Developer Career Tips #0029
New kid on the block---Tip #1
I've written extensively about pursuing and obtaining your first programming job---now let's assume that you've gotten it--what should you do in your first day or days on the job?
I recently received an email from someone who tries to take newly hired programmers under her wing, and she mentioned several important points that new programmers should bear in mind in their first days, weeks and months on the job.
First, come to grips with the fact that even if you're the world's greatest programmer, you just started with the company, and there's a lot about the company's business to learn. For instance, if you've just started with an insurance company, take the time to learn as much as possible about insurance--just getting up to speed on your company's business rules could take you a year or more. Your first day on the job is the time to start learning. The same applies to nearly every industry for which you will work--remember, you don't program Visual Basic, or C or Java--you program applications, and those applications have a business behind them.
Second, try to stretch your horizons, and be willing to take challenges. You may have been hired as a programmer, but in many companies, you're expected to be much more. For instance, if a user calls or visits about a problem logging into the company's network, roll up your sleeves and try to resolve the problem. It's OK to ask someone else for advice, but passing the user off because it's a 'Systems problem" makes you look bad in the eyes of the user and, even works, in the eyes of those you're working with.
Third, obtain a knowledge of the IT environment in which you are working as soon as possible---it will avoid problems down the road. For instance, if you can't understand why it's taking hours to build a Recordset from the company's Oracle Database down the hall, instead of complaining that the tech school from which you graduated had T1 connections, take some time to understand why the network is slow, and see if you can program around it. It could turn out that the problem is that there are a limited number of licenses, or that your program is running while the database is being backed up or maintenance is running.
Monday, December 25, 2000
Monday, December 18, 2000
Developer Career Tip #0028---Job search woes
Developer Career Tips #0028
Job search woes
I received my latest issue of Philly Tech magazine the other day (http://www.philly-tech.com)/. Philly Tech magazine, as the name implies, is a Philadelphia area high tech magazine, and it's a good one. I always start with the letters to the editors section, and for the third consecutive issue, more than half of the letters dealt with graduates of computer schools complaining about their lack of success in finding their first job--despite the promises of a hot job market by their respective computer school.
It's always difficult to determine if the letter writer is representative of the group as a whole, or just a single individual who for whatever reason can't find work.
I teach and mentor quite a few students who wish to break into the programming field---I asked myself---could I be wrong when I tell my students that it is possible for a beginner to obtain a programming position?
I maintain a large mailing list/group on egroups.com, and last week I sent out a request to my members to take a survey I had put together. I asked that only members of my group who had recently obtained employment in the IT field complete the survey. I've posted the results of the survey at:
http://www.johnsmiley.com/yesyoucan.htm
if you'd like to read them---I think you'll find them interesting.
There are several themes conveyed in the survey results, but perhaps none is more important than the respondent's belief that enthusiasm for their work in many cases got them a job. I tend to agree. Right after experience, I think employers are looking for evidence of a real zeal for work.
I remember interviewing a potentially great programmer several years ago. She obviously knew her stuff. Then I asked her to copy her Visual Basic program to a PC in my office so that I could see it run. She told me her 'copy' skills weren't very good--at the computer school she attended, one of the computer technicians did that for the students. That remark--and what it spoke of in regards to her zeal--cost her a job with me. In my small company, I expect programmers to be able to do a little bit of everything, and I don't think this attitude is found only in small companies. Personally, I wondered why someone who professed to desire a career in the IT world wouldn't bother to learn something about the computers for which they wanted to write programs.
As one hiring manager told me recently, she looks for candidates who eat, sleep, and dream IT. Make your prospective employer believe that of you, and you can land your first job.
Job search woes
I received my latest issue of Philly Tech magazine the other day (http://www.philly-tech.com)/. Philly Tech magazine, as the name implies, is a Philadelphia area high tech magazine, and it's a good one. I always start with the letters to the editors section, and for the third consecutive issue, more than half of the letters dealt with graduates of computer schools complaining about their lack of success in finding their first job--despite the promises of a hot job market by their respective computer school.
It's always difficult to determine if the letter writer is representative of the group as a whole, or just a single individual who for whatever reason can't find work.
I teach and mentor quite a few students who wish to break into the programming field---I asked myself---could I be wrong when I tell my students that it is possible for a beginner to obtain a programming position?
I maintain a large mailing list/group on egroups.com, and last week I sent out a request to my members to take a survey I had put together. I asked that only members of my group who had recently obtained employment in the IT field complete the survey. I've posted the results of the survey at:
http://www.johnsmiley.com/yesyoucan.htm
if you'd like to read them---I think you'll find them interesting.
