Quote:
Originally Posted by campbellcj
IMO just being a code slinger or technologist is not sufficient to ensure a high income or continued employment.
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I'll second that. We know there are plenty of guys making a good living at this, some people making a ton of cash, but for the vast majority, coding is probably a stepping stone. Coders, in general, are not looked upon by the corporate world as the goto-guys in the promotion pool. (No offense to the coders here, that's a generalization and it wasn't targeted towards all.) That said if that's his skill-set, certainly he wants to get his start there, but I'd make sure he gets as well rounded as he can and start branching out to new opportunities. Then again, if you can be happy and content with that position, it's great and peace and contentment with your job is a HUGE thing.
With what I know now, if I was going to look for a job programming, rather than targeting a general IT position in coding I'd focus on a more dynamic position. For example: Presales/Sales technical support. These guys help build out demonstration environments for the sales teams for software companies. They are very highly respected and seen as essential to the sales efforts. For smaller software companies such as my own, they are invaluable. Our sales teams go out and demo product week after week and need assistance in creating these tailored demos. The guys on my team that do this are incredibly in demand and get as much recognition as the guys out in the field actually doing the sames.
People hired into this position generally do need some experience so if yoru friend is green, he may have to pay dues for a few years first.