RE: Chasing the wrong target? (was "giving an iSeries ...)

Something that all companies should consider is the following:
1.  There is a tremendous diversity of programming languages, paradigms,
tools, etc. floating around out there.
2.  Programming is programming...

Considering this, I would think that companies could afford to invest in
staff that has programming experience in, say, JAVA, and then train them
in, say, COBOL400.  Instead, they look for someone who already has
experience with exactly what it is that they do, and that's really,
really hard to find.  And if you do find it, you're hiring because of
some one-in-a-million coincidence rather than the intrinsic value of the
applicant.

I've been on both sides of this, and find it very frustrating that you
can't hire good people because they failed to put the right acronyms on
their resume.

Just my 2 cents. 

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces+joe.hayes=fiserv.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces+joe.hayes=fiserv.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Phil Kestenbaum
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 1:58 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: RE: Chasing the wrong target? (was "giving an iSeries ...)

John, there are still quite a few programmers trying to find their way
back off the job crisis in 2003. Years ago, AS/400 Operators used to
have motivation to move into Programming, then there used to be a lot
more commercial courses that focused on this, since they had a basic
understanding of how things worked on the 400. My impression now is that
Operators prefer to move into Network admin work over RPG Programming.

I suspect that you might see a return of these type of job training for
RPG now.

I happen to know a fine organization that assists the unemployed and I
will bring this up w/ them.

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jon Paris
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 2:40 PM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Chasing the wrong target? (was "giving an iSeries ...)

Hi Jon,

      I follow your statement but what other directions? 

Well - for example - a very large number of midrange programmers
(including luminaries such as Roger Pence among others) started off as
accountants, bookkeepers, etc. and were trained in programming when
their company brought in a computer system.

Perhaps it is time to think about doing something similar.  Rather than
spend millions to attract a shrinking group of IT students, perhaps it
is time to consider training workers laid off due to outsourcing etc.  

Jon Paris
Partner400

www.Partner400.com 


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