iamacp.com – I Am A Computer Programmer
All about the daily work issues of a Java/J2EE Computer Programmer

Here are some of the most important programming lessons that I learned in 2010 about being a software engineer.

• I  never really truly the importance of a large professional network until I lost my long term contract back in March. I overcame my lack of  effort of building a professional network to build a large professional network of over 1,600 direct connections in LinkedIn and a total network of over 14 million connections.

• Never count on a contract lasting as long as you expect. Contracts can and will end abruptly seemingly with notice.  2 of my contracts there lasted shorter than excepted but I was able to rebound quickly due to my large network. Protect yourself at all costs.

• Consulting vs Full Time  Employment – Does it really matter if your making $40-$50 a hour if the job only lasts 3 months and it takes another month to find work? The hassles and stress of uncertainty contracting making a semi stable (at least for a few years)  salary worth it (70-80 let’s say).  At least you have benefits and vacation time. Despite what I’ve said over the past few years this can sometimes be worth it when you need some stability and want to settle down.

• The Right Location -  In the event of finding your ideal location to work and settle down being a full time employee can and does makes sense especially when you are living in areas not normally known for having a ton of tech jobs.

• Recruiters Drive Me Nuts – Not all recruiters are good and not all of them are bad.  Never deal with a recruiter in India if you are a US Citizen. They will stalk you. On numerous times I have had them call using fake caller id numbers and call 5 and 6 times a week. You’d think they’d get the hint if I don’t return a call I’m not interested. Recruiters will also  not tell you the truth all the time. Recruiters also seem to think that they are the only 1 or 2 companies that are looking for work for you.

These are the most important programming lessons I’ve learned in 2010.

Good afternoon, it has been awhile since my last post. Since I last posted I again lost my job. The good news is that I found a permanent job within a week of loosing my contract. It gets even better that the job is in Tampa. What more could I ask for? A permanent job with a good salary in a highly desirable location where most people would love to work in.

I’m so lucky to have such a large professional network of headhuters in the state of Florida. To all those people that don’t have a need for LinkedIn you can and easily loose your job very quickly.Loosing your job and attempting to build a network is a bad thing. Build a large network while you still have a job. By doing this you can easily and quickly find a new job if something happens.

I remember just a few years ago I felt trapped working for a company in Southern Indiana and was miserable. The problem was that simply that I knew little about how to target my job search to the locations that I wanted to work. A experienced and skilled developer should be able to work in any location they want within reason as long as they have a large professional network.