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Ask Slashdot: What Should I Study? 214

Posted by BeauHD from the new-horizons dept.
A fellow Slashdot reader is seeking advice on a new field of study: After many years at the same company, I'm now thinking of a change. At my current place of work, I have worked on many different projects, from server side development, to UI development, and most recently, a lot of data science work. If I were to rate myself, I consider myself to be a good developer, thorough, conscientious and always willing to learn new things. Even my recent foray into data science (though not entirely new, since my graduate studies specialized in machine learning) has had reasonable success, and ideally, I'd really like to continue working in this space.

But, I'm starting to feel in a rut and I'm looking for a change. And looking outside my company, I'm not sure how to begin. Should I hit the books again? Should I focus on any specific technologies? I haven't particularly kept up with new technology -- after working for so long, I tend to think of that as something I can learn, when I need to. Any advice on how I should go about preparing for interviews? I'm quite willing to put in a few months of work into prep, so all suggestions are welcome!
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Ask Slashdot: What Should I Study? More

Ask Slashdot: What Should I Study?

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  • FP (Score:2)

    by reanjr ( 588767 )

    If you haven't delved into it, try learning more about functional programming. In my experience, most devs haven't really built anything using FP, and it can be illuminating. react.js is a pretty good example of a system that works well with FP.

    • try learning more about functional programming. In my experience, most devs haven't really built anything using FP

      Functional programming is a hot topic ... yet very little has actually been built using it. That indicates to me that it is just hype. Programming with "pure" functions sounds nice in theory, but the real world has "state", and you don't get far by pretending that it doesn't.

      • Programming with pure functions is a great idea that reduces bugs. I do it even when I am using oop . It is not good in all situations of course, so it is a case of using the right tool for the job.

        • Programming with pure functions is a great idea that reduces bugs.

          Functional programming makes sense for simple things that are inherently stateless. Sqrt(), sin() and cos() have been "pure" functions for as long as there have been compilers. But it does not make sense for things that are inherently stateful, which happens in almost any useful application.

          I do it even when I am using oop.

          So does everyone else. Many oop apps use simple stateless functions. But if you are actually passing around objects by-value by shoving them onto the call stack, you are taking it way too far.

          It is not good in all situations of course, so it is a case of using the right tool for the job.

          The whole point of funct

          • Java strings are an API that is functional even though it is in an oop language. Each time you make a transformation on a string you get a new string, the strings themselves are immutable.

          • Functional programming makes sense for simple things that are inherently stateless. Sqrt(), sin() and cos() have been "pure" functions for as long as there have been compilers.

            They have not been. All of those will set errno. This in fact has turned out over the years to be a right pain in the arse for threading and optimization.

            But if you are actually passing around objects by-value by shoving them onto the call stack, you are taking it way too far.

            Going too far towards making your program fast...

            C++ is ve

            • You don't know much about functional programming, first of all it is not what you think, your functions here like sin() have nothing to do with it.

              Secondly, real world functional languages allow to modify state via monads. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

              In a functional language "functions are first class citizens", that means they behave like objects. e.g. the following code:

              a = sum(sqrt(3.7), sqrt(4.2)
              Creates three function objects, one instance of sum and two of sqrt, then it evalu

          • But if you are actually passing around objects by-value by shoving them onto the call stack, you are taking it way too far.

            Nobody would be that stupid.

            I just put everything in a massive struct of doom and pass a pointer to it everywhere.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by mikael ( 484 )

        Every language is like this - they are wonderful at small-scale academic proof-of-concept experiments with a few hundred lines of code. Start going to the millions of lines of code for things like large scale GUI applications and then every language starts to have problems: C - too low level, requiring a whole set of functions to be written for a simple ADT's to represent a new list structure. script-based GUI's - impossible to debug and step through. C++ - too many ways of doing things and everyone starts

        • Every language is like this

          ... but not equally. Some are much worse than others. If you were starting a big new project, and expecting to write tens of thousands of lines of code, then Java or C++ would be reasonable choices. Haskell or some other FP language would not. Here is a list of Haskell programs [haskell.org]. The list is short, is mostly small programs, and many of them are mathematical utilities, which is a narrow field were FP actually makes sense.

