After flunking out of Union College in the second year, I got a job in the Honeywell computer factory doing final test (really making broken stuff work), but with the limited security of that work, I went 'to the field' as a Customer Service Engineer. After a few decades supporting Honeywell/GE/HISI/BULL hardware, including a bit of software, machine languages through COBOL, I finished my degree in EE Computer Design (path of least resistance) in the evenings with tuition assistance, Summa Cum Laude, and spent a few decades in software, usually consulting, back office, batch, common code, RDBMS, AT&T Technical Architect and a little firewall, IBM supercomputer. Retired now, I tutor part time online using Wyzant in Computer Architecture, Networks, Languages, Math, not so much for the money as to keep my skills alive and share my perspective and enthusiasm to new students. I learn a lot as I teach, too!