Work in IT and impress the ladies

MCPWannabe

Apparently, a school in Germany has recognized that IT men don't usually do too well with the ladies. Now, you can get Master's degree credit to learn how to get your mac on..

love this story.. couldn't stop laughing..


Flirting class offered to German computer geeks - Tech and gadgets - MSNBC.com

BERLIN - Even the most quirky of computer nerds can learn to flirt with finesse thanks to a new "flirting course" being offered to budding IT engineers at Potsdam University south of Berlin.

The 440 students enrolled in the master's degree course will learn how to write flirtatious text messages and emails, impress people at parties and cope with rejection.

Philip von Senftleben, an author and radio presenter who will teach the course, summed up his job as teaching how to "get someone else's heart beating fast while yours stays calm."


The course, which starts next Monday, is part of the social skills section of the IT course and is designed to ease entry into the world of work. Students also learn body language, public-speaking, stress management and presentation skills.

"We want to prepare our students with the social skills needed to succeed both in their private life and their work life," said Hans-Joachim Allgaier, a spokesman for the institute at Potsdam University where the course is being offered

Where was this class when I was getting my Master's degree?

kalebksp

When ladies come over to my house and see my stacks of routers, switches and various other computer related paraphernalia I can tell they're impressed. So much so that they seem to be too intimidated by the awesomeness to ever come back.

EDIT: Oh, and that story has to be one of the saddest things I've ever heard.

jryantech

Yep I think I'll be getting off at this Exit.
Bye IT

Seriously though come on... this probably makes them more self-conscious.

ULWiz

hahahhaha 440 people signed up

JavonR

kalebksp wrote: »

When ladies come over to my house and see my stacks of routers, switches and various other computer related paraphernalia I can tell they're impressed. So much so that they seem to be too intimidated by the awesomeness to ever come back.

EDIT: Oh, and that story has to be one of the saddest things I've ever heard.

LOL!!! I know the feeling.

scheistermeister

kalebksp wrote: »

When ladies come over to my house and see my stacks of routers, switches and various other computer related paraphernalia I can tell they're impressed. So much so that they seem to be too intimidated by the awesomeness to ever come back.

EDIT: Oh, and that story has to be one of the saddest things I've ever heard.

Eh, I don't seem to have that problem once I show them my NSSA...

Turgon

This is all nonsense. Im my experience chicks dig Cisco guys.

Pash

woooo woooo woooo. Hold the boat. You mean my windows key x commands arent impressing the ladies when I go to fix their desktop issues???

the_Grinch

http://img2.moonbuggy.org/imgstore/stylish-70s-fashion.jpg

These looks have worked thus far for me...

Kaminsky

Met my wife of 13 years from initially going to fix her terminal...

Couldn't connect to mainframe (which I knew was down anyway) but still had her lean over to check the connections several times anyway

skrpune

hey, what about a little somethin' somethin' for the ladies of IT?

MCPWannabe wrote:

...learn how to get your mac on

Nice play on words - I'm assuming intentional?

....but seriously, this kinda creeps me out a bit? They need to learn real social skills, *not* stupid pick up lines. Gah. If it's more focused on the public speaking & stress management & presentation skills then that's fine, but the way it's described by the "teacher" makes it sound so sleazy.

dynamik

I disagree. I have a pick-up line that works every time.

"Hey baby, I heard you're looking for a stud. I have the STD, now all I need is you!"

MCPWannabe

he, he he... This is such a funny post. I can't believe that they had over 400 people in this classroom.

But it makes sense. I've seen a lot of IT men who had trouble with ladies, especially in the early stages of their careers before the bucks start rolling in.

I'll give an example... During one of my classes, a guy showed up and slept the entire time. I asked him if anything was wrong and he told me that nothing was wrong. At the end of the class, he gave me a perfect evaluation score. I was shocked.

Later on, some one told me what happened. He wasn't showing up for the classes. The owner of this IT technical institute had made it a policy to hire all hot women as sales people. As a result of doing this, many of the guys were booking classes just for a chance to go out on dates with the sales-women.

Somehow, the sales-women knew how to control the situation and keep it from getting out of hand. Typically, they would just let the guys take them out for lunch or something.

In this guy's case, the saleswoman let him take her out to lunch and he was happy. Now, he was the IT director for a company so I think that helped.. He continued to book himself for training as he was authorized for those decisions. But basically, he paid $2200 for a class for the right to go on a business lunch date -- it wasn't even a real date.

I'm not an expert on looks for men, but he looked like a normal guy. At first I was surprised, but I was told that this sort of thing happens all the time in IT. That is why many of the recruiters and sales people are flirtatious women..

I can think of very few fields that have as disproportinate of a ratio of males/females, especially when you start taking out the numbers of managers and directors who are women. For a single woman, she would probably have her pick of whatever she wanted.

MCPWannabe

It's story time... So, to give an example of how bad it can be.. with the male/female ratio as bad as it is, one of my ex-colleagues from a call center called me the other day.

He told me that they had hired two average looking women to work as call center techs. That made the ratio of men to women about 350/7, with 4 of the other women being lesbians and having no interest in men.

