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- Path: ix.netcom.com!netnews
- From: cvevans@ix.netcom.com (Carolyn Violet Evans )
- Newsgroups: alt.computer.consultants,comp.edu,comp.lang.basic.misc,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.misc,comp.lang.pascal.borland,comp.lang.pascal.delphi.misc,comp.misc,comp.os.msdos.programmer,comp.os.os2.programmer.misc,comp.programming
- Subject: Re: Info on being a Systems Programmer/Analyst?
- Date: 28 Mar 1996 18:22:05 GMT
- Organization: Netcom
- Message-ID: <4jelcd$3g7@reader2.ix.netcom.com>
- References: <3150eada.14098156@News.why.net>
- NNTP-Posting-Host: sjx-ca29-12.ix.netcom.com
- X-NETCOM-Date: Thu Mar 28 10:22:05 AM PST 1996
-
- >In <3150eada.14098156@News.why.net> Stuart.Johnston@Chrysalis.org
- >writes: I am currently a Junior in High School and have been
- >considering becoming a Systems Programmer/Analyst. I've read books
- >about it but I would like to get some first hand information from real
- >people with experience in this field. General information, including
- >job responsibilities, education needed, and salary would be
- >appreciated. I am specifically wondering about how much math I would
- >need. I don't really like to do math but I am fairly good at it.
- >Many people say that to be a programmer, you need a lot of math
- >skills, but I wonder if that is true. I'd like to know specifically
- >what type of math is used and how it is applied. Anyone who has any
- >information that might be useful to me, no matter how little, please
- >respond. I will greatly appreciate your sharing your experience and
- >knowledge with me. Sincere thanks, Stuart Johnston
-
-
- Well Stuart, it looks like you've received a LOT of good advice
- here. You'll need math, a large variety, but not for the math, itself,
- but for the theories and practicalities of it.
- You'll also need a GOOD knowledge of English, not only because
- you'll need to write your resume to get a job, but to write reports,
- etc. Someone mentioned getting a handle on the syntax/parsing/etc of
- English. You might want to consider a semester or two of a foreign
- language. It's less boring than going back over those English classes
- you should have had your Freshman year, if you pick a good one, you get
- one more step ahead in the job market, and...nothing will give you a
- better understanding of grammar, than having to USE it in a different
- context. With a foreign language, you end up re-learning all the
- basics of English grammar, so you can understand the new language.
- (You'll probably end up using English, also, to deipher memos, article,
- etc. by foreign programmers, who may not have the best command of
- English. There's a lot of great work being done out there, in other
- countries, and you'll want to stay current!)
- Salaries range too much to say, and as long as you keep your skills
- current you can jump into whichever fields you want to.
- If you've been looking at some of the other postings here, you can
- see that the word on going on to get your degree is that it will be
- important to get you in the door at many places, and only in college
- will you find some of those advanced math classes. But, at the same
- time real-life experience will get you further once you get in the
- door. Since your first few years out of college will ievitably be
- spent "paying your dues" somewhere, you may want to consider night
- school, if you can hack it (job+school can be tough!). It would mean
- you have the degree AND the experience -- a GREAT combination. Also,
- many companies will pay part, if not all, of your job-related
- education!
-
- Whatever you decide...Good Luck!!!
-
- Carolyn Evans
- Intersoft Corp.
- 800-987-5755 ph
- 408-987-5303 fx
- cvevans@ix.netcom.com
-