Reply to: Plans for getting back in the game

[Dorkeaux]

I really enjoyed programming in REXX. Early 90s, British Gas. System programming on an Amdahl VM system.

I must have coded millions of lines of 360 assembler, COBOL and other languages.

I found fluency and something to love in them just as I came to appreciate newer object-oriented languages, c+, gawk, sed, bash and perl. And now some Python.

I can't say I loved the syntax ad style of the old languages more than the new, but what I do miss badly is the stability of the tools and languages.
It used to be that JCL, COBOL, Fortran and all the infrastructure didn't change every month or so like many new languages do.
A stable platform allowed computer programmers to focus on solving the business problems instead of doing the software company's testing for them.

I hate having to manage my own Python installation, adding libraries, making sure my client has a compatible installation, managing updates etc.

[NotAllThere]

yeh, me too, but in HLAL and REXX mostly.

I really enjoyed programming in REXX. Early 90s, British Gas. System programming on an Amdahl VM system.

[jamesbrown]

The first bit of coding I did for a company was in LISP. That was over 30 years ago. I'm not a code monkey, but I still dabble.

I still use Fortran every now and then. It remains pretty mainstream, along with C++, in some areas of science and engineering, although Python is taking over where performance isn't a major issue. Aside from performance, it is pretty horrendous, though . Also not a code monkey

[sadkingbilly]

The first bit of coding I did for a company was in LISP. That was over 30 years ago. I'm not a code monkey, but I still dabble.

yeh, me too, but in HLAL and REXX mostly.

[WTFH]

like Fortran? PL/1? Algol?

The first bit of coding I did for a company was in LISP. That was over 30 years ago. I'm not a code monkey, but I still dabble.

[sadkingbilly]

Or you could just use a real functional programming language...

like Fortran? PL/1? Algol?

[willendure]

Kotlin could do with the pattern matching (combinators, constructors / deconstruction ) of Scala. What sector is this? Banking/ GOV.UK/ Insurance / eCommerce / etc

Or you could just use a real functional programming language...

[rocktronAMP]

Since you know Scala and Java I would suggest having a bash at Kotlin. After 20+ years of Java coding I got my first Kotlin gig a year ago and its going pretty well. It's a weird hybrid language but easy to pick up and be productive for people with a Java/Scala background, and I think ultimately it's going to have a wider adoption than Scala ever did, as its in use on the server and client (well android, anyway). Its also not been around for that long so a Kotlin senior doesn't have that many years of experience

Is that a Kotlin development contract or perm? I just think it is rare to find a client who wants this skill.
Yes you write Kotlin with Spring Boot microservices, but there are some Kotlin specific frameworks.

Kotlin could do with the pattern matching (combinators, constructors / deconstruction ) of Scala. What sector is this? Banking/ GOV.UK/ Insurance / eCommerce / etc

[willendure]

Since you know Scala and Java I would suggest having a bash at Kotlin. After 20+ years of Java coding I got my first Kotlin gig a year ago and its going pretty well. It's a weird hybrid language but easy to pick up and be productive for people with a Java/Scala background, and I think ultimately it's going to have a wider adoption than Scala ever did, as its in use on the server and client (well android, anyway). Its also not been around for that long so a Kotlin senior doesn't have that many years of experience

You can do web apps with Kotlin too right? It compiles to javascript as well as JVM if I am not mistaken? Its got potential anyway.

[willendure]

Back in the day, I used to follow up contract applications with a phone call.

These days I find most agents block or otherwise discourage direct cold contact. I almost never get through first time.
A shame, I think they are missing a trick.

But if they have called me previously, I find they keep my contact details and are happy to speak to me.
Another good reason to talk to as many agents as possible, even if they are b*llend*.

Totally agree with this. If you get a contract at some point on the journey there you have the agent on the phone, and probably at least 2 or 3 times as things get more firmed up. So if you can't even get an initial call you're not on the pathway to get the contract. I always try and kick that door down as early as possible. They are not all twats, I'd say about 50/50!

[SpliterOfLogs]

At 52 I need to be working for at least the next decade and feel I have two options available.

1. Jump on the bandwagon of technologies that are in the ascendency. I am thinking Rust, Golang and AI.

2. Leverage my 'secondary' skills which are Java and Python neither of which are really at the level to earn top rates ATM - I left Java back in 2010 and my python skills are mostly based around ad hoc scripts and Jupyter notebooks.

My current thinking is to take a punt on option 1 whilst using the exploration of AI to up my Python skills. I am going to take this week off to do a bit of research, create a study schedule and get on it from next Monday after the playoff final.

I would be genuinely interested in what others think and hopefully read some of their thoughts for getting back in the game.

Since you know Scala and Java I would suggest having a bash at Kotlin. After 20+ years of Java coding I got my first Kotlin gig a year ago and its going pretty well. It's a weird hybrid language but easy to pick up and be productive for people with a Java/Scala background, and I think ultimately it's going to have a wider adoption than Scala ever did, as its in use on the server and client (well android, anyway). Its also not been around for that long so a Kotlin senior doesn't have that many years of experience

[Dorkeaux]

Ha ha ha.

I have another slant on the process though, I'm getting stressed out at not being able to find something I really don't want!

Yeah.. but like I indicated in my magnum opus post, the things that we think should be connected in contracting (like the requirements to job spec to your skills to interview to actual role) simply don't exist. At least not in any consistent way.

We assume they are because we are logical then get freaked out when they are not.

So I just think of it as a numbers game, do a lot of mostly useless stuff (like applying for unsuitable contracts) then nothingburger it.
I do that a lot.

You can't want it more than they do...

[oliverson]

Back in the day, I used to follow up contract applications with a phone call.

These days I find most agents block or otherwise discourage direct cold contact. I almost never get through first time.
A shame, I think they are missing a trick.

But if they have called me previously, I find they keep my contact details and are happy to speak to me.
Another good reason to talk to as many agents as possible, even if they are b*llend*.

This is the snowflake generation for you, they simply cannot interact with anything that doesn't have a screen! Almost like the Stallone / Snipes film 'Demolition Man'. In fact the world is in many ways turning into some of those films, including DM. Films like Terminator for example. We'll all be hiding in the sewers soon as Drones come hunting us down, trying to reduce the number of humans on the planet.

[oliverson]

....

Like you, I enjoy the process. Actually I usually find the process more exciting than the actual job!

....

Ha ha ha.

I have another slant on the process though, I'm getting stressed out at not being able to find something I really don't want!

[Dorkeaux]

I'd be interested to know how much success people are having by phoning in person. I've tried to do this when I read about a role I think I would be prefect for, but I've never actually got though to anybody

Back in the day, I used to follow up contract applications with a phone call.

These days I find most agents block or otherwise discourage direct cold contact. I almost never get through first time.
A shame, I think they are missing a trick.

But if they have called me previously, I find they keep my contact details and are happy to speak to me.
Another good reason to talk to as many agents as possible, even if they are b*llend*.