(Untitled)

[kad6]

Don't Turn Your Clocks Back Just Yet
MSNBC - Oct 28, 2007
Traditionally the last Sunday in October is set aside for daylight-saving time. But not this year. Thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, you'll have to wait one more weekend for that extra hour.

Comments

[helloinsomnia]

Hey, how do I know you?

[kad6]

You posted in the Mathematics community about non-academic jobs, and I was interested in what you ended up doing, so I added you.

[helloinsomnia]

Heh, well that's interesting -

Answer: No where worth being just yet. Change majors! RUN!

[kad6]

Well let me know if you find something. I am hoping you do. I have been considering the idea of going to grad school to study homological algebra but I think I'll stick to software and statistics.

Here's a good book by the way if you are trying to learn how to program better:

http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Pearls-2nd-Jon-Bentley/dp/0201657880

[helloinsomnia]

Oh, I've been through the Java-tutorials and documentation, have the O'Reilly C# book on my desk (halfway through), and have a C++ book waiting to be picked up at my boyfriend's house.

The trick is proving to potential employers you can actually program. That's the part I haven't quite figured out.

[helloinsomnia]

But yeah, pick up those programming skills. Math and CS is a deadly combination, and you'll go far.

[kad6]

Homological algebra on the other hand......

[helloinsomnia]

Hey now, I was planning to do structures in Coxeter/Weyl groups when I was finishing my undergraduate. Or non-commutative ring theory.

Homological Algebra is *beautiful stuff*, especially being able to see the world on that level of abstraction. Unfortunately, it's uh. Sort of limiting. (That might be a joke. It's a direction, but it's limited! A directed limit? yeah? huh? no applause, eh?)

[kad6]

Hahaha. My name is Karim, nice to /meet/ you. I am glad you like algebra too.

[kad6]

I would say even someone with years of programming experience would benefit from trying to make their way through that book, though your time might be better spent right now.

Are you at least getting interviews?

[helloinsomnia]

Oh, heh, I was going to try not to reveal this here as to not unload my frustrations on you. But you ASKED, so it's your fault :)

I get called for pretty much every IT position I apply for, but I haven't been offered one. I haven't been getting called by the big-name people that my friends work for *cough*google*cough*microsoft*cough*amazon* but I started today at a small software company in an entry-level position.

We're talking, the-other-people-in-my-hiring-group-didn't-finish-college entry-level position. Pays-less-than-my-TA-job-did-entry-level. The kind of job that is sort of half-assed programming, but where they're telling me I can advance to full programmer in a few months (maybe it's a lie!)

So as far as real programmer jobs, no, I haven't been getting interviews, but I did get something, I guess, if I feel like being super motivated and proving myself and selling out some of my ideological beliefs along the way.....

[kad6]

Ah well. At least you have some income now. Even if they are lying, I am sure there are things to be learned at the level they positioned you. And if you are actually smart, motivated, and capable of getting work done, sooner or later you'll have the chance to do good work.