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by epine ( 68316 )

          C++ - too many ways of doing things and everyone starts trying to demonstrate their extreme cleverness by trying to find the most insanely complex way of doing something using STL and Boost.

          You think that's bad?

          Someday you should count up the number of different ways God invented to compute pi.

          pi = 16 arctan(1/5) - 4 arctan(1/239)

          Seriously, any computation of pi more clever than that is pure showboat.

      • Functional programming is a hot topic ... yet very little has actually been built using it.

        Try: half of C++. The C++ templating mechanism is a pure funtional functional language with an um interesting syntax.

        Programming with "pure" functions sounds nice in theory, but the real world has "state", and you don't get far by pretending that it doesn't.

        Doesn't mean the techniques aren't useful. It's become popular in C++ for instance to take those ideas from functional programming, like pure functions. The modre

    • "most devs haven't really built anything using FP"

      Gee, I wonder why that is?

  • Become a Renaissance Person (Score:4, Insightful)

    by al0ha ( 1262684 ) on Wednesday May 02, 2018 @06:56PM (#56544090) Journal
    Look at the opportunity out there and become skilled at something completely different. There's a crapload to be made in many skilled trades now that Baby Boomers are retiring out. Some trades like plumbing and electrician can't find enough people, and the opportunity to become very successful is wide open. Be a long time before robots take the job of a plummer, electrician and other skilled laborer.

    This is what I'd do if I were in my 30s even.
    • What about teaching/academia? Neither is going anywhere quickly either.
      • Disagree totally. Academia is going to be rocked sooner rather than later.

        Right now people are saying that it's real use is making connections. Ha!!! Learning. No. Connections. (As a parent of a teenager I hear this constantly.)
        "Video killed the radio star" comes to the current university system.

        ALL lecture courses will be gone. Lab work is a different story.
        • That's what was said 100 years ago when audio movie projectors were invented and 50 years ago when VCRs were invented. I'll believe it when I see it.

    • Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)

      by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Wednesday May 02, 2018 @08:17PM (#56544498)
      Comment removed based on user account deletion

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by Strider- ( 39683 )

        It really depends on where you are. In a lot of places, the trades are absolutely starved for people, and will readly accept anyone who is willing to put in the effort to actually work hard and learn the trade.

        If you're interested in electrical, always a good idea to contact your local IBEW branch, many of them will have all the information you need to get into the trade, and get better wages/benefits than you would otherwise.

        • Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)

          by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Wednesday May 02, 2018 @09:35PM (#56544760)
          Comment removed based on user account deletion

          • You can rise to the top *real* quick though. My brother and brother-in-law are both master electricians. Many of the people who try to fall-back on the trades are people who are barely able to succeed at tying their shoes every morning. If you show up on time (sober), work hard, can follow instructions and aren't a total jerk you're doing better than 80% of the people and will quickly be become a guy the master electrician wants with him on every job - that can be way before any official apprenticeship star

  • AI/Networking/Security/Law (Score:5, Insightful)

    by sdinfoserv ( 1793266 ) on Wednesday May 02, 2018 @06:57PM (#56544100)
    I'm in Seattle area... People with Cisco CNE's, Security CISSP's are constantly getting poached. Good security people bring $200k-$1M salaries out here. Network engineers make in the $100K range (as do programmers out here).
    AI is really growing an high paid, but you need a Phd to grab a top salary in AI. If you have that, you can start at the same wages (or more) of a neurosurgeon.
    If I were 21 today and starting over... seriously.. I would spend 4 years in the military. Get out and get a job as a fire fighter. They start out here at $80K. Some work 10 days on, 20 days off..(those 10 days you live in the house). Retire at 53 or 54 with a full pension and health care and spend the next 30-40 years fishing, hunting, playing with grand kids, traveling... what ever.

