Job Offer in San Antonio - Help

[HarryCaray]

When did you started to code? (what age? Im 29) and what language would you suggest to learn first?

This subject is so interesting to me... thanks man

I was in my mid 20s. By age 32 I was running our IS department. I'm 34 today.

If you're just interested in seeing if you have a knack for it and if you can pick it up, I'd probably start with Python. It has a very user-friendly syntax, and will kind of start teaching you to think like a coder (will teach you concepts like control flow, iteration, arrays, variables) in a very simplistic way that is close to regular English.

If you are trying to sprint into a career in web development I'd start with HTML/CSS/Javascript

 

[pocketrockets]

I was in my mid 20s.

If you're just interested in seeing if you have a knack for it and if you can pick it up, I'd probably start with Python. It has a very user-friendly syntax, and will kind of start teaching you to think like a coder (will teach you concepts like control flow, iteration, arrays, variables) in a very simplistic way that is close to regular English.

If you are trying to sprint into a career in web development I'd start with HTML/CSS/Javascript

Thanks man, working with you would be swell... I need to work for people I can respect otherwise my motivation goes down the drain!

 

[pocketrockets]

Will start the process asap. Im also taking CISCO systems modules at college.

 

[festeringZit]

Idk, you gotta start somewhere. I was out of school with a master's in engineering before I started to teach myself to code. I eventually learned a TON through trial and error and self-teaching before going back to pursue a 2nd master's in computer science.

With some people it just clicks and they can take the ball and run with it, given the right amount of drive and support. I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying to pick these skills up just because they haven't dedicated their entire education or career to it up to this point.

No, I wouldn't discourage people from learning... far from it. I just am trying to paint a reasonable picture, that like any technical career, it's not something you become proficient at over night, or even in months. I've been doing this my whole career, and it's a challenge for me to keep up with all the new technologies.

And yes, there is a vast difference between someone trying to put together a simple web application, and writing kernel code.

 

[MattyMatt]

Thanks man, working with you would be swell... I need to work for people I can respect otherwise my motivation goes down the drain!

I agree...

I also plan to start asap. BOL to us...

 

[HarryCaray]

I recommend codeacademy.com for good free beginner courses

I would try to knock out their beginner courses in this order:

HTML/CSS
JavaScript
jQuery
Python
Ruby
Ruby on Rails

 

[MattyMatt]

Sweet, code academy is where I was looking already...

thanks a ton!

 

[pocketrockets]

I recommend codeacademy.com for good free beginner courses

I would try to knock out their beginner courses in this order:

HTML/CSS
JavaScript
jQuery
Python
Ruby
Ruby on Rails

Thanks bro this is really good pointers, motivational to say the least... working full time now but I gotta nail this down... taking time off poker I guess

 

[CHOPTALK]

Yeah that is ideal world. To put Petco off for 5 months just to finish this project and collect the bonus.

But if I counter and they revise their offer and then I turn it down anyway, the bridge is badly damaged if not burnt. They probably won't wanna fuck with me after that.

Maybe you can sell it in a way to make yourself look like the unselfish team player.

Maybe like this:

To PETCO

Hey I am very excited about the tremendous opportunity to come on board this fine company .
But I am the lead on a tremendously important project that has been going on for 2 years that probably ends in September.

I would hate to leave my old company in a bind because they have been so great to me in the past.

As much as I want to join PETCO right now I just would not feel right leaving my other company in this situation.





That makes you look both important and a team player.
Kind of like the coach who takes a new job but stays to coach the Bowl game.


The new company should respect this because now they will know that one day if you find something even better then PETCO down the road you will probably extend them the same courtesy to them in the same situation.


Makes you look good and you get the 30k and still move on in September .


Probably also leaves the door more open for coming back to your old job if you ever needed/wanted to do that .

 

[HarryCaray]

Maybe you can sell it in a way to make yourself look like the unselfish team player.

