ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area You make a difference!

Macwire,

I blame the "Cheap-O" Software Companies for a lot of this!
I am referring to the companies that brought in a whole bunch of "Green" Software Nerds, threw them into positions where they had to write stuff as quickly as possible (to get the finished product out the door and on the shelves ASAP) - else they would be replaced; and these poor EEs never really got the structured internship they needed!

All apparent (or hidden) bugs were simply ignored (no Beta testing, or very limited beta tests) with the idea of making patches when the problems arrise (an effective but hinky method of beta testing - using the general public / purchasing customers to find bugs!).

Since the "Mad Dash" for the general public to have a computer has been reduced ("I Need A Computer, NOW!!!"), it's time for the sweethearts in the HR department to downsize!

I really feel bad for many of the IT persons that jumped into the field between 1998 and 2001! They never realized what they had instore, or just how much more training they needed!
Now they are either jobless, or trying desperately to keep from being part of downsizing - all while trying to pay back the tuition fees for learning 1/2 of what they needed!!!


One very common example would be people taking the MCSE course.
Not very much mentioned to these people that they need more than just the certificate of lab completion ("Paper MCSE"), so they leave the course with ideas of landing a good IT job and making at least $15.00 / hr to start. Instead they end up formatting hundreds of H.D.D.s each day, or entering data to spreadsheets (if lucky!).

Can you tell this is a touchy subject for me???

Anyhow, with your abilities you should be OK in the Electrical Construction field. Again, you will need to start at the bottom and learn as you earn (for at least 5 years), by which time you will be confident enough to tackle stuff on your own!

If your IT training / experience includes anything relavent of Net Geeks (Administrative, A+ / MCSE "Paper and Hardware", CNA / CNE, Cisco geek, etc.), that would be a good benefit for LAN / WAN system design and installations!

You can also help tweek a few workstations, and make some friends! (if you have any hands-on experience with computers, you already know that! friendships increase proportionally as computer errors increase! A very Linear relationship between friend and faults!).

Scott35 S.E.T.

Electricians? I thought that we were "Magicians!" After all just ask all those general contractors who after getting their building out of the ground late, want us to come in on time with our project even though they are 3 weeks late between the excavators and masons. They alawys want the plumbers and us to make up for their lost time. (Not to mention that they think that we are all millionaires. That is why we charge so much and are so independent. Sheesh! Talk about a soap box. At least now I can do something about it. I slow down the jobs when the GC is pushing too hard. I go slower on my inspections. After all I have to protected the electricians whose work I am inspecting.

I didn't mean to bash the computer guys too hard, after all I minored in computer science. I just think it stinks that if all the computers died life would probably be easier, but, if the electricity goes so goes the lifestyle "everybody" in this nation takes for granted.

BTW: insert politician, CEO, manager, whatever title happens to tick you off in place of "computer geek".

There was a Dot Com company here in Boulder CO, a couple of years ago that ran an ad in the papers looking for High School graduates to start work for them at $50,000 a year, without any other training. Their idea, it turns out, was to train them their way so they had permanent employees. Used to be you needed some training, time, or education to even come close to that. Now you just need to show up in class and they have to give you a diploma, and now the kids are going to expect (feel they're entitled to?) a high paying job

Macwire:
I was raised with the belief that if yu could do something with your hands, you could always make a living. Good luck, and welcome to our little world.

cubby964 said:

As I said before cubby, those days are OVER. They died with most of the dot-coms. Not only is there no longer any easy path to a high-paying job, but you're no longer assured of getting that high-paying job even if you pay the usual dues. At least in the corporate world, anyway.

I'm hoping it's better in the trades. That's part of the reason I'm trying to get into the electrical field, because I've gotten the impression on this board and elsewhere that in the trades hard work is still rewarded, and there's less politics involved.

MacWire

While I thank goodness those days are over, I still feel that the kids these days feel entitled to something that we had to work our tails off for.

They'll learn the hard way that the only thing they're "entitled to" are life and liberty, and even those are conditional. Meanwhile, I too am glad those days are over-I just wish the ending of those days hadn't made things many times harder than they were before the dot-com craze.

MacWire

MacWire I am there with you, mostly. I was working in the security industry playing with all the new stuff that came out, digital video, biometric access control and the like. I had it pretty good at the company and I still have a good reputation in the industry. I was working quite a bit of municipal and government work which means that I got journeyman wages . About 6 months ago I got a lead on a company looking for somebody to do their IT, I have a good background in computers and LAN/WAN equipment so I figured that it would be a good move forward. WRONG. I ended up taking a SERIOUS pay cut, I forgot to figure in OT and prevailing wage when I asked for my salary, thats right salary, hourly is definetly the way to go. Every day they throw more things on my plate because they firgure that IT isn't that hard and I need more work to do, right..... I am getting my things in order to start my own business doing security work, hopefully I can hook up with my old company to do some sub work until I get my own customer base. My grand plan is to get the company going, get some techs in the field, then work on getting my electricians liscense, I would do it now but the pay cut to be an apprentice would kill me. I really like to do electrical work, and I know enough to be dangerous , all my work meets code and follows 110.12 that I do at home. If anybody has any tips for going out on your own please feel free to e-mail me, any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

Jim

Every time there's a power outage, and the media cries about the hardships that ensue, I imagine an Amish farmer wondering what the big deal is...

Wow, I just got a chance to stop in on this thread...

Dot-com days are definitely done, doo-dah, doo-dah.

I used-to-was a computer geek 'till I got canned this past May after a corporate merge/purge (rhymes with dirge).

I have an application in at the IBEW Local. There is plenty of competition to get in, so that right there says a whole lot. I'll be glad to pass the test and not have to wait years on a list.

(Stop snickering, will ya!? I already know about the left-handed 90s and the upside-down 3-way switches, etc.)

Macwire, Scott35, et al, I'm with you all the way.

Speaking of the test, I recall in high school being told that Algebra was to prepare us for "higher math." In this case, I think it's hire math

Thinkgood:


LOL!!!

I was blown away when prep'ing for the EIT - all the Algebra and Calculus!
Stuff I left behind when leaving School behind

In simpler words, stumbled through review books and attend refresher classes!

Scott35 S.E.T.