From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.2 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID, REPLYTO_WITHOUT_TO_CC autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,b0d569080889afd6 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: Marin David Condic Subject: Re: A question for my personal knowledge. Date: 1999/05/17 Message-ID: <37407533.DA7DCBAE@pwfl.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 479125289 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: condicma@bogon.pwfl.com References: <1VEZ2.1515$I51.88140@carnaval.risq.qc.ca> <37372A84.641F2133@bigfoot.com> <7h8oe8$2js$1@cf01.edf.fr> <37382B0C.A95B6745@bigfoot.com> <373841A7.7AB200BB@pwfl.com> <373992FC.86F994D6@pwfl.com> <7hp5qk$at@zk2nws.zko.dec.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Organization: Pratt & Whitney Mime-Version: 1.0 Reply-To: diespammer@pwfl.com Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Date: 1999-05-17T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: Charlie McCutcheon wrote: > > I think "interesting we don't do that here" generally translates to "we're not > interested in training you - NEXT". If you don't have the specific language > skills they want, you're not considered for the job. That's a negative if you > wanted the job. So if Ada is not wanted with employers, Ada programmers worry > about being employable. > I think you missed the original issue. It isn't a case of telling the prospective employer "I know language X and have been programming in nothing else but language X for the last 40 years and I don't know any other languages." It was originally posited that knowing language X would be viewed as a negative. For example, I'm interviewing for an embedded programming position where the languages involved are SNOBOL and Lisp. I tell the interviewer, "Why yes, I know and have used in practical projects SNOBOL and Lisp. As a matter of fact I was on the design team that invented both of these languages. I've been called into court to testify as an expert witness on the precise interpretations of both SNOBOL and Lisp. Why, I could roughly estimate the amount of absolutely flawless lines of SNOBOL and Lisp I've written as easily going into the billions. Oh, and I also have used Ada in case you ever want to use that in an embedded system." The employer turns and says "Hmmmmm... Ada, eh? I'm terribly sorry, but we don't allow Ada speakers to work here. We feel that anyone who bothers to learn Ada must be a member of a criminal subclass, a dangerous Bolshevek revolutionary, a rebellious malcontent and a freak of nature who could *never* fit into civilized society. Now I'll thank you sir to leave before I call security!" Somehow I can't find that scenario to be realistic. Somehow, I have some faith in people who hire software engineers to have some knowledge of what it is they are supervising and that they wouldn't hold knowledge of a given language against someone, provided they were well qualified for the task at hand. They might foolishly overlook an otherwise qualified Software Engineer for lack of experience with their language of the day - a dumb move, if you ask most of us - but I couldn't see people being so stupid or bigoted that they would actually hold knowledge of a specific language against someone. MDC -- Marin David Condic Real Time & Embedded Systems, Propulsion Systems Analysis United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney, Large Military Engines M/S 731-95, P.O.B. 109600, West Palm Beach, FL, 33410-9600 ***To reply, remove "bogon" from the domain name.*** Visit my web page at: http://www.flipag.net/mcondic