worried - comp.programming

I'm a C# programmer (and Java and VB and various flavors of SQL). I work for a small company doing web applications for a user base of about 4000. I love what I do, and it took me a good long time to learn this craft. I have much more to learn. But I can't help but feel I'm wasting time. I'm in my 30's, and if this career is going to die, then I should probably be trying to figure out another career. But what? Is death of IT inevitable? Am I worrying needlessly? What are you guys doing to hedge against collapse of IT as a career option here in the US? Thanks for listening. I look forward to your replies.

M wrote: > I'm a C# programmer (and Java and VB and various flavors of SQL). I work > for a small company doing web applications for a user base of about 4000. > > I love what I do, and it took me a good long time to learn this craft. I > have much more to learn. Um, C# hasn't been around /that/ long. You make it sound like decades, but it's no more than - what, two, three years? > But I can't help but feel I'm wasting time. I'm in my 30's, and if this > career is going to die, then I should probably be trying to figure out > another career. I agree. And the sooner you do it, the better. There are many people in the programming profession who /don't/ eat, sleep, or breathe programming. If all these people quit, there would be no IT jobs shortage, and IT bosses would have to start getting used to the strange idea of working, reliable, maintainable code. > But what? Is death of IT inevitable? Yes. Within a year, you will have no job and no chance of finding one. So GO NOW! > Am I worrying needlessly? No, it's a huge problem. Get out while you can. > What are > you guys doing to hedge against collapse of IT as a career option here in > the US? We're encouraging everyone else to quit. > > Thanks for listening. I look forward to your replies. Right. :-) -- Richard Heathfield : binary@eton.powernet.co.uk "Usenet is a strange place." - Dennis M Ritchie, 29 July 1999. C FAQ: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html K&R answers, C books, etc: http://users.powernet.co.uk/eton

M, What are you worried about? Don't worry about the media hype of the day. Look at your own situation and decide what you would like to do. If you like where you are, stay there. If it looks like doom/layoff time, think about other jobs/positions. Nothing is a waste of time. There will always be a need for developers, no matter what you may call them. IT, if we may call it that, has been evolving for at least 40 years. What makes you think it will evolve into something useless or die? I've been playing with computers for about 25 years. I have two degrees and have always found good jobs to continue my career path. If you feel C#/Java/VB/SQL can't keep you busy forever (and they won't) learn something new. Even staying with one language and being an expert still has many applications and business types to follow. Follow your interests and grow. David On Wed, 8 Oct 2003 01:17:15 UTC, "M" <minnow31@hotmail.com> wrote: > I'm a C# programmer (and Java and VB and various flavors of SQL). I work for > a small company doing web applications for a user base of about 4000. > > I love what I do, and it took me a good long time to learn this craft. I > have much more to learn. > > But I can't help but feel I'm wasting time. I'm in my 30's, and if this > career is going to die, then I should probably be trying to figure out > another career. > > But what? Is death of IT inevitable? Am I worrying needlessly? What are you > guys doing to hedge against collapse of IT as a career option here in the > US? > > Thanks for listening. I look forward to your replies.

I don't find you funny. "Richard Heathfield" <dontmail@address.co.uk.invalid> wrote in message news:bm02i9$6l2$4@hercules.btinternet.com... > Yes. Within a year, you will have no job and no chance of finding one. So GO > NOW! > > Richard Heathfield : binary@eton.powernet.co.uk > "Usenet is a strange place." - Dennis M Ritchie, 29 July 1999. > C FAQ: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html > K&R answers, C books, etc: http://users.powernet.co.uk/eton

> I'm a C# programmer (and Java and VB and various flavors of SQL). I work for > a small company doing web applications for a user base of about 4000. > > I love what I do, and it took me a good long time to learn this craft. I > have much more to learn. > > But I can't help but feel I'm wasting time. I'm in my 30's, and if this > career is going to die, then I should probably be trying to figure out > another career. > > But what? Is death of IT inevitable? Am I worrying needlessly? What are you > guys doing to hedge against collapse of IT as a career option here in the > US? > > Thanks for listening. I look forward to your replies. I know what you have to do. Write your own pop-up-stopper program, sell it as shareware and get rich rich RICH!

