Why did you get into I.T?

[Arvind Mahendra]

So Why did YOU get into I.T?

As for me
1.Safest in terms of demand and job security(at the time)
2.Was the cool thing to do
3.Took a Brigg Meyer personality exam and said I was an ISPT which meant I was a 'Mechanic' and computer programmers was in the list.
4.Thought that all the kids going into other fields were doing so because they just weren't smart enough to operate a computer.
5.could release you from India.(BIG THING few years back)

[Mark Spritzler]

Standard answer

For the chicks.

Mark

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

The magic of being in a "coding bubble" - turns out that is only a small part of the job; but it's still fun when it happens.

[Pat Farrell]

I was an engineering student for four years and interned at an engineering firm. I decided I didn't like engineering or engineering firms. So I switched and got a BS in Mathematics.

But the Engineering firm hired me. so I worked for them doing Fortran for engineering. I got hired away by a computer services company, so I got into professional programming.

I'm good at it. I make good money.

They keep trying to promote me into management, but I'm a PHB, so I'm much happier as a developer.

[David O'Meara]

Similarly to Pat, I was doing Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics and Comp Sci until I realised I had no intention of working in Engineering and preferred the computing

[Deepak Bala]

My brain mutated and fused with a 8 bit nintendo box. I ve been in IT ever since

[marc weber]

It was an accident, really. I wandered off of my career path and ended up here. Now I can't seem to find my way out.

[Alan Wanwierd]

After a year of unemployment I decided I really should get off my ass and get a job.

The only jobs around back then were IT, once earning, I got addicted to money and havent been able to kick the habit.... I often wish I'd stayed unemployed - I could have been much happier!

[Henry Wong]

I took a summer job writing a graphics engine (in 8088 assembly), after my junior year of college. Got offered a full time position when I started my senior year. And took the offer.

I didn't even bother interviewing during my senior year. My intended career path (college degree) at that time was Chemical Engineering.

Henry
[ February 24, 2008: Message edited by: Henry Wong ]

[Alan Wanwierd]

Perhaps a follow-up question:

Do you regret getting into IT? .. and if so - do you have a plan for getting out?

I have pretty much always disliked working in IT - but in the last couple of years have come to new levels of self-loathing and a overly developed sense of doom for my potential within the industry.

I had planned to try and move away from 'technical' work and get into people management - but my experience so far with large corporates and government agencies suggests that I'd despise that even more than the small-company consultancy stuff that I've been doing for over a decade.

My current plan is to use my years of experience in technically demanding roles, to try and open a door into the fast food industry (a former client) where I can slowly but surely distance myself from coding and look more at business problems (albeit from an IT perspective)!!..

Oddly enough this is, I suspect, quite the reverse of the more usual trend where people (young student types) climb the ranks in the fast food industry with the hope of being able to shift into more technically skilled roles elsewhere!
[ February 24, 2008: Message edited by: Alan Wanwierd ]

[Selvakumar Kumar]

Alan Wanwierd -- "The only jobs around back then were IT, once earning, I got addicted to money and havent been able to kick the habit.... I often wish I'd stayed unemployed - I could have been much happier!"

Thats exactly the same feeling i have .. when i enter office everyday.

[Peter Rooke]

I started in programming - as it was much better than the shipyards.

I learned the hard way; after a short career change I know there are a lot of worst jobs out there... Kind of accepted that I'm a programmer now - and sometimes it sucks - but don't most jobs. I get to work in a clean, warm office and the money is good (ok, plumbers / builders [in the UK] can earn a lot more but this may not last).

Kind of enjoy it to - when I get the change to code...
[ February 25, 2008: Message edited by: Peter Rooke ]

[Eugene Abarquez]

Because I'm a pragmatist, that's why.

[Jesper de Jong]

Because of the Commodore 64.