Careers advice
Author
Discussion

130tdi

Original Poster:

1,162 posts

271 months

Thursday 22nd July 2004
quotequote all
Following on from Pwig's "Anyone hate their job ?" thread on GG.

I am seriously considering a career change and have an interest in the IT industry.

After a chat with a couple of friends who work in the industry as programmers, this has struck me as something I think I would really enjoy - problem solving.

One of my colleagues has just completed a VB .NET course and is now exploring that avenue as a way out of our current industry.

Is this a growing or shrinking market to try and get into ? What are trainee programmer opportunities like - as rare as rocking horse poop ?

Can anyone in the industry offer me some advise ?

I'm 33 and currently pissed off trying to sell engineering design services to what is a shrinking market, in a country where manufacturing is dying and noone gives a feck.

zumbruk

7,848 posts

284 months

Thursday 22nd July 2004
quotequote all
Programming is a dying career, unless you have business skills that you can get into writing software for. Frankly, you'd be better off qualifying as an electrician. Especially since the law is about to change to forbid DIY other than "minor changes".

We had a memo round a few weeks ago saying that no developers were to be recruited in the UK any more and that henceforth all development had to be done overseas.

plotloss

67,280 posts

294 months

Thursday 22nd July 2004
quotequote all
Yep, development, especially in the 3GL arena (which of course the vast majority of it is) is starting to be ever so slightly ed over by the outsourcing model.

Good permie developer in the UK, £40K salary plus healthcare pension and everything else versus a not very good developer in Bangalore who will work happily for 10 hours a day for £8000 per annum but still get the code out of the door.

Its not hard to see why they outsource really...

Personally I would say Business Analysis is the place to look, its doubtful that this IT component will ever be outsourced because of its importance...

unity1

271 posts

276 months

Thursday 22nd July 2004
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Overseas outsourcing is a problem. Our IT division has been vastly decreased. The chances are that we will end up with a skeleton Management team with a local button pusher (slightly trained staff offering part time hands on IT support) per office location.

iiwu I would move into a trade with the current push on housing/developments and increasing legislation (mostly to do with energy rules). I know a lot about this as I'm personally doing a self build project at the moment. Despite being more than competent do fit windows, Insulation, plumbing and electrics myself after 2006 I cannot.

130tdi

Original Poster:

1,162 posts

271 months

Thursday 22nd July 2004
quotequote all
Thanks for the feedback - time to investigate electricians etc courses from the sound of it.

pdV6

16,442 posts

285 months

Friday 23rd July 2004
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130tdi said:
Thanks for the feedback - time to investigate electricians etc courses from the sound of it.

...or plumbing!

obiwonkeyblokey

5,400 posts

264 months

Friday 23rd July 2004
quotequote all
...if you can get on a course!! they seem to be full of ex-lawyers and doctors

zumbruk

7,848 posts

284 months

Friday 23rd July 2004
quotequote all
According to the telly, Lambeth's plumbing course now has a 5 year waiting list...