Hi Joseph, Here's the deal. There are at every point in time one or two "hot" skills that are in high demand. These pay extremely well. But then things change, and a different skill becomes the hot one. When I started working in computers in around 1980 I wanted to do software but no one would hire me unless I also could do analog and digital design because (as one prospective employer put it) "I think this software thing is just a FAD!" Then in the early 1980s a hot skill was doing assembler for embedded micros. I ended up doing lots of different chips. 6805, Z80, TMS7000, 8085, COPS, PIC, etc. Then the hot skill became doing C on personal computers. Then C in a windowing environment (Windows, MAC, or XWindows). These days the biggest hot skill (from what I can see) is C++ for some specialized areas of Windows. I work in OLE and MFC and ATL (you are measured by the three-letter acronyms you can put on your resume). I've worked on a number of the Norton products (including Norton AntiVirus), and these days I'm a consultant doing stuff for Microcadam, a CAD company that is owned jointly by IBM and Kawasaki. Companies like Symantec (who own Peter Norton Computing) consider programming in C a minimal entry-level skill. People get hired in as QA (testing) people where they need to write programs to test the software products. Some other companies also do this through the tech support department. After a year or so people are considered for being moved into a developer position. I do an occasional embedded micro job, but there is not nearly as much action in that area as there was during the 80s. And that tends to bid down salaries. Also a lot of the companies I have done work for have reduced or eliminated their Mac projects. :-( Good luck! Vance Gloster Public opinion exists only where there are vance@eni.net no ideas. -Oscar Wilde -----Original Message----- From: Joseph To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU Date: Monday, December 14, 1998 2:14 PM Subject: Re: C programmers for PIC >> Now, I'd like to find a job in the 'real world', and all the employers >> need C, ot C++ experience.... if they only knew how proficient I am with >> the compiler of my choice :) > >I'm curious, how much does a job like that pay? I'm in need of a career >change. :( > >> >> Well, I'm looking for suggestions on a C or C++ compiler for use with my >> Epic Programmer. Beginner stuff please, it is time once again to blink >> some LED's on and off again. >> >> Thanks, >> Dave Celsnak >> dave@teamrip.com >> >> ______________________________________________________ >> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com >> >