    • Re:AI/Networking/Security/Law (Score:5, Interesting)

      by jon3k ( 691256 ) on Wednesday May 02, 2018 @08:08PM (#56544450)
      Came here to post this. Security, security, security. It is an absolute gold rush right now and the problem is getting worse not better. I don't know how many people outside of the Bay Area or NYC are making $200k-$1M in security, but $100-$200k with only a couple years experience and a CISSP can probably get you 100-200k in pretty much any tier 1 or tier 2 city. Alternatively you can get into government contract work, get a TS(/SCI) and bounce around contractors with insanely good insurance and pretty much guaranteed work.
    • This is hugely reassuring. I live on Whidbey Island, halfway through my MS in infosec, and about to start on a second career. I know enough to keep my 4.0 and my current day job is risk management. Can't get the CISSP because of the employment requirement, but I can get close enough and I enjoy the subject matter. Thanks!

    • Re: (Score:2, Flamebait)

      by b0s0z0ku ( 752509 )
      Thing about the military is that you may be required to kill or do harm for causes you might not believe in. Is it really worth having this on your conscience?
      • You're conscience, don't speak for me.
        Humanity is a tiny thread from chaos and mass killings. Every single event in animal history - humans included - where resource contention happens, survival turns us into vicious killing machines. Civility today in America (most of it), is a result of a rare time in human history where most have "plenty". That has never endured in the course of human existence so don't assume it will continue. ...... but it's nice that you're life, and the lives of those you care a
    • Getting a full-time firefighting job is harder than you might think.

      My brother-in-law was in the military, was deployed in a combat zone, and upon discharge (honorable and with multiple letters of recommendation) spent ~5 years trying to get into a decent firefighting academy. He went up and down the east coast and despite being in the top 10% of the test-takers, both academic and physical, he was frequently turned away because of the rampant nepotism and one person just "not liking him" (the ones who DID

  • What's the question? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by DogDude ( 805747 )
    This is a terrible submission. What the hell kind of question is "what should I study" with zero context? How fucking arbitrary is this?

    • I thought I accidentally went to Reddit.

    • Girls and drinking. Or boys and weed if that's legal. Or just social customs on websites or people.

    • It also makes the answer simple.

      Study what you find interesting! If only because personal interest tends to be the strongest, longest lasting motivator.

    • What the hell kind of question is "what should I study" with zero context?

      You know, what would be really neat is if slashdot would provide a longer summary to go along with the very brief headline. They could even have links in there. Honestly though I don't think that would work because no one would read the summary let alone the links.

  • Clarification from the original poster (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 02, 2018 @06:58PM (#56544106)
    Original AC here. I should clarify - I don't want to entirely change my field of work. I still want to stay in programming, and possibly data science. I'm just really nervous about interviewing after a *very* long time, and I'm wondering how to go about it. I also have a very varied set of experiences, not specializing in any one thing - just really a matter of doing what was needed, when it was needed. I'm not sure how this will go down in interviews, and how to best portray it.

    • Just go try it. Failing is how you learn to succeed. If you're nervous about a few interviews, go interview at a few places you don't want to work for practice. You'll figure it out, just takes some practice learning to talk the talk.

      --
      "Thanks All Folks" - P. Pig

    • If that's the best you can do when asking a question I'd suggest you try to work your way up to ditch digger or road-sweeper.

    • In general, try not to interview first for your dream job, best to have a little experience handling interviews.

    • Re:Clarification from the original poster (Score:5, Insightful)

      by LostMyBeaver ( 1226054 ) on Wednesday May 02, 2018 @07:51PM (#56544390)
      You're making the mistake of thinking that a person in your age group should interview. I'll imagine that you're at least 35+ possibly even as high as 50. We don't interview at that age anymore. We figure out what we want to do, then we think about who we'd like to work for. Then we make the friends through social networking that would present us with the opportunity to meet the right people to get us on payroll.

      I don't even hire people I have to interview. I sometimes have lunch with someone that's recommended to me. But to be fair... as soon as I see a resume and I hear job interview, that's over with. I sure as hell don't want to hire anyone who is over 30 who is going to send me resumes.

      I have often talked with people who I find on Github and Gitter. If I like their code and they play well with others and display a good work ethic and they make the comment they're looking for a job or make hints they're interested in moving, that's a great way to meet people. Meetups are more for desperate people. It's like speed dating for people who were splashed with acid.

      If you're interested in something, invest the time in making sure people know you're a smart guy and willing to move. This way you draw jobs to you not the other way around.

