Ch 9 Lab December 7, 2007
Posted by dpipes in Labs.add a comment
Network Technician Business Management Personnel
Salary: $50,000/ year
Experience: 2+ to 5 years experience
Education: Associate Degree
Monster.com
A position for someone with the ability to work closely with users to improve their use of their computers and work closely with Windows and the servers for accessibility and to protect data.
Java Developer Business Management Personnel
Salary: $90,000/ year
Experience: 2+ to 5 years experience
Education: Bachelor’s Degree
Job Status: Full-time
Monster.com
Work in a cutting edge environment developing Java applications for this new technology. You will be part of one of three teams creating this very cool product. We need strong technical coders who enjoy working with developing technology. Also people that work well with others and enjoy a team atmosphere. This is an agile team development group so being flexible and team centered is very important.
Field Technician Integrated Systems Analysts, Inc.
Experience: 1+ to 2 years experience
Education: Certification
Job Status: Full-time
Monster.com
Daily responsibilities include maintenance, diagnosis, and repair of computer related equipment, mainly printers and PCs, located at client site. Work will primarily involve Lexmark and HP printers and Dell computers. The selected candidate will also be responsible for supporting both an office support and production environment.
The above job listings represent three kinds of jobs in the computer industry. They are the network technician, programmer/developer, and field technician. I selected these jobs because I feel that I am the most familiar with these and have a basic grasp on what they are and what they require. I am interested in these jobs for a few reasons. First, I can identify them and have a basic understanding of each one. Second, they are available. I feel that these jobs are prevalent in the computer industry and many companies most likely have more than one of each kind. Thirdly, they are attainable. I feel that these jobs can be realized by most people who’s interest and skill can be supplemented with dedication to do good work and the determination to spend the time to fully comprehend the concepts for the position. Basically, I know what they are, I know I could probably find one available, and I know that it will take time and effort to develop the necessary skills and education.
I feel that my current skills are extremely mediocre. They include the ability to identify the basic parts/hardware components of PCs, basic knowledge of what those parts/components do and how they relate to the others, basic computer terminology, basic knowledge of PC assembly, very basic html coding, average experience and knowledge of Microsoft Office applications(e.g., word, excel), and an understanding of basic computer-related concepts.
It is my plan to focus on gaining the necessary skills and information through a degree program at IUPUI. I feel that it is likely that the classes offered at IUPUI will provide those skills as I progress through my education. I also know that IUPUI offers certification programs where I can gain supplemental skills and training as I go. This coming summer I plan to pursue an internship that may help to familiarize me with job experience. I am also working on my personal organization and time management in order to give myself the best possibility of learning this field and gaining a good job.
This lab hasn’t really changed my mind as much as give me a better look on things to come and a better understanding of how much still needs to be done. I feel that many of these kinds of jobs are either really intertwined with other computer areas, or really specific and detailed. This makes it a little difficult for me to shoot for a particular job or career because I am not sure what to focus on. At this point, I am about 80% sure that I will pursue one of these fields for a career.
Ch 9 Discussion December 5, 2007
Posted by dpipes in Discussions.add a comment
1. What are the major milestones in the history of computing? Can you identify two or three events that directly affected the way we use computers today? Can you identify any current trends that might similarly affect the future of computing?
Vacuum tubes, custom application programs, and assembly languages marked what we know as “first-gen” computers. Transistors, operating systems, and programming language compilers were the technologies that defined “second-gen” computers. Integrated circuits, and portable operating systems allowed for the development of minicomputers, which are “third-gen” computers. “Fourth-gen” computers incorporated the use of microprocessors. These tiny but powerful chips developed rapidly throughout the 1970′s, ’80′s, and ’90′s.
The advent of the Internet and wireless technology has vastly changed not only the way we use computers today, but our way of life as well.
The consolidation of multiple technologies and the war with privacy issues may lead to some new developments.
2. The computer and IT industries have rapidly emerged as a global economic force in the last twenty years. What benefits and drawbacks does this rapid growth have for our culture? Do you think this growth should be slowed?
The benefits seem to just keep multiplying as these two fields continue to grow and swap ideas, but there have been some drawbacks in the areas of privacy, profits, theft, and security. These are problems that need to be addressed and settled. I think that it is possible that slowing the growth of these fields or slowing the advancement to consumers could be a favorable solution to some of these issues. However, it is possible to allow it to grow, but meticulously examine the pros and cons of a particular wave of technology, and then incorporate solutions to known or foreseeable problems at the release of it to the consumer.
3. Compare computer professions to other professions such as the law, medicine, teaching, etc. in terms of working conditions, educational preparation, salaries, and social status. Consider why you are attracted to the computing professions and discuss what would provide the incentive for you to be successful in an IT field.
The one obvious similarity of those other professions is that they all deal with people. That’s usually an exception to the rule in computers. Law and medicine have the potential to take forever in educational training. Computers don’t initially require an extraordinary amount of time in school, but for one to stay on the edge of the field he must familiarize with each new wave as computer professions change rapidly. The teachers in this country seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to pay, while computers(especially programmers) prove very lucrative. The social status of the computer professions seems to fall somewhere between “well-off geek” and “busy recluse.” I don’t know. Financially speaking, I think they are in the upper-middle class or above.
I feel that for me to be successful in this field, I need to gain a large knowledge base for programming languages and stay as familiar as possible with using new applications, old ones in new ways, basically anything that will allow me to gain experience and skill.
