Future of I.T.
Apr 19th 2004, 8:02 am
#16
99.99999% there !
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Essex, England, UK
Posts: 378
Re: Future of I.T.
Small world Jane. I was also a PL/1, DB/2, Oracle programmer and did a 6 month contract at BA in 1995 on the CDMS project. Thankfully I've since been able to retrain into VB.NET, but I'd back up the comments made throghout thsi thread that being in IT, especially as a developer means not only having to continually retrain to keep your skills current (which can be expensive) but also having to compete against offshore development teams (e.g. India) who can present much better short-term financial justification to Project Managers. Of course long term financial outlook for offshore development in another matter entirely 
Originally posted by JaneandJim
I was a pl1/DB2 programmer. Worked at British Airways for 5 years, then contracted for various others, including 3 years at 3M. Nobody uses Pl1 anymore and I never bothered updating my skills, so I'm no use in IT. My ex-colleagues in the UK are also struggling for work. All about keeping your skills current, as you said.
I am retraining in another area, though, so will start earning again eventually!
Jane
I was a pl1/DB2 programmer. Worked at British Airways for 5 years, then contracted for various others, including 3 years at 3M. Nobody uses Pl1 anymore and I never bothered updating my skills, so I'm no use in IT. My ex-colleagues in the UK are also struggling for work. All about keeping your skills current, as you said.
I am retraining in another area, though, so will start earning again eventually!
Jane
Apr 19th 2004, 9:01 am
#17
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Banks Peninsula, SI, NZ
Posts: 373
An option would be to marry together IT and say finance. It would put him in a more niche market but the financial rewards could be higher. Think of his IT skills as just the tools to make something bigger happen.
Everyone and their dog have an opinion about degrees. Normally the people criticizing them are the people without them, so go figure.
Speaking from my own experience, having a degree has been very beneficial. Rather like my advice at the start, I specialize in the development of SW for financial markets. As much as my primary focus is IT, a lot of my time is taken up on financial issues suck as market-risk, accounting, etc and how scenarios unfold in the market place. IT is just a means to making something happen.
The vast majority of the positions I have held especially in London and in the contract market demanded a degree as a minimum. That’s just how I have found it. Also, applying for residency in NZ was made easier having the education, so…
Where there’s a will there’s a way and I am sure not having a degree, your son will be fine, but at the end of the day going to uni isn’t just about the qualification. He would have a great time and to me at his age, that would be more important to me.
Everyone and their dog have an opinion about degrees. Normally the people criticizing them are the people without them, so go figure.
Speaking from my own experience, having a degree has been very beneficial. Rather like my advice at the start, I specialize in the development of SW for financial markets. As much as my primary focus is IT, a lot of my time is taken up on financial issues suck as market-risk, accounting, etc and how scenarios unfold in the market place. IT is just a means to making something happen.
The vast majority of the positions I have held especially in London and in the contract market demanded a degree as a minimum. That’s just how I have found it. Also, applying for residency in NZ was made easier having the education, so…
Where there’s a will there’s a way and I am sure not having a degree, your son will be fine, but at the end of the day going to uni isn’t just about the qualification. He would have a great time and to me at his age, that would be more important to me.
