Public Address | Cafe | Polity: Forty

Brent Jackson

Mon, 23 Nov 2015 12:05:30 +1300

Here's a blog post about another ICT training possibility, called Industry Connect (based in Auckland).

Kumara Republic

Sat, 24 Oct 2015 21:59:58 +1300

I wonder whether we could have a separate thread for people to give advice about alternatives? Russell?

Can't come soon enough. An apprenticeship approach offers mentorship, networking opportunities and immersiveness that self-teaching doesn't.

The longer I remain in a dead-end rut, the more I develop a bitter and cynical view…

Kumara Republic

Sun, 18 Oct 2015 16:57:25 +1300

Do you think you would like testing, as they do at Aspiritech?

It’s one area that’s been recommended to me. Unfortunately, NZ has nothing closely resembling Aspiritech or Specialisterne that caters for autistic jobseekers. At least last time I checked.

I had a year’s worth of mentorship with an NZCS/IITP…

Amy Gale

Sun, 18 Oct 2015 03:46:52 +1300

Do you think you would like testing, as they do at Aspiritech?

Kumara Republic

Sat, 17 Oct 2015 17:51:59 +1300

I’d have to agree that self-teaching is a blunt instrument, even with the tightest self-discipline. One can read all the books they can on the latest coding technologies, and still get nowhere fast. Unless of course, they set up their own biz, which not everyone is up to. As for…

Rich of Observationz

Sat, 17 Oct 2015 17:30:56 +1300

But a course will also require that “infrastructure’, and if you don’t have that background, you might pass the course, and you might get a good idea what programmers do, but you won’t be a productive programmer, or ever get out of being a “junior”. (The industry is full of…

BenWilson

Sat, 17 Oct 2015 16:26:33 +1300

By teaching oneself I pretty much meant "using books and the internet, for the most part", rather than from first principles. Even with some formal training, the bulk of the learning is done on project work, and most of the programmers I know who stuck with it as a career…

Amy Gale

Sat, 17 Oct 2015 04:01:28 +1300

It has always seemed to me that if you can’t really teach it to yourself, you probably aren’t going to make a good programmer, because it means you don’t really love doing it, and don’t do it just for fun.

I don't entirely agree. Teaching yourself programming de novo requires…

BenWilson

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 15:41:59 +1300

and I suspect that most people with the aptitude could learn coding at home for negligible outlay

It could take quite a long time, though. But possibly not longer than learning it through a paid course. It has always seemed to me that if you can't really teach it to…

Allan Moyle

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 10:55:59 +1300

Thank your mum for the observation. With a 0 b'day looming in few days the wider family is a little perplexed as to my decision to essentially not celebrate it in the manner they expected. My last 0 birthday was big event and what followed was major upheaval in life…

Kumara Republic

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 14:13:01 +1300

My perception could be biased through my own experiences, but over time I’ve found for me that knowing people is frequently a huge factor in landing jobs, probably moreso than being the most highly skilled person possible. Employers often seem to be more comfortable with someone they know plus often…

Amy Gale

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 12:04:43 +1300

Working on an open source project, making mobile apps, or developing websites for friends, family or community groups are one way to get valid experience.

Another important one for web work is subcontracting for friends/acquaintances who have already gotten a foot in the door. Plus: paid.

izogi

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 11:33:48 +1300

If you manage the first part (and I suspect that most people with the aptitude could learn coding at home for negligible outlay), then you’ve got to work out how to convince employers.

Finding out there's even a job to apply for can also be a useful thing.

My perception…

Rich of Observationz

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 10:42:23 +1300

There are two problems:
– learning how to do programming
– convincing potential employers/clients that you can do programming

The first part is probably the easier one, if you have the aptitude and background.

(Most people don’t. You need numeracy, a pedantic sense of accuracy and the ability to comprehend…

Amy Gale

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 03:05:11 +1300

DevAcademy is seemingly my last chance to debunk the notion of “if you haven’t made it by 40, then you’ll never make it.” If I can somehow find a spare $11k without having to sell cocaine or pull a bank job.

11k is a startling sum of money for a…

andin

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 21:33:47 +1300

Altruism the human quality, that’s learned.

who knows?

John McCormick

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 17:26:18 +1300

Forty didn't bother me at all, just an excuse for a party, but 50! Not that it's bad, more a sense of disbelief. "I can't be 50, surely some mistake". That's mature, sensible, responsible. I don't even feel properly grown up yet, let alone old.

