Home Base...
I am looking for suggestions pertaining to using one's home as their "base of operations."
I have an AS in computer information systems and will have a standalone application that involes serial communications off the ground in about a month. My resume shows that I am interested in learning all that I can, have a solid background in relational DB's, and will go out there and get the job done. My lang. portfolio mainly includes Visual FoxPro and C++ but I have played with JAVA, VB, HTML, and QBASIC.
Do I have to have a BS and 4+ years of experience to get a job that will give me the flexibility to work from my home?
I cannot see working all hours at an office when I work better in the privacy of my home.
If you have any ideas, comments, or suggestions on this matter, please drop a note.
Thank you.
[869 byte] By [
mirage] at [2007-11-17 13:29:18]
# 1 Re: Home Base...
I think it will be very hard if you want to work for a new employer. But my suggestion is to ask potential employer about the "perspective" of someday working from your home...
I was offered home job after I proved myself as a hardworking disciplined worker at the company. But not before.
One can understand that since there are a lot of programmers around that are just not mature enough to do the job from their home.
So you might take a job with "perspective" of working from home, do three months serious, reliable and dedicated work and then reopen your case. :-)
Tomaz
--------------
Tomaz Stih, B.Sc.CS tomaz@nameco.com
Ob sotoccju 10 Nameco Group
SI-1000 Ljubljana http://www.nameco.com
Europe
# 2 Re: Home Base...
This may be off of your idea, but I have found that depending on where you live and who you know there is nearly enough work out there to not need a boss to allow you to work at home. I am working toward a bs in Computer Science/Mathmatics, and have found it very easy to make money over the summers contracting out medium sized programming jobs. I have always met my mark (and it helps that my sister is an lawyer specializing in intellectual property :) ), and have made more money than I could have in almost any internship or summer-help type job. Maybe it's becasue I'm young and can afford to do this kind of think, but I can't see myself ever programming in a suit in a divided room...
Best of luck!
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Good things come to those who wait...
But they come used by the impatient...
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# 3 Re: Home Base...
Hochgebe,
I am interested in doing contract work. However, it sounds like it would be harder to assess whether you can actually do a project. Could you give some more specifics as to how you choose a job and if there are any precautions you take to ensure you get paid when all is done?
Thank you for your input : )
mirage
mirage at 2007-11-9 12:11:08 >
# 4 Re: Home Base...
In the past, I have been sort of a problem solver. My first job was with a company whose owner my father knew. He mentioned to me that they had a specific problem that took up hours of time daily. To me, the problem would have been simple to fix. I discussed with them their options, and in the end, they didn't really know exactly what they wanted. They agreed (always make them sign something!) to a certain pay/hour to come up with a tentative solution (always agree to a reasonable time-cap!). I put something together (nearly complete even in it's planning phase because it was so simple), showed it to them, and they about fell out of their chairs. Currently they save hours a day with a simple app that I designed for them.
With that little job, I got my foot in the door. Solve a company's problem well, and you become a friend and savior. Now, they would come to me without hesitation for any job. They tell other friends about their experiences, and consiquently, I get calls from them.
Now, chosing a job is always going to be a bit of a leap of faith. What I do (and it's worked every time) is schedule some time to discuss the problem with the people who want it solved. Don't try to explain how you intend to solve it unless they are very determined to hear your thoughts. Have them agree to pay you to come up with a solution. Generally, agree to a rate/hour and put a reasonable time cap on it. Make them sign something!!! (maybe talk to a lawyer about that) After you show them your proposed solution(s), allow them to chose the one they like best. You'll quickly figure out if a project is in your capability range(and that you are more capable than you think!). If they agree to allow you to work on a solution (maybe you have some work done already and need to finish it up?) follow the same rules earlier. Same pay/hours, different time-cap. I usually make sure I'm paid for the research before I work toward a solution. Also, now's the time to discuss rights. Do you own your code? How far will you support your work? That all should figure in on what you will charge.
If a company has a specific app that they need developed, then you probably need to spend some time and research how to do some of the things that they are asking. I was recently on an areal-robotics team and was asked to help program the flight controls. I had no idea how to interface a computer with a remote controlled helicopter! Maybe your app requires you to do some data modeling, or write some com interfaces with office 97? These are the kinds of things you look into to discover whether it is a job you can handle. So far, I haven't come across a job too complicated for me, but if I would, I probably wouldn't charge a penny ( I would make sure not to put too much time into it!). I'd just tell them that I don't specialize in whatever area they are asking about, and maybe recommend someone else (you'd be surprized at how many times they call you back even if the person you suggested did a good job for them!).
Well, it takes some time to develop a reputation (if you live in a medium sized, commercial/industrial town you are at an advantage.. It's the smaller businesses that tend to benefit most from a bit of programming). Take your time, and have fun! It's a great feeling to complete a project in your free-time and eventually see that project spawn a career!
Best of luck!
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Good things come to those who wait...
But they come used by the impatient...
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# 5 Re: Home Base...
This comes from the prespective of a owner of a small applications development firm.
The benefits of a programmer working without interruptions in the comfort of home must be weighed against the benefits of good face-to-face team interaction. As good as teleconferencing and email, etc. are, there is still much for the individual to gain from face-to-face interaction with peers and mentors.
Also, the rapidly advancing world of OOP requires far more team interaction than before. Also, it is becomming increasingly necessary for the individual to continually learn new stuff, even new ways of going about things.
So, my feeling is that in any arrangement you may wind up with, it would be to your best interests to have at least a part of your work being done in the physical company of those you can directly learn from.
One last thought. While much of our work can be done by "lone rangers", the experience over time of being on-site and involved with a team may be as important to your future as any technical accomplishments which were aided by working in an insulated environment.
Best of luck.
John Kisner
J.L.Kisner & Co.,Inc.
Greenville, SC, USA
johnk at 2007-11-9 12:13:06 >
