Another Girl? That makes... 4!
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Another Girl? That makes... 4!
Sounds like all of you young fellows & gals out there have good attitudes, and bright futures :). Don't do as I did: I'll be 39 next month, and just last year decided to program for a living full-time. I started working at age 14. I am an Alaska Airlines Academy graduate, an A.S.E. certified Automotive Technician, an SBE certified Broadcast Engineer, and hold a few credentials in other fields that I can't remember at the moment. I spent 5 years in the Airline industry, 7+ years off-and-on in Broadcast Engineering, 10 years and still going as an Auto Tech, and 22 years amoungst it all as a casual programmer in various forms of Basic and C/C+/C++. I finally discovered last year that Programming is my true love, and now I'm doing it. My point and advice is to not wait until you're crowding 40 years old to try to realize your goals/desires. Start on it now. I sometimes feel that its too late for me cause I'm too old now and things in the tech world change so fast. So, if this is what you want to do, then go to school for it, or teach yourself, or get a job and learn from it, or whatever way you wish to persue it. Just don't wait almost too long like I did:)
Radar!? your an AAA Graduate? that means you lived im my state :) just thought i'd point that out as i have nothing better to do right now, whare did you live/how long?
ive been here for about 11.6 years (born in AK and moved down to wisconson at 7 months old and moved back when i was 5) and im stuck in Fairbanks, so meeting someone who has been in Alaska is kinda like running into a celebrity :) gawd this is a small town...
Only started programming properly about a year ago so compared to most I'm a total novice
BTW I like the word newbie :p
I started on a commadore PET (all basic programing)thats what got me hooked
I am 15 and started programming in QBASIC when I was 12. I did really crap stuff then. I can now use all kinds of languages. I fyou wnat to see some of my early stuff, go to my website below. I did write more, but I was disconnected as I was sending this last time and lost my last message. :(
Hi Deathfrog - Nice to meet u!
I attended AAA in Anchorage in the spring of 1987, during the Alaska Air/Horizon Air merge. I had actually started working for Horizon about 2 years before the merger, and had done most of my PSA training such as Hazmat, Reservations, ticketing, bag tracing, air freight, etc. training at the Horizon Air training center in Seattle. So a group of 7 of us from Horizon that went to the AA Academy mostly just had to get familiar with the Alaska Air way of doing what we were already trained for, and their company policies, etc.. Anyway, it was alot of fun in Anchorage, but our group only had to stay for three weeks cause of the Horizon training. After that, I went to Portland, Or. for some Dispatch training, then back home to work, grad certificate in hand :) BTW - I live in Klamath Falls, Or. I left the Airline industry in July 1988 to accept a better job(at the time)as Chief Engineer at KAGO radio. Never went back to the airlines. Anyway, this post is getting a little long so I better quit. I have some friends in Soledotna AK. - they are pretty cool.
Gotta run...........
I am 14 and have been programming for about 6 years in QBasic and then in VBasic.:cool:
I am learning C++ (not too hard) and assembly language(fairly hard) in an attempt to write my own O/S. I don't know any Java, but I think I may start learning that. Is it arelated to C++ in any way?
I also know HTML, DHTML, JScript, VBScript etc.
arcadia:rolleyes:
It has it's similarities, yeah, instead of include it has import and stuff. The one problem is, unlike C++ you can't compile to a stand-alone .exe file. You always need a Java interpreter on the machine running your program. The main use of Java is in applets on webpages.
I'm told by the head of the SUN Microsystems 'Incubator' that the main use of Java is as applets on servers. There is a real-time version of Java out soon apparently this should extend Java functionality. I recommend anyone wanting to improve their employability learns C++ to start with.Quote:
Originally posted by ricmitch_uk
It has it's similarities, yeah, instead of include it has import and stuff. The one problem is, unlike C++ you can't compile to a stand-alone .exe file. You always need a Java interpreter on the machine running your program. The main use of Java is in applets on webpages.
Hey gang..
i am not normally in this forum, but i stumbled across it...
i have some food for thought for many of you. so here goes...(yes it is long, but it is worth it...)
