Re: Career Advice Sought [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]
This is where in the job description you need to figure out exactly what they are after.. You can usually pick up the key skills that are needed from the ad and a chat with the agency, and for a z/OS sysprog the CICS and DBA stuff are usually just an awareness. You obviously realise that not everyone can know everything, and you can't be expected to know z/OS, CICS and DB2 all in-depth. Even most of the small sites where they ask for everything realise your not going to be an expert in every field, but they would want to see someone who has tried, and knows where to find the stuff out. If they want you to know the internals of all three then they're idiots and living on the wrong planet But sometimes the hardest part is getting around the recruitment agencys un-educated staff who have no idea what the product names are. The number of times I've been asked how many years TSO experience do you have, followed by how many years experience in SDSF or ISPF etc... Phil Kingston z/OS Systems Programming Consultancy Website www.zostek.com -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Itschak Mugzach Sent: 04 July 2007 07:41 To: IBM-MAIN@BAMA.UA.EDU Subject: Re: Career Advice Sought [SEC=UNOFFICIAL] Eric, You are not limited. No body knows all. When you are asked about CICS or any think else, always say: I am a qualified system programmer. I don't have to know everything in detail, as it all written in the manual. I have the ability to identify the problem in almost any area and RTFM. This is what a good sysprog knows to do. Or, try the SDTO approach: See One, Do One, Teach One... Good luck with your job seeking. Itschak No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.9.14/885 - Release Date: 03/07/2007 10:02 -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Career Advice Sought [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]
Hello Eric, Just on principle, you need never apologise for lack of experience, it's all relative. Gotta think positive to sell yourself, all negative thinking must be eliminated. For example- You are far ahead of the pack in so many of the areas that count; you offer your next employer high intelligence which is not a commodity, wisdom (rarer still), a can-do attitude and proven ability to work with all types of people ie you are not just a nerd. You have the highest possible language skills, you're a switched on self-starter, and you are the sort an employer can trust to make things work and not corrupt or 'misplace' production data. You are gaining various skills as you go along. You have chosen breadth rather than a too-narrow range of skills. Because you are a professional, you will happily use whatever tools they provide and not be religious about operating systems or programming languages. You can manage staff - people are more interesting to program than computers. You can assist in hiring interviews etc etc. Healthy companies hire... Much as we all enjoy reading Dilbert, we must all be careful lest the cartoons about pointy-haired bosses implant in us openly cynical attitudes towards our new employers and corporations. Such attitudes can't be hidden. We all do best to leave them at home. Newspapers are depressing. Read the funnies and trash the headlines. Remind yourself just before your interviews that you are there to help them achieve their goals and policies. Wise employers will realise you have the attitude they want. Good luck in finding such an employer, don't despair, Jim Canberra -Original Message- advice Sought I just had some disappointing news. snip my lack of experience in either of those areas probably is not good. /snip IMPORTANT The information transmitted is for the use of the intended recipient only and may contain confidential and/or legally privileged material. Any review, re-transmission, disclosure dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited and may result in severe penalties. If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the Privacy Hotline of the Australian Taxation Office, telephone 13 28 69 and delete all copies of this transmission together with any attachments. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Career Advice Sought [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]
Jim, Thanks for the kind words. I do have problems with negative thinking, although I think in the last couple of interviews I came across pretty positively. I know in one interview, the hiring manager said that no one she had interviewed thus far had everything she wanted. I think I'm limited as a sysprog because I've never done any DBA work or CICS. Those things are almost always listed in job descriptions. I suspect that in most bigger shops, they have people who do just CICS or just DB2 or IMS, but they still list those things as required knoledge. Eric Bielefeld Sr. z/OS Systems Programmer Milwaukee, Wisconsin 414-475-7434 - Original Message - From: Fenner, Jim [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hello Eric, Just on principle, you need never apologise for lack of experience, it's all relative. Gotta think positive to sell yourself, all negative thinking must be eliminated. Jim Canberra -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Career Advice Sought [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]
