NEW TO Z
When I was around 9 years old I declared to my parents that I was going to make videogames. Not long after this, I was given a ‘programming for dummies’ book and was left to my own devices. With very little guidance and no idea where to begin, my attention naturally drifted to other more important things at the time: skateboarding, sport, school, and of course videogames. However, my interest in computers only continued to grow in the background, and it was this interest that led me to pursue computer science in university. Bright eyed and ready to start my career after graduating, I began my search for work in tech.
Along came the mainframe…
I won’t get into specifics, but not long ago I was picked for the role of Junior COBOL developer at a bank through Talent-It. I knew of COBOL, I’d heard a large part of the world’s economy runs on it. But little did I know a whole new world was about to open up to me - the world of Mainframe. At the start of my training I borrowed the book ‘What On Earth Is A Mainframe’ by David Stephens and by the end of the week (and the book), all my preconceptions about what mainframe had to offer had changed. Every aspect of what I knew from programming had a mainframe equivalent, and not only that, every one of those seems to have a career worth of knowledge; from data, application development, security, to the system itself and the hardware that it runs on.
The base of the mountain.
What does the path forward look like from down here? Seeing all the possibilities in front of me seems overwhelming, but at the same time, it's encouraging! I know that many before me have carved their own paths starting from the point I am now. However, without the guidance I have received in my training, I don't think these paths would be visible to me. Having a leading hand is what allowed me to discover what's possible. My journey in mainframe has only just begun; getting familiar with z/OS, ISPF/TSO, JCL, DB2, CICs, and of course COBOL. I’m excited to see where this path takes me.
I’ve been lucky enough to have many great opportunities in my life so far. I feel this chance I’ve been given now is one of the best so far, I intend to make the most of it as I continue to learn about the wonderful world of Mainframe.
Liam Huyberechts
Ps. If you want a detailed breakdown of the new experiences with mainframe, go follow the blog of my colleague in training: New Mainframer Chronicles: My Unexpected Journey