First computer language

[Derek Broughton]

Jerry Miller wrote:

> As with Tony's response below, I too agree with this assessment as far as
> the learning-curve aspect is concerned.  The problem is that those who are
> unemployed, as I was for over two years ending with a relocation last
> April, can't be that choosy, and the powers that be are seldom
> sufficiently computer-
> literate themselves to appreciate the ease of acquiring new language
> skills. I work for one of the exceptions, as I have always done since
> trading in my formal education in Organic Chemistry for a career in
> Computer Science!

Oh, well, I just tell them I'm experienced at what they want :-)
> 
> <RANT>
> You can see from the laundry lists of specific skills in many classified
> ads
> that that is the case.  They are looking for the type of person they've
> always
> had and will, in my estimation, get what they've always gotten, i.e., the
> mindset that makes many business forms as unintelligibly programmer-
> friendly as they've always been.  (Looked at your bank statement lately?

Hey!  My wife put a lot of effort into bank statements (using Cobol) :-)

> The really ironic part is when one of those ads lists a Computer Science
> degree among its requirements.  What self-respecting C.S. Dept. is going
> to teach COBOL these days?!?!?

One of these days I really need to get mine.  28 years after I started
university, I'm just a single-term course away...
-- 
derek