A consultation

[Franky]

Hello,

I’m 30 and have the bachelor degree in computer software engineering field. I said that so that you note that I have an academic degree. But what level of skill the period of getting that degree gave me? Nothing! No skill in fact.

From that 4 years of learning lessons in university I just have been learning theoretical information. No any practical techniques. I even haven’t been taught to install an operating system like Windows! Do you believe?

I graduated. After some time I thought I need to do something. I thought I should ready myself for real world of work. OK but how? While my language is not English (and even is not near of it) and most of the sources are in this language now. And what books, what courses I need take and many many other questions.

I decided to start. One thing that I was interested in was programming. I had pleasure when codes would run statements successfully after my attempts.
So I continued to learning programming (in C++ programming language) by books and at the end I wanted to complete my programming knowledge by reading the book of its creator (this book: Stroustrup: Programming -- Principles and Practice Using C++). I’m reading it still.

Since operating systems were/are so important, in addition to Windows 7, I tried to learn BSD (this book: FreeBSD Handbook) and Linux.
I’m reading that book about FreeBSD and one about Ubuntu now.

OK, what is the key of proceeding nowadays? Yes, the English language.
I tried very hard, actually hard, for learning it. It was very hard for a graduated student that wouldn’t know much about it to start again and tries to learning it without teacher! But I had to. Now I’m not very good and also not bad in it. I’m reinforcing myself each day and night.

My first primary goal of studying these fields of science was one thing. I wanted to be a hacker! Note please, I said hacker, not cracker. There is an excellent and subtile difference between the two. I think you’d know that.

So one another tool I needed was networking. After much consultations I chose this book (Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach, 6/e). I know I should then learn Network+ then go for learning CCNA and working by packet tracer and….

For Windows 7 and general information about computer I decided to read this book (http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Training-220-801-220-802-Microsoft/dp/0735662681) which of course I’m reading it now as well.

Now from BSD, C++, Linux, Competia A+, Networking, Windows and English language, I read something about most of them each day. In fact 24/7. And without any teacher and any class, just by reading books, doing all exercises and asking issues in Internet (in forums) when I have problem with them.

For becoming a real computer engineer, now from 0 through 100 I give myself mark 20!

My speed of proceeding is very slow. That’s because my load is very heavy. But it’s needed.

It’s just like this scenario:
Suppose that one person is going to go to the center of a forest. He/she needs some foods, water, first aid box, tent, research tools and many other instruments which make the load to be heavy, but they are all needed. This is my situation. I can’t leave any of those tools out!

OK, what was my purpose of telling these here to you? I think most of you professional guys have passed most of these ways. And have good experience and skills on those areas.
What advice do you have for me? How can I be more successful? Is my chosen way correct at all!?

I’m so sorry for my broken English. And I’m sorry for the time I gave from you.
I appreciate any response of you.

Thanks.

 

[whs]

Reading books is good but some practical experience would be even better. If you have the possibility to get some real live job in the IT field, that would provide you with the best experience.

In the meantime I recommend to participate in technical forums like this one. Here you will get in touch with a great variety of IT areas and their problems. And maybe you can even start helping people resolve their problems.

Btw: Your English is very good. I would be proud if I could speak Kurdish like you speak English.

 

[Franky]

OW my friend, . I would be very happy if I could teach you my language. Thank you very much for your opinions dear "whs".

Yes, participating in a real place of IT, could be certainly grate. But do you know how one person can enter such a place here? That person should first pass an exam then he/she must certainly know what is needed for that job completely and should have work experience background!

There isn't any excuse for an employed person. I think it's opposite of the situation in Europe.
And about this forum, I want to continue being here and from now on I help people as far as I can here.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

What advice do you have for me? How can I be more successful? Is my chosen way correct at all!?

I’m so sorry for my broken English.

Your English is not perfect, but it's certainly good enough that it should not prevent you from gaining employment anywhere in the tech field.

Due to your studies, you've become something of a generalist--with some knowledge in many aspects of computer science. You probably have more knowledge in some of those aspects than most people reading this thread.

When I began studying computers over 20 years ago, one of the first things I discovered was that my superiors and instructors were highly competent only in a narrow area of the big picture. Some were good in the classroom, but couldn't put a PC together. Others could assemble a PC easily, but had little knowledge about choosing individual components. Others could program rather easily, but would clearly fail as a programming instructor. Others could talk for hours about hexadecimals, but had little knowledge about common software applications.

I think most of them just took jobs somewhere in the field, with no specific goal immediately in mind, and one thing led to another. That's what most people do anyway. Many people at age 50 are in jobs only vaguely related to their university degree--if at all. That's the way of the world now, moreso than 50 years ago. You might have multiple careers before you retire.

I don't think most people have a Eureka moment where they decide on something as narrow as "I want to be a C++ programmer" and throw themselves completely into that. It's much more haphazard and seemingly random than that---happenstance, arbitrary, unpredictable.

I'd just take a job in something you can at least tolerate and not agonize over it in the short run. Let your instincts guide you after you are actually employed and get hands on experience. Get into the game and build a job history.

Few people are actually competent at anything purely on the basis of what they learned at a university. Competence is acquired by doing stuff outside of academia--at home or on the job. Academia is not highly correlated to the real world. It's more of a weeding-out mechanism that is designed to show some minimum level of intelligence and dedication.

Unfortunately (?), luck, office politics, personality, and schmoozing are likely to be as or more important than anything you are going to learn in school.

 

[Layback Bear]

Kurdman if you can speak English as well as you can put a post together your not having a problem with English.

Your post are punctuated and organized in a fashion that makes them easy to read and understand.

Your formal education in computer science is a tool.
Your book learning is a tool.
The next tool is hands on.
This forum is a excellent place to see computer problems of all kinds and learn how they are handled by some very smart members. I do not consider myself on of the smart ones.

The major things we do on this forum is help people with their computer problems and learn ourselves. We have members of all ages and various levels of computers knowledge.
Just hang around as much as possible and join in on the fun.

I have degrees in nothing that isn't automotive. I have learned most every thing concerning computers on this forum.

Their will always be a need for people in the field of computer (IT) security.
If I was young enough and smart enough that is the field I would choose.

 

[Franky]

Your talks were very valuable for me. I read them and it's clear that you are right. Thanks a lot "ignatzatsonic".

For the job, as I said, there isn't such an easy way of getting it here. Indeed, jobs are very few and there are many graduated people (with bachelor & master's degree) unemployed in here.

But I couldn't be unemployed and on the other hand, there wasn't any company (or something else) employing people normally (not at a very hard circumstance). So I founded my office. A very small one. I'm alone there and try to do some related things about OSes, English language, Programming and so on.

It's first step and I don't know will I succeed or not.

 

[Franky]

As I expected I got some valuable information form each one of you. As ever, you good guys gave me grate talks which all are helpful. Thank you "Layback Bear"

About this forum, as I said, I definitely continue to being here (and start to help from now on). Before, I'd waste my idle time surfing Facebook but I removed my account and it's a very better choice to have my time here helping people (although I'm novice).