Re: Training

[Buck Calabro/commsoft<mcalabro@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 04/06/99 09:23:39 AM "Albert Barron"  wrote:

>Some companies aren't willing to take time out of their busy production
>schedules to train an operator in RPG/ILE etc...  I've been trying to move
>into a Jr. Programmer position, but my company rather hire someone with 2 
+
>years experience.  So... to answer your question; yes, sometimes its still
>can be rather difficult to make a  move from operator to programmer.

Been there, lived that.  I can't speak for your particular situation, but 
in my case I did a lot of reading and compiling ;-)  In this day and age, I 
don't expect my employer to spend much time and money training me, so I do 
as much of it myself as I can.  An employer rarely minds if you stay "after 
hours" to do some programming on your own, and if you're friendly with the 
programmers on staff, you can get some good advice that way.  Then there's 
always RPG400-L and this list :-)  Are there courses in your area?  Taking 
almost any programming course will help you with the fundamentals of 
programming in general.

This ties in nicely with the "poaching" comments Colin made.  I've found 
that the companies who have a clear (and genuine!) policy on 
training/promotions tend to keep people longer than companies who leave 
staff to their own devices.  One can't poach a happy programmer that 
easily.  Programmers tend to stay in a job where they're working on "cool" 
stuff.  If the company trains them in new techniques/technology they have 
little reason to leave.  When they get stuck maintaining the last 
generation's code, they move on because they're bored AND falling behind 
the curve.

Buck Calabro
Billing Concepts Inc, Albany, NY
mailto:mcalabro@commsoft.net
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