April 27, 2012 at 6:37 am
This is an interesting topic. Thanks for bringing it up,Steve. I'm not often posting on this forum, but I have been reading the articles and learning here for a while now.
My personal experience in this industry is not positive. I do not find the work particularly enjoyable or rewarding, but I continue to do it because it pays well enough pay my student loans. If I had a time machine, I would go back to college and make the tough decision then (when it was arguably less tough). My biggest problem (and I know many have ways around this) is the lack of activity, I find it near intolerable to sit at my desk for even an hour, let along the many multiples of that I find myself stuck there. Then the large amount of time needed to commit to a job like this. In the roles I've had, the need to stay on top of technology while still retaining knowledge of outdated systems/software is daunting, in addition to the actual development of new software and user support. I will say that I find SQL programming and administration the most interesting, possibly because I love the patterns and level of order injected into the seemingly chaotic randomness of the data stored.
Anyway - I'll be leaving this work and changing my career as soon as my debt is paid off. I don't care how much money I make, as long as I'm fulfilled at the end of the day.
No negativity meant toward those who love this work - I totally respect that, it's just not for me. Unfortunately, it's taken me a few hard years to realize that.
April 27, 2012 at 6:51 am
I have used computers for most of my 36 years. For me, it has always come back to programming and application development. I studied seven different programming languages at an elite high school. In college, I had earned a BS in computer engineering and was almost finished with an MS in telecommunications when I realized that my true love was programming. In my profressional career, I've consulted and done techinical support, help desk, and administration when I had to, but consider myself blessed that my current position allows me to focus on programming.
However, I highly suspect that my focus on programming is a curse on my earning and status potential. Just recently I overlooked an opportunity to take the main leadership role on one of my projects. The person who did is likely to become my next boss. Perhaps more important, though, is the fact I have learned that software usually needs to be written only once. I'm not talking about maintenance but primary development. Once the primary development is done, the amount of new work that the project produces drops dramatically. This is one big reason why I am no longer consulting.
I am very concerned about my retirement. I'm paying, by force of United States tax law, into a retirement system from which I expect no return. Whatever that retirement is, I expect to be writing code all the way to it.
Jay Bienvenu | http://bienv.com | http://twitter.com/jbnv
April 27, 2012 at 6:58 am
My experience working in the industry has been great. I've spent the vast majority of the past six years working on various projects for various small-medium businesses, so i've been exposed to a number of different industries and cultures.
When it comes down to it, I enjoy what i do. I like talking with people, figuring out what their needs are and building a solution. I like the flexibility of working remotely (not to mention a loose dress code).
I like the idea of moving from dev to DBA work some day, but for now I'm in a great place career-wise. Personally, i think working in IT is the balls, but it's certainly not for everyone.
April 27, 2012 at 6:59 am
I've been writing code for pay since 1968 and plan to keep on doing it for at least six more years. Every year (day?) has been different and I've enjoyed it very much. I've found the key is flexibility - learn everything you can and don't be afraid of change. I have three sons who all work in some aspect of technology - each colored by their own innate interests. In a few years they've learned new skills, grown professionally, and have done quite well. As I said - stay flexible, learn lots, embrace change, and have fun.
April 27, 2012 at 7:04 am
I enjoy the day-to-day variation and problem solving, and the "wow" that comes from time to time when I figure out a new way to do so something or see someone demo a cool new trick. I very much enjoy learning every day from my co-workers and from people all over the world online.
Having said that, being married to a non-technical person and starting to have kids has made my career start to wear on me quite a bit the last few years - when the job is already 40+ hours a week, finding the extra time to keep up with the technology and stay involved with the amazing SQL Server community on your own dime is taxing indeed. I know there are folks out there whose job it is to stay involved on the company dime, and more power to you - but for most of us that isn't the case.
Now having said *that*, I don't expect to be doing anything else because like several previous posters I need the income I make more now than ever with a wife and family (and mortgage, etc. etc.) - that's the trade-off for the hours I work, and it is one I will make as long as is necessary to support my family. I'm good at what I do, and I usually enjoy the work itself, but the 24/7 and 40+/week is a drag.
The real question becomes this, and it is one that many of the posters here have danced around: "If you won XXX million currency units from a lottery/inheritance/whatever, would you keep doing what you do?" For me the answer is somewhat sadly no - I would not continue a job that requires 40+ hours/week and nights and weekends if I didn't need the cash.
