I spent the time I would have spent in school, traveling and improving my personality by having experiences that would interest other people. I got sick of studying irrelevant information and taking tests. So, instead of taking that last German course (which was what all engineers, back then, were required to learn) to complete my Bachelors in Physics, I moved to California. Then, I walked into a place that I read about in an Audio Engineering Society magazine. I asked the secretary if they had any openings. She said definitely,"No." But, by some chance, the president of the company saw me there and hired me on the spot. I was a technician and learned the art of designing circuits by working with a pretty clever engineer - Ron Ellis. He later changed careers and won an Oscar for best independent short movie. But, I digress. It turned out (for me) that I would always find a good paying job, for a while, by listing with job placement services as a contract technician. As a job got funded by some political money, the contracts were put out and the head-hunters would fill them by putting ads in the paper. This was the late 70's and 80's. I could actually do the jobs. So, I was always offered a full-time position after the 3 month contract was over. Sometimes I'd take the regular job. Most of the time, I'd go travel and spend the money I had just earned in India or China for a year or so. I got a job as a technician contractor at Space Sciences Lab at UCBerkeley. I worked there for 4 years until the project was over. Then, I was hired to be the technician for the 70 million Keck Telescope project. I worked there - with intervals of travel as the funding came and went - for 8 years. I was promoted to the Engineer in Charge position because our current engineer was taking classes on the side to get his Master's and couldn't spend enough time at the job he was already getting paid for. I find it's not what letters you have in your title that counts. It's whether you can get the job done. Sometimes you gotta find someone who knows more than you and ask for help. It doesn't matter how you do it. Sometimes you just copy someone else's software or hardware techniques. When it's all done and passes the low-noise test, you are gonna get hired for the next job. Often, people are let go because their stuff just doesn't pass the tests. Maybe things have changed with the economy in the state it's in. I still say, get the word out that you wanna do software and have experience writing it. If there is so much competition where you are living, get outta there. Sure, it's comfortable living where everything is familiar. It's more exciting where things aren't. Your career and experience will climb much faster if you put yourself in some risk and take some chances.
You want a big money future proof job? Get into green energy production. An engineering degree in that field will be gold in 10 years when we run out of fossil fuel
TechGuy, what about moving to where there are more jobs? I know you've traveled around before. I also know you have more bills now that you bought the nice sports car. Why don't you drive it around to places you haven't been? Do you have a good resume? Can you try thinking outside the box? Or, do you know where you will live and what you will do for the foreseeable future?
I understand your frustration. It is a drag to need to keep getting more schooling just to make a living. You did mention that you must stay within the Ontario law if you want to write software for medical. Is your degree only valid in Canada? It seems like you've got quite a bit of writing experience. When you start at any company, you start at the bottom. That's a given. But, you've been doing the writing for a number of years already. So, you don't have to start at the bottom again. I wonder what's on your resume and how it tells about your experience.
Are you looking for a job anywhere or do you limit the distance from home? How about India, or Dubai? I bet you could be writing medical stuff there without any need for the P.Eng license. If you stay in you own private Idaho, you will stay in the crummy jobs and stupid laws. I just wouldn't take No for an answer and check the paper or the websites that list jobs you can do. You might be surprised by a call from somewhere that you didn't expect if you list your talents on the web.
It has a lot to do with marketing what you have to sell.
You are right about the best jobs never getting posted. If the job is that good, there is some family member that will get it. But, making connections that will get you into the family line doesn't happen by staying in Kitchner. How many software jobs are there in that town? You've gotta expand your horizons if you wanna go places. Maybe you'll marry into the right family or maybe you'll get discovered by writing some good software. You're still in a small pond where you are today.
You never know what would be worth it until you take the plunge. If you know today what you'll be doing in 50 years hence, you must have a pretty good crystal ball. I always tried to keep the mind open and listen to what people were telling me. They weren't always right. But, often they were. If you know what you want, go for it, no problem. But, if you don't, then try what others suggest might work. There will be some guy somewhere talking about doing something you were once trying to do. Move over closer to him and see what else he's got to say.
I've been surprised a number of times in my life. Travel was one of those things that I never considered and was sure I'd not be interested. Once I did it, I realized that I should have done it much sooner. I spent so much of my time in school and work waiting for something to happen that would make it interesting. Traveling and meeting other travelers made work so inconsequential that I just have to laugh as I listen to you young guys trying to figure out what to do in life. You just can't see until you're there living it. The same goes for picking the right woman, right car, right camera, right computer, etc.
