4 ms·
I've gotten paid for programming since 1990. I got into programming because I was an engineer, and I used finite element modelling, but nobody would adequately
by bediger4000 4y ago
I've gotten paid for programming since 1990.
I got into programming because I was an engineer, and I used finite element modelling, but nobody would adequately explain time sharing. Then SGI loaned my group a Unix workstation.
I've quit several jobs because the company decided to go all Microsoft all the time. Those companies aren't around, but I'm still writing programs for Linux. Mastery of CS fundamentals is key, but you have to learn to apply them, not just grind leetcode with them.
My lesson is that if you learn and do commodity things, Java, Windows, XML, you'll have a commodity resume and you'll get commodity jobs that you have to fight a plethora of other commodity developers for. Do different things. Learn and master something unusual. Teach yourself new things as often as you can.
- ipaddr 4y agoDoesn't that limit you to a few positions in certain locations. Wouldn't casting a bigger net be a more risk averse?
- bediger4000 4y agoCasting a wider net would indeed be more risk averse, if the job market had more symmetrical information. I know about my own situation, and a little bit about friends' and acquaintances' situations. Even medium sized companies know a huge amount more about what the going salary is, and how many applicants a given position gets. The decrease in risk isn't as much as you might suppose. Be different, stand out. In my case, this was by refusing to do Windows, sticking with Unix and then Linux.