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?