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Comment by mattfrommars | Hacker News Reader

Any tips on getting those entry level reporting job at banks who pay 150,000 USD? I'm 23 so I'm willing to leearn.

The programmers aren't entry level, but the work they're doing is entry level (in difficulty and maybe in quality). I've worked for a bank before and the environment (for this level of work) is stultifying. I just fell into the work, though, and I left after a couple of years. I wouldn't know where to seek it out.

HOWEVER, I can give you a little bit of advice on what skills might be a little bit useful. You want to learn to create reports/data portals for something like Oracle Business Intelligence Suite, SAP's Business Objects, or IBM's Cognos.

Bank of America used to use Oracle's solutions, but as I understand it they're moving over to Business Objects. For the rest, I can't say, but there are a lot of companies that want these skills.

Oh good god I do Business Objects work right now. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Not even for 150k.

Well shit. I start a new job working on it ... on Monday.

Any suggestions for books on it? They're training me, but the more I can learn on my own, the better.

I'm mostly self-trained. That's probably a part of the problem. The utterly broken way that my team decided to build the reports probably doesn't help either.

Sorry, no suggestions for books.

Do you know if you'll be working with Crystal Reports? Or directly with the Business Objects API? Either way they're both very, very poorly designed and implemented. Good luck I hope you're getting paid well.

How long will it take to become proficient enough in SAP Business Objects which can get you hired? If entirely self taught

Honestly, it wouldn't take you long to get the skills if you could get access and were a decent programmer already. One of the problems with these sorts of systems though is that it's not like they're open source and easily available outside of the enterprise.

Want to set up a testing instance and just play around or build something? They're either not available or horribly crippled. If you can get into a company that is doing it already and you can get access, you will have an easy time learning it (but it's not exactly fun).

I did look into SAP modules and thought about learning them but how do I market myself after learning the fundamentals? Don't they require some sort of computer degree? How do I gain professional experience which the job opening might require? That thought made me abandon learning SAP.

I knew a very smart guy who got a job like this. After a couple of years he threw it away and moved to Brazil, after teaching himself Portuguese by hanging out in soccer forums and IRC channels. He teaches English now.

work in wall street or the City supporting traders and their ghastly self written excel POS - and expect to get the "I have a pair of shoes that cost more than your entre wardrobe" gibes

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