There are several themes conveyed in the survey results, but perhaps none is more important than the respondent's belief that enthusiasm for their work in many cases got them a job. I tend to agree. Right after experience, I think employers are looking for evidence of a real zeal for work.
I remember interviewing a potentially great programmer several years ago. She obviously knew her stuff. Then I asked her to copy her Visual Basic program to a PC in my office so that I could see it run. She told me her 'copy' skills weren't very good--at the computer school she attended, one of the computer technicians did that for the students. That remark--and what it spoke of in regards to her zeal--cost her a job with me. In my small company, I expect programmers to be able to do a little bit of everything, and I don't think this attitude is found only in small companies. Personally, I wondered why someone who professed to desire a career in the IT world wouldn't bother to learn something about the computers for which they wanted to write programs.
As one hiring manager told me recently, she looks for candidates who eat, sleep, and dream IT. Make your prospective employer believe that of you, and you can land your first job.
Monday, December 11, 2000
Developer Career Tip #0027---Starting out in Consulting---Professional Liability Insurance
Developer Career Tips #0027
Starting out in Consulting---Professional Liability Insurance
I've written a few tips on starting out in the consulting field, and in my last tip on the subject I dealt with an issue that can be crucial in determining your success or failure as a consultant---setting your billing rate. Today I'd like to discuss something else that can be just as important if not more so---Professional Liability Insurance.
Think of Professional Liability Insurance as Malpractice Insurance for software developers and consultants. This insurance can provide you coverage in the event that one of your clients brings a claim against you and your work (it can happen.) Professionals such as architects and accountants have used Liability Insurance for years. Recently, software developers and consultants have embraced the protection that Professional Liability Insurance can offer (there's also a subset of Processional Liability Insurance designed specifically for software developers called Errors and Omissions coverage.)
Professional Liability Insurance coverage is not cheap, but the peace of mine it gives you may be well worth it.
I spoke with one associate of mine who told me she picked up a one million dollar Professional Liability policy for about $1,500---and is extremely pleased to know she's insured not only against mistakes she might make, but mistakes her clients believe she's made (obviously, there's a difference, but in a court of law that may not be so clear.)
Another associate of mine, Bob Lautenbach, president of Bayside Technology (http://www.baysidetech.com) points out that not only does Professional Liability Insurance provide you with protection, but in many instances, on prospective jobs he's been asked to bid on as a subcontractor, Professional Liability Insurance was a requirement in order to win the contract. Bob points out that coverage is available through most insurance brokers---but be sure to read the fine print. Like all insurance policies, Professional Liability policies have exceptions and exclusions--make sure you know what they are before committing.
The bottom line is that Professional Liability insurance is a cost of doing business--and you should seriously consider it in your consultant practice.
Starting out in Consulting---Professional Liability Insurance
I've written a few tips on starting out in the consulting field, and in my last tip on the subject I dealt with an issue that can be crucial in determining your success or failure as a consultant---setting your billing rate. Today I'd like to discuss something else that can be just as important if not more so---Professional Liability Insurance.
Think of Professional Liability Insurance as Malpractice Insurance for software developers and consultants. This insurance can provide you coverage in the event that one of your clients brings a claim against you and your work (it can happen.) Professionals such as architects and accountants have used Liability Insurance for years. Recently, software developers and consultants have embraced the protection that Professional Liability Insurance can offer (there's also a subset of Processional Liability Insurance designed specifically for software developers called Errors and Omissions coverage.)
Professional Liability Insurance coverage is not cheap, but the peace of mine it gives you may be well worth it.
I spoke with one associate of mine who told me she picked up a one million dollar Professional Liability policy for about $1,500---and is extremely pleased to know she's insured not only against mistakes she might make, but mistakes her clients believe she's made (obviously, there's a difference, but in a court of law that may not be so clear.)
Another associate of mine, Bob Lautenbach, president of Bayside Technology (http://www.baysidetech.com) points out that not only does Professional Liability Insurance provide you with protection, but in many instances, on prospective jobs he's been asked to bid on as a subcontractor, Professional Liability Insurance was a requirement in order to win the contract. Bob points out that coverage is available through most insurance brokers---but be sure to read the fine print. Like all insurance policies, Professional Liability policies have exceptions and exclusions--make sure you know what they are before committing.
The bottom line is that Professional Liability insurance is a cost of doing business--and you should seriously consider it in your consultant practice.
