My dad's friend met me at office today along with his son. His son was a tech graduate, fresh from college. They came to meet me to take some suggestions on his son's career. The father and son had a different opinion about the right technology to start with. Son wanted to specialize in Java (his friends are all into that and couple of them got placement last month after they completed Java training course) and the father wanted his son to get into Microsoft technologies (his friends children have done that and are in US now). Since I manage a technology company they wanted my opinion.

I have come across similar queries from many fresh graduates, asking which was better Java or Microsoft. Mainframe or Database administration. This or that.....

My answer was (and it would continue to be) discuss with your friends and take a decision.

When a fresher takes a decision after talking to his friends, it helps in the long way. Primarily, they are given an opportunity to decide their career and they have someone to assist them always. When this freedom is not provided (and they being forced), they take up some courses suggested by their parents, doing something different from what their friends are doing, it ends up in trouble when their friends who are doing other technology courses starts getting jobs and he is still looking for a job. It puts him/her into hardship and starts to feel that they had made a mistake.

I spoke the same with his father and he seemed to agree with me. I hope he allows his son to take his own decisions. Yes, his son requires his support but he has to draw a line somewhere and allow him to take his decision.

I hope I did the right thing, in saying that to a father about his son.

I came across this article here and just made me think of how better it would have been if the choices around us were few. The whole decision process would have been lot easier.

Anyways talking about Careers, I have a Job Opening for .NET programmers in my company and you can find the details here. Talk to your friends and tell them about this job opening, they may be interested.