After writing numerous file utilities in C, I finally started using awk to do file processing on my DOS/Windows 3.1 machine about ten years ago. At my next job, I wanted to do some file processing again and decided to try this somewhat more complicated language Perl. The first few days were tough slogging, but as I wrote more and more complicated scripts I became more and more impressed with how flexible and fast it was.

Knowing 'just enough' Perl meant I could help my cousin's husband with a task that he'd had no luck with, parsing a print image. Once I'd successfully done that, he signed me up to work on the Perl scripts that ran his web site. That led to getting involved in the Perl community, including YAPC (summer 1999 was my first), Perl Mongers and Perl Monks (starting in December 2001), and that led to my current job where I'm doing Perl, CGI, PostgreSQL and some Unix SysAdmin type stuff.

I guess if I turned the question around, I could say that without Perl, the last four years would have been very tough for me. I have indeed benefitted from Perl, from CPAN, from learning about how Perl does OO (it's not perfect, but it does a pretty darn good job). And last but not least, what a terrific user community.

--t. alex
Life is short: get busy!

In reply to Re: Has Perl Help To Further Your Career? by talexb
in thread Has Perl Help To Further Your Career? by Dru

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