July 18, 2005

The Next Generation of Outsourcing

It's bad enough that all the adults of the Indian subcontinent are filling the jobs in the Western World's IT sector, now their kid daughters want a piece of the action:

Arfa Karim Randhawa, aged 10, has become the youngest person to be certified as a Microsoft engineer.

Randhawa passed her Microsoft Certified Professional examinations last year. She met Bill Gates this week and was taken on a tour of Microsoft's Redmond campus.

The 10 year-old, from Faisalabad in Pakistan, asked Gates why children were not allowed to work for Microsoft and was told that they should concentrate on their school studies.

But he explained that Microsoft has an intern programme which would be available to her once she reached high school level.

Randhawa also asked why there are so few women in the company, suggesting that Microsoft should have an equal number of men and women.

Gates replied that it is sometimes difficult to get women interested in technology.

After first discovering computers at the age of five Randhawa pestered her father for a PC. She has been accepted into Pakistan's Applied Technologies advanced computer institute.

Randhawa is now a Microsoft Certified Application Developer but plans to become a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer, which involves building programs into broader systems for business.

In the longer term she has her sights set on Harvard, or a career at Microsoft.

Posted by Quentin George at July 18, 2005 05:47 PM
Comments

My Geebon hat goes off to her.

Posted by: Dan at July 18, 2005 08:17 PM

There needs to be more Geebon Girls in this world.

Posted by: Aidan at July 18, 2005 10:02 PM

I'll say no to that.

Posted by: Jimbo at July 19, 2005 11:19 AM

I put forth that programming and I.T. are for shit as far as profitable professions and businesses to get into.

If every one else is doing it folks, then do something else.

Soon, these very talented people will be working for less than the average landscaper.

Posted by: Thomas at July 19, 2005 04:33 PM

Depends which industry IT and programming is used in. I'm a programmer for an insurance company, and let me tell you, there's lots of money to go round.

In my opinion there are two definitions of IT:
1. The industry.
2. A tool used by other industries.

Posted by: Dan at July 19, 2005 07:32 PM

I wish you the best Dan.

I.T. is a trade I know only a little bit above a gradation of zip.

Im always impressed by those who have a mastery on that particular trade.

P.S.

Watch out for the ten year old whiz-kids.

Tom

Posted by: Thomas at July 20, 2005 04:09 PM