path to follow.

Some grow up with a firm idea of what kind of work they want to pursue, while others complete their primary education before deciding where their strengths lay.

"I got into computers when I was about nine years old,'' said Steve Hoskins, a computer programmer/analyst. "Later, when I was about 13, I began to wonder how computers worked. As an operator, I could make the machine do pretty much anything I asked it to, but I had no idea how it functioned. I suppose that's when I first got interested in the programming.'' Steve's math skills supported his inquisitive nature, and his father took his son to his workplace to meet programmers and see them in action.

"I was hooked; I never really wanted to do anything else,'' explained Steve, who went on to earn a degree in computer science, and is now employed by a large oil company, doing what he likes best.

Elvin Green came to computer science from a different direction.

"It was clear round about `O' level time, that I'd end up doing something related to maths,'' he said. "My parents thought accounting made sense for me. I must say I had no idea where I was headed at the time. I think I was too young to worry about a career -- I was still a kid.'' Elvin spent a summer working with an accounting firm and found that it wasn't for him.

"Too much of it followed a set of rules for me,'' he explained. "I didn't like the idea of going in to work in the morning, knowing exactly what the day held.'' The exposure was not wasted, however.

"I kind of fell in with the computer guys. They explained to me that their work combined an element of planned projects, together with a degree of responding to problems. I preferred the atmosphere in their office.'' Elvin has worked for three years for a large insurance broking firm. "The opportunities are endless,'' he said of his chosen career path.

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