      Interviewing is something you do as a college grad trying to get that first job. Or it could be something you do if you're trying to pimp yourself off to Microsoft, Amazon or Google for example. But even with those companies, I'd just make friends with senior level developers and mention that I think it would be interesting to work for a behemoth from the inside for once... but I wouldn't want to be just another badge number. I would recommend in that case that you don't express interest in their vest and rest plans.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by ranton ( 36917 )

        You're making the mistake of thinking that a person in your age group should interview. I'll imagine that you're at least 35+ possibly even as high as 50. We don't interview at that age anymore.

        That isn't my experience when job hunting. My last two roles came from recruiters / partners contacting me, but I still needed to interview. Last time I actively job searched it was a combination of companies whose recruiters contacted me and openings I found through my network. In every case if it went past a basic screening and I felt they had the necessary budget for my salary expectations, there were still interviews. For the four companies where it progressed to interviews, I interviewed with at least

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by mikael ( 484 )

        I agree with this. Set up your website and blog documenting what you are interested in and have done. Then have companies come to you. Not sending your resume to startups and corporations begging for scraps.

    • I did that a few months ago when it looked like our company was going down down down.

      I put my name up on a online job matching agency and got one Skype interview after another. The first was a bit touch and go but is went better very quickly and I got a good feel for what the local market (Germany) is looking for. I also got a few nos but one or two interesting offers. I am 48 years old btw, with experience in SE since before Windows came out.

      In the end the company I have worked at split off our division. I

  • You're gonna stay stuck doing tasks and getting bored.

    If you can, find a principal you like/admire/challenges you.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Re:Derp (Score:5, Insightful)

      by UnknownSoldier ( 67820 ) on Wednesday May 02, 2018 @08:00PM (#56544424)

      That's partially crap advice by Mike Rowe.

      The secret to happiness is to remove false expectations

      Yes, some people absolutely SUCK at what they love. The deluded ones are the ones who definitely SHOULD follow Mike's advice. They suck and always will, and no amount of talent will save them.

      The problem Mike is painting everyone with the same brush. That does NOT imply that they will NEVER get better.

      When I first started programming I sucked -- like every other fucking newbie -- because that's what a beginner is. Someone who DOESN'T have the knowledge and skills. I kept at it because I _loved_ it. I invested the years to becoming great. Today it pays the bills and I have a job that doesn't suck.

      One of the secrets to life is to find what you love, and what your talents are.

      Chances are, that if you invest in yourself, you can find a way for it to make you money.

      There is no guarantees in Life. That's what makes it frustrating. Life isn't a simple checkbox-follow-these-instructions-and-success-is-guaranteed. Life is what you make it. Sometimes you need to _try_ things in order to know what _not_ to like.

      Invest in yourself -- because chances are, no one else will.

      • I've got a friend who followed his passion and got a degree in medieval history. After a rather unpleasant attempt at a career, he went back and got his MBA, and things improved. Fortunately, my passion when young was mathematics, which is a heck of a lot more salable in the job market.

  • AWS Cert (Score:3)

    by TheSync ( 5291 ) on Wednesday May 02, 2018 @07:08PM (#56544168) Journal

    Get an AWS Cert, best study material is Udemy A Cloud Guru (Ryan Kroonenburg) [udemy.com]. I spent a few weeks on it, and passed my AWS cert, plus have a great introductory understanding of AWS cloud.

  • Innovation (Score:4, Interesting)

    by JaredOfEuropa ( 526365 ) on Wednesday May 02, 2018 @07:09PM (#56544174) Journal

    I have worked on many different projects [...] I tend to think of that as something I can learn, when I need to.

    Sounds like you're a bit of a generalist with the will and ability to dive into a specialism when needed. If you really feel you need to "pick a side" and specialize, then all advice I can offer is: find something you love doing and specialize in that. But if you enjoy the learning process itself, the experimenting and ground-breaking work with new tech, then maybe you can find a job working in an innovation team.

