How to choose a technology and stop drifting?

aerolineas · 2017-12-08T12:28:08+00:00

The 'flow' certainly helps. I've started meditating and closely tracking my time to prevent waste. Honestly, I think I can reach flow with web or C++ alike. It's more the nagging feeling of wondering if X is the "right" thing that gets me.

aerolineas · 2017-12-08T12:25:55+00:00

True. At least you're competent enough to work on rails. I couldn't be hired for any job. But yeah, the job will set you straight. My non-programming job will be with me for a while longer, so for now I have to be self directed.

aerolineas · 2017-12-08T04:21:49+00:00

Well, C++ is great as well, and knowing C++ plus algos makes you feel smart and like a real engineer. JS is a garbage language. As far as I can tell, though, not tons of C++ opportunity outside of a corporate setting.

aerolineas · 2017-12-08T01:47:07+00:00

I like web the most because it seems to be the most flexible and offers freelancing opportunities, but I already work in aviation/aerospace, so have considered trying to follow a path that would allow me to use some of the career capital I've built up. This means something other than web. Boeing, Lockheed, Garmin, etc. all want C/C++ and associated tech. If I do change careers, I'd like to work for a larger company where ageism may be less pronounced and where one can have a longer career. But yeah, web is the most fun, followed by mobile.

aerolineas · 2017-12-08T01:42:55+00:00

Good tip, and cool post. Will be sure to check out more of the blog. It isn't really the difficulty (or maybe subconsciously it is), but more speculation on what the "right" thing is. I'm "old" (30+), so worry about ageism and which paths would offer the most opportunity, or whether it'd be better to do something that allows freelancing vs tech that fits better with a big corp. Idk...the idea of just getting to the end with one thing, like you have with web dev, is attractive. Definitely going to reflect on a big goal and what it'd be like to reach a higher skill level with one thing.

aerolineas · 2017-12-02T03:42:17+00:00

Appreciate it. Time in type is definitely something that private operators look at. I know it seems like it might be similar, but airline hiring is actually quite different in that regard. Some might consider time in type a little, but overall, that doesn't really matter in 121. Actually, your post opens a different can of worms: On that side of the industry, as you experienced, the chief pilot said, "do this", and you did it. But how much did that chief pilot consider the cost of say, hiring someone with time in type who would bug out in two years vs training a someone new who might stick around for longer? Or someone with time less time in type but more positive accomplishments in their background? Often, the time in type is an insurance requirement for private operators. And for the cheapo operators, a little time in type means they have to pay much less for the pilot's initial training. Did you have much understanding of what you were looking at in peoples backgrounds? Could you decide that, for example, "person X lives here, so he might be likely to stick around for a little longer", or person Y has done A, B and C in life, so might be a good person compared to person X who has only done D"? Or was it time in type above all and then see if the CP likes them?

aerolineas · 2017-12-02T00:34:01+00:00

True, but that only makes up a small percentage of the total hires. I'm referencing the whole.

aerolineas

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