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+# The tragedy of the geeks
+
+Since the first computer entered our home, I was hooked.
+This happened more than four decades ago, and continuously tinkering with computers has given me a well-paid and comfortable job.
+
+However, getting such jobs seems linked to spending a significant amount of your personal time practicing your skills.
+
+Many people seek careers related to computing because jobs have attractive conditions.
+However, they might later regret the time and energies spent trying to get into the field when they learn that getting a good job requires unexpected effort.
+
+This document tries to explain to people who want to work with computers this phenomenon, to help them make a better decision.
+
+## Tinkering
+
+Working with computers is the only career I can think of where all of the following are true at the same time:
+
+* You can work on personal projects that are very similar to the projects you would do in a job.
+* There is a reputation of abundant well-paid job offers with good conditions.
+* Working on personal projects sounds fun.
+
+This means that many of us end up spending a significant amount of time working on personal projects.
+This time investment increases our skills and the things we know.
+
+## Hiring
+
+Hiring is one of the most highly debated topics in this industry.
+
+Many people believe that many candidates cannot do the job.
+There are many stories about new hires who cannot write simple programs.
+
+Whether this is common or not is not as important as whether people making decisions believe there are large differences between candidates.
+When people who hire think that their hiring decision is going to have a large effect on them, then they want to make sure that they pick the right person.
+
+My perception is that most of the organizations that offer good job conditions (and many who do not) try to be very selective in hiring people.
+
+## Hiring tinkerers
+
+When you are hiring people, candidates who have spent significant time on personal projects tend to stand out over candidates who have not.
+
+This improved perception during the hiring process does not necessarily relate to improved performance on the job.
+However, I believe that people who tinker on their spare time tend to land better jobs.
+
+## Handing out advice
+
+Because there are good jobs working with computers, many people think about making a career in the industry.
+
+There are many curriculums and formal education programs, from shorter (typically one year) to longer (four or five years).
+
+Some of them provide advice to land a good job, and students who follow programs who do not, tend to ask for advice.
+In any case, one of the most frequent pieces of advice on the topic, is tinkering on your own time.
+
+I believe this is actually good advice, as in that it's more likely to be an efficient way to increase your prospects.
+
+However, remember that hiring is roughly a competitive process.
+An organization evaluates a group of candidates, and tries to pick the best one.
+
+So to stand out, if more candidates tinker (because this is effective advice), the more you need to tinker to stand out.
+
+I cannot estimate how much you need to tinker on your own time to land a good job, but my guess is that it is more than what someone wanting to get into the field expects.
+
+As long as this dynamic continues, the tinkering required to land a good job will increase.
+Only reduced competition can reduce the tinkering required, and reduced competition can happen by few factors, such as increased demand for workers, or a reduction in job seekers.
+
+## Breaking the cycle
+
+I cannot think of much that we can individually do to break the cycle.
+
+Maybe if people coming into the field are aware of this phenomenon, they will be able to make a better decision about what to do.
+
+If a sufficient amount of people decide that the time investment is not worthwhile, then perhaps the competition will decrease.
+And if people are well informed and decide to move forward, at least they will be less likely to become frustrated or regret their decision.