Monday, December 4, 2000
Developer Career Tip #0026---Getting that first job--use some common sense techniques
Developer Career Tips #0026
Getting that first job--use some common sense techniques
I just finished reading my latest copy of Computer User, and the first letter to the editor is another one of the many I've been seeing lately--a disgruntled student of a fast paced, high tech computer school complaining about their inability to get a job. This individual paid more than $8,000 for tuition, passed all six exams of the MCSE on the first try, and hasn't received a single job offer---and is justifiably disgruntled.
I've got to wonder why someone from an accredited school with obvious technical credentials (although no experience) can't at least get an offer for an entry level position somewhere--but I do have some ideas.
As you probably know, I teach and mentor quite a few students. I've written extensively about the need for a job candidate to have not only good technical skills, but good communication skills as well. And let's add some common sense to the equation also.
Just placing your resume on one of the IT job Web Sites isn't likely to get a beginner with no job experience an offer. There are just too many candidates out there with more experience. You've got to add the personal touch to your package.
I recently had the opportunity to participate in a job selection process, and you'd be amazed at the little things that can tip the scales in your favor--frequently it's the candidate who shows enthusiasm and initiative during the job hiring process that gets the job.
We interviewed ten candidates for an entry level Visual Basic job. All ten had good resumes. At interview time, however, five appeared to be head and shoulders above the others. Why?
Those five brought samples of programs they had written to the interview. Of the remaining group of five, two made great impressions during the interview. The other three, while great coders, had virtually no communication skills whatsoever. Two of them appeared to be painfully shy---making no eye contact, and mumbling their responses. The other one wasn't shy--just the opposite. He chatted incessantly---making us believe that it would be difficult for him (or his team members) to get any meaningful work done in a team environment.
That left us with two excellent candidates to choose from. The selection ultimately went to the candidate who took some time to learn about the company. It probably hadn't taken her long at all (maybe just a quick glance at the company's Web Site), but she came to the interview having read the company's last major press release announcing a new product -and she found a way to make us aware of that knowledge when she asked a question about it. That question--and her enthusiasm---got her the job!
Getting that first job--use some common sense techniques
I just finished reading my latest copy of Computer User, and the first letter to the editor is another one of the many I've been seeing lately--a disgruntled student of a fast paced, high tech computer school complaining about their inability to get a job. This individual paid more than $8,000 for tuition, passed all six exams of the MCSE on the first try, and hasn't received a single job offer---and is justifiably disgruntled.
I've got to wonder why someone from an accredited school with obvious technical credentials (although no experience) can't at least get an offer for an entry level position somewhere--but I do have some ideas.
As you probably know, I teach and mentor quite a few students. I've written extensively about the need for a job candidate to have not only good technical skills, but good communication skills as well. And let's add some common sense to the equation also.
Just placing your resume on one of the IT job Web Sites isn't likely to get a beginner with no job experience an offer. There are just too many candidates out there with more experience. You've got to add the personal touch to your package.
I recently had the opportunity to participate in a job selection process, and you'd be amazed at the little things that can tip the scales in your favor--frequently it's the candidate who shows enthusiasm and initiative during the job hiring process that gets the job.
We interviewed ten candidates for an entry level Visual Basic job. All ten had good resumes. At interview time, however, five appeared to be head and shoulders above the others. Why?
Those five brought samples of programs they had written to the interview. Of the remaining group of five, two made great impressions during the interview. The other three, while great coders, had virtually no communication skills whatsoever. Two of them appeared to be painfully shy---making no eye contact, and mumbling their responses. The other one wasn't shy--just the opposite. He chatted incessantly---making us believe that it would be difficult for him (or his team members) to get any meaningful work done in a team environment.
That left us with two excellent candidates to choose from. The selection ultimately went to the candidate who took some time to learn about the company. It probably hadn't taken her long at all (maybe just a quick glance at the company's Web Site), but she came to the interview having read the company's last major press release announcing a new product -and she found a way to make us aware of that knowledge when she asked a question about it. That question--and her enthusiasm---got her the job!
Monday, November 27, 2000
Developer Career Tip #0025---Online Programming Training
Developer Career Tips #0025
Online Programming Training
In my July 20th tip, I discussed online training as a viable alternative to traditional forms of computer training such as taking a class at a Microsoft Certified Technical Education Center (CTEC), computer school or college or university. I won't repeat the plusses and minuses of online training here, but I would like to update you on some of the new courses being offered at the online schools for which I teach. (I want to emphasize that I teach Visual Basic courses for these venues---for a more complete list of available online training, check out SearchVB's weekly spotlight of October 16th, in which it reviewed ten Web Sites for online training.)