That said, it's rather nice.…

BenWilson

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 15:59:33 +1300

I went through 40 by the book, feeling the same bummed out nowhere-man kind of thing that many report. It was bloody unpleasant, but for me, it's passed. It's like I worked through the stages of grief for my young life, or something. "By the book" for a person of…

RaggedJoe

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 12:28:38 +1300

First 40 years trying to kill ourselves and second 40 trying to save ourselves has some resonance for me. In early my 50's now, career ok, (not stellar but fine) kids independent, more or less, we are eating better, drinking less, feeling sore for no reason, enjoying walking the dog,…

Kumara Republic

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 10:08:28 +1300

I’m not yet at the magic number, but all the same I’ve felt this whole ‘failure to launch’ thing. Being undiagnosed with ASD and subsequently being misunderstood can be a big factor in that.

After bombing out of university in my early 20s, I very much played it straight. I…

Jackie Clark

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 07:23:17 +1300

Loss.
How to deal with it.
Compassion.
How to have more of it.
These are the things I learn as I age.
In my forties (late late forties), I lost my world. I found renewed passion and vigour and a new purpose in other people.
It's okay.

Paul Campbell

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 06:52:47 +1300

Mine have both left in the past 6 months, we sent them off with degrees and no loans (put money aside 15 years ago, leveraged the 10% bonus for paying off loans early nefore the Nats nuked it), now they have jobs (sadly far away) we feel like we have…

Russell Brown

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 22:51:13 +1300

For me, 40 is the age of divorces and diseases. The best thing, though, is how it's generally so much better than the hellish nightmare world threatened by the "Life Begins at 40" song.

True. But so is, say, being a character in The Walking Dead.

Rosemary McDonald

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 22:21:51 +1300

On the gripping hand, that means that they also go off and do their own thing.

Yes, they'll potter off into the wild blue yonder, get an edjucashun and a whopping great big student loan, a marginal paying job and...

MOVE BACK HOME!

So, at 55 and 65 respectively the…

Sue

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 21:38:58 +1300

According to my very wise & 40 years older than me Mother "0 Birthdays are the worst". So many, too many expectations come with them. Possibly a bit like a 21st i suspect – I was too ill to have one but in not having one i felt i was missing…

chris

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 18:18:08 +1300

my long held desire to effect change through senior political roles may never come to fruition either

This is a major failing of modern photogenic democracies, our kaumātua are relegated to political irrelevance and this is largely mirrored in society too, We need more leadership in the Corbyn, Sanders, Biden,…

Robyn Gallagher

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 17:58:54 +1300

For me, 40 is the age of divorces and diseases. The best thing, though, is how it's generally so much better than the hellish nightmare world threatened by the "Life Begins at 40" song.

Deborah

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 16:50:52 +1300

Knowing that the middle-aged, supposed powerhouses of the workplace, self-identified rocks in their family, usually aren’t as bulletproof as they project is a good start.

Exactly so.

I think the thing that I'm finding hard at present (staring 50 in the eye come January) is that we have several friends…

Stephen R

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 16:47:39 +1300

The 40s have been good to me.

I actually decided I didn't really care about getting any further up the ladder by the time I was about 38, and actually took a step back from there – much less stress.

Paid off the mortgage when times were good instead of…

andin

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 16:19:52 +1300

“can the government help?”
It used too, but the problems rolling down the tracks towards you young 'uns just makes our current lot fall back on trite, small minded solutions, while touting what a great job thy're doing. A fools paradise.
And as a 60 something I kinda look forward…

simon g

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 16:08:04 +1300

It would help if famous people would stop dying for a bit. If you had the standard dose of popular culture as a kid or young adult, then 20 or 30 years later those sports stars, musicians, actors and general telly faces are now in their dotage, and increasingly, their…

Russell Brown

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 15:51:59 +1300

I think the other thing about one's forties is that it's the decade bits start to fall off and you start thinking about mortality. That can take some getting through. But, y'know, you do.

James Littlewood*

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 15:46:06 +1300

Closer to 50, life's better than ever. No lame rationalisations, sour grapes or excuses.

OK. One quick peek under the hood. Because things are better than I've ever known, I suddenly find myself more frightened of dying than ever.

Or, I suppose it could just be a function of age.…

william blake

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 15:44:27 +1300

Yay for Jane Kelsey ( although she is no longer forty)

Rob Stowell

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 15:43:59 +1300

I had a good forties. It's possible :) I'm looking forward to feeling happier later, though. The 50s so far haven't been terrific.

the State can’t really do much

You might be interested in 'What About Me?: The Struggle for Identity in a Market-Based Society' It's wide-ranging (so far -…

Paul Brislen

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 15:32:56 +1300

Well that's depressing.

I find the best approach is to count backwards from 40 (I'm currently 34 again and loving it) and then when you reach zero for the second time start counting up again.

Honestly, when you consider the alternatives, turning 40's not so bad.

Public Address

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 15:32:56 +1300

Discussion from blog post.