    Innovation is a bit of a buzzword, but there is plenty of legit innovation work out there. Innovation teams often offer a chance to learn new tech or new ways of doing things, and require a lot of flexibility from their team members. Perhaps that will suit you... I've been involved in innovation for 20 years or so, and I not only enjoy the great variety of technologies I have to deal with, but also the fact that I often get to wear many different hats: from project manager, team lead, architect, to coder and business analyst. Sometimes you'll be a one man team, sometimes the team will need someone to write a couple of tests for tomorrow's experiment or prepare a short presentation for a visiting VC, and yes I am sticking up my hand to volunteer. If you think that doing something yourself is often faster than getting others to do it for you, and if you can actually deliver results that way, then innovation might be something for you.

    Positions in innovative work are few and far between and are often sought after, so you need to position yourself well for that when preparing your CV. Your background in data science and your machine learning study will help, since those fields are currently firmly hanging ten at the top of the hype cycle. But also emphasize your versatility as it's a key quality in such roles: show that you have experience in adapting to circumstances, and in diving in when the project calls for it.

  • Art. (No joke) (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Qbertino ( 265505 ) <moiraNO@SPAMmodparlor.com> on Wednesday May 02, 2018 @07:10PM (#56544184)

    Study art. Better yet: *Train* for an art.

    Seriously. Is there an art (performing art in particular) where you say "OMG that is so awesome, I wish I could do that."? Study/train that. Obviously there are limits. If you're in a wheelchair doing ballet won't work. But perhaps music, singing, acting is something that would be an interesting challenge. I have a diploma in performing arts and even though I've never done anything remotely like that in the last 2 decades (except being quite good at social dancing (Argentine Tango)), the experience was like nothing else. It does help me do presentations, that's obvious, but I've also learned about styles and aesthetics, art history and how to move gracefully. It helps me with GUI design and understanding emotional aspects of the user experience.

    Imagine getting a Chello and learning that. Your horizon will expand into a universe you couldn't dream of knowing doing IT/Software every day for the rest of your life. You probably have IT pretty much down and getting into some newfangled technology or PL is a walk in the park once you've got a broader perspective on life in general.

    Art most likely won't earn you big bucks but from what I get that's not what you need right now anyway. Note that fine art is closer to programming as an art than performing arts, so I strongly suggest performing arts, but perhaps you do want to get into drawing or painting or illustraiont or - an intersection with IT - 3D/VR and stuff - then fine art might be a neat alternative.

    But generally rest asured, if you move away from IT and into an art, your life in general will improve for the better. Especially with your life right now having you struggling for sense and meaning. If only art becomes an enriching addition to your life as an IT expert right now, that will spill over into your IT career and have measurable positive effects. Promise.

    My 2 cents.

    • In particular, if yiu have anything to do with UI work at least take a dedign course. Lots of them around. Start with reading David Kadavys book ‘Design for Hackers’

    • I second this. I am completing my masters in Art History this year, on the back of 25 years in IT. It has been a phenomenally broadening experience.

      If you are already a mature expert in *anything*, then an interdisciplinary study is a significant multiplier to your ability to think abstractly and architecturally.

  • Imagine some kind of quasi-intelligent software technology that lets you manage all the scattered pieces of your digital life in one slick UI. Your photos/videos. Your emails. Your office documents and source code files. Your daily task list. Your games and apps and movies and music. Phonecalls you should make. People you should meet up with. Places you want to visit or dine at. Websites and blogs and social media accounts you should check for news or information or research on. Things you have to pay for.

  • Those who can't do... (Score:3)

    by Lab Rat Jason ( 2495638 ) on Wednesday May 02, 2018 @07:20PM (#56544244)

    teach.

  • There are only 2 real answers: (Score:4, Informative)

    by UnknownSoldier ( 67820 ) on Wednesday May 02, 2018 @07:52PM (#56544394)

    * Do what interests you, and/or
    * Do what pays.

    Next question.

  • For long-term job security, either get into AI / machine learning / anything to do with automation, or else something as immune to automation as possible, because those will be the last jobs to go.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by Tablizer ( 95088 )

      For long-term job security, either get into AI / machine learning / anything to do with automation

      It's possible we are in an AI bubble*, so be careful, because in the shorter term you still have to pay the bills.

