3 years ago, my people were was looking for oracle dba and they though they were lucky to get some dba just get lay off, 6 months ago they need an oracle programmer they got 80+ applications with many of them were over qualification, end up with an experience oracle analyst willing to get the same pay.
If cheeks is profitable, but his main problem is capitalization, wouldn't something prop like Green Tree Trading be a good choice? They have I think an 85% payout for $5k accounts, and access to 10x capital, 100% for $10k. Also, 4x overnight. cheeks, being a member of the IT/CS world myself, I simply can't suggest going into it in the states with any hope of getting a job for awhile. People both in IT and CS are struggling right now, including people with alot of experience. But, that is only if you want a job... But I don't think outsourcing is the problem with the jobs...the problem is a lack of interest and investment in IT and CS, and an overbuilt industry that, just like the market, still has a ways to trim down. People can't justify paying for an IT staff, or paying for software when the ROI just isn't there in such borderline times. And so, software companies can't just keep building new things, hoping a market will materialize.
If you are really interested in Computer Science/Eng., I would recommend following through with your interest, regardless of what happens with trading. I think that my computer background has put me at an advantage in trading (not to mention countless other things) because so many of the skills I use are the same. The majority of people I know who actually seem to have a clue are CS/E people, other engineers and traders. There seems to be a lot of advice here about not going into CS/E because of competition in the industry, but I really disagree with that advice. Computer technology is not going away, and the thought of competition should only bother you if you think for some reason you would be unable to compete. At the last software company that I worked for, many people talked about going into the medical industry, or becoming pharmacists, or some other profession that they obviously knew very little about because they heard about someone doing it and having the potential to make a lot of money and have stability in that industry. I really thought that this was laughable, because these were the same people who came into the software industry when they heard that it was âreally easyâ and âany smart personâ could do well and make a great income and have stability etc. etc.â¦. this is the type of crowed behavior that moves markets of all kinds..â¦. Ok, sorry to digress from my original point. I would encourage you to pursue CS/E if it genuinely interests you. Also, just one point that I would like to clarifyâ¦by encouraging you to think about CS/E, I am not encouraging you to think about IT or IS. Best of luck,
I don't know nitro...I used to feel this way too, but after seeing the code that some people write I have to disagree. Even some employed programmers should not be programming, and I think it's definately not for everyone. Not unlike trading...
back you financially to trade! Gotta follow your love and passion (trading!!). I am 28 also, and have always wanted to trade for a living. I could never imagine doing anything else... http://www.northshoretrading.8k.com
Hmmm not to go against your theory or anything because it does sound true... but I know a ton of kids who can dunk just as good as Lebron James on the court near where I live but I doubt that any of them would be stupid enough to ruin their draft chance because they wanted a hummer before he got the money. Hehehe So what I am saying is that LeBron James is replaceable so are brain surgeons. Think about how many people die during brain surgery. There is a pretty high mortality rate when you slice up someones skull. I mean I probably can look at some xrays and tell the family "Well brain surgery on your son is probably not advised, but if you can't stand having a son that is paralyzed from the neck down i guess I can give you 20% odds your son will survive this operation, just make sure your insurance will cover this." Basically anyone can replace someone else if trained properly, but most likely why these people are paid more than the average starbucks worker is because they invested a lot of their time, sacrifice and $$ to become the brain surgeon or pro athlete they are. Think about it, all you need is a little talent, a lot of dedication, and the will to pay no attention to scholarly pursuits to become a pro athlete. And if your parents had the money to flip the bill for an ivy league college and 8 years of medical school intern hell then you too can become a brain surgeon!! These people get paid so much because people like us are willing to pay them this much for our benefit because we believe in their investment!! (just like we believed in Priceline.com's ability to somehow turn a profit) Fans are willing to shell out mucho $$ for seasons tickets so that someone else can live their own athletic aspirations. Patients are willing to pay a doctor a lot of money because they can't or do not want the responsibility of taking care of their own health. But no one is willing to pay someone a lot of money to serve them coffee even. Strange world we live in. Remember the value of the stock market is priced more on human beliefs than on numbers and assets!!
