Dean Michael Berris

In less than a month my full-time consulting engagement will come to an end. This is by my choice and I have my reasons for choosing to do so but I won't talk about that now. What I will talk about is what my passions and dream profession by choice is like. I cannot pinpoint exactly what that dream profession is, but I would try to describe it. This post is about my attempt at describing what I want my full-time vocation would be like.

If you're a friend or part of my family you already know that I am a geek. This is something I chose early on in life to embrace. Even through high school I was a computer geek and I was learning programming languages from books on my own. I still did sports and I did have non-geek friends. However I stayed true to myself and stayed a self-confessed geek.

My passion has always been problem solving. Even when I was in high school I took science experiments and math problems seriously. I didn't necessarily memorize all the formulas or all the techniques but what mattered to me was the act of solving problems. Part of that process is the thrill of discovery and the experience of learning. Much of what I've been doing even in college has been to identify these situations where either I can learn and apply something I've learned before to solve problems. I never really liked sitting around and listening to a lecture and I also never liked staying too long in the laboratory. If I can try and solve a problem as quickly as I can I tried to do just that.

I've always told my friends that I loved programming not because I love computers -- I am actually indifferent to them -- but because I loved solving problems. Computer programming is one way of solving problems. In the act of writing a program I can use both parts of my brain to write the solution and also be creative about it. The rules that are in place in programming languages are there for one reason or another but the world of possibilities within these rules are a fascinating playground to me.

Aside from problem solving my other passion is continuous learning. The learning is what feeds my problem solving passion. Every time I learn something I either digest it and "archive" it in my brain for later use, or I say "cool" and just think about how I can apply what I have learned.

I am also not shy about sharing what I know or what I've learned. This is also the reason why I do not hesitate and would love to be able to share as much as I know with as much people as I can. What the sharing and exchange of ideas brings learning.

So my dream profession would be one that allows me to do both: that is solve problems and keep learning on a full-time basis. I think this is why consulting has been a very good vocation for me, and also why opensource software development has been something that appeals to me greatly.

A dream profession would also allow me to apply what I learn almost without restriction. Research and development would be something that appeals to me greatly too although I don't think the long drawn-out schedules allows me to be as productive as I want to be. If there's a research and development field that allows me to make as much impact in a short time as possible I think it would have something to do with software.

My dream professions would also involve being among peers of the same ilk. Being around people of the same outlook, drive, and passions is something that appeals to me very much. Being among people who love learning and solving problems allows me to do the best I can be too. This is why I tend to like working with other software engineering practitioners who put a premium on problem solving and continuous learning.

If you know a work place where I can practice my dream profession and indulge in my passions I would love to know how to get in there. Or if you or someone you know is looking for a software engineering or software architecture consultant, I will soon be very much available.

Oh, and thank you very much for reading this far.