Ringo

Hello,

I have been out of software engineering for two years (after 8 years experience in embedded C on a Unix box) due to a failed career change (teaching) and am now looking for work. I am going to start having to doing interviews with technical questions etc - so i need to brush up my skills!

My problem is that i struggle to get motivated doing tasks from a book which i did 10 years ago - i want to be able to start a nice project that i can do on my home pc which will be interesting and get my skills brushed up.

Do any of you very kind and nice people have any suggestions for me ?

Once i get going - you never know i might be able to help someone!

Thanks in advance

Ringo

peace_of_mind

Finished projects forum may spark an idea or two for you. Considering this is a board full of self-motivated learners (at least those who would be of any help what-so-ever) I don't know how much time will get devoted to this particular topic.

Welcome to the forums, btw.

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Animatronic

Are you sticking with going for embedded C jobs? You could update your skill-set by learning C++ and it's features and maybe also some OO design concepts. I think this would be a useful addition to your CV and brorden the type of jobs you could go for (if you dont know it C++ already that is ).

Ringo

I just wrote a very long reply but it didn't work - if this works i will have another go!

Ringo

Right, yes, i have done C++ for a few years - using UML for my OO. However, i am by no means an expert - which i should be on C considering i've done it for 8 years. However, i don't feel like an expert at the moment!!

Thanks for your replies - will keep looking at the posts to see if i can remember anything!!

Ringo

Infinite Recursion

write some software to administer a linux based beowulf cluster

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"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root."

nnxion

I'd definitely go for being an expert at C++, it's great for brushing up your skills, and once you 'mastered' C++, your value on the labour market (if that's what English speaking people call it, someone tell me if it's not) will skyrocket.

Well the experts on C++ tell me that C++ cannot be fully mastered, not even by Stroustrup :p

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"Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for."
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pr0gm3r

Hi Ringo,

maybe you can help people in C forums and C++ forums with their program... you might recalled your memory... and create projects.

you need to motivate your self...
try get up in the morning, and keep believing that you're an expert programmer (nothing wrong in believing)... I believe you're an expert programmer.

Maybe you lost you self confident after being slack off for 2 years. Don't worry many people slack off from CS and EE because of outsourcing... but why give up if you are done half of way... go keep going and fight a good fight of faith ^___^

Good luck...

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pr0gm3r

LegionZero

All you need to do ringo is keep the spark that originally made you want to program, I learned to program 10 years ago, left it behind for about five, when I came back most things that I knew no longer applied, object oriented and visual was in and I was at a loss, for a bit. I just rolled up my sleves and said to my self "Its just code, logic, it cant be that different" and sure enough it is not, just keep at it

Best of luck man

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War cannot be avoided until the physical cause
for its recurrence is removed and this, in the last analysis,
is the vast extent of the planet on which we live. ~ Nikola Tesla

crazykid48x

Everytime I wanna quit, I just look at the work other people have done. I feel that if anyone else can do it so can I. I also watch icons on g4, thats very inspiring to me.