Should I stay or should I go ....

D

dotnetspastic

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I currently work as a VB 6 programmer and Software Engineer, on a package of $60,000 p.a.

I'm thinking about leaving my current job to do training with Koenig in New Delhi. If I pass the 9 exams, I will have the following qualifications within 3 months:
.NET (C++)
MCDBA
MCSA

I'm excited about gaining these qualifications, as they will add to my existing skill base ....
- Full SDLC (Functional Specs, Project Management, Acceptance Testing, Support)
- VB 6 programming
- Financial Sector experience (Investment Banking)
- Degree with 3 majors: Economics, Finance and Accounting

And hopefully, .NET will take off and I'll be well placed.

But ... In this climate should I leave a secure, well paid job ?? And I also notice that not many Australian training houses are offering .NET, due to 'insufficient demand' ....

What to do?!?
 
As with everything, it goes out of date, VB 6 should be perfectly fine to work with for as long as you like but Microsoft support will dry up by 2008 and by 2010 most people will have switched to .Net, you should stay with VB6 if thats what suits you, but learn .Net on the side
 
Did you want to stay in Australia? If the training houses are right and .NET isn't taking off in Australia yet, then you might be out of a job if you stick with a .NET focused career. Something to keep in mind.

On the other hand, many companies will pay for training, assuming it's not too expensive and if they'll be getting something out of it. You could always mention this to your boss and ask for some cheaper training, such as books, learning CD's or Videos, or cheaper classes. It might require more work on your part, including more of your free time, but then you can keep your job (which you didn't mention if you liked or hated - a big factor in how long you want to stay) and get your .NET training.

If the boss won't pay for it, you can always buy cheap books and training yourself. I'd hope that at $60k a year you can afford a few hundred dollars to help your own education. Finding free time might be harder :)

Obviously, there is no right answer that any one of us could give you. You're old enough to make this decision on your own with a modicum of advice.

-Nerseus
 
I'm assuming that's $60,000 Aussie not US$, right?
Out of interest which training houses did you ask?

As of the beginning of this year TAFE (WA) only offers .NET, they canned VB6 at the end of last year. I don't know what the universities are offering, but surely they will follow suit.

In the private sector, I've seen Microsoft courses at over $400 per day for a 3 or 5 day course.
http://ninemsn.studylink.com.au/

Or over $2500 for one unit of Programming VB.NET (5 days), or 4 units of Visual C++ at $2800 each!
http://www.aspect.com.au/Aspect/Education/

When you compare that with the 3 month Koenig deal & the difficulty of finding .NET, MCDBA & MCSA offered by the same school in Australia, I can see why you would consider giving up your job to do it, instead of trying to study while working.

With the MCDBA & MCSA what kind of pay increase will you be looking at?

If you are going to spend the money you may as well take the best deal.

ailzaj
 
My current package is $60,000 AUD. I work for a small company and the role includes VB 6 development, taking help desk calls for a large financial management system, Crystal Report writing and 101 delegated tasks from the PHB (oh the joy of working in a small company).

I love development, it is great to write a tight system that works quickly ... Only fellow programmers would understand that passion, others just give me weird looks when I say that!

But I do dislike taking help desk calls when I'm trying to program. It breaks my concentration. It is also difficult when I'm coding and the PHB gives some numbskull task like proof-reading marketing materials or checking the answering machine ?!?!

The Australian training houses I've checked with are Aspect, Excom, Drake, Dimension and Quill. None of them can compete with the $8,500 AUD it will cost in New Delhi. That figure includes air fare, travel insurance, a daily budget, MOC and exams .. ie everything.

I don't really know what kind of pay I can negotiate after I've got the 3 qualifications. I'll be well qualified but inexperienced in the new technologies .... And if there is no opportunies in .NET I can always stick with VB 6. Anyways, the MCDBA and MCSA will help with VB 6 development.

And I guess the fact is, I don't like this current position. I like the pay and the development work, but can't stand all the other things I have to do (like the PHB asking me to get him a coffee ...).
 
I got some salary figures in an email from www.selfcert.com last year (June) for people with MCSE/MCDBA :

POSITION AVG. SALARY $ HRLY RATE
Systems Administrator: $74,670.00 $59.00
Database Administrator: $88,246.00 $57.00
Support Officer: $53,000.00 $36.00

These figures were originally from the SEEK Salary Centre, so maybe you could check with it.seek.com.au for updated figures.

ailzaj
 
Well my tuppence worth is this:

I started with my employer 20 years ago as a grunt humping parcels. I'm now a double distribution Site Systems Developer, mostly due to an insane passion for programming, started on a ZX81 :-)) remember them. My employers have picked up on my enthusiasm and have forked out regularly on various training, the latest being a 27 CD training pack on VB.NET.

I know I could be earning a lot more elsewhere but am happy where I am, which as said by others above, is important.

I get where you are coming from re the help desk calls as I have only just got away from that in the last six months and am now left to program in peace. Can you not explain this to your employers?

I know there are many go getters out there that live life in the fast lane going where the dosh is, but me....I like it safe, nice environment to work in, nice crowd to work with and hey I get to do my hobby for a job:-))

Not bad seeing as I left school with nothng at all....look at me now ma, I'm on top o the world
 
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