How did you get started in Ada?

How did you get started in Ada?

[Aidan Skinner]

So, after two years working as a systems and security architect
developing large ecommerce websites, I find myself being made
redundant.

I'd really like to get a job involving embedded Ada, and there are
some available where I am. However, all of them require experience in
embedded development. Which seems to be the classic catch-22
situation.

So I'm wondering how people here got started, or is embedded s/w dev a
prety much closed system?

- Aidan
-- 
aidan@velvet.net  http://www.velvet.net/~aidan/  aim:aidans42
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Re: How did you get started in Ada?

[Marin David Condic]

I got into it from a Business Data Processing (Cobol/Mainframe) background.
I got interested in Ada and learned all I could about it which gave me a
skill needed at the time by DoD embedded developers. (Compilers were barely
in existence at the time - so finding someone who could spell "Ada" and had
actually seen a compiler was a bit of a rarity.) I also worked through a
bunch of home study courses in Electronics that were available from Heathkit
at the time, so I developed some working knowledge of all those doohickies
on a circuit card. The rest is kind of On The Job Training.

You may find that if you've got a solid background in Ada, some business
using Ada will likely want to consider you even without any embedded
experience because you have a skill they need and it isn't found everywhere.
You can also develop some knowledge of electronics through informal means.
Remember that they're not hiring you to design circuits - but it helps to
know something about the hardware.

Don't underestimate the fact that often, more important than some set of
skills, is your mental attitude. Put yourself in your (potential) boss's
situation and immediately start talking about how you can solve his
problems. A guy who comes in the door with an attitude of "Don't worry about
your problems - I'll find a way to make them go away for you!" is going to
be perceived as a big advantage over some other candidate who may have a
better fitting background but comes off as just willing to do what he's
told.

And if you hear of any Ada work that is going on in South Florida, let me
know. I know people who would entertain the notion of getting out of the C
gig. :-)

MDC
--
Marin David Condic
Senior Software Engineer
Pace Micro Technology Americas    www.pacemicro.com
Enabling the digital revolution
e-Mail:    marin.condic@pacemicro.com
Web:      http://www.mcondic.com/


"Aidan Skinner" <aidan@velvet.net> wrote in message
news:slrna6031t.4d8.aidan@crushed.velvet.net...
>
> So I'm wondering how people here got started, or is embedded s/w dev a
> prety much closed system?
>

Re: How did you get started in Ada?

[Preben Randhol]

On Tue, 5 Feb 2002 16:45:49 +0000 (UTC), Aidan Skinner wrote:
> 
> I'd really like to get a job involving embedded Ada, and there are
> some available where I am. However, all of them require experience in
> embedded development. Which seems to be the classic catch-22
> situation.

Apply anyway.

Preben

Re: How did you get started in Ada?

[Hambut]

aidan@velvet.net (Aidan Skinner) wrote in message news:<slrna6031t.4d8.aidan@crushed.velvet.net>...
> So, after two years working as a systems and security architect
> developing large ecommerce websites, I find myself being made
> redundant.
> 
> I'd really like to get a job involving embedded Ada, and there are
> some available where I am. However, all of them require experience in
> embedded development. Which seems to be the classic catch-22
> situation.
> 
> So I'm wondering how people here got started, or is embedded s/w dev a
> prety much closed system?
> 
> - Aidan

You could try registering with TPS (www.tps.co.uk)- they seem to place
quite a few people with BAE SYSTEMS (who is probaby the single largest
user of Ada in the UK).  Certainly a few years ago BAE SYSTEMS were on
a massive drive to recruit software engineers (offering training etc.)
so it might be worth a thought.

On another note - be careful what you wish for - in the Ada
development environments I've worked in there is a large emphasis
placed on process and procedure (and quite rightly considering the
nature of the applications), this may be quite alien to what you've
experienced so far, so you may need to be prepared for a culture
shock.  There may not be the slack available for casual creativity
that you're used to.

Hambut

Re: How did you get started in Ada?

[Colin Paul Gloster]

You might try to get into one of the I.T. companies listed on
HTTP://WWW.UKspace.com/profbrw.htm
Good luck.

Re: How did you get started in Ada?

[Marin David Condic]

The original poster (Aidan Skinner) didn't happen to mention the geography
of interest. This looks like a good place to start looking if you're in the
U.K. If the interest is in some part of the USA, I'd suggest looking at the
websites for the big aerospace and defense contractors to see if they have
branches in the part of the country one might be interested in living in.

There really isn't much available information on Ada jobs. Most of the
references you'd find on the net lead you to headhunters - not necessarily a
bad thing, but not giving you much insight into where to look for the things
that *don't* get handed off to a headhunter.

