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Tech Tips Articles » Computer Jobs |
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Computer Jobs (Feb 20, 2006)
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The other day while teaching a class at the Breathitt County Life Skills Center, I met a very talented young lady who is interested in a career in computers. It was a pleasure to speak with Becka and after she and I talked for a bit, I thought about how many other students there are out there that may have questions about going into the computer field.
First, let me say that it is a very exciting and rewarding field. The pay is usually good and the people that work with computers tend to be fun-loving jokesters who like to play gags on one another. Of course, there is a dark side… Many technical jobs are being outsourced overseas these days and it can be tough for a newbie to find work. Of course, our beautiful section of Kentucky is not a technological hub by any means, so you will most likely have to move. Though this isn’t always the case, tech jobs tend to center around large cities. Also, working with computers can mean very long hours and unexpected phone calls at inconvenient times. You may be given a cell phone, beeper or laptop so you can be reached and ‘dial-in’ any time to fix problems. Sometimes you will be given all three. In many computer jobs you really never leave work, just bring it home with you. I think that’s why so many computer people like to play gags and such-- there is somewhat of a tendency to ‘work hard’ and ‘play hard’ in the computer field. It isn’t so uncommon to find people working very hard and very late for a few weeks in a row to get something completed. Then, after everything is done, they may slack off for a few days or so by playing network games or socializing at work. It’s sort of a weird geek culture.
Speaking of geeks, to work with computers you don’t have to be one but it certainly helps. Most of the stereotypical ‘computer geeks’ are those that do computer programming (like me). Aside from programming, there are a ton of other fields that you can go into in the computer industry, including networking, security, teaching, database management, software design and development, etc. In spite of the stereotypes, most people in the computer industry (even programmers) are actually quite normal people that really can carry on a conversation.
If you or someone you know may be interested in a career in computers, I say go for it. It is one of the fastest growing industries for new jobs over the next 10 years. And it is very fun. I’ll be happy to answer questions, just drop me a line.
Now for the Site of the Week… This week’s site is ComputerJobs.com, for those of you that might be interested in a career in computers. This site has a list of tons of jobs throughout the country and will help you get a feel for what kinds of jobs are out there.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please contact me at mike@MikeBryant.com.
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