On Jul 3, 2007, at 7:24 PM, Eric Bielefeld wrote: Jim, Thanks for the kind words. I do have problems with negative thinking, although I think in the last couple of interviews I came across pretty positively. I know in one interview, the hiring manager said that no one she had interviewed thus far had everything she wanted. I think I'm limited as a sysprog because I've never done any DBA work or CICS. Those things are almost always listed in job descriptions. I suspect that in most bigger shops, they have people who do just CICS or just DB2 or IMS, but they still list those things as required knoledge. Eric Bielefeld Sr. z/OS Systems Programmer Milwaukee, Wisconsin 414-475-7434 Eric, Quite a few years ago I interviewed in the north suburbs of Chicago. In the interview they indicated they wanted experience in X. I was frank and told the person that I didn't have experience in X , but I had quite a bit of experience in Y (which was in the same ballpark of X) and I indicated a willingness to learn about X as it was a small step from Y. They indicated that they were only interested in people that had experience in X. I figured at that point I had nothing to loose and said My resume didn't indicate any knowledge in X why was I brought in for the interview? The person said so that the people that worked for him could gain experience interviewing. I said well thanks for wasting my time. I was really ticked off as I had taken time off from my current job and had rented a car and had gone through hoops to get the interview. I got home and wrote a letter to the head of HR of the company and very nicely telling him thanks for wasting my time. I was actually surprised I got a reply back saying he talked to the manager and it wouldn't happen again. Ed -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Career Advice Sought [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]
Hello Eric, I think you'll find DB2 v9 is available for developers to use on their home PCs for free under a recent licence change, presumably to complete with free Microsoft SQLServer 2005 Express Edition. It wouldn't hurt to have both on your home computer. Craig S Mullins DB2 Developer's Guide 5th Edition covers DB2 v8. I do not know if a v9 edition is in the works. Published by SAMS. 1360+ pages and comes with a CD for what he can't fit in this BRILLIANT book. Value - priceless. Includes notes on recent version such as v6, v7 so you know what has changed. The DB2-L mailing list is tremendously active and helpful, equal to about five IBM-MAINs in quantity at a guess. You'll even see some familiar names of posters. If you are a unix person at home then IBM would certainly have DB2 developer edition (or whatever they call it now) for Linux. Any list reader not in a totally secure job could do worse than get free DB2 and install it on their resumes as well as their PCs. Thanks, Jim Canberra IMPORTANT The information transmitted is for the use of the intended recipient only and may contain confidential and/or legally privileged material. Any review, re-transmission, disclosure dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited and may result in severe penalties. If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the Privacy Hotline of the Australian Taxation Office, telephone 13 28 69 and delete all copies of this transmission together with any attachments. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Career Advice Sought [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]
Eric, You are not limited. No body knows all. When you are asked about CICS or any think else, always say: I am a qualified system programmer. I don't have to know everything in detail, as it all written in the manual. I have the ability to identify the problem in almost any area and RTFM. This is what a good sysprog knows to do. Or, try the SDTO approach: See One, Do One, Teach One... Good luck with your job seeking. Itschak -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Eric Bielefeld Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 2:25 AM To: IBM-MAIN@BAMA.UA.EDU Subject: Re: Career Advice Sought [SEC=UNOFFICIAL] Jim, Thanks for the kind words. I do have problems with negative thinking, although I think in the last couple of interviews I came across pretty positively. I know in one interview, the hiring manager said that no one she had interviewed thus far had everything she wanted. I think I'm limited as a sysprog because I've never done any DBA work or CICS. Those things are almost always listed in job descriptions. I suspect that in most bigger shops, they have people who do just CICS or just DB2 or IMS, but they still list those things as required knoledge. Eric Bielefeld Sr. z/OS Systems Programmer Milwaukee, Wisconsin 414-475-7434 - Original Message - From: Fenner, Jim [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hello Eric, Just on principle, you need never apologise for lack of experience, it's all relative. Gotta think positive to sell yourself, all negative thinking must be eliminated. Jim Canberra -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.9.14/885 - Release Date: 03/07/2007 10:02 No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.9.14/885 - Release Date: 03/07/2007 10:02 -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