What might be useful to the Ada community would be to have a set of links to
company websites for companies that are known to be doing Ada development in
some capacity. Some version of: "If your company is doing anything with Ada,
send in a link along with a brief description of any Ada work you know is
being done..." That would probably be more effective than simply looking for
Ada job postings which would undoubtedly miss most of the stuff going on.
I'd suggest that AdaPower would be the logical place for such a page, but I
certainly wouldn't want to volunteer anyone for more work. :-)

MDC
--
Marin David Condic
Senior Software Engineer
Pace Micro Technology Americas    www.pacemicro.com
Enabling the digital revolution
e-Mail:    marin.condic@pacemicro.com
Web:      http://www.mcondic.com/


"Colin Paul Gloster" <Colin_Paul_Gloster@ACM.org> wrote in message
news:slrna64rgn.mfs.cpg@Prodigy.redbrick.dcu.ie...
> You might try to get into one of the I.T. companies listed on
> HTTP://WWW.UKspace.com/profbrw.htm
> Good luck.

Re: How did you get started in Ada?

[Dan Andreatta]

Colin Paul Gloster <Colin_Paul_Gloster@ACM.org> wrote in 
news:slrna64rgn.mfs.cpg@Prodigy.redbrick.dcu.ie:

> You might try to get into one of the I.T. companies listed on
> HTTP://WWW.UKspace.com/profbrw.htm
> Good luck.

You can also try www.dice.com.

-- 
D. Andreatta
Univ. of S. Carolina
Chemistry Dept.

Bruce I:   ... American beer is a little like making love in a canoe!
Bruce III: Making love in a canoe? 
Bruce I:   It's f***ing close to water!

--- Monty Python, "The Bruces", Live at the Holliwood Bowl

Re: How did you get started in Ada?

[Ian]

hfrumblefoot@yahoo.com (Hambut) wrote in message news:<fb75c450.0202060205.5f4dfc1c@posting.google.com>...
> aidan@velvet.net (Aidan Skinner) wrote in message news:<slrna6031t.4d8.aidan@crushed.velvet.net>...
> > I'd really like to get a job involving embedded Ada, and there are
> > some available where I am. However, all of them require experience in
> > embedded development. Which seems to be the classic catch-22
> > situation.
> > 
> > So I'm wondering how people here got started, or is embedded s/w dev a
> > prety much closed system?
> > 
> > - Aidan
> 
> You could try registering with TPS (www.tps.co.uk)- they seem to place
> quite a few people with BAE SYSTEMS (who is probaby the single largest
> user of Ada in the UK).  Certainly a few years ago BAE SYSTEMS were on
> a massive drive to recruit software engineers (offering training etc.)
> so it might be worth a thought.

They seem to be recruiting for themselves to provide in house
contractors. However BAE SYSTEMS is currently recruiting permanent
staff. There are also ads in local newspapers run by a recruiter whoes
e-mail address is:

jobs@cbs-appointments.co.uk

They are for Software Engineers and Systems Design Engineers.
Experience in Ada is on the list of preferences.

This may not help Aidan who seems to be resident in the USA as the
jobs are in Hampshire and Surrey in the UK.

> Hambut

I don't have any interest in this personally.

Ian

Re: How did you get started in Ada?

[David Gillon]

Ian wrote:
> 
> They are for Software Engineers and Systems Design Engineers.
> Experience in Ada is on the list of preferences.
> 
> This may not help Aidan who seems to be resident in the USA as the
> jobs are in Hampshire and Surrey in the UK.
> 

It's worth noting BAE SYSTEMS has sites all over the UK and US (not to
mention Italy, Saudi et al). Which ones are actively recruiting at any
one time will obviously vary. Check
http://www.baesystems.com/careers/careers.htm

-- 

David Gillon

Re: How did you get started in Ada?

[Colin Paul Gloster]

On Thu, 7 Feb 2002 10:02:03 -0500, <dont.bother.mcondic.auntie.spam@[> wrote:
"The original poster (Aidan Skinner) didn't happen to mention the geography
of interest. This looks like a good place to start looking if you're in the
U.K. [..]"

True but on his website it can be seen that he lives there.

Another employer he could try is
John Robinson & Associates http://www.JohnRobinsonAndAssociates.com/

Re: How did you get started in Ada?

[Colin Paul Gloster]

On 7 Feb 2002 16:43:14 -0700, <andreatta@mail.chem.sc.edu.REMOVEME> wrote:
"You can also try www.dice.com."

But that is only for North America.

Re: How did you get started in Ada?

[Aidan Skinner]

On 12 Feb 2002 03:35:09 -0800, Ian <Ian0kerr@my-deja.com> wrote in
<1d84a5a0.0202120335.3596981d@posting.google.com>:

>  This may not help Aidan who seems to be resident in the USA as the
>  jobs are in Hampshire and Surrey in the UK.

Despite the address I'm actually in Glasgow, Scotland. :)

The commute to Surrey would be a bit much though.. ;)

- Aidan
-- 
aidan@velvet.net  http://www.velvet.net/~aidan/  aim:aidans42
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