...and that's the truth <PPTTHH!>
April 27, 2012 at 7:05 am
jbnv (4/27/2012)
However, I highly suspect that my focus on programming is a curse on my earning and status potential. Just recently I overlooked an opportunity to take the main leadership role on one of my projects. The person who did is likely to become my next boss.
The thing is, if you enjoy doing something, it's best to keep doing it. (There's a famous phrase that goes along the lines "If you do what you love for a job, you'll never work a day in your life" or words to that effect). I regret moving out of pure programming into the systems admin arena back in 2000...I enjoyed programming considerably more, and while the rewards have been greater in sysadmin (at least up until I was made redundant in 2007), I haven't enjoyed myself half as much; and I've been out of the programming arena too long to easily move back to that job now.
April 27, 2012 at 7:10 am
@DBA_ANDY (4/27/2012)
The real question becomes this, and it is one that many of the posters here have danced around: "If you won XXX million currency units from a lottery/inheritance/whatever, would you keep doing what you do?" For me the answer is somewhat sadly no - I would not continue a job that requires 40+ hours/week and nights and weekends if I didn't need the cash.
I'd keep coding, but not for income.
Jay Bienvenu | http://bienv.com | http://twitter.com/jbnv
April 27, 2012 at 7:21 am
I've been in it pretty much since the beginning (remember paper tape?), sort of out for a decade plus being a manager of techical people, retired and started a consultancy, and been doing that for over 2 decades. It's given me opportunities to see and do things I never expected back when I was in Uni, including traveling and living in different parts of our planet, and the ability to live in our beautiful mountains and work with clients in many different places without involving airplanes. All in all it's been quite a ride, and no regrets here.
Wendell
Evergreen, Colorado
Wendell
Colorful Colorado
You can't see the view if you don't climb the mountain!
April 27, 2012 at 7:26 am
I love my job and my company. I haven't been in the industry for long, but I expect to stay in it for a while. I love coding and database design for the problem solving aspects. I expect that as my career progresses, I'll move into a management roll, but my company is small enough that I can be both a manager and a coder. But even if management does take me away from coding in my job, I'll still be coding as a hobby.
April 27, 2012 at 7:33 am
I'll stay in my current DBA job until I retire for the first time. I currently have one of the last existing real pension plans (I work for the government) and when I'm old enough to retire from here, I'll still be young enough to try something else.
As for my kids, I have a couple who are at the point in their lives when they are "deciding what they want to do when they grow up". I've mentioned to them that I think IT is still a good field, but neither seems very interested and that's okay. I sort of fell into an IT career myself. 😉
Greg
April 27, 2012 at 7:40 am
I've been in the IT field for over 10 years now and I think it has served me well. If I won the lottery I would probably become a consultant so that I could do more varied work but I would still prefer coding over management. I enjoy problem solving and getting disparate systems to work together and there have been few moments when I truly considered leaving it behind. I would recommend it to anyone who is tenacious when it comes to problem solving and finding better ways at doing things. If you don't have that internal desire then you will burn out.
April 27, 2012 at 7:41 am
Very likely I will keep working in IT in one capacity or another.
Even if just because that is where my non-age limited talents are and I got a proven track record in it. A secondary factor can be that in other fields, even if probably capable, chances are I will never get the chance to prove my weight there.
Once you enter a box, and everyone sees you as part of that box, getting out that specific box is near impossible as most people simply won’t let you out!
April 27, 2012 at 7:42 am
At 62, it's a bit late for major changes...but then again I have no real retirement plans anyhow.
...
-- FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers --
April 27, 2012 at 7:53 am
Like many others I've been in IT for decades. It's fun, pays pretty well, and jobs are not scarce. I seem to change jobs every few years when things get old; you can do that in IT. I tried management briefly and found that it was not for me. I went from development to DBA, and recently changed jobs when my duties become too much admin DBA and not enough development DBA.
My son just started college; I've suggested IT but he's more inclined towards liberal arts. Hope he finds work.
April 27, 2012 at 7:56 am
paul.knibbs (4/27/2012)
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!
Paul,
I got to give you an A+ for honesty dude. No gum-flapping with you. The real world. 😀
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
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