Dear Career Coach:
In the past 12 years I've headed the IT departments of two large companies and a university, but my passion is still programming (I started my career writing COBOL code). Which languages should I focus on, what database platform should I use, and where can I get the training I need to get back into programming?
Starting Over
Dear Starting:
VisualBasic and Java are the easiest languages for COBOL programmers to pick up, according to contributing editor Don MacVittie, an IT project manager for a major Midwest utility with 10 years of programming and IT management experience. You can download Borland's JBuilder Java visual development environment free at www.borland.com, or if you have a licensed copy of the Microsoft Developer Network you can install as many as 10 copies for research and development purposes.
Java and VB training are readily available in most cities, MacVittie says--check the course listings at your local community college. He also suggests you consider pursuing a bachelor's degree in computer science online, if you don't have one already. Look for a program with accreditation that matches the school's on-campus classes to be sure you get a "real" education--you don't want to just buy a degree. And check out Network Computing's training guide here.
Dear Career Coach:
I have a BSEE and eight years' Sonet/DWDM experience. I'd like to learn about the business and legal aspects of telecommunications, but is there any demand for that knowledge?
Legal Eagle
Dear Eagle:
Patrick von Schlag, president of Deep Creek Center, a Clarksville, Md., consultancy specializing in IT training services, says government and public-policy organizations value IT professionals who have a solid understanding of the business and legal ramifications of technology deployment in addition to thorough telecommunications knowledge. Security and privacy law, the practical aspects of SLAs and spectrum-administration issues are of particular interest to these potential employers, he says.
One BSEE who made the move to a law firm via the U.S. patent office is profiled at the IEEE's Spectrum site.
jsp?ArticleId=i040202). Also, you'll find a broad collection of telecommunications law links at LexisNexis' LexisONE site, and FindLaw offers information segmented by industry in addition to job postings.
Send your questions to careercoach@nwc.com
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Game Plan
Grrrl Power: Resources for women aiming to advance their IT careers include Women in Technology International, which sponsors networking conferences in Boston, Dallas, and Santa Clara, Calif., and runs the WITI4Hire placement and résumé service on its Web site, and the Institute for Women and Technology. IWT maintains the Systers Online Community, which boasts 2,500 members in 25 countries--the largest all-female online community of women in computer science.
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