Re: maintaining skills -- MIDRANGE-JOBS

You have received some other replies to your message. They are all things to consider along with my the future looks positive comments.

If you have money to live on, look for a non-profit in your area with an AS/400 and offer to give them 1 day a week to keep your skills current. They will also be a job reference.

Use your time to read up on parts of RPG ILE you have not yet had the opportunity to use, e.g. free form if that is something you have not used.

Use your time to read up on DB2/400 if you have not had the opportunity to use. DB2/400..

CL has new features with V5R3. Read up on the enhancements if you have not had the opportunity to use them..

There are CD versions of Linux that don't impact Windows on your PC. Learn Linux commands. Cost of the CD will run from free to $19.95. You have Unix commands if you have Linux commands. Linux and Unix skills provide job enlargement/enrichment opportunities for AS/400 people. An i5 lartition can be Unix. Unix can be in your future complementing your AS/400.

Go to www.redbooks.ibm.com and download SG24-6330. Read every chapter that is not about cold call selling. Just read the theory, foundation chapters till you fully understand what On Demand is. Understanding On Demand will take you places.

Forget learning "labor intensive" firewall, intrusion detection, networks and anything Microsoft. The Redbooks I just had you downloaded will tell you that "self healing" and "self adjusting" will replace "labor intensive" for a company to stay in business. I have worked at many companies with a telephone switching system. A phone switch is a computer that unlike firewalls doesn't require "labor intensive" hand holding. Things will become more like the phone switch. Don't spend your time learning things that are "labor intensive."

Finally have someone read your resume. For example, you have both hospitality and people skills experience if you worked at McDonalds during high school and these skills can be worded in your resume to give if more than technical buzz and a leg up on others without saying McDonalds.

Alex Montalvo wrote:

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Hello All,
I am an AS/400 programmer specializing in RPG ILE in desperate need of a foot in the door. I have been out of work since 10/2004. I have 3 years experience which is possibly part of the problem; lot's of people with more years in. I would like to know also is there any place (website), where I could practice coding Ex: (RPG, DDS, CL) to keep my skills fresh while I am looking?
Regards,
Alex M. _______________________________________________ This is the Midrange Jobs: Postings & Discussion (MIDRANGE-JOBS) mailing list To post a message email: MIDRANGE-JOBS@xxxxxxxxxxxx To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options, visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/midrange-jobs or email: MIDRANGE-JOBS-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx