Reading Paul Ferris' For the Love of Linux made
me reminisce fondly on the experiences I've had with Linux. As a senior in
high school in 1994, I discovered Unix as I discovered the internet.
Spending much more time than I should have on talkers, I become interested
in coding them. As I learned C and programming in the Unix environment, I
happened upon Linux as a way to be able to program on my computer at home.
Having been a tinkerer on the computer (much to my parent's chagrin) ever
since my first XT, I jumped at the chance to play with it. My first
installations were the SMS and Slackware distributions, copied onto a few
boxes of floppy disks. After installing it and finding (what had by that
time become) the familiar login prompt, I was excited that I could code,
compile, run, and even test my talker on my own machine. My love for Linux
began.
Since then I've spent three years in college, first as a CS and now as
an ISDS major, with a two year hiatus thrown in there for good measure.
Now I'm entering my senior year, and I'm anxious to graduate, get a hair
cut, and get a real job. That's where my dilemma begins: I don't know
what I want to do, much less for whom I would like to work. I enjoy
programming, but I don't want to do that all day every day. I also enjoy
security issues, and of course, playing with Linux. While I don't know
exactly what I want to do, I know what I don't want to do: babysit Windows
95/98/NT machines.
As I was reading Paul Ferris' article on how much he loves Linux, I
realized I would much rather work with Linux or other unices than with
products from Redmond. Then I thought of the job application process I'm
about to begin and wondered whether there is some way to connect students
in my situation looking for employment with companies who appreciate the
talents held by those who play with and love Linux. Already there are more
job boards on the web than one person can use, including ones dedicated to
college students, and there are even sites (such as Linux Today) that have
job listings specific to Linux and Unix. What would be a great site,
though, is a place where college seniors can search for Linux jobs, and
employers can recruit college graduates looking for Linux jobs. As an
alternative to an independent site, one could be created within an existing
Linux or job search site. This would provide a one-stop site where both
graduates and employers who know what they want can find what they need.
Let me know what you think. Graduating seniors: Are there resources
out there already that fill this need? If so, let me know so I can use
them! :) If not, are you interested in having one? Employers: Would you
like to recruit college graduates that have spent their own time and effort
teaching themselves about technology? Graduates who you know can do more
than open Word? Do you have a convenient way to find those people now, or
is there a need for a site like this?
