Mark A Matte
markamatte at hotmail.com
Mon Feb 21 15:38:46 CST 2005
Steve, Here's my long version. When I got out of the military in 1999...I ended up in a 'not so good' situation...pretty much homeless and unemployed in an area where I knew no one...and as I found out, didn't really have a marketable skill. I went to a temp service, sold blood and plasma, cleaned bathrooms, fished (because it was free food if I caught something), and about anything else for cash. The first day of my ordeal I actually cleaned a compost heap..to get gas money..to go sell blood. It was not a pretty time in my life. >From these odd jobs I saved enough money to KOA campground across the states(back near family and could get work). A few days before I left...the temp service called and asked if I would do one more job...they needed an 'Access Programmer'...I explained I was not a programmer...I just knew a little about access...they explained my resume 'implied' I was...I said no...they said they would pay me 17.50 to try for 3 days(12.50 more than everything else I was doing)...I apologized for the misunderstanding...OF COURSE I'm a programmer...I'll be right over. I figured I could wing it for 3 days...double the cash in my pocket...and be on my way. As it turns out...the 3 days were to 'test' to see if I could do the job( which I almost could). I used all of my money on calling cards...and got techie friends from New York, New Orleans, and Chicago to help walk me through the test project. At this point...my game plan was to pull this off for a few weeks( or as long as I could get away with it). As it turns out...databases just make sense to me...and Access was alot more powerful than what I realized and that its main limitation was the imagination of the user/programmer. Within 6 months I was rolling out automated reporting packages to every mill in their corporation. I used Access to tie all of their Informix DBs together and gave them analysis they never thought possible. After 1 year...they decided no more independant contractors...I put the resume out...and spent the next 12 months 'consulting' (as they called it) for some very large companies. I now have a 'permanent' job...but still do some Access work on the side. I use Access on a daily basis in my current job...because no matter what platform/DB they use...I still find Access to be the most useful tool to pull the data in for some local analysis. My computer is riddled with little Access Apps that I've created to make my own life easier...for example...I have a Task Manager that I send a replicated copy to my manager in another state for our 1on 1's...I got switched to Hourly...so I have a TimeClock db running in the background so I know when to leave...there are some reports that I need to generate every week...so...I have a db that I launch once a week that imports/cleans/formats/exports(word and excel) all in one motion. Right now (in my current position) I am considered an Access Guru/Expert(apparently they don't know the people on this list), the Subject Matter Expert on about 4 different apps (ranging from PS and Powerbuilder to Informix and DB2)...and if there is an old app they have lost documentation on...I get sent the data model and the code behind the front end and asked to fill in the holes. To make a long story short...I have NO degrees or certifications...self taught at everything I do...well respected by my cooleages and well paid..and If I have to look back and figure out what brought all of the pieces together in my life (which some say is successful)..that is very easy for me...its 2 part...they day I dove head first into MS Access...and the day I joined this list. Without either of those 2 events I would probably still be selling blood to get groceries. In the military I was taught 'to adapt and overcome'...Access, in my opinion, is the perfect match for this phrase. Again, thanks to everyone on this list...because without it...I wouldn't be. Thanks, Mark A. Matte Customer Care Network Sears, Roebuck and Co. >From: "Hale, Jim" <Jim.Hale at fleetpride.com> >Reply-To: Access Developers discussion and problem >solving<accessd at databaseadvisors.com> >To: "'Access Developers discussion and problem >solving'"<accessd at databaseadvisors.com> >Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT: What are you lot doing now and then? >Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2005 13:04:53 -0600 > >No problem from me. >Jim Hale > >-----Original Message----- >From: Steve Erbach [mailto:erbachs at gmail.com] >Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 6:44 AM >To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving >Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: What are you lot doing now and then? > > >Roz, Gustav, John C., Gary, Jeffrey, Jim D. Doris, Debbie, Brett, >Charlotte, Ken, Mark, John B., Stuart, William, Rocky, Jim L., Jim H., >Andy, Randy, and Tom, > >Thank you all very much for your responses. Our glorious leader, Mr. >Bartow, has asked me to write an article for the newsletter based on >the responses you've given. So I'm asking if any of you have any >objections to letting me abridge your responses for that purpose? It >would also be helpful if those of you who already gave an "abridged" >version for the survey could flesh out your responses a bit, if you >have the time. I would appreciate it. Everyone has an interesting >story to tell about his or her own growth in the computer field. > >I'm so glad that 21 of you have responded so far. Any others? > >Steve Erbach >Neenah, WI >www.swerbach.com/security > > > >On Mon, 21 Feb 2005 09:27:17 -0000, Roz Clarke ><roz.clarke at donnslaw.co.uk> wrote: > > 1) Currently management and development of workflows in a rather nasty >legal > > application. No proper coding at all. :( > > 2) Used to do a lot with Access & Office integration, and reporting from > > various back-end data sources (informix, oracle, etc.). The shift is >really > > down to moving into management and not being able to do that and >maintain/ > > improve my technical skills at the same time. > > 3) Company (law firm), 250 employees, Tom's team leader <waves> > > 4) No > > > > Roz >-- >AccessD mailing list >AccessD at databaseadvisors.com >http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd >Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > >*********************************************************************** >The information transmitted is intended solely for the individual or >entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or >privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or >other use of or taking action in reliance upon this information by >persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. >If you have received this email in error please contact the sender and >delete the material from any computer. As a recipient of this email, >you are responsible for screening its contents and the contents of any >attachments for the presence of viruses. No liability is accepted for >any damages caused by any virus transmitted by this email. >-- >AccessD mailing list >AccessD at databaseadvisors.com >http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd >Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com