Genesis of Dr. StrangeJob – Part III

After kicking around university for seven years I finally decided it was time to get a real job. That’s when reality struck me – real jobs are few and far between for someone with an Arts degree and a minor in Philosophy. Yes, I was a much better person as a result of my university experience, just a lot poorer than I had anticipated. No one mentioned that when I was paying my yearly tuition fees. I guess some things will never change.

This was the mid-80s and the whole “computer” thing was turning into a fad, so I decided to take a diploma in data processing. My initial degree was a Bachelor of Arts in Community Studies (BACS) and I thought a diploma in data processing combined with BACS would be a marketable package. Turns out I was right. Kind of.

I did end up with a job as a computer systems analyst that lasted 13 years. I had always assumed the diploma, rather than the degree, was the main reason for being offered the position. I found out years later that it was actually the undergraduate degree that landed me the position, but not for the reason one would expect. One of the members of the interview panel confided that they thought BACS was an acronym for Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science rather than Community Studies. Either they didn’t read my resume closely or I was a bit reckless with the truth on my application.

Computer geeks should stay tuned for Part IV and a funny story about programmer aptitude tests.

End Part III

Dr. StrangeJob