I've been teaching Visual Basic courses for over three years at both ElementK and SmartPlanet, and I still believe that instructor-led courses such as these provide the most flexibility and support for those students who want to learn new programming skills. The emphasis at ElementK is towards the experienced IT developer, whereas SmartPlanet is geared more towards the beginner programmer.
SmartPlanet (www.smartplanet.com)
SmartPlanet has been offering Visual Basic programming courses for over four years---however, for the most part they've been introductory level courses. They've recently developed and announced more advanced offerings to include courses on Visual Basic Database programming, Visual Basic Objects, creating ActiveX and API Programming. As someone who's had a part in developing these courses, I can tell you that these courses will go a long way towards preparing you for Microsoft Certification.
ElementK(www.elementk.com)
Like SmartPlanet, ElementK has offered Visual Basic courses for a number of years. For the last six months or so, ElementK has been offering a series of Advanced courses aimed at preparing students for the Microsoft Desktop (70-176) and Distributed (70-175)Visual Basic Exams. In addition, in January, they'll be offering a 3-part course on creating ActiveX/COM Components in Visual Basic.
Online Programming Training
In my July 20th tip, I discussed online training as a viable alternative to traditional forms of computer training such as taking a class at a Microsoft Certified Technical Education Center (CTEC), computer school or college or university. I won't repeat the plusses and minuses of online training here, but I would like to update you on some of the new courses being offered at the online schools for which I teach. (I want to emphasize that I teach Visual Basic courses for these venues---for a more complete list of available online training, check out SearchVB's weekly spotlight of October 16th, in which it reviewed ten Web Sites for online training.)
I've been teaching Visual Basic courses for over three years at both ElementK and SmartPlanet, and I still believe that instructor-led courses such as these provide the most flexibility and support for those students who want to learn new programming skills. The emphasis at ElementK is towards the experienced IT developer, whereas SmartPlanet is geared more towards the beginner programmer.
SmartPlanet (www.smartplanet.com)
SmartPlanet has been offering Visual Basic programming courses for over four years---however, for the most part they've been introductory level courses. They've recently developed and announced more advanced offerings to include courses on Visual Basic Database programming, Visual Basic Objects, creating ActiveX and API Programming. As someone who's had a part in developing these courses, I can tell you that these courses will go a long way towards preparing you for Microsoft Certification.
ElementK(www.elementk.com)
Like SmartPlanet, ElementK has offered Visual Basic courses for a number of years. For the last six months or so, ElementK has been offering a series of Advanced courses aimed at preparing students for the Microsoft Desktop (70-176) and Distributed (70-175)Visual Basic Exams. In addition, in January, they'll be offering a 3-part course on creating ActiveX/COM Components in Visual Basic.
Monday, November 20, 2000
Developer Career Tip #0024---Microsoft Certification Examinations to be retired
Developer Career Tips #0024
Microsoft Certification Examinations to be retired
I've talked about Microsoft Certification in past tips, and I thought I would take this opportunity to warn you that Microsoft is planning on retiring 18 exams at the end of this year, and included among them is Exam 70-165, Developing Applications with Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0. Of the 18 exams being retired, this one is the only one that I can see which would impact the MCP (Microsoft Certified Profession) or the MCSD (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer) Certifications.
I'm not sure how many among you have taken the Visual Basic 5 exam, and used it either to give you your MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) Certification or to form part of the requirements for your MCSD (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer) Certification, but if you did, you should be aware that unless you take a replacement examination, you will eventually lose your certifications.
For more information about the retired exams, follow this link:
http://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/default.asp?PageID=mcp&PageCall=examstoretire&SubSite=examinfo
Now that we have the bad news out of the way, let me give you the good news.
The good news is that there's no immediate danger to your Certifications---you'll have a full year, until December 31, 2001, to take and pass a replacement examination. For a list of examinations that can be used for the MCP and MCSD certifications, follow this link:
http://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/default.asp?PageID=mcp&PageCall=requirements&SubSite=cert/mcsd&AnnMenu=mcsd
Microsoft Certification Examinations to be retired
I've talked about Microsoft Certification in past tips, and I thought I would take this opportunity to warn you that Microsoft is planning on retiring 18 exams at the end of this year, and included among them is Exam 70-165, Developing Applications with Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0. Of the 18 exams being retired, this one is the only one that I can see which would impact the MCP (Microsoft Certified Profession) or the MCSD (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer) Certifications.
