Job Responsibilities
Programming (80%) and Analysis (20%)
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Job Requirements
I got in via the "back door". My undergraduate and graduate
degrees are in Music (performance). Owing to the current ca. 95%
unemployment among symphonic musicians I took 30 hours of night
classes in computer science at my local "adult university". The
consulting firm I worked for (as a technical writer) was glad to
let me do some programming (at considerably cheaper cost than the
people who were actually called "programmers").
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Uppers
(Government job)
Individual freedom, creativity, good working conditions (nice office), flexible
scheduling, 40-hour week
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Downers
Government bureaucracy can make things VERY hard to change.
Things that take hours in private industry take days or weeks in
government. Things that take weeks in private industry take
years in government, if they ever actually get accomplished. This
can be very frustrating.
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Lifestyle
40-hour week, avg 5 overnight travel days per year, business dress (sport coat
and tie)
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Compensation
Base salary ca. $ 95 K (including "high-cost-city allowance").
Bonuses avg ca. $ 1K per year
No overtime pay
No stock options
Retirement plan is similar to a 401-K
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Advice to Jobseekers
Work hard and work at many things. I.e., know programming,
communications, or engineering well -- but also be sure you're a
good writer and take some business courses so you can talk to
managers intelligently, without computer jargon (save that for
your coworkers).
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