"M" <minnow31@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<GHmdnXgV1Kwz-x6iXTWJkQ@comcast.com>... > I'm a C# programmer (and Java and VB and various flavors of SQL). I work for > a small company doing web applications for a user base of about 4000. > > I love what I do, and it took me a good long time to learn this craft. I > have much more to learn. > > But I can't help but feel I'm wasting time. I'm in my 30's, and if this > career is going to die, then I should probably be trying to figure out > another career. > > But what? Is death of IT inevitable? Am I worrying needlessly? What are you > guys doing to hedge against collapse of IT as a career option here in the > US? > > Thanks for listening. I look forward to your replies. Why are you worried? The 'IT Industry' isn't doomed by any account.

I don't understand were you are coming from. The it industry is still -along with immerging new sciences such as nanotech- one of the fastest growing industries on the planet. As technology grows and develops, i.e. nanotech for example, new areas for code developers will arise along with those new technologies. Programming assemblers for nanotech manufacturing business is just one long term area that will be a massive growth area in the future for people in the coding job market. I give nanotech as an example just to show you that computers have a solid future ahead of them in many a diverse area. out of these new technologies such as nanotech, new and exiting languages will immerge no doubt, :) and people will your background and nose were it is within the it industry circle will be at the cutting edge and in the no ahead of most people. I am only just starting to get into the industry at 30 and I see a great and bright future ahead for myself, I do not see this industry dieing any time soon :) AI=Artificial Intelligence is any key specialised area were new and exciting technologies are arising, new areas within the it industry will open up as direct result of this massive sponge effect that the IT industry has on human life today, and people with your skills will always be in demand. As people become more and more dependant on these machines that they take for granted but which we cherish and love, life can only get better for us :) I don't see were you get the idea that this industry is dieing lol, it's only in it's infancy and just starting to sprout it's 1st milk teeth :) Your chosen field of work my friend is at the cutting edge of today's society :) Player out -- *************************************** Hale to the new GODS of Earth.... Long live The Machines. ****************************************

"M" <minnow31@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:GHmdnXgV1Kwz-x6iXTWJkQ@comcast.com... > > But I can't help but feel I'm wasting time. I'm in my 30's, and if this > career is going to die, then I should probably be trying to figure out > another career. Always a good idea to have a backup plan, but if you change careers you may find your new track is as dead-end as the old one, or even more so. (It's like changing lanes in the grocery check-out - you gotta weigh the risks carefully.) -Wm

M wrote: > I don't find you funny. > > "Richard Heathfield" <dontmail@address.co.uk.invalid> wrote in message > news:bm02i9$6l2$4@hercules.btinternet.com... > >>Yes. Within a year, you will have no job and no chance of finding one. So GO NOW! > LOL. Ok M, look at it this way... Richard, who is a very good programmer and quite serious about remaining so, is giving advice that benefits him. If he can convince enough people to follow it, his job is a bit more secure. Personally I think that's funny as hell, because I /agree/ with him. If you don't get the joke, I'm really sorry. But let's look at it from another angle. If you're not 100% committed to sticking with what you're doing, then you really should be looking for something else you can do. If the IT industry does dry up, and your job goes south, you'll at least be prepared for that eventuality. Looked at that way, his advice is still good. Some of us are die-hards. We'll do whatever we can to hold on to our jobs. Others aren't so dedicated. If you're one of those others, now is as good a time as any to start looking elsewhere. If not, welcome to the club, and hold on for dear life... there's stormy weather ahead. -- Corey Murtagh The Electric Monk "Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur!"

"M" <minnow31@hotmail.com> wrote: > I don't find you funny. I do. > "Richard Heathfield" <dontmail@address.co.uk.invalid> wrote in message > news:bm02i9$6l2$4@hercules.btinternet.com... > > > Yes. Within a year, you will have no job and no chance of finding one. So > GO > > NOW! > > > > Richard Heathfield : binary@eton.powernet.co.uk > > "Usenet is a strange place." - Dennis M Ritchie, 29 July 1999. > > C FAQ: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html > > K&R answers, C books, etc: http://users.powernet.co.uk/eton > >