Maybe like this:

To PETCO

Hey I am very excited about the tremdous opportunity to come on board this fine company .
But I am the lead on a tremendously important project that has been going on for 2 years that probably ends in September.

I would hate to leave my old company in a bind because they have been so great to me in the past.

As much as I want to join PETCO right now I just would not feel right leaving my other company in this situation.





That makes you look both important and a team player.
Kind of like the coach who takes a new job but stays to coach the Bowl game.


The new company should respect this because now they will know that one day if you find something even better then PETCO down the road you will probably extend them the same courtesy to them in the same situation.


Makes you look good and you get the 30k and still move on in September .


Probably also leaves the door more open for coming back to your old job if you ever needed/wanted to do that .

Yeah, true, that's definitely how I would try to frame it. Even framing it that way of course Petco is thinking "then why did you dick us around, let us fly you to San Antonio, and then counter our offer as if you were interested, only to pull the plug at the last second".

Agreed your idea is the only option I have in framing it to them if I want to resume talks in September, but the unfortunate reality is there's just no graceful way to decline it.

 

[pocketrockets]

Maybe you can sell it in a way to make yourself look like the unselfish team player.

Maybe like this:

To PETCO

Hey I am very excited about the tremendous opportunity to come on board this fine company .
But I am the lead on a tremendously important project that has been going on for 2 years that probably ends in September.

I would hate to leave my old company in a bind because they have been so great to me in the past.

As much as I want to join PETCO right now I just would not feel right leaving my other company in this situation.





That makes you look both important and a team player.
Kind of like the coach who takes a new job but stays to coach the Bowl game.


The new company should respect this because now they will know that one day if you find something even better then PETCO down the road you will probably extend them the same courtesy to them in the same situation.


Makes you look good and you get the 30k and still move on in September .


Probably also leaves the door more open for coming back to your old job if you ever needed/wanted to do that .

Solid advice.

 

[CHOPTALK]

Solid advice.

The problem with threads like this is we don't know the intracate details.
Sometimes advice looks good on paper for people who don't know all the little important details but in reality things like that might work worth a shit in real life.

Amd HC has thought about all this stuff 100x more then any of us combined.

Dont think he will ever get any TRUE real advice that will trully send him down the proper path.

Only he knows what will really work in the real world .

But it's fun to talk about stuff like this.

The 30k would be nice but ultimately I don't think that should be anything that would change anything longterm.

But if he can pull off the 30k and move that would be nice.

 

[pocketrockets]

The problem with threads like this is we don't know the intracate details.
Sometimes advice looks good on paper for people who don't know all the little important details but in reality things like that might work worth a shit in real life.

Amd HC has thought about all this stuff 100x more then any of us combined.

Dont think he will ever get any TRUE real advice that will trully send him down the proper path.

Only he knows what will really work in the real world .

But it's fun to talk about stuff like this.

The 30k would be nice but ultimately I don't think that should be anything that would change anything longterm.

But if he can pull off the 30k and move that would be nice.

I hope he can pull it off... these threads are valuable from a lot of standpoints, decision making and leverage for a better career are things college don't prepare you for and listening to most opinions on this thread can only give us more choices and ideas that apply for most careers regardless of the biz.

 

[BradtheBloke]

For the numerous folks here that live in Texas, or just anyone who wants to chime in with advice, I'm listening.

Here's the scenario. In my current situation I work from home 50%, travel 25%, and commute to Tuscaloosa office 25% (50 mile drive).

Big fish in a small pond. Bad part about that is there is not much opportunity for upward mobility. However, it is a private LLC and there is talk of the owner ESOP'ing it down the road, and I would be in line for a sizable ownership stake if that happened.

I love my job and I'm great at it.

I was head-hunted by an old boss who left the company 3 years ago. They flew me down to San Antonio last week and I got an offer this week. It's a roughly 15% pay increase with a nice sign-on bonus. Plus no state taxes. And their 401k match is 50% vs my current employers 25%.

I would be working from the office full time, and it would suck to give up all the flexibility I have currently to work from home. Especially with all the Cubs day games.

