Transcending domains..

I "appeared" for an interview, recently, for a very famous company.The requirement was for their research division and the job required writing system software. My current job involves Application development for Mobile Phones(running Android). Since, I was interested, I went. Naturally, I was not selected. They said I should try getting into App development as I have relevant experience.

I don't want to get stuck with just App development; I want to go deep and get my hands dirty. I need to transcend domains. I personally, think that if you work/program at a lower level(meaning closer to hardware but not too close to become specific or tied to one), you have more options and maybe last long. I maybe wrong but that is what I think, I think.

Does your book answer such questions or offer any advice for patients like me?

Thank you.

Have you done system level programming ? The closest thing I have done to working with hardware is writing TSR programs whose methods get triggered based on some hardware interrupts. I did this just for fun. The more experience you have writing and working with hardware, the better will be your chances of getting into a company like that. What have you done besides app development that would entice the company to select you as a systems programmer.

Deepak Bala wrote:Have you done system level programming ? The closest thing I have done to working with hardware is writing TSR programs whose methods get triggered based on some hardware interrupts. I did this just for fun. The more experience you have writing and working with hardware, the better will be your chances of getting into a company like that. What have you done besides app development that would entice the company to select you as a systems programmer.

Nothing much apart from what I did in college(attempted to write a 2-pass compiler and few programs in assembly). My excuse is that work kept me involved so much with stranger tools and languages that I seldom found time to explore my interests. I read most of the stuff on my own, so I think I would like to learn something that gives me access to lower, more generic level in programming. Of course, I know that alone won't be sufficient.

Monu Tripathi wrote:

Deepak Bala wrote:Have you done system level programming ? The closest thing I have done to working with hardware is writing TSR programs whose methods get triggered based on some hardware interrupts. I did this just for fun. The more experience you have writing and working with hardware, the better will be your chances of getting into a company like that. What have you done besides app development that would entice the company to select you as a systems programmer.

Nothing much apart from what I did in college(attempted to write a 2-pass compiler and few programs in assembly). My excuse is that work kept me involved so much with stranger tools and languages that I seldom found time to explore my interests. I read most of the stuff on my own, so I think I would like to learn something that gives me access to lower, more generic level in programming. Of course, I know that alone won't be sufficient.

This is a desire more than anything. It is indeed cool to work with low level hardware and code but will you enjoy it ? Try to fool around with existing hardware. Involve yourself with open source projects that do something similar, that might convince the company that they should hire you.

May be you are more talented with low level programming. But unless there is some way to prove this, it will be hard to convince people.

Can you specify some programming languages that has some API's for Low Level Programming?

Is it just C??

Monu,
How do you define application development? Because the way I define it, mobile development is a type of application development. Mobile devices do have applications on them.

My book does talk in a high-level manner about how to get from point A to B: namely, take something you are really good at; figure out what the similarities are between what you do well and what you wish to do; then sell those skills to a potential new employer! That being said, it's usually much easier to "Move to a Different Square on the SAME Checkerboard" (Tip 18) by looking within your current company for an assignment that is more in line with what you ultimately want to do -- companies are much more likely to take a chance on training someone who is already on board and who has proven him/herself.

Jeanne Boyarsky wrote:Monu,
How do you define application development? Because the way I define it, mobile development is a type of application development. Mobile devices do have applications on them.

My definition is the same: mobile development IS application development.
I want to do more than just that; for instance, I want to be able to port a mobile OS to different hardware devices or program micro-controllers. Basically, I want to more closer to system hardware and also be capable of writing applications.

BTW, thanks for asking this question, it brought my thread in the visible area so as to solicit a reply from Jacquie!

Jacquie Barker wrote:Move to a Different Square on the SAME Checkerboard

hmmm..plausible

Monu Tripathi wrote:

Jeanne Boyarsky wrote:Monu,
How do you define application development? Because the way I define it, mobile development is a type of application development. Mobile devices do have applications on them.

My definition is the same: mobile development IS application development.
I want to do more than just that; for instance, I want to be able to port a mobile OS to different hardware devices or program micro-controllers. Basically, I want to more closer to system hardware and also be capable of writing applications.

BTW, thanks for asking this question, it brought my thread in the visible area so as to solicit a reply from Jacquie!

Jacquie Barker wrote:Move to a Different Square on the SAME Checkerboard

hmmm..plausible

Sorry I was so hard to attract

... thanks for appreciating my reply!