What is your field of work?

[Eule 0]

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It's only been a couple months since I last heard Bill Gates complaining about a lack of qualified IT graduates.

It took me a while, but I finally figured out that when the heads of large corporations say "there is a
lack of qualified graduates", they always leave off the part "at the price we want to pay". There is
some debate, but I think many companies want to treat IT as a "trade" (like a machinst, carpenter, or
electrician) instead of a "profession" (like an engineer, architect, or lawyer).

Another factor is that there is no such thing as a registered professional computer geek - at least not
on the level that there are registered professional engineers. There are vendor certifications, a few of
which are useful but many of which are just sales training in disguise. We brought some of this on
ourselves during the .com boom - anybody who could spell HTML was calling themselves a programmer
and getting such high prices that some companies involved decided they had to bring salaries down any
way they could. Hence H1Bs, outsourcing to India, etc.

A friend of mine from college who works in IT says he's seeing a lot of people with two-year "CIS"
degrees lately. He says that a lot of them can cut and paste code, but not many of them can go
deeper than that. [geek]He told me a story about trying to help some CIS types who were trying
to make their code go faster by using ints instead of floats, playing with byte alignment, etc, and
not having much luck. He looked at their code and told them that none of that stuff would help
much - the big O said that their program would be slow. "What's a big O?"[/geek]

When I was in college, I noticed two broad groups of students: ones who would be screwing around
with a computer for fun anyway even if they weren't going for a CS degree, and ones who had seen
CS in a list of "careers that will make you a lot of money" in a magazine. As far as I know, the people
in the former group have done better in the workplace. [geek]A couple of jobs ago, I worked with
someone that had just graduated with a four-year Computer Science degree but didn't know what a
makefile was.[/geek] I suspect he belonged to the latter group.

Skydiving content? Uh... lemme see... AADs and digital altimeters have computers in them... :)

Eule

PLF does not stand for Please Land on Face.

[mwolfe 0]

And I suppose that a teacher didn't teach you how to skydive. Worked about 20 hours this week at home and spent 1/2 a day at the dropzone.

[Elisha 1]

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er group have done better in the workplace. [geek]A couple of jobs ago, I worked with
someone that had just graduated with a four-year Computer Science degree but didn't know what a
makefile was.[/geek] I suspect he belonged to the latter group.

I started off as a CS major 12 years ago, took Pascal, C and some assembly language which I had no idea wtf it was about. I finished off as a Math/Stats major 5 years after that 1.5 yr stint, taking some SAS later. I have done Actuarial work and work as a business analyst now, dabbling in occasional VBA and SQL through Excel, Access and SQL Navigator. Really, I would NEVER say I work in IT or call myself a programmer and don't even really like programming. I'm an ANALYST and can read/do some code when needed. I just want good data to analyze. Even I vaguely recall what a makefile is!

[firstime 0]

I build the machines that put the paper on straws!!

[Ron 7]

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And I suppose that a teacher didn't teach you how to skydive. Worked about 20 hours this week at home and spent 1/2 a day at the dropzone.

Teachers rock!

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[NSEMN8R 0]

I work for the phone company. I go around to different businesses all day trying to get people to switch their phone service. I get told to fuck off more times in a normal week than most people get in a year. I'm not sure how, but I think skydiving helps me deal with it.

[artistcalledian 0]

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I work for the phone company. I go around to different businesses all day trying to get people to switch their phone service. I get told to fuck off more times in a normal week than most people get in a year. I'm not sure how, but I think skydiving helps me deal with it.

fuck off

________________________________________
drive it like you stole it and f*ck the police

[NSEMN8R 0]

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fuck off

See that? It doesn't bother me a bit.

If I wasn't a skydiver I'd probably be offended by that. Even if it was only coming from the guy that nobody likes anyways.

[godfrog 2]

A hard rock underground miner specializing in explosive handling and loading. {subterrainian excavation technician}

Experience is a difficult teacher, she gives you the test first and the lesson afterward

[rasmack 0]

I think the results of the poll reflects an inherent bias in that it is only conducted on the intersection of people who can operate a computer and pull a handle located close to their butt.

HF #682, Team Dirty Sanchez #227
“I simply hate, detest, loathe, despise, and abhor redundancy.”
- Not quite Oscar Wilde...

[packerboy 3]

Industrial Control Systems Technichian.

I break shit, and then go looking for IT people and maintenance guys to fix it.

If I can't break it, I command someone else to break it for me.

