I have, in past careers as well as this one, been in a position to hire and
place people... I had been requested to hire only college grads as well (in
the past; not at my current job). There were several instances where I hired
qualified people from the military with only HS degrees... When my boss
called me out on it, I told him to piss off... They're hired (in a very small
company you can get away with that sometimes... sometimes..). They were
made my direct responsibility which, thanks wholly to the men and women I
hired, was the easiest thing I've ever done and the best decision I have ever
made.
One of the most important things that you learn in the military is how to be
part of a team. You also learn how to focus on a common goal and how to help
each team member along to achieve that common goal. Without that, regardless
of skill set, you could have trouble on your hands. A development team of top
notched programmers sounds like a good thing, unless they're all Prima
Dona's... Ask any Prima Dona and he/she'll tell you that there way is the best
way (they sometimes seem to forget that there are usually many best ways).
That being said, I think that what they are really saying is that they want
someone who is willing to continue learning. Programming, after all, can be
like playing that game whack - a - mole sometimes. Generally, someone who
has gone to college tends to be the type of person who likes to learn.
However, that's not always the case. Keep in mind that a job posting is akin
to profiling in the dark...
My intent is not to point out that developers without a military background are
any less disciplined. Most good ones are. I am trying to point out that, in
the military, if you aren't a team player... you may just end up a bullet
stopper... They have the essence of the word team ingrained. Most former
military developers are both awesome team players and are into continuing their
education.
Please notice that I've tried to use words like most and tends; there are
no absolutes when you're looking for a good developer... Keeping that in
mind... Like I said, it's profiling in the dark and hopefully you get what you
want and not necessarily what you asked for ;-)
But what do I know, I'm a just singer in a rock band (I won't quit my day
job)...
-Robb
From: Aaron Rouse
Sent: Tue 8/28/2007 7:21 AM
To: CF-Jobs-Talk
Subject: Re: Sr. ColdFusion Software Engineer Needed - Charlotte, NC
Was not meant as an insult. I have two good friends who joined the armed
forces and later after leaving became programmers. One was just a couple
credits shy of having a degree upon leaving the military and other had one,
both done through the armed forces, I think both associates degrees Both
might have been Navy but I think one was Navy and the other Air Force. I
have always been told that those two branches work out better for getting a
more technical education but have no proof to that. My grandfather who was
rather high ranking in the Army before leaving it after WWII always referred
to Army people as bullet stoppers.
On 8/28/07, Steve Blades [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
My last comment is to Aaron, who maybe didn't realize (or care) that
others were watching. A great deal of my 'start' in programming began with
the 9+ years I spent in the US Army. I would hire one good veteran, with
little formal education, over a dozen snot nosed grads with no discipline.
And I would have a far more productive team from doing so, in my experience.
You might not have meant to come off insulting, but you insulted me.
Steve Cutter Blades
Adobe Certified Professional
Advanced Macromedia ColdFusion MX7 Developer
http://blog.cutterscrossing.com
The best way to
predict the future
is to help create it
Subject: Re: Sr. ColdFusion Software Engineer Needed - Charlotte, NC
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: cf-jobs-talk@houseoffusion.com
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:35:21 -0500
Join the military, just try not to join a branch that will make ya a
bullet
stopper
On 8/27/07, Jeffry Houser [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Still, I think it is an expensive way to gain a focus. Surely there
must be more cost effective ways?
~|
Create robust enterprise, web RIAs.
Upgrade to ColdFusion 8 and integrate with Adobe Flex
http://www.adobe.com/products/coldfusion/flex2/?sdid=RVJP
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