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Pertec Computer Corporation
1982
By: David K. Every
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May 05,2003
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 t the age of 18, I'd been consulting for a few years; I was getting pressure from the parents to "get a real job" and not just consult. I figured 6 months or a year wasn't exactly short term or flakey (for a teenager anyways); but I took it to heart and was going to try for something "more stable".
I tried to find an employed position, but it was hard. What was ironic was that many companies wouldn't hire me as an employee, since I didn't have a degree; but they would make offers to pay me more as a consultant, based on experience. But I was determined "give it a try" as an employee.
The only way to do that was to "start at the bottom" and work up; and "the bottom" turned out to be in QA (Quality Assurance). Hey, I'd try anything once, and things I liked more than once, so why not?
I found out about an opportunity at Pertec Computers, in Q.A.
The first "personal" computer was by MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems), and their ALTAIR 8800. MITS was acquired by Pertec. Pertec made peripherals; floppy drives, tape drives, instrumentation control, and so on. They were making a 68000 based super micro-computer; a multi-user micro. I figured this was great, a hot computer, and working for a piece of Americana. And I'd done some hardware QA and QC at Brunswick; so why not try Software QA? I gave that a try.
You can read about it at: Quality Assurance.
The long and short of it was that I worked really hard at making it work; but I wasn't motivated to "just" do Q.A. I wanted to code and help the company make good products more directly.
I could out code most of their coders, but corporate politics were such that I'd never be allowed to code. This flabbergasted me, at the time, but over time I sort of got it. The team I worked for wanted me to do Q.A., anything else was "beyond my duties". The team wanted to work for, didn't want a "spy" from Q.A., or someone that had ties in other parts of the organization, or hadn't gone through the same pain to get in that they felt they had. I hadn't paid my dues yet, so they were going to turn down a good opportunity; to get a motivated coder at bargain basement prices. Hey, it happens.
I learned a lot about companies. Working up in some organizations can be a very long and tedious process or politically imprudent. Generally, it is easier to hold out for what you want before you go in, rather than to try to shift after you get in. Or at least, only accept a job that is something you'd be happy doing indefinitely; even if it isn't what you ultimately want to do someday. Now this isn't true for all companies; but it is for some - and I was a lot more wary after that. I also learned not to take a job based on what others thought I should be doing. Not settling has been tough at some times, but it has made me a better employee for the organizations I have worked for. And when I've gone in, it was full force.
It was still a good experience; to have in my past. I kept bumping into these people, and others, around in the area over the years. I also learned that an industry is small. Even though I left, they fully understood why, and knew that I was a hard worker; so I'd got good references over the years. I was really mad and frustrated at the times, and I'm glad that I didn't burn a bridge, or vent on my way out. They were professional to me, and I was to them; and I don't regret that at all.
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