OK, maybe I stand right between the previous replies.
I'm in my early forties, horrible employment record pre-95, 40-odd hrs in
mechanical engineering in 79-80. Literally never put hands on a keyboard
till mid 1995. I'm the network admin & software support for the UT
archeology lab (35 machines + servers) and do moonlight stuff at $30-50
per hr.
NO FORMAL TRAINING !
What got me here is some aptitude, a lot of interest, willingness to ask
strangers stupid questions, learning Linux when "professionals" told me to
quit wasting time on a toy OS & go for MSCE, and being willing to stay up
all night doing research when I bit off more than I could chew.
The point is that Paul is right. The Internet is going to demand more
personnel than can possibly be trained for a few years, and in very many
sub-fields. I'm far from well-educated, even in my professional capacity.
(And you guys who are familiar with UT know my job ain't as professional
as it sounds.) But I'm responsible, aware of the holes in my
understanding, and willing to get the job done. In the present market,
that's qualification enough.
We ARE pioneers. The fact that you are reading this post proves that you
are adventurous, unwilling to blindly accept the status quo, and capable
of thinking outside the box.
On the other hand.
The one thing I really want out of my job at TARL is a chance at UT as a
student. Even if I never apply for a position in which formal education
matters, having a diploma would matter to me. A lot. If you really can't
hack the math, do something else. But don't quit.
--
Doc Shipley
Network Guy
TARL Labs, UT
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