One of the big detractors to taking this offer is, in my visits to San Antonio I really haven't liked the city. It's a hot and flat concrete jungle compared to Birmingham. I love the trees and hills where I live. I love the shopping and dining where I live. I have never felt "at home" in San Antonio.

Anyone in the San Antonio area that can put my mind at ease that this is a good place to live?

I live in san antonio. its a great town to raise kids. pretty safe for most part. weathers not bad except summer.

 

[CHOPTALK]

San Antonio has InNOut now.
But you miss out on BoJangles.
So I guess that's a wash.

 

[HarryCaray]

San Antonio has InNOut now.
But you miss out on BoJangles.
So I guess that's a wash.

Food definitely a consideration. I'm not a big Mexican food fan, so SA loses its major edge there.

SA wins on BBQ, you just can't beat Texas BBQ IMO, but Bama is not that far behind. It's not like comparing SA to Illinois

Chains are a wash

I would give the nod on smaller specialty restaurants to B-ham. But I've lived here for 3 years, I know the little family-owned restaurants I like. SA may very well be as good or better in that category and I just don't know it

Bham wins a lot of points by having great Southern food, which I love.

All in all I'd lean Birmingham as far as food is concerned, just based on my personal tastes.

And if I stay at my work, one of the stipulations I put in is that I could opt for a company-paid relo to Charleston, SC, where we have a large office. If I made that move, cost of living is now higher but food in Charleston beats the shit out of both the other 2.

 

[ML Dog]

Food definitely a consideration. I'm not a big Mexican food fan, so SA loses its major edge there.

SA wins on BBQ, you just can't beat Texas BBQ IMO, but Bama is not that far behind. It's not like comparing SA to Illinois

Chains are a wash

I would give the nod on smaller specialty restaurants to B-ham. But I've lived here for 3 years, I know the little family-owned restaurants I like. SA may very well be as good or better in that category and I just don't know it

Bham wins a lot of points by having great Southern food, which I love.

All in all I'd lean Birmingham as far as food is concerned, just based on my personal tastes.

And if I stay at my work, one of the stipulations I put in is that I could opt for a company-paid relo to Charleston, SC, where we have a large office. If I made that move, cost of living is now higher but food in Charleston beats the shit out of both the other 2.

Considering Post #125 and the timing re: your current project/the degree to which your present company depends upon you, has mortgaged themselves on you to bring that off in the best manner possible....the level of Faith they placed in you to be there for that project...

how does leaving them at this time not equal the equivalent of recklessly burning a bridge in a really really selfish manner?

And creating a permanent Black Mark/Red Flag upon your Resume that reveals your overall Life Philosophy where regards a Business Relationship to be:

"All about Me. Nothing else Matters?"

 

[MattyMatt]

Food definitely a consideration. I'm not a big Mexican food fan, so SA loses its major edge there.

SA wins on BBQ, you just can't beat Texas BBQ IMO, but Bama is not that far behind. It's not like comparing SA to Illinois

Chains are a wash

I would give the nod on smaller specialty restaurants to B-ham. But I've lived here for 3 years, I know the little family-owned restaurants I like. SA may very well be as good or better in that category and I just don't know it

Bham wins a lot of points by having great Southern food, which I love.

All in all I'd lean Birmingham as far as food is concerned, just based on my personal tastes.

And if I stay at my work, one of the stipulations I put in is that I could opt for a company-paid relo to Charleston, SC, where we have a large office. If I made that move, cost of living is now higher but food in Charleston beats the shit out of both the other 2.

C'mon to the Carolinas, bro!

I prefer Carolina style BBQ to Texas, go figure, lol, but you're right, Charleston and Greenville, SC destroy them all when it comes to food...

 

[CHOPTALK]

Louisiana destroys all 50 states for food

 

[MattyMatt]

Louisiana destroys all 50 states for food

Yea, enough spice and hot sauce can make anything taste good...