      I would suggest you pick 3 areas that pique your interest and explore them deeper, including asking practitioners. After you know the 3 better, then select 1 to focus on in a formal career sense.

      By the way, genetics/data-biology seems like it has a bright future: it doesn't smell as bubbly as AI, ye

  • Go back to school, get a master's or Ph D. If you can teach at a university level, the working conditions (hours, ability to have fun, ability to do one's own research, prestige) can't really be beat.

    Medical school (even abroad), residency, and working as a physician or researcher is also a nice gig. Consider going abroad and staying -- steady pay from a public system + benefits + ability to help people are good things.

  • Wilderness survival.
    Cabin building.
    Water cleansing.
    Very Basic engineering / how to use your hands.
    Woodworking.
    AGRICULTURE.
    Animal husbandry.
    Basic medicine / biology.
    Basic weapons and self defence training.
    Sustainable energy generation.
    How to build a basic windmill / watermill.
    Oh and did I mention
    AGRICULTURE?

  • Biotechnology (Score:4, Insightful)

    by coastwalker ( 307620 ) <.moc.liamtoh. .ta. .reklawtsaoca.> on Wednesday May 02, 2018 @09:02PM (#56544682) Homepage

    Bioscience. We had digital technology in the 20th Century and we will have Biotechnology in the 21st. You can thank me later.

  • I'd avoid any career in IT or Software Development. Why? Companies 20 years ago viewed IT as a core competency that needed to be developed in house and fostered. Now they view it as something that they can buy or outsource. That's not good if you're starting out and looking to get 40+ years in the industry. Sure, there's always web development jobs but all these bootcamps and schools popping out web developers only plays into the hands of minimal wage growth.

    My suggestion, apprentice as a Plumber or HVA

  • decision science with focus on cost-benefit analysis.

  • If you're looking for variety, go into sysadmin/operations type jobs with a healthy dose of in-house development, perhaps a small business or startup.

    Alternatively given your brief resume, I have a feeling you may be more into research/academics, if you want to do research yourself, get/finish/use a PhD but otherwise good institutions are always clamoring for good people (data/computational/research scientist) regardless of your degree. If you go more into the administration/operations of a research institu

  • Rocket science.
     
    To boldly go where no man has gone before.

  • Every second job involving a little math is basically data analysis right now. If you already some data to play with, you can get hands-on experience as well.

  • Go to a seminar on Quantum Computing, one thing you'll quickly pick up in the audience is that there are a lot of people who have experience with quantum physics.
    There are also a lot of people who have great skills in computer programming. There's almost no one who has an understanding of both.

    At some stage in the future quantum computing may be abstract enough for developers to not need an understanding of quantum physics in the same way most developers don't understand nand and nor gates transito

  • After five years at the same company doing the same soul-sucking work in web development, I decided to hit the books again.

    For me, I decided to start fresh and go to university for a bachelor and master title in embedded systems, but if you already got those under your belt, then you can always apply for a Ph. D. position at any university in the world. While an MIT or Stanford Ph. D. does come with great bragging rights, many other smaller universities, especially abroad, are happy to have you. Like the on

  • You need to get a piece of paper that demonstrates that you have mastered an in-demand discipline in the economic sense so that you can have a place to live and food to eat and hopefully be able to retire some day. The consequences of not doing this are likely to be poverty unless you come from a wealthy family.
  • If you are even wondering about it, you clearly do not have what it takes. Do some menial work instead, or go into management - you can still make lots of many with either. With the former, at least, you will be useful.
  • Super versatile and not too specialized. It will always be in demand, even after the fall of society. Don't just stick to theory, learn practical applications and uses as well.

  • Learn the language of another country you have an interest in, move there and work with startups trying to get off the ground that have solid financial backing. If family makes that too difficult to pursue, then get your MBA and prepare for a management position before you get age-discriminated out of your field of work.

  • Write down your dilemma questions and solution set. Take a break; a sabbatical maybe travel year trip live in hostels around the world just off the technology planet you are consumed with every day.

    Ugly ruts comforting familiarity are the bane of existence. Freedom is the emergency parachute out of the uglies onto planet reality.

    Return in a year, return to your list. You'll have no problem answering the questions.

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