From my more than 20 years in IT in the Greater Toronto Area (and just like Iggy I have been tasked from time to time at interviewing potential candidates), what I can say is certifications whatever they are, are not as important as demonstrable skills via actual projects or on display during interviews/exams. This is unless someone is just fresh out of school and a corporation is willing to hire the person as an apprentice/trainee. Even those in school are expected to have some experience acquired via coop programs in between semesters.
I should also mention that some of the most brilliant people I have worked with do not even have University degrees. There was even a kid I was asked to mentor and who learned real fast and was soon able to produce more quality output than people who have been in IT for more than 10 years and who had Engineering degrees.
Comments
It turned out (for me) that I would always find a good paying job, for a while, by listing with job placement services as a contract technician. As a job got funded by some political money, the contracts were put out and the head-hunters would fill them by putting ads in the paper. This was the late 70's and 80's. I could actually do the jobs. So, I was always offered a full-time position after the 3 month contract was over. Sometimes I'd take the regular job. Most of the time, I'd go travel and spend the money I had just earned in India or China for a year or so.
I got a job as a technician contractor at Space Sciences Lab at UCBerkeley. I worked there for 4 years until the project was over. Then, I was hired to be the technician for the 70 million Keck Telescope project. I worked there - with intervals of travel as the funding came and went - for 8 years. I was promoted to the Engineer in Charge position because our current engineer was taking classes on the side to get his Master's and couldn't spend enough time at the job he was already getting paid for.
I find it's not what letters you have in your title that counts. It's whether you can get the job done. Sometimes you gotta find someone who knows more than you and ask for help. It doesn't matter how you do it. Sometimes you just copy someone else's software or hardware techniques. When it's all done and passes the low-noise test, you are gonna get hired for the next job. Often, people are let go because their stuff just doesn't pass the tests.
Maybe things have changed with the economy in the state it's in. I still say, get the word out that you wanna do software and have experience writing it. If there is so much competition where you are living, get outta there. Sure, it's comfortable living where everything is familiar. It's more exciting where things aren't. Your career and experience will climb much faster if you put yourself in some risk and take some chances.
TechGuy, what about moving to where there are more jobs? I know you've traveled around before.
I also know you have more bills now that you bought the nice sports car.
Why don't you drive it around to places you haven't been? Do you have a good resume? Can you try thinking outside the box?
Or, do you know where you will live and what you will do for the foreseeable future?
Is your degree only valid in Canada? It seems like you've got quite a bit of writing experience. When you start at any company, you start at the bottom. That's a given. But, you've been doing the writing for a number of years already. So, you don't have to start at the bottom again. I wonder what's on your resume and how it tells about your experience.
Are you looking for a job anywhere or do you limit the distance from home? How about India, or Dubai? I bet you could be writing medical stuff there without any need for the P.Eng license. If you stay in you own private Idaho, you will stay in the crummy jobs and stupid laws. I just wouldn't take No for an answer and check the paper or the websites that list jobs you can do. You might be surprised by a call from somewhere that you didn't expect if you list your talents on the web.
It has a lot to do with marketing what you have to sell.
into the family line doesn't happen by staying in Kitchner. How many software jobs are there in that town? You've gotta expand your horizons if you wanna go places.
Maybe you'll marry into the right family or maybe you'll get discovered by writing some good software. You're still in a small pond where you are today.
I always tried to keep the mind open and listen to what people were telling me. They weren't always right. But, often they were. If you know what you want, go for it,
no problem. But, if you don't, then try what others suggest might work. There will be some guy somewhere talking about doing something you were once trying to do. Move over
closer to him and see what else he's got to say.
I've been surprised a number of times in my life. Travel was one of those things that I never considered and was sure I'd
not be interested. Once I did it, I realized that I should have done it much sooner.
I spent so much of my time in school and work waiting for something to happen that would make it interesting.
Traveling and meeting other travelers made work so inconsequential that I just have to laugh as I listen to you young guys trying to figure out what to do in life.
You just can't see until you're there living it. The same goes for picking the right woman, right car, right camera, right computer, etc.
Practice
I should also mention that some of the most brilliant people I have worked with do not even have University degrees. There was even a kid I was asked to mentor and who learned real fast and was soon able to produce more quality output than people who have been in IT for more than 10 years and who had Engineering degrees.