Highly Skilled Programmer Likes ArgentinaWhat type of job are you looking for? Coding work... starting with the Business Requirement What nationality are you? South African of European origin What languages do you speak (and at what level)? English Afrikaans Spanish Spanish is weak... What country or area are you looking to work in and why? Argentina... I have friends in Malargue so that would be first choice. What countries have you worked in? South Africa What countries do you have a visa to work in? Have not applied... work is necessary first. What field do you currently work in? Programming I can do it all... low level C or high level PHP, Java Servlets, Linux Windows, dotNet. As a very experienced coder, I naturally have a methodology that I like using based on Open Source tools. What fields have you worked in before? Programming Contract... encryption. web sites, accounting systems etc Petrochemical as a project engineer. What qualifications do you hold? Estate Agency Law Computer Diploma Bsc Elec Engineer MBA (Masters in Business) Which do you consider more valuable? Formal education or skills and why? Both... formal education teaches the language and enables communication with accountants, business entrepreneurs, project managers etc... But practice makes perfect... There is a lot of traps out there, use tools blindly and you can get yourself into trouble... Java Application Servers come to mind, you will end up paying some large corporation. I prefer using Pure Servlet technology in this area... because you never ever hit a brick wall... of course you really need to understand the underlying technologies. There seems to be an unwritten rule in software development... quick start - slow to finish. One needs to really choose tools very carefully and that's where experience comes in. Unfortunately there are very few coders that do really grasp the underlying technologies... and that's why they get into trouble, Describe the benefits of working with others I believe in throwing ideas around, no matter how stupid they are, and exploring other peoples idea's... On large projects, you have to work with others, its not possible standalone. Describe the benefits of working alone Actual coding is a solitary exercise... when a programmer beds down and starts working, he needs absolute quiet, because he is living the job and has his mind wrapped in thousands of lines of code... that is the necessary environment. A programmer is not productive for the first hour of coding... he is relearning the system... you do not want to interrupt a good programmer in his second or third hour of work... that's when its all starting to come together. What was your worst working experience? The world is full of sharks... I've met a few that cant find their wallet after a job, and large companies taking 4 months to pay. But projects I love, whether that be coding or redoing the whole power reticulation system for a refinery... these always work because I live the job. What is the most important lesson you have learnt throughout your career? I'm unlucky in love... a workaholic.. What unique skills do you have? Many... I'm a generalist as well as one of the best coders in the world. This comes from working for Mobil... where you had to build the building, do the roads, put up the electric fences, commission the lights, and then code the machines... If it had an electron in it... it was my job. That also included power stations, electrical and instrumentation work. Largest project I worked on was 900,000,000 dollars... we built a Brewery... I've been very fortunate and worked for some amazing companies. What would you consider as your 'dream job'? A software development house that I run, in Argentina... I absolutely love this country... What are the most interesting aspects of your field? For me, its always about starting with a complex problem, and then standing back at the end, and admiring the solution... I think that drives coders and project managers... its not art as most understand it, but its art... if you know what I mean. What are the least interesting aspects of your field? Every job has those klunky administrative functions, like filling in time sheets... when I'm coding and deep inside the job, eating is a pain in the rear end... but it needs to be done. Why are you here? My country is a mess, crime is absolutely out of control, stopping at a red traffic light is a dangerous exercise, they shoot you for your cell phone... in one month I was robbed twice shopping at the supermarket... I'm trying to find a place where I can settle down and work "normally". After traveling all of South America... Argentina is it... I like the people and the amazing country. How can potential employers contact you? Email BobSpar(at)Gmail.com | 