I'm not sure how many among you have taken the Visual Basic 5 exam, and used it either to give you your MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) Certification or to form part of the requirements for your MCSD (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer) Certification, but if you did, you should be aware that unless you take a replacement examination, you will eventually lose your certifications.
For more information about the retired exams, follow this link:
http://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/default.asp?PageID=mcp&PageCall=examstoretire&SubSite=examinfo
Now that we have the bad news out of the way, let me give you the good news.
The good news is that there's no immediate danger to your Certifications---you'll have a full year, until December 31, 2001, to take and pass a replacement examination. For a list of examinations that can be used for the MCP and MCSD certifications, follow this link:
http://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/default.asp?PageID=mcp&PageCall=requirements&SubSite=cert/mcsd&AnnMenu=mcsd
Monday, November 13, 2000
Developer Career Tip #0023---Behind the scenes with Mark Weiss of ColorQuick.com
Developer Career Tips #0023
Behind the scenes with Mark Weiss of ColorQuick.com
This is the first in a series of periodic 'behind the scenes' looks at companies and individuals using Visual Basic. It's sometimes an 'eye opener' to see how others are actually using Visual Basic in their work.
For this tip, I interviewed Mark Weiss, who is the President of ColorQuick.com, located in Pennsauken. New Jersey. You can visit the company’s Web Site at:
http://www.colorquick.com
Question: What is your job at ColorQuick?
Answer: I'm President of the company. ColorQuick is an intermediary business to business Internet company providing digital workflow technology that allows printers to better service their clients. Using a mixture of proprietary software and off-the-shelf systems, ColorQuick bridges the gap between the marketspace and marketplace. We provide speed, quality and the cost savings associated with a state-of-the-art web-enabled digital workflow.
Question: How does your company use Visual Basic?
Answer: We use Visual Basic as our primary development tool. To date, we have coded a complete Estimating System, as well as automated the production workflow of pre-press operations using a series of Visual Basic applications that monitor jobs, and dynamically pass them from one stage of production to the next.
Question: How did your programming staff learn Visual Basic?
Answer: Most of it is self-taught, along with some college courses on Advanced Visual Basic topics.
Question: Do you use other languages besides Visual Basic?
Answer: Yes, we also use: C, C++, Perl, VBA, Hypertext, AppleScript, PostScript and ASP.
Question: Do you use third-party tools?
Answer: Yes, we buy various tools as they are needed. However, to date, implementation of third party tools has been pretty limited.
Question: What's it like to work at your company?
Answer: This is a broad question. We are under pressure to perform, and get our product out into the market. We really try to work with our folks, and have offsite and flex time situations to better meet employee schedules.
Behind the scenes with Mark Weiss of ColorQuick.com
This is the first in a series of periodic 'behind the scenes' looks at companies and individuals using Visual Basic. It's sometimes an 'eye opener' to see how others are actually using Visual Basic in their work.
For this tip, I interviewed Mark Weiss, who is the President of ColorQuick.com, located in Pennsauken. New Jersey. You can visit the company’s Web Site at:
http://www.colorquick.com
Question: What is your job at ColorQuick?
Answer: I'm President of the company. ColorQuick is an intermediary business to business Internet company providing digital workflow technology that allows printers to better service their clients. Using a mixture of proprietary software and off-the-shelf systems, ColorQuick bridges the gap between the marketspace and marketplace. We provide speed, quality and the cost savings associated with a state-of-the-art web-enabled digital workflow.
Question: How does your company use Visual Basic?
Answer: We use Visual Basic as our primary development tool. To date, we have coded a complete Estimating System, as well as automated the production workflow of pre-press operations using a series of Visual Basic applications that monitor jobs, and dynamically pass them from one stage of production to the next.
Question: How did your programming staff learn Visual Basic?
Answer: Most of it is self-taught, along with some college courses on Advanced Visual Basic topics.
Question: Do you use other languages besides Visual Basic?
Answer: Yes, we also use: C, C++, Perl, VBA, Hypertext, AppleScript, PostScript and ASP.
Question: Do you use third-party tools?
Answer: Yes, we buy various tools as they are needed. However, to date, implementation of third party tools has been pretty limited.
Question: What's it like to work at your company?
Answer: This is a broad question. We are under pressure to perform, and get our product out into the market. We really try to work with our folks, and have offsite and flex time situations to better meet employee schedules.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