Oh, First... in regards to VB Teenagers and learning Programming... here is an article that i wrote, i might suggest you read it....
http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...light=learning
and if you youngsters want a break ? seriously... if you are good, you may consider volunteering your computer services to some organization. Find a need and fill it. for your first "job" your only real concern is what you can learn and what type of experience can you (honestly) put on you resume. it only takes one person to recognize that you are good, and it can be all gravy from there.
ok,.. well...
before i get into all of this. the bottom line is KEEP GOING !!! your dream job is out there !
when i first started out i got all of teh standard replies "no degree, no chance." i remember one time, i did a mass mailing of my resume to about 250 companies... NOT ONE would look at me for the lack of a degree.
i hate it when people do not look at the person i am, and instead look for something that is supposed to "justify" me, or "validate" me. i am more than a piece of paper.
since then,
now I am 35. have been doing computer stuff since i was 14. (yes, 21 years) i never attended college, the only training i ever had beyond high school was only a 4 month specialty program when i was 18. (1985)
they placed me with a software company in Ohio. the owner hired me specifically because i did not have a degree... in his words "you dont have any bad habbits i have to break first"
in the past 15 years, I have ran my own computer business for 7 years, taught computer classes at 3 different colleges for 10 years (yes, time frames are overlapping) have learned (on my own) how to design board level electronics and have a complete understaing of electrical wireing (electronics and household / industrial wireing)
i also assist an organization where we teach kids (ages 10-16) computer skills. www.thecomputeracademy.com (go to "about this website" for some good info on online databases and their capabilities)
i can write software in 7 languages, i have worked with every possibly piece of hardware and most software packages taht you can think of.
I now work for a company in indianapolis where i do waht ? PROGRAMMING !!! (about 75 K a year)
the bottom line is... KEEP GOING, NEVER let someone tell you that your not good enough. but make sure you always keep learning new skills. learn to be a problem solver. think different. (no, not "outside the box", what a lame saying) think outside reality sometimes... be the best at what you do. regardless of what you do. i had an older friend tell me one time. find what you love to do, (and would do it for free if you could) and DO IT. the money will come naturally.
you think that i let the fact that i dont have a college degree stop me from TEACHING at, not one but, 3 colleges ? when you are REALLY good at what you do, someone will see that. you only need ONE person in your life to understand you and your abilities / capabilities in order for you to get going in the right direction.
Just One. FIND that ONE !
By the way...
when i was contacted about this job ( a headhunter called me) and after i told them i was interested, i made it know, (with absolute certanty) that there were 2 questions i do not want to be asked when i interview with them... if they have a problem with these 2 questions, i should not even bother showing up.
1) i do not have a degree, they need to know this. dont ask me about it.
2) do not ask me how much money i make at my last job. my ability to solve your problems has nothing to do with how much money i am getting paid. i do it because i love to do it.
They did not have a problem (surprisingly.)
They spent $5,000 to fly me out to interview with them, paid for a hotel room at the airport for 3 days, a rental car, and bought all my meals. once i accepted the job, they spent an additional $5,000 and paid my movnig expenses.
(it only takes one person to recognize you for waht you are.)
There are about 400 people (globaly) in our IT department, 250 at my site. I find out that my boss does not have a degree, his boss does not have a degree, and the VP in charge of global computing... does NOT have a degree.
NEVER SURRENDER.
for you guys that are interested, i have the names of several headhunters that have contacted me. the one that got me this job deals specifically with the medical industry. it only takes one.
also, one last thing in closing...
there is this book i read. when i first got it i expected something different, and didnt think i would make it past the first chapter (i hate to read) .... after i finished reading it ... for the 4th time, i bought 50 copies and gave tehm away one year as Christmas Gifts.
it is called "The Law Of Recognition" by Mike Murdock $10, USD
http://www.mikemurdock.com
Goto "Bookstore" (4th item down on the left)
last item on the 1st page.
and DON'T Worry, all you people taht go and see this site.. this book is not about religeon. it is a book about recognizing the obvious and wounderful things that are in front of you, that people overlook all the time. (sound familiar ?)
Product Description:
Anything Unrecognized Becomes Uncelebrated. Anything Uncelebrated Becomes Unrewarded. Anything Unrewarded Eventually Exits Your Life. The Law of Recognition can turn a lifetime of failure into instant success.
FIND that ONE !