Gabe Goldberg wrote:
Do people plan to work as long as they're able? Because of enjoyable jobs? From necessity? For other reasons?
I'm 59.9 & been in (used to be called) D.P. since I was 19. I'll probably work until my head hits the keyboard one last time. Most of my career has been enjoyable - started as a night computer operator, which quickly escalated to programmer/operator/operations scheduler (yes, all at once) when the rest of the DP staff quit to form their own service bureau & left me to do it all. This was in 1970 - when I experienced my first Y2K challenges (programming for a mortgage company -- imagine their surprise when 30-year mortgage programs were blowing up with negative dates and amortizations!). I moved to Programmer/Analyst, then DP Manager, took a side-trip into electronics technician while working on an EE degree; but DP Management paid WAY better, so back to that. Worked for law firms, banks and schools on NCR (anyone heard of CRAM?), Univac, Burroughs & IBM systems. I've been at my present position for 12 years - nearly all of it on VM/VSE (but we have recently migrated to AIX on a p550).
Are folks being downsized/outsourced?
Neither, although companies I've worked for have been bought out & the positions eliminated.
Regarding "dump the mainframe projects" -- have you stayed with a company after migrating to another platform? How has that worked out? Have you seen "dump" projects fail or simply continue forever with mainframes chugging along productively?
Mostly, the organizations I've worked with have always been in expansion mode. We've added other platforms, but never migrated from one to another. From some things I've read on this list, I'd say I've been pretty lucky in my career. In general (in my case), the attitude has been "if it's working, don't mess with it".
Has the skill set required for mainframe work changed during your career? How have tools evolved to support skills required?
Definitely changed ... from having to keypunch my own programs (even had to wire my own boards at one time!) to DBMS developmentand Object-oriented design. It was hard moving from the physical (80-column card decks) to virtual (entering code on terminals - still in 80-column format) the first time, but if it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger (for the next major change). The only constant in this field is change. That's one of the perks, in my opinion. Bu the stress of keeping up can be daunting. Most of my children have gone into soft sciences (nursing, teaching, writing), but my two youngest sons are considering careers in computer science - I don't encourage nor discourage them, but don't think they have the temperament for business applications.
What are boomer mainframers doing in retirement? Are you taking new jobs and "double dipping"? Becoming consultants? Trainers? Writers? With former employers? In locations you've worked or moving?
I did the consultant thing 20 years ago while I was working full-time. After a few years, I tired of it. Now that I'm older, I personally like the benefits of working for a company & not having to worry about the background details of entrepenuership. I've also moved from big-city So.Calif to small-town midwest, which severely limits the opportunities (but the pace of life is slower, so you get to live longer ...)
Or starting new careers in other fields?
Once I went DP, I never went back ... :-)
With decades of experience and perspective -- and considering contradictory trends of organizations migrating to other platforms AND the general resurgence of the mainframe -- what recommendations are offered for the mainframe's future?
I feel bad that the mainframe seems to be fading away. I think there's a place for it, but that management doesn't give it a chance. The new toys are sleek and sexy, but they don't have the proven track record like mainframes -- especially in the areas of security and efficiency in handling a large, distributed user base.
Are younger-generation mainframe staffers joining your companies? Have you helped recruit any (including family members!)? How are they integrated into your data centers? Are there inter-generational issues (training, collaboration, communication, work habits, whatever)? What should employers do to smooth the process?
We're definitely moving away from the VM/VSE CICS COBOL environments. (WARNING! Generalizations ahead! Don't write me back that you - as an individual - aren't like this.) The newer people either don't have a background in those areas and/or don't want to learn them. As a manager over the past 15 years, my biggest complaint is that (new) people don't have the drive or the responsibility to learn WHY they do things; they simply accept those things they have to do, and try to get away with doing very little else.
Have you worked for younger bosses/managers? What's that been like? Are there challenges communicating mainframe benefits, mindset, practices to them?
Yes. Generally, not a problem. But there is always a sense that they don't "really" understand what your job is - but at least they are grateful that you can get it done ... and are occasionally amazed when you actually come up with an original idea. If I were born 20 years earlier, I never would have had a full-life career in DP/MIS/IT. I feel the same is true if I were born 20 years later. It is a narrow window in human history that I have been fortunate enough to participate in. It'll be interesting to read other tales ... (Feel free to ask for details.) Kim Colwell Director of Administrative Data Systems Danville Area Community College Danville, IL 61832 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For LINUX-390 subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: INFO LINUX-390 or visit http://www.marist.edu/htbin/wlvindex?LINUX-390
