A Lifetime of Software

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A Lifetime of Software

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Steve Jones - SSC Editor

Posted Thursday, April 26, 2012 9:42 PM

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Comments posted to this topic are about the item A Lifetime of Software

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Post #1291237

JimS-Indy

Posted Friday, April 27, 2012 1:41 AM

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I'm an old guy now (58.) I started my career in what was then called MIS (Management Information Systems.) After a few years, it became clear to me that MIS was sucking too many resources in overhead from companies, and that there would soon be a change -- most likely a strong trend toward outsourcing. I decided to get an MBA and get out of MIS, which I did.

Though my career never veered far from technology, I didn't "jump back in" until a few years ago when I left the mainstream business world. Now, I consult on various technologies, leveraging my programming skills, but adding the most value because I understand how the technology adds value. That skill makes me more valuable than the hard-core coder whose skills I could never match at this point in my life.

Now, people pay me to work around their internal technology providers, who are seen as uninterested in the needs of the average department. But they use my services because my experience in IT means I produce a product that respects their IT group's need for consistency, reliability, security, and other standards, but still meets their needs and saves them time and money.

Your question was "is technology enough, or do I need to move to management, etc." My answer is that technology is enough if and only if you never lose sight of the fact that your products and services are IN SERVICE to the company's real mission, which often has nothing to do with technology. You are an enabler, and you need to make sure that what you do always serves the company's real mission, or else don't spend the money. If you need to experience general management to put technology in perspective, then that's a good idea.

Jim

Jim

Post #1291314

Dogsbody1

Posted Friday, April 27, 2012 2:12 AM

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Steve

I always read your articles with interest, whereas I used to read the technical stuff and then glance at your musings these days I find myself reading your article and then reading the technical stuff afterwards!

Currently I am in my forth decade of IT and I am not far off entering my fifth decade (scary eh?). I guess that I expect to continue to work in the technology sector until I retire well least ways I certainly hope to as it's probably a bit late to change careers now even if I wanted to. Over the years I have changed jobs quite a lot sometimes caused by situations but mostly by choice. I would hope to sit out my days working for my current employer but the way things change I doubt it, I still have at least ten years before I can retire and the way one's pension keeps moving into the distance it might be six decades ... if I can keep working that is!

As regards a career for my Grandchildren? well like you I think that the industry has been pretty good overall so I wouldn't put them off and as regards it being a 'poor choice' I can think of a lot worse. IT has a lot going for it but like any industry it has it's critics.

Regards

Chris

Post #1291325

paul.knibbs

Posted Friday, April 27, 2012 2:29 AM

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I don't have much of a choice, to be honest...I wouldn't get paid enough in any other field to cover my mortgage and other costs. Once I pay my mortgage off (hopefully 2018, but it's an endowment mortgage and there's always uncertainty with those), then I won't need as much money anymore and I could possibly think about changing career. As yet, I have no idea what that change would be, but I'm certainly not ruling it out!

Post #1291333

call.copse

Posted Friday, April 27, 2012 2:57 AM

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Much as I am frustrated by things I kind of really enjoy working with technology - and I love bending computers to my will - so yes, I'll be here until the end. Whether I keep going with the full knowledge churn of being a hardcore dev until the end of my working days is another matter. I've coped so far but could see some movement occurring at some point.

Post #1291344

majorbloodnock

Posted Friday, April 27, 2012 3:05 AM

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I've spent the past couple of decades seeing the steady march of IT within businesses, and we're now well past the point that IT became regarded as a mainstream business function. However, whilst it has become accepted as necessary, and the gulf between technical and non technical has shrunk, there is still a gap, and that is why Steve is able to ask this question.

Nonetheless, the gap is shrinking, and I expect, before my retirement, to see a point where IT is as fully accepted as sales. As a result, when I retire I expect everyone in any commercial business to be a technology worker to a greater or lesser degree in the same way everyone has their own sales part to play. For me personally, I expect technology will always be a part of my portfolio of business skills, but then I have a wide range of non technical skills at the moment, so the line is already blurred.

Semper in excretia, sumus solum profundum variat

Post #1291347

Kevin Page-488444

Posted Friday, April 27, 2012 3:44 AM

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For me my love affair with computers started when I was eleven (back in 1981) when I was at school in London and came across my first computer, a Pet CBM.
I spent any free time I had in the computer room and quickly learnt to code from there.
I started my working career as a programmer with Informix-4GL and after a year got head hunted as a DBA for an international delivery company where I also took on the Sun UNIX sys admin role.
After seven years there I again got head hunted to work for an oil company as DBA, but again after two years took over the AIX sysadmin role as well.
I unfortunately (along with the rest of the department) got made redundant when the function was outsourced and am now working for the NHS as a SQL Server DBA.
As I sit here right now, I couldn't imagine doing anything else as I love the work and spend a great deal of time 'tinkering with IT' outside of work as well (much to the annoyance of the good lady wife !).
I'm sure that there will be many changes in the years to come and look forward to meeting them ;)

Post #1291358

david.wright-948385

Posted Friday, April 27, 2012 4:03 AM

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A few years ago I succumbed to yearnings for a better life outside technology. The grass on this side of the fence was looking drab and predictable; the grass on the other side was lush and verdant.

So I made the break.

Worst decision I've ever made.

Tech jobs are well paid, interesting and varied; you can work where you like, when you like; as long as you keep up to date your skills are in demand. There are other jobs that give this, but not that many. There are a hell of a lot of jobs that don't even come close. Stress is an issue, but you learn to deal with it. The only problem I've had is avoiding the drift to management.

My advice: if you enjoy tech, get a job in it.

Post #1291365

Wiztech Russ

Posted Friday, April 27, 2012 4:42 AM

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I started my career as a Geophysicist - I hated computers and how much extra work I had to do in my honours thesis because of the complexity of punch cards and primitive graphics (This was the late 1970's). After five years of rebuilding computers that had shaken apart in vehicles and writing my own software because there was nothing out there, I moved to a role of supporting and training Geologists and Engineers. It has only been the last few years that I have become an accidental DBA. I have loved everything I have been through as a technology worker. The maddening frustration of computing in all its forms has challenged me and pushed me way past what I thought were my limits. The job has given me far more opportunity to be an individual than any other job I have been close to. And I have been paid very well. My son is a very successful and well paid graphic artist and I would have loved my daughter to have brought her wonderful abilities to problem solve and deal with people issues into the industry.
Throughout my career I have encouraged quite a few people to move their careers into technology from Geoscience. Most of them have now moved from their third world positions and into international positions from where they are funding the education of their extended families - something they most probably would not have achieved by remaining in their initial occupations.

Post #1291379

john.riley-1111039

Posted Friday, April 27, 2012 4:47 AM

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I am in a similar situation to Mr Knibbs. It is hard enough getting another job in the same field when you are 54 let alone a different one, and unlikely I could earn the same doing something different. So there is no choice. And then there is the pension thing. Pension schemes seem to work best when you are in them for a long time, and as you get older, you start to look longer and harder at what those pensions will provide. (I use the plural, as I have 5, and am sure many people have more than one.) The UK retirement age (well, the age at which you can have a State Pension) will be 66 by the time I am 66, so I have 12 years to serve.

Although the lack of pay progression, lack of career progression and distance away at my current employer make a change of employer an attractive proposition, I do not think it is likely to happen.

Post #1291383

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