advice on a job

Simon,, could u name those "newer" technologies,, the one u think will be
HOT in next few years and worth learning now

thanks,

"simon" <Sto@gtisd.com> wrote:
>Sybase is as good as dead and PowerBuilder is killed by VB, so go for the
>"newer" technologies instead..... having said that, you probably noticed
I
>didn't say the "latest" technologies because COM and ASP are going away
too.
>But still better than Powerbuilder and Sybase.
>
>Hope this helps.
>
>simon.
>
>
>"kirk" <dbehl@accesscomm.ca> wrote in message
>news:3a024142$1@news.dev-archive.com...
>>
>> I have recently been offered 2 jobs, one in the oil industry (huge
>company)
>> doing Powerbuilder and Sybase development which will lead to possible
web
>> development in 12 months. Job pays well and has good benefits. The other
>> job is with a much smaller company(300 people) that develops web pages,
>there
>> I will be programming in VB COM, ASP and Sql Server. If I'm not picky
>about
>> what I develop in, which job is better for future career growth? Is it
>the
>> company that starts me out in a lessor demand technology(PB,sybase) where
>> I can have true career progression or do I take the more cutting edge
>technologies
>> and sacrifice some money and movement within the company?
>

future growth and security are not insured at a big company. Also it won't
take you long to surpass what you can make in the large company. typically
raises are under 5% at large companies, after a year you should be able to
jump to another company and get 15-25%. My last jump was over a 120%
increase. I do what the web dev company does.

John Cantley
"kirk" <dbehl@accesscomm.ca> wrote in message
news:3a024142$1@news.dev-archive.com...
>
> I have recently been offered 2 jobs, one in the oil industry (huge
company)
> doing Powerbuilder and Sybase development which will lead to possible web
> development in 12 months. Job pays well and has good benefits. The other
> job is with a much smaller company(300 people) that develops web pages,
there
> I will be programming in VB COM, ASP and Sql Server. If I'm not picky
about
> what I develop in, which job is better for future career growth? Is it
the
> company that starts me out in a lessor demand technology(PB,sybase) where
> I can have true career progression or do I take the more cutting edge
technologies
> and sacrifice some money and movement within the company?

"Hassan Mir" <hassanmir@bigfoot.com> wrote:
>
>Simon,, could u name those "newer" technologies,, the one u think will be
>HOT in next few years and worth learning now

I don't know what will be hot in a few years.

For now and a while, I see Java and Oracle as hot technologies.

Matthew Cromer
President, SDA Consulting, Inc.

I wouldn't touch Powerbuilder with a 10' pole.

A dead and decaying market presence.

You should learn a broad market skill that is growing: Java and Oracle would
be the safest bets. A search of Monster.COM showed 10 Powerbuilder openings
and 38 Sybase in my metro area (Raleigh, NC) , vis a vis 378 for Oracle and
505 for Java. I bet the percentage holds where you live.

Worse yet, the number of Sybase and PowerBuilder jobs declines every year,
so fewer can get work doing it. I get calls every day from brokers and headhunters
who need Java talent.

Matthew Cromer
President, SDA Consulting, Inc.

Well, I know I will get this for forgetting to mention Java, haha. If you
want to be a good well-rounded programmer, you MUST be proficient in several
programming languages. Therefore, learning Java will only enhance your
marketability.

Having said that, a good programmer also MUST has something to fall back
to... i.e. your "bread-and-butter" skill that everything else (including
Java) will build upon it. And that skill to fall back to, in my humble
opinion (haha), should be C++ (haha, I might just started another flame war
here).

Just my 2 cents.

simon.

"Matthew Cromer" <matthew@sdaconsulting.com> wrote in message
news:3a034dc1$1@news.dev-archive.com...
>
> "simon" <Sto@gtisd.com> wrote:
> >Well, XML is going to be big. M$ has been promoting it so much that even
> a
> >blind person can see it, haha. COM is replaced with COM+ which is a
> >combination of COM and MTS. I don't do consulting (I don't like that
line
> >of work... simply a personal preference, no flame please), so I am not
sure
> >about this one, but I heard from some consultants that lately, some
projects
> >(especially the government contracts) are shying away from MTS. They
rather
> >use Stored Procs instead. But anyway, COM+ is still going to be
mainstream.
> >
> >Oracle is still the number 1 database, but I think SQL Server 2000 is
> >catching up. Oracle is good but extremely difficult to use (we ARE using
> >both, so we know).
>
> Microsoft is a distant irrelevance in the DB world. The DB world lives
and
> breathes Oracle. DB2 is a bigger player in the enterprise than SQL
server.
>
> The problem with SQL server is that it only runs on Windows, which is not
> acceptable to corporate America.
>
> I don't find Oracle much harder to use than Access, if you are willing to
> use tools like TOAD and Erwin.
>
> SQL Server is going to close the gap with its
> >ease-of-use and low price.
>
> I don't see *any* evidence for this. Oracle is multi-platform and is a
corporate
> standard--SQL server is a MS Windows-only platform that is far behind
Oracle
> in the enterprise.
>
>
> >Something will never die, like C++. If you are a developer, C++ is a
> >language you MUST learn.
>
> I'd recommend Java WAY before C++. Java is a much more productive
language,
> and easier to use, more consistent, and heck it pays better too! Not to
> say C++ is going away--it isn't, but the mainstream of business apps of
tomorrow
> are being developed in Java today.
>
> And the upcoming C#, get familiar with it as soon
> >as you can. Download the SDK from M$, if you have not done so already.
>
> You are recommending a language with absolutely zero commercial use?!
>
> I'd say wait and see what happens with C# and .NET. It is just like Java
> with a couple changes, if it takes off your Java experience will translate
> directly.
>
>
> >
> >Let's put it this way, 20 years ago (before my time, ha), no IT guy got
> >fired for going IBM. Today, no IT guy (or gal... time changed) will get
> >fired for going M$. Therefore, it is pretty safe to stick with the M$
> >technologies.
> >
> >Just my 2 cents. Hope this helps.
> >
> >simon.
>
> MS is old news. Today the enterprise is going Java, J2EE, JSP, EJB, and
> the like.

