in reply to Advancing oneself personally and professionally as a programmer (discussion)
I am 49, with a M.S in zoology and about 23 years of computing experience beginning with an Apple 2+.
After several years of teaching at the 4 year college level, I found myself involved in a genetics research laboratory. Since I was one of the few who was computer literate at the time, it fell to me to program record keeping applications.
As this evolved into a large, well-funded project, I was asked to set up a Unix network and a relational database server to handle the increased data that were flowing into our flat-file database. Years later I am still with the same research group with enhanced responsibilities and a comfortable salary.
Some factors that made all this possible:
- Money is far less important to me than where my 9-year-old son lives and goes to school. Having said that, I never turn down a raise... And my salary is quite adequate, thank-you.
- I have pushed the edges of my capabilities many times, but the "Peter Principle" has not claimed me as a victim.
- I have grown in my abilities, and am able to provide support to others in similar situations.
- I discovered Perl 5 in 1994, and have never looked back.
- I gratefully accept advice, collaboration, and the sense of community provided by such groups as Perl Monks
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"Computeri non cogitant, ergo non sunt"
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