Where to go from now...

[JFRobishow]

Hi everyone,

I've for a while now considered posting here, been thinking a lot about my future lately. I'm at the moment 22 years old, I have completed 2 years of a bachelor in Computer Sciences.

After that I've occupied various positions as webmaster, programmers for small company (mainly inventory management softwares)

Right now I have a job in a completely unrelated domain (pharmaceutical) which pay quite well and that I enjoy but I'm always looking to program stuff in my free time but I find that I don't have enough to continue learning as much as I would like to. I've been contemplating going back to school to finish my bachelor or maybe go to college to get a degree and finish my bachelor part time while working in the IT field. Right now I see all those certifications and all and quite frankly I feel like I will never have time to catch up, lol.

I guess there's no real question here, that I just am posting to vent a little and help me think more about my future. Right now I'm reading Code Complete to improve my coding abilities in general, what do you guys recommend I do in the mean time between now and going back to school?

 

[onoski]

I think it is still a very good idea to finish your degree
program. However, the IT field is not how it used to be five to six years. Pharmacy sounds more like a better idea if I'd be honest with you.

 

[mmorancbt]

In the US, The Bureau of Labor Statistics currently has computer related fields as 3 of the top 4 growth fields. Gartner Group recently concluded a study that shows, yes, in the US there will be a gap between those who have computer skills and the need - creating a very good market for those skills.
ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/news.release/History/ecopro.02112004.news

Unfortunately, we are still colored by the late ‘90s as an indication of what the computer industry/job market should look like. The late ‘90s was a false market where marginally talented technology professionals made way too much money for the value they provide.

IT remains a great career – in the US – outsourcing/offshoring not-withstanding. If you like the field and place technology skills in their proper context in relation to other skills, you can do very well.

I receive request for high-dollar work on a very consistent basis and generally pick and choose my clients. I structure all my clients to pay weekly and to allow me to work out of my house 80% of the time. While personal anecdotes are not a scientific gauge of overall opportunity, speaking with other technology professionals I work with, they are experiencing similar opportunity.

I’ve mentioned before that I believe small business is a great place to build your technology career. Recently, Jane Hill, a syndicated writer for the Dallas Morning News quoted me in an article discussing this focus.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/careers/it2/032005ccwcCareersTechmain.15e41161f.html

If you have an aptitude, place technology in its proper role as a tool for business solutions, and create a full-suite of career skills, you can do very well in this industry. This is actually true for most industries, in fact.

Matthew Moran
Read my career blog at:

http://www.cbtoolkit.com

Musings:

http://matthewmoran.blogspot.com

Todo esta bien.. Todo esta divertido (it's all good, it's all fun)

 

[svanels]

You are in the pharmaceutical field, you enjoy it and pays good. I would not say that it is unrelated to IT. Look around, are there areas where you can apply your computer knowledge to solve problems in your branch? II is yust a tool, not a means. In fact most succesfull profesionals are the ones that combine business process with IT.

Steven van Els
SAvanEls@cq-link.sr

 

[Onyxpurr]

Agree with svanels. As a matter of fact it's your ability to understand business that can make you very successful in IT. Have you considered being a business analyst??

You could do that with a BS in CIS. That way you could do a little bit of both.

I would just suggest (between now and school) try to get your hands in both business and IT. The IT person who understands business is of much more value than one that just understands IT.

Other than that, it sounds like you're doing the right things. Studying up on IT while working.

Good luck!!

 

[mmorancbt]

Back in 1999 I wrote an article, Why Technologists Must Learn To Speak Business. It was republished in 2001 and ultimately led to a series of professional development articles for the IT professional and finally my book.

In 2003 I saw this article, corroborating this message.

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1241173,00.asp

Eweek, TechTarget, and other sites are strongly implying the same things. As I tell technology professionals, the next hot technology is business savvy and communication skills. Fortunately, once mastered, it is a technology that is never made obsolete.

Why Technologists Must Learn To Speak Business

http://www.cbtoolkit.com/consult/whytechnspeakbusiness.htm

It isn't that technical talent is bad! No, it is good. But part of good is effective - not just technical proficiency. It is a both/and proposition, not an either/or.

You can do very well with cross-industry development of talent. In fact, I think that is the norm for those who consistently achieve well.

Matthew Moran
Read my career blog at:

http://www.cbtoolkit.com

Musings:

http://matthewmoran.blogspot.com

Todo esta bien.. Todo esta divertido (it's all good, it's all fun)

 

[JFRobishow]

Thanks to everyone who replied,

I've been talking with my bosses lately about making an inventory management software for them, it's something that we need yet being a new business that we don't have time to think about all that much...having someone in house do it would be a huge plus as it could be done in that person "slack" hours.

I think I'll first start with that, that will give me an even better understanding of how IT is applied in big business that aren't a 100% related to ITs (like a software developing firms for example) It will give me some experience in design, implementing and also relation with the customer. If with all that I can't decide what I like better

Thanks a lot for the input and the many ressourceful links. I haven't read them all yet as I'm leaving for the easter's weekend but I sure added them in my favorite and will read them when I get back.

 

[svanels]

The best part of it is that when you develop the software, knowing how the things are done in the pharmacy business, you will see the practical side of business. If your firm plans to expand of biggers systems, you will be able to weed the crap out when evaluating canned software.

When something must be evaluated, who do you think will be part of the examinators? Yes you..

Steven van Els
SAvanEls@cq-link.sr

 

[DoubleD]

JFRobishow,
Good for you. This will be an excellent learning experience for you.

it could be done in that person "slack" hours.

Warning: Don't underestimate the amount of hours this will take you. If you're telling your boss you can build an Inventory Management system, they will expect a professional product with little to no bugs. Don't sell yourself short on development time just because your boss is pressuring you to get the product into place. Also, you will be expected to support this product any time there's problems. From your view, that may be a good or a bad thing.

Just want you to think through the consequences of agreeing to develop this for your main employer in your "spare" time.

I am what I am based on the decisions I have made.

DoubleD

 

[lionelhill]

As a technical user I'd certainly like to see more software produced by users and people with an intimate experience of software from the user's angle. I don't care how sophisticated and up-to-date a package is, or how many clever extra features it has; if it doesn't do what I want it to, I don't want it.

If you can see a niche, go for it.

But on the other hand you are absolutely right to improve your coding skills. I can think of several bits of commercial software that set out to do something I'd very much like, but are so dreadfully badly implemented that I'd never consider buying them. Never! There is no substitute for professionalism.

The best IT experts are really good at IT, but also really good at something else too. Or the other way round...