[olug] Finally, geek for a living

[Cale Lewis]

On 1969-12-31 at 18:00:00 [-0600], you wrote:
> 
> Sounds like you've got plenty of hands on for the basics.  I don't really
>
>I'm not going to BS you though, without a diploma, or a certification it
> will be much tougher for you to get a job.  No one hires someone at the
> admin/engineer level without them having some sort of a proven track
> record, whether that be job experience, school, or combination thereof.
> Schooling is not there for the little piece of paper, it's there to give
> you a boost when you go looking for a job by demonstrating to people that
> this person has at least had the opportunity to develop the basics of the
>
Yes, I know I need some schooling, it's just not something I've been able to 
do recently, and I will expect certain things from any institution which 
were not met in my prior attempt. There are gaps I need to fill in that I 
either don't realise or need to spend time going over with an experienced 
person to learn them best. A lot of what they would hopefully pass-on to me 
is not in any dry old textbook anyway, but a product of the time they've 
spent working with and around these systems and others who do too.

Instead of gas and textbooks, I invested my money in equipment and technical 
manuals. I have bought a wide range of hardware and set myself down and 
studied it and the system(s) that run on it. If I happened to get a machine 
that did not work properly, I considered that my next lesson and repaired 
it. I spent quite a while studying the differences in how they work, then 
started learning how to make them work together as best I could. I still 
have plenty to learn, but in this field I proabably always will!
> 
> As much as they suck, everyone starts at the helpdesk.  That's where you
> "earn your spurs" so to speak, and it weeds out the people with the real
> aptitude for the job from the people who just think it'd be kind of neat to
> work with computers and make a lot of money.
> 
I've got no problem with that, doing it on a partime basis already, although 
without the critical "I'm on the phone and need it fixed 10 minutes ago!" 
factor. Besides, who needs money!! 8^P

Cale Lewis