carreer opportunities

[John Demme]

eao197 wrote:

> On Wed, 27 Jun 2007 08:26:14 +0400, John Demme <me at teqdruid.com> wrote:
> 
>> Don't become a D programmer.  Don't become a C++ programmer.  Don't
>> become a
>> C# or a Java programmer.  You really don't want to become a Ruby or
>> Python
>> programmer.
>>
>> Just be a programmer.  (Or engineer, architect, designer.. whatever)
> 
> It looks like: "Don't become a stomatologist. Don't become a surgeon.
> Don't become a oculist or a otolaryngologist. You reallu don't want to
> become a cardiologist or a neurologist. Just be a doctor!"

Hearts and nerves aren't going to go away anytime soon, languages will come
and go!  When's the last time you programmed in PL/M?  (I'd ask about
Fortran, but for all I know you're a math guy.)

Plus: I don't know a whole lot about becoming a doctor, but as I understand
it, when you go you med school- that's what you do!  Become a doctor!  As I
understand it, doctors won't typically specialize until after their
residency via a fellowship, if they specialize at all.  Anyone to
confirm/deny?  I don't really know what I'm talking about here.

Anyway, specializing in a bodily system is more like specializing in a
particular problem set (like getting a PhD- which I am in the process of
considering, by the way.)  Languages are more like tools.

I'm not discouraging anyone from learning any particular language in
significant depth.  You're right- it's always great to have language gurus
on the team, since they can spot a dumb sh*t issue a mile away.

However, IMO a guy who really only knows a language and doesn't have any
engineering skills, doesn't make for a great software engineer.  It's like
the difference between knowing a CAD software and being able to design a
part.  The guy who knows the CAD software real well is pretty helpful, but
if he can't design the part, he's not an engineer.  That's not to say he's
not useful, however.

I'm probably taking this to more of an extreme than I intend, but I'll say
this:  the smartest people I've worked with have told me that when it comes
to hiring, they'll take smart and eager to learn over familiarity with the
tools anyday.

-- 
~John Demme
me at teqdruid.com