Then there is the odd time that the shit actually won't break. That's when I sleep.

--------------------------------------------------
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

[riggerrob 558]

It took me a while, but I finally figured out that when the heads of large corporations say "there is a
lack of qualified graduates", they always leave off the part "at the price we want to pay".

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Every industry suffers the same dilemma.

Even the skydiving industry.

Last year I worked obscene hours for a hoo-hum salary because my boss had a hard time hiring professional skydivers (with all the instructional ratings, rigging, janitorial, carpentry, plumbing, landscaping, etc. skills)who were willing to work 12 hours per day, 7 days per week for 6 months per year on a paltry salary.
He would get better people if he were willing to pay salaries similar to the computer industry.
Too bad few DZs can afford those sort of wages.

[woodpecker 0]

RAPCOM - Sorry...and stop screaming in my ear when I forget the damn earplugs.

-ROMAD- (USAF)
High G guinie pig (USAF)
Pharmacist (USAF)
and now off to
"SPECIAL AGENT MAN" (USAF)

oh....and University Graduate!

Guess I could have just put Military but it donsnt give my career any justice.

SONIC WOODY #146

There is a fine line between cockiness and confidence -- which side of the line are you on?

[TaxingNathan 0]

"SPECIAL AGENT MAN" (USAF)

How long you out of GA? I was just down there for another agency. Put a real damper on my jumping last summer.

[ladyskydiver 0]

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"SPECIAL AGENT MAN" (USAF)

Any body else hear the song "Special Agent Man" after having seen this?

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[woodpecker 0]

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"SPECIAL AGENT MAN" (USAF)

How long you out of GA? I was just down there for another agency. Put a real damper on my jumping last summer.

just got picked up and I'm actually supposed to be there now. class date got pushed back so still waiting. Now I just hang out and wait...kind of cool being paid to surf the net and set up trips all day. How did you enjoy FLETC? What Agency....might be looking to switch over soon.

SONIC WOODY #146

There is a fine line between cockiness and confidence -- which side of the line are you on?

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

Don't lump engineers in with mathamaticians!



... and they still don't let me drive the trains...

[txhoss 0]

Why list soldiers and not sailors? I have 9 1/2 years in the Navy heading for the big 20 (and the check that comes with .

Wait just one damn second ... If I get out at 20 then I will have to get a real job, with real work and maybe have real responisibilitys. On second thought I might be in for a long while.

Have Rig will travel ...

[matthewcline 0]

What big check?

I have a few months till 20, part time is the minimum I will have to work.

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[NlghtJumper 0]

Soldier since June 04'
Aviation Operations Specialist

*Basicly, I just watch all the aircraft to make sure the pilots go to the right places... and park their aircraft where they are suposta.

A man will do anything for the right woman,
and when that woman destroys him,
that man will become a hunk of meat with the common sense of a rodeo clown! ~ Christopher Titus

[txhoss 0]

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What big check?

I have a few months till 20, part time is the minimum I will have to work.

Never said anything about a big check. But it is a check. Something tells me that no one here would complain about a 20k a year salary for ... well ... being alive.

Have Rig will travel ...

[outlawphx 1]

<-- Manger of Systems Development

[TaxingNathan 0]

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"SPECIAL AGENT MAN" (USAF)

How long you out of GA? I was just down there for another agency. Put a real damper on my jumping last summer.

just got picked up and I'm actually supposed to be there now. class date got pushed back so still waiting. Now I just hang out and wait...kind of cool being paid to surf the net and set up trips all day. How did you enjoy FLETC? What Agency....might be looking to switch over soon.

I have been out since October. Take a guess at the agency from my name. It is one everyone hates in mid April. FLETC wasn't so bad. I was expecting a more drill instructor in your face atmosphere when it turned out to be more like college almost. Mind, I was never in any branch of military, so I don't know what boot is like, but I do have a couple of friends that went through.

[Superman32 0]

I'm really surprised by the results. I knew we had our fair share of computer dorks, but definately not as many
The second group kinda goes more along the lines of what I was expecting, public safety, military, and health care -- More of the adrenaline inducing jobs.

Inveniam Viam aut Faciam
I'm back biatches!

[woodpecker 0]

uuuggghhh!! The tax man....yeah, couldnt change over to your three letter world, I need to stay a little more tactical.

Good times though! Cant wait to get it started and get it done.

SONIC WOODY #146

There is a fine line between cockiness and confidence -- which side of the line are you on?