IT/Software career thread: Invert binary trees for dollars.

Deathwing_sl said:

Seems a bit light on SQL.

Click to expand...

All sorts of crazy data manipulation in Java instead of on the SQL server side? Now what % of that Java is test code?

If you are mediocre to epic suck at coding , all you gotta do is not smoke da weed. The FBI will you most likely hire your ass , as long as you can get a clearance. Then you can stare at the clock and fart in your seat for a few decades , and retire.

How much importance do you guys place on certifications? I'm speaking of the Microsoft certs specifically, like the MCSD. Our department manager recently mandated that we all must obtain this certification by 2015. I don't' really have a problem with that. However, one of the guys on our team has this cert and, well, his code is awful. Extremely sloppy usually. So it makes me wonder if these certifications really mean anything.

When I was going to school there use to be a class you could pass by getting a related Microsoft cert. It turned into a big problem because of how bad lt designed the tests were. Braindumps for the answers not only gave you the right answer, but the exact order of the potential answers was never randomized. You could just memorize question 1 had a correct answer of C. You could pass the test in any language if you just knew a few key words from the question text... Even if the format has improved, I'm sure there are still braindumps and people can pass without any real competence. As a TA for some of the most difficult upper division classes, I had a good feel for people's actual competencies and some of the lowest performers aced the test while some of the top students I knew passed but without an amazing score...

They do serve has a good guide on what you should know, and can be a good learning tool. The top end certs, especially the ones that actually require you to go to MS HQ and train are a great opportunity if your company is paying for it and at that level can show some level competency.

In general certs can be a tool for companies to weed out dead weight with less chance of being accused of discrimination when they let people go.

It can be a CYA for contract/government work to help mitigate lawsuits.

At an individual level looking at someones certs doesn't mean much to me and in general a lot of the industry can care less. Some people go as far as discarding resumes that even mention certs.

Other certs like Cisco/RH etc may be a different story but thats my thoughts on the Microsft/MCSD certs in particular.

Traak_sl said:

This is probably the wrong forums but I will give it a shot. The reason I put it here because my questions are for people who code/develop specifically.

Basically I am returning to college this summer to pursue a degree in computer science. I'd like to use it to one to develop games and/or software post graduation. The problem I foresee is job outlook. Most of my friends who majored in comp sci are all IT. None of them actually code. According to some statistics (Occupation Profile - America's Career InfoNet) its a growing job that pays pretty well. Ofc there are other software jobs, I am just using this as a quick example. The website makes it seem like there are tons of these jobs out there but everyone I talk to works IT. Here are a few questions I have for those who do code for a living and/or majored in comp sci.

Does this pay scale seem accurate (average pay $40+ an hour)?

Besides a degree, do i need experience or some kind of portfolio to really get a good coding job?

I am willing to relocate, so location is not a problem but did you guys have a hard time finding a job?

Any suggestions? I am usingO*NET OnLinefor research on the various jobs in programming and development.

Just a quick FYI i have about 90 semester hours already. I was majoring in Physics before I took a break from school to let my wife finish. Money is not a problem. I have a full ride to my degree via Gi Bill. Thanks!

Click to expand...

Hey man.. do what you want to do... and don't let anyone tell you not to be a programmer, you will be making 100k+ in 4-5 years if not sooner

Anybody have a recommendation for a good blog/messageboard type place for tech stuff, ideally with a focus on networking?

I know the news sites to check, but their comments sections are generally awful and they're specific to the article in question.

I'd like a place where I can ask, for example, for some test cases of things I'd want to use TFTP for, and get at least a few non-retarded answers.

Cad_sl said:

Discrete math is definitely a huge weed out course. It is legitimately hard. Take it seriously.

Click to expand...

Hm I found discrete math really easy personally. It may just be how my brain is wired. I saw far more people (myself included) struggle with calculus.

Heh funny how that works out. Only two classes I actually had to study for were physics and calc. I pretty much just showed up for the exams for discrete.

Yeah thats a good point. Discrete may have come naturally to me (as opposed to calc) because even in my HS algebra and geometry classes I rarely memorized how to do things. I basically had to re-learn how to perform the operation each time because I'd just logically look at how the problem should be solved instead of following rigid guidelines on how to solve it. Then once I got to calc the operations became way too difficult and way too complex to continue doing that.