http://www.learnit.com/default.aspx?tabid=58&a=3&cID=1
- which, if I understand correctly, is my first step toward getting an entry-level job in the IT field.
I also enrolled in online classes in C and UNIX, which I probably won't finish by the end of the six-month term. (My self-discipline is terrible, plus I have the excuse of having a GF and a baby to take care of ... ) Anyway, even if I don't end up getting the class credit, I do aim to acquire the skills, so I'm working as many of the exercises as I can, studying the textbooks, and downloading the course materials while I can before the term expires.
For a long time I resisted pursuing an interest in the computer field - I think I was leery of geek culture. But my first programming experience was when I was a kid in grade school - I was maybe ten years old - and I learned BASIC programming at a science school in Avon, Connecticut where I went on Saturdays. (The Talcott Mountain Science Center is still there - http://g3.tmsc.org/ .) We used a teletype machine, which connected via a landline modem to a computer. I think the computer itself was offsite. We stored our programs on yellow punched tape.
Anyway I'm excited about making the transition from end user to official nerd. Wish me luck.
