Moving forward from Access (1 Viewer)

[Mike375]

Prince(2)

Dont equate bigger DB to bigger salary, such is not true at all. I think the skill you want develop is your "analisys" skills, i.e. soft skills, rather than your hard skills (tools).

If you give a carpenter an order to make a table, do you care if he uses the backend of a screw driver as a hammer? Nails in screws and licks on the paint? No, as long as you get the table you want.

What you say is definitely 100% for small business and the self employed. But big companies are different. The person who decides whether someone gets the job first up covers his own arse and that means the applicant have the appropriated qualifications.

I think that possibly the main potential income from being an ITer and Big Stuff is being able to move to a more managerial role in the company.

Years ago the product manager in an insurance company would have worked his way up, probably started work at age 17 and would have zero formal qualifications. Today, they have to have some sort of degree or they won't get the job. The fact that these same people can't find their own bathroom does not matter.

 

[dazstarr]

Yes - I agree on the differences between small and big companies. Unfortuntely - I work for the latter - which employs 30000+ employees.

I am still weighing up moving to a more project manager role vs development role.

I think the Project manager has more of an extended life span than a developer as there will always be someone young, fresher, eager and willing to work for less than you.

 

[Mike375]

Project manager is best and even for the small business. With a few exceptions, medical specialist for example, it is rare to find big money made by someone carrying out procedures all day. You either make money from the labour of others or by managing others.

To be project manager with Access you need to be self employed and with salesmen on board and depending on your size at least one person who do does the hack work in Access, that is, finish off what you have made.

I think the only negative in getting extra qualifications is if the time/enery involved stops you from doing something else.

 

[dazstarr]

Mike

Your post makes complete sense. If you ever come up here - look me up for a Pint (or two)!

I'm defintely going to give it more thought. I must admit - the thought of managing others appeals more than running procedures all day.

As always....the plot thickens!!

Have a great day and thanks a million for your posts - everyone involved.

 

[namliam]

Pffff managers....

They live by their developers... they die by developers leaving.

My old manager was the HIGH life of my previous company and a total a$$ towards his team. That is untill us -lowlife- developers desided to all leave within 3 months of eachother... we all knew way before offcourse that we were all sick of him.

He is still looking for another job, 2 years now after they send him packing for mis management.

Management skills IMHO are 13 in a dozen. Great managers that truly earn their keep 1:100
Same goes with developers, everybody claims to be an expert at X. BS.
Power is analysis.... understand your 'customer' (inside the business or outside) and deliver... that is what it is all about.

 

[dazstarr]

Great advice as always Namliam.

 

[Simon_MT]

If you start using web based applications the database behind the application is not so important but starting with a .Net based application than ASP Classic. For a start it rendering is quicker. The html code is relatively simple but I would advise to use Strict document formats using divs rather than transitional document formats and tables.

Simon

 

[dazstarr]

Thanks Simon. From having discussions will some developers - one thing they all agreed on was that .NET is the future.