Good question. Your path is your own. Your values are your own. Your buddies' choices aren't yours - don't sweat it. For example, my wife and I have made lots of choices that put us behind the curve a bit financially (e.g., private schools) but gave our children a better education. If you can do what you love, that's super. Until then, try to find something that is intellectually stimulating and financially satisfying, if possible. I am on my fourth (?) career. I started to learn programming from my dad when I was about ten (forty years ago). My b.s. is in Biochemistry and Biology, and I worked in the sciences arena for almost ten years. I have been in IT-related and tech-related work for the last twenty years; mostly network, apps, and the telecom domains. I would suggest at a minimum an MS in computer Science or Telecommunications or such. Don't bother with a second b.s. (I had two majors - didn't matter, except right out of university). Almost any business major coupled w/ an advanced degree in computing or another tech domain is a great combo. There are too many super-techs out there sans common business sense. The corollary would be a tech degree w/ an advanced degree in business or finance or management. All this may do at the start, however, is get you a $50-60k job doing financial management work (read: bookkeeping, analysis). Depending upon where your live, that would be just fine. Best of luck,
Geez. On one hand, that stuff about IT being dead is mostly just true for the "nonbelievers" - folks who got into IT cuz it was hot, and full of money and jobs. If you are one of the people for whom coding is in your blood, you can get a job in virtually any economy. I love to write programs, I'm damn good at it, and I can get a job writing code in a flash. Now, it might not be at a good place, I might have to wear a suit, and I might not get 6 figures like my last job. But that's me, I learned how to program before I got into high school in `79, and have been writing code ever since. And, I interview extremely well . That however, is not you. Admittedly, this post is from the programmer standpoint but I think the point are valid even if you are interested in the other aspects of IT (networking, maintenance, hardware, etc). Fact is, unless you really DIG technology and can't wait to bang your head against a wall trying to figure out how to make it work, you are going to have a tough road in IT right now. So my advice to you is to stay out of IT. That might be a bitter pill to swallow, and if so you are definitely going to choke on this next one. Maybe you should think about my previous comments for a day or two before you read the rest. "When I left school I wanted to trade more than anything in this world. I tried to get a trading related job somewhere on Wall Street, but it did not work out." That does not happen. Now, I know a lot about wanting something very badly. I wanted a certain lady for my wife, and it took me 12 years to get her. I'm not saying that since you are not a trader in four years that means you do not truly desire it. I am saying that since basically all you have done during those four years is try for one job on Wall Street and get a job as a waiter means that you do not greatly desire this role. For instance, there is this comment: "For a number of reasons I would like to get into a professional field that would allow more stability(read a family). " Which sounds like you'd rather have a family than be a trader. Not that there is anything wrong with this, or with changing your mind about what you want to do. To be brutally honest (and potentially wrong), it sounds to me like what you really want is to make lots of money. Once again, there is nothing wrong with that desire, greed makes capitalism work . But, you are not going to make lots of money in IT if you do not really love it, and you are especially not going to make any money trading at all if you do not love it. I remember one of the happiest days in my life. Somebody was going to pay me money to write computer games! This was stuff I had been doing on my own as a hobby, and now I was getting money! Yeah! It was more-or-less a sweatshop, but holy smoke! After a while, I was making good money, but initially I was doing it for the love of the job. That's even more so in trading. I wrote my very first BASIC program on a teletype in the summer of 1979, and got my first paycheck (as a full time, professional programmer) in 1988. 9 years of straightforward work - I knew what I wanted to do. In 1990, I stumbled across a book by Trader Vic, and I was hooked on the idea of daytrading. It was pretty tough back then, what with 1/8 to 1/4 point spread on major stocks, blindingly high commissions, no direct access (couldn't buy on the bid nor sell on the ask). But I started into it. And blew out many accounts. Once I had to call a friend and offer him a case of homebrew if he'd give me a job. Last August I left my job (making the highest salary and highest bonuses I'd ever gotten) to go full time trading. So that was a journey of 12 years. And I consider myself very green, just like I was at that very first programming job in 1988. But I love it. Now, to be a trader, you'll be competing with me. To succeed, you'll need to take money from me, money that I have absolutely no intention of giving to you. To get a true picture of this, imagine a programming contest between the two of us. We both put up 25 grand, and the winner takes it all. For purposes of this illustration, I've been programming as a hobby for 12 years (because it is in my blood) and you have studied (because you would like to make some serious money). Are you worried about your 25k? You should be. So my advice is you should not go into IT, nor should you go into trading. And the neat thing is, if I am wrong and you do have the drive to succeed at either (or both) of these things, you'll just ignore my advice and plow on through. Of course, you may decide to ignore my advice even if it is correct, so do not make your judgement on that basis alone.
Because of steadier consumer demand, paramedics, nurses, nurse assistants, pharmacists, physicians' assistants, physicians and surgeons do have more secure jobs. But keep in mind this is also a myth that they themselves maintain. How many employment ads have you seen lately -- for physicians? How many jobs are available for surgeons over 40? How easy is it to do surgeries after you're over 40 and your eyesight is failing and your hands are not very steady? A friend of mine is an "M.D." and "surgeon" but hasn't done any surgery in the last 15 years. Very privately he uses direct mail to get himself a job but keeps getting letters of rejection every single day. Another "M.D." is an "ENT" specialist, but supposedly injured his neck, has constant pain, and could not and hasn't practiced medicine in the last 15 years. He calls himself a "doctor", is secretive and snobbish, refuses to talk about his situation, yet maintains this image of being a "doctor". But is he really a doctor? Is he doing well? I don't think so. Don't make a career choice or make a huge investment of up to 10 years of your life. Try to fully investigate at least 40 so called "doctors", young and old, employed or unemployed. Additionally, how can you be a full-time trader, if you have a full time job as a paramedic, nurse, nurse assistant, pharmacist, physicians' assistant, physician or surgeon?