I have been thinking about the topics to spend time on over the next 18 months or so, what my goals should be for those topics as well as for the larger programming effort, and what kind of job do I want.
Topics
Of course, I'll study HTML/CSS, data structures, and some form of OOP. Perhaps Javascript/JQuery, too? I have a bit of Python, and quite a bit of Ruby. Should I do more? Should I be looking at understanding more network and operations topics? I haven't really a clue. Maybe I should be looking at a curriculum from a university to guide my pursuit.
What experiences do I want to gain? We have considered setting up our own server and hosting our own pages for the experience? What contributions do I want to make? Lots more questions than answers here. Once I know more about my goals and the specific types of jobs I want, I will know more about what topics to pursue.
Goals
A yoga teacher once asked me, "if you never improve your practice beyond what you do today, would you still practice?" This is one of the most profound questions I have ever had to answer. If I modify the question for this path, it would go something like, "if you never change careers, would you still pursue this knowledge?" The answer here is yes. I would probably not be as focused as I currently am, but I would definitely be interested in these topics even without the career-change motivation.
So then, what can I accomplish with these tools beyond a career change? What do I want to do with these new tools? I have some ideas, don't you know, and I am exploring this more :)
Jobs
Luckily, I have a better idea of the type of job I would prefer. I find design discussions horribly boring. I really don't give a rip about the type of font, or its freaking color. Serif or Sans-serif? Is there a difference I actually give a crap about? Can I read it? Good enough! I tend to gravitate to the backend of systems, and it seems like the place for me. I don't think I am a deploy or build engineer, but I would like to learn more to make the determination.
While I think test devs are the unsung heroes of the SDLC, they just seem to deal with a ton of crap from all sides and a frequent de-valuing of their piece of the process. Maybe it depends entirely on the place?
Friday, December 27, 2013
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Career Decisions I: The Set-Up
I have been thinking for a long time about a career change. I love being an ontologist. I love the work and current company. But I am concerned that changes are coming, and I could be looking for another job soon. Unfortunately, ontology jobs are not a dime a dozen, or even a dollar a dozen. I estimate I have about 18 months before any changes really hit us at current company.
I could probably stay in ontology if we were prepared to move. However, C's business is going well, and we love the PNW. I did try to set my self up as a consultant once last company closed its doors, but I hate self promotion, and I do not think there is enough demand for ontology work on the fly.
I have a smattering of other experience. In my last company, I transitioned into PM-ing (Product for this company, but other places could call it Program Management). I liked it. I tried very hard to obtain a PM position after last company closed, but I got no kind of love there. It was very discouraging.
Additionally, I also have done some coding. As the developers at last company were building the backend entity store, I coded a tool for my own use. I have taught myself Ruby and taken some coding courses through coursera.org. I love the problem solving and the happiness of making something finally work.
I have contemplated a switch before now, but just haven't had the confidence to do it. It seems possible with some work, but without a game plan, it is hard to know what I should have in my toolkit before taking the plunge. My next step is to create a plan for gathering knowledge and experience and then implement it with monthly check ins. I reckon I have about 18 months before changes in my current situation happen, and that seems like a decent amount of time
I wish http://howtocode.io/ was ready, it looks like a perfect program!
I could probably stay in ontology if we were prepared to move. However, C's business is going well, and we love the PNW. I did try to set my self up as a consultant once last company closed its doors, but I hate self promotion, and I do not think there is enough demand for ontology work on the fly.
I have a smattering of other experience. In my last company, I transitioned into PM-ing (Product for this company, but other places could call it Program Management). I liked it. I tried very hard to obtain a PM position after last company closed, but I got no kind of love there. It was very discouraging.
Additionally, I also have done some coding. As the developers at last company were building the backend entity store, I coded a tool for my own use. I have taught myself Ruby and taken some coding courses through coursera.org. I love the problem solving and the happiness of making something finally work.
I have contemplated a switch before now, but just haven't had the confidence to do it. It seems possible with some work, but without a game plan, it is hard to know what I should have in my toolkit before taking the plunge. My next step is to create a plan for gathering knowledge and experience and then implement it with monthly check ins. I reckon I have about 18 months before changes in my current situation happen, and that seems like a decent amount of time
I wish http://howtocode.io/ was ready, it looks like a perfect program!
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