a three year college course but, if you
> interview well, can get you an entry level position. They are mostly
> based on Microsoft (has anyone seen a Open Source version) but contain
> Novell and Cisco certifications as well. I usually pass over these
> candidates because they are less rounded (usually no programming or
> business skills.)
> 
> Starting your own business is another problem. It can take a long time
> to generate enough business to make a full time income and if you
> haven't already worked in the IT industry it can be intimidating
> approaching even medium sized businesses.
> 
> Still, now is a good time. I feel Linux is nearing the tipping point and
> the next few years may see a huge vacuum in the Linux skills market.
> 
> 
> Here is my advice:
> 
> 1. Choose where you want to go. Is it software development, web
> development, system administration, systems integration (e.g. installing
> new systems/services,) support, embedded systems, training, etc.
> 
> 2. Be social. Attend LUG meetings and/or be active on the lists. The
> most successful people usually have very good people skills. Look for
> other groups to become part of (TAUG, PerlMongers, etc.)
> 
> 3. Get more experience. If it's programming, sysadmin, or integration
> look for non-profit organizations that need IT support. Many won't have
> much money and will welcome volunteer work. This may include official
> non-profits as well as community events. Push for Linux and open source.
> It can do everything that Microsoft software does.
> 
> 4. For programming experience pick an interesting software project and
> start donating code. They often have a feature wish list that you could
> tackle.
> 
> 5. Talk to the colleges and universities about courses. This is your
> long-term best chance for a successful career.
> 
> I hope it helps.
> 
> --
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-- 
"There is no other wisdom and no other hope for us but that we become
wise."

Surak of Vulcan

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