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job choice - java,C++,.NET or low level programming ???

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stt

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hello

I'm already two weeks in an extremely difficult position because I got 2 different job offers...

Actually, I graduated two years ago as Engineer Electronics and ICT... my final school project was implementing a microcontrolled system and I really really enjoyed it !!! At that moment two years ago I thought: I want a job exactly like this; I love this....

But right after school I needed as quickly as possible money... Two years ago it was very difficult to find a job... I had no money, so I took the first job offer that was available to me.... I started in a company where I had to program user interfaces and a little bit PCB design... But in fact, after two years in that company there was no more work for me since I had to do almost nothing else any more but plant-servicing all the time and this was really not my dreamjob... So I started searching another job four months ago... and a month later a contract was signed at a worldwide well-doing IT-company; my job there is now building applications in VB, C++, .NET, JAVA and JSP what I like very much !

BUT, last week I got another very good job offer from one of the best ranked Belgian companies where my job should be programming RTOS and programming controllers in assembler and C; a job very close to my final school project (what I also liked very much)...

Now I'm already a few weeks at that IT-company, programming in Java,C++ and .NET... At this company I can have e-courses of everything that has to do with IT on every moment.... I should have to do always projects of about 3 months, almost every time something else... I find this very very good to remain an up-to date engineer on every aspect of IT....

At that other company where I should make RTOS and program in C and asm I know they want to make a specialist of me on their systems since they mentioned it would take about a year before I learned everything there and. They are looking for someone that likes to stay for the rest of his life at that company as one of their specialists...

Now I really don't know what to choose... everytime i think about it what to choose, my heart begins beating so hard; this is the most difficult decission of my life.... until the great idea came up to me: asking it to as many as possible other engineers: on a forum like this...

So what do you think would be the best and the safest? I'm 24years old and I live in Belgium. I'm very afraid about the job about RTOS that one day, when I became a specialist on their systems and I loose this job for an unpredicted reason after let's say 15 years, that then it would be extremely difficult to get another job in Western Europe like that... because I see a lot of the High Tech Electronics Development is moving towards Asia... And what about my chances with C and ASM after let's say 15 years ???

At the company where I'm now, It's so great that I can follow very good e-courses when i want, about what i want and do always different projects (java, c++, .NET, linux, VB, etc etc)... I think, when I loose this job after 15years and i have experience on so many aspects of IT, that this is more safer for me to get another job here in Belgium...

If you ask me what job of the two I like the most (since they are very very different: pure IT vs Low-level), I would say: implementing low level systems.... (but i don't say that i don't like the IT job).

So make a choice upon my preferences is very difficult.... I need to make a choice upon the aspect: "staying safe for the future"...

Another thing: The IT job, it would take about 5 years before i deserve the same amount of money as when I start now with the RTOS job. (but the amount money they give me doesn't interest me).... the only thing I want is: "staying safe for the future"...

What do you think would be the safest here in western europe?
"the IT job where i can a lot of things on every aspect of IT" or the "RTOS job where i should become a specialist in one of the best ranked belgian companies"?

I'm also affraid that the development of the high-tech will become so expensive here in western europe (because of asia) that R&D (the RTOS job) is very dangerous here if I look forward to 15years later.... IT instead will remain more in western europe I think (financial services, banks, management of the multinationals, government....)

Next tuesday i have to make my decision, so i don't have much time anymore.... I hope as much as many people as possible give your opinion here to help me choose !!!! I really don't know what to choose.... What do you think that would be the best for me???
 
if i look to the large engineering-companies that dissappear here, i'm so affraid....
- last year Sony fired over 50 engineers here in brussels (although they were doing great things)
- two years ago Philips closed a whole plant here in Belgium and fired hundreds of engineers (also they were doing great things).
- looking at the Siemens-engineers in germany.... golden years for Siemens-engineers are over here in western europe...
- five years ago Alcatel started firing also dozens of old engineers, and their restructurating of its company is not at the end yet...
- Barco, also here in belgium is not firing engineers yet, but is looking forward to start R&D departments in china...

such large disasters are not happening that much in large IT companies: Microsoft, Sun, Oracle,.....