"John Cantley" <jcstrider@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> MS is old news. Today the enterprise is going Java, J2EE, JSP, EJB, >
and
>the like.
>
>You have a very narrow view and a biased one at that. Just like java only
>programmers. I am guessing you don't read Enterprise Development from FTP,
>MS is anything but old.

Enterprise Development? ROFL.

ED got cancelled months ago. It seems you *are* living in the past.

BTW I (still) do most of my work using MS technologies: VB6, COM. We continue
to maintain and enhance large existing frameworks. But our new frameworks
are written using Java and targeting Oracle.

I'm trying to give advice on high-paying marketable skills. I know in my
area Java/EJB/J2EE is much hotter than COM/VB/MTS, and most new projects
are using the former technologies. Pay rates are markedly better. Where
in the country is this not the case?

Matthew Cromer
matthew@sdaconsulting.com

I agree that Java programmers are paid very well. But I vaguely remember
about 12 to 24 months ago, COBOL programmers were paid "insanely" well too,
ha....... my point is that, if you love Java, more power to you, but money
should not be the driving force to choose for specialization.

Just MHO.

simon.

"Matthew Cromer" <matthew@sdaconsulting.com> wrote in message
news:3a0712a9$1@news.dev-archive.com...
>
> "John Cantley" <jcstrider@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >> MS is old news. Today the enterprise is going Java, J2EE, JSP, EJB, >
> and
> >the like.
> >
> >You have a very narrow view and a biased one at that. Just like java only
> >programmers. I am guessing you don't read Enterprise Development from
FTP,
> >MS is anything but old.
>
> Enterprise Development? ROFL.
>
> ED got cancelled months ago. It seems you *are* living in the past.
>
> BTW I (still) do most of my work using MS technologies: VB6, COM. We
continue
> to maintain and enhance large existing frameworks. But our new frameworks
> are written using Java and targeting Oracle.
>
> I'm trying to give advice on high-paying marketable skills. I know in my
> area Java/EJB/J2EE is much hotter than COM/VB/MTS, and most new projects
> are using the former technologies. Pay rates are markedly better. Where
> in the country is this not the case?
>
> Matthew Cromer
> matthew@sdaconsulting.com

Dear Matt,

I would beat that if an individual has/had experience dealing in PB, and
likely has other current skills then you are talking a very big demand for
that old talent(combo). I can assure you that, being in the consulting business
from some time now, that old systems developed using PB are needing to be
moved to bigger more scalable technologies( should see $$$$). I would get
some old PB developer's on those jobs, who have other current skills, and
who you can make an additional killing before it's too late!

In the consulting services business you should never under estimate old talent
because that can lead from dying tools(projects) into big projects with new
technologies. Oh, and don't forget that the majority picked backend DB is
ORACLE used with PB. ( My experience ONLY )

I do like Java; however it's a slow process for development but very powerful!

JuST An FyI

"Matthew Cromer" <matthew@sdaconsulting.com> wrote:
>
>I wouldn't touch Powerbuilder with a 10' pole.
>
>A dead and decaying market presence.
>
>You should learn a broad market skill that is growing: Java and Oracle
would
>be the safest bets. A search of Monster.COM showed 10 Powerbuilder openings
>and 38 Sybase in my metro area (Raleigh, NC) , vis a vis 378 for Oracle
and
>505 for Java. I bet the percentage holds where you live.
>
>Worse yet, the number of Sybase and PowerBuilder jobs declines every year,
>so fewer can get work doing it. I get calls every day from brokers and
headhunters
>who need Java talent.
>
>Matthew Cromer
>President, SDA Consulting, Inc.
>