Now, what's your opinion???
 
STT

There will always be changes and opportunities which you cannot imagine now. You are trying to look 15 years ahead and make a prediction.
Dont be too obsessed with the future, it will not work out how you think now.

I am now 55 years old, If I were to divide my working life into 5 year segments, and go back in time to tell myself what I would be doing 5 years in the future, I would not believe that future.

I have had jobs which I start off enjoying, and then after a while, turn into a nightmare. Completely unpredictable.

If the RTOS job is what you enjoy and there is more money (always useful!), then go for it.
BUT...
Try to leave your current job on good terms, you may be back in two months time if the new job does not work out.

JimB
 
The days of a job for life are long gone, each period of employment (no matter how brief :oops: ) must be viewed as a mere stepping stone of a career.
 
Yes, I know, the period of a job for life is utopia. But what I'm trying to do is point out my future; now i have to choose one direction:
- wide range of projects on everything that has to do with IT
- or specialist in low level RTOS

and i think, when i will be programming a few years in C, there's no chance to ever come back to OOP languages like java, c++ and even JSP, .NET and so on.... If you look it the other way, when I'm programming a few years java, c++ and learning every day new things, future would become more secure for me, instead of becoming a specialist on 1 (great) thing...

I'm so affraid for the future of R&D in digital electronics here in western-europe. my only question is: am i right or not ?

tansis said:
each period of employment must be viewed as a mere stepping stone of a career.

well, I'm just trying to choose the right kind of stones to build a stable and secure house for the future.
 
There is no safe path , merely a choice of dangerous ones.

As a programmer you are trying to rationalise your dilema into a series of logical arguments, fine in theory however the real world resists such constraints. Choosing the job for you is not just about what you will be doing , but where you will be doing it. Put simply , what's the view from the window like? after all all you will not be spending every moment at a keyboard with your eyes glued to a monitor.

Five years ago I was working as a faceless cog in the machine, confined to a cubicle, spent six months without even seeing daylight, on call 24hrs.
The pay was good, but in exchange my employer wanted a sizable slice of my soul. Well I wanted my life back, now I work for a smaller outfit, less pay, but my office is in the country, has oak beams and stunning views, I get to turn up late on a monday morning and not get shouted out or docked any pay, (drives my boss mad as I only live three miles away)
 
Tansis, that has nothing to do with my question. Both companies are known for their good treatment of their employees, so working 24hrs without seeing daylight will not be the case.

My question was: what has the most future here in western europe:
- IT consulting (become a multi-dicipline IT engineer)
- or programming RTOS low level microcontrollers (become a specialist)

how are forecasts for engineers (in western europe) in:
- high end IT consulting ?
- R&D in telecom ?
 
stt said:
Tansis, that has nothing to do with my question. Both companies are known for their good treatment of their employees, so working 24hrs without seeing daylight will not be the case.

My question was: what has the most future here in western europe:
- IT consulting (become a multi-dicipline IT engineer)
- or programming RTOS low level microcontrollers (become a specialist)

how are forecasts for engineers (in western europe) in:
- high end IT consulting ?
- R&D in telecom ?

Would you like next weeks winning lottery numbers as well? :lol:

No one can predict the future, how about continuing the IT job and keeping RTOS as a hobby?, so you keep up to speed on it - that would keep all your options open for the future.
 
Nigel Goodwin said:
how about continuing the IT job and keeping RTOS as a hobby?, so you keep up to speed on it - that would keep all your options open for the future.
That's also the best I could think to do. Think my decision is near. Think now deciding to become a specialist on only one thing is very very dangerous at this moment.
 
but on the other hand, the IT-consulting job you do always projects on the customer side and there's always a deadline... so you have to prove yourself twice (for your boss and for the customer) every time again... and you never know where the work will have to be done; it can be in the street next to you, but it can also be possible that you have to drive every day hours and hours...
the R&D job is 100% work at the company 15miles from home, also there you have to prove yourself, but with less stress and with more joy.
 
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