Things got out of hand very fast. Many of the men began to flock over to the two ladies cubicles, and the 2 ladies were unable to work. As a result of being asked for a whole lot of dates, the 2 ladies had to go to HR. HR then met with all the managers and told them to pass a rule that no one was allowed to go over to the ladies cubicles, and that anyone who asked them on a date would be terminated for sexual harassment. They had to issue this to the group of 350 techs!

I couldn't stop laughing when I heard that.. Now, tell me that there aren't some lonely men in this field.. A single female has it eaaaaaaaaaaaaaasy.

HeroPsycho

dynamik wrote: »

I disagree. I have a pick-up line that works every time.

"Hey baby, I heard you're looking for a stud. I have the STD, now all I need is you!"

I like the forever classic, "Hey baby, want to cook me dinner?"

KGhaleon

As someone working in IT, I can say that it is nearly impossible to date women while in this field. At the place where I work all the women have expensive tastes and always lean toward the guys who have slicked black hair and wear suits while driving expensive cars to work.

I live in a small apartment with a roommate, drive a bycicle, spend all my time reading IT books, not the type of person who is interested in frequenting bars or clubs, don't smoke or drink alcohol since I watch my health, keep my expenses and debts low, etc.

I make lots of money, but that's really the only thing that women would find appealing.
I don't like to waste money though.

skrpune

KGhaleon wrote: »

As someone working in IT, I can say that it is nearly impossible to date women while in this field. At the place where I work all the women have expensive tastes and always lean toward the guys who have slicked black hair and wear suits while driving expensive cars to work.

I live in a small apartment with a roommate, drive a bycicle, spend all my time reading IT books, not the type of person who is interested in frequenting bars or clubs, don't smoke or drink alcohol since I watch my health, keep my expenses and debts low, etc.

I make lots of money, but that's really the only thing that women would find appealing.
I don't like to waste money though.

Well as a woman in IT, I can resoundingly debunk the myth that all women in IT are money-grubbing, slicked-hair-chasing jerks.

Seriously though, as I've said before, real women don't date or go after a guy for his cash roll, car, or suits. I personally find all that stuff very unappealing. (Guys who drive fast cars & wear expensive suits and slick back their hair really skeeve me out, gah.) Money-grubbing women aren't just IT either, unfortunately they're everywhere and making all us non-gold-diggers look bad...grr...

skrpune

MCPWannabe wrote: »

It's story time... So, to give an example of how bad it can be.. with the male/female ratio as bad as it is, one of my ex-colleagues from a call center called me the other day.

He told me that they had hired two average looking women to work as call center techs. That made the ratio of men to women about 350/7, with 4 of the other women being lesbians and having no interest in men.

Things got out of hand very fast. Many of the men began to flock over to the two ladies cubicles, and the 2 ladies were unable to work. As a result of being asked for a whole lot of dates, the 2 ladies had to go to HR. HR then met with all the managers and told them to pass a rule that no one was allowed to go over to the ladies cubicles, and that anyone who asked them on a date would be terminated for sexual harassment. They had to issue this to the group of 350 techs!

I couldn't stop laughing when I heard that.. Now, tell me that there aren't some lonely men in this field.. A single female has it eaaaaaaaaaaaaaasy.

That's really sad. I would say that single females in IT do NOT have it easy...not to get all overly sensitive, but while it may seem flattering to have folks falling all over you, you can very quickly start to feel like a slab of meat. And having to go to HR to keep throngs of guys from hitting on you all the time is really unfortunate.

blargoe

Good thing I met my wife before I started working in IT then. Otherwise I'd really be screwed.

I don't know why a large number of us IT dudes are so socially awkward and/or inept. Would make a good study.

Pash

blargoe wrote: »

Good thing I met my wife before I started working in IT then. Otherwise I'd really be screwed.

I don't know why a large number of us IT dudes are so socially awkward and/or inept. Would make a good study.

I think part of the problem is stereotyping and the assumptions that IT guys/gals are socially awkward and/or inept. Surely it's down to the person not the profession?

JavonR

Pash wrote: »

I think part of the problem is stereotyping and the assumptions that IT guys/gals are socially awkward and/or inept. Surely it's down to the person not the profession?

Perhaps the profession attracts a certain type of person, which in turn creates a stereotype for the entire profession?

Pash

JavonR wrote: »

Perhaps the profession attracts a certain type of person, which in turn creates a stereotype for the entire profession?

Thats stereotypism right there. Think about what you have said, and apply it to different professions in the world.

ConstantlyLearning

KGhaleon wrote: »

As someone working in IT, I can say that it is nearly impossible to date women while in this field. At the place where I work all the women have expensive tastes and always lean toward the guys who have slicked black hair and wear suits while driving expensive cars to work.

I live in a small apartment with a roommate, drive a bycicle, spend all my time reading IT books, not the type of person who is interested in frequenting bars or clubs, don't smoke or drink alcohol since I watch my health, keep my expenses and debts low, etc.

I make lots of money, but that's really the only thing that women would find appealing.
I don't like to waste money though.

Guys still slick back their hair?!...

the_Grinch

Wish I had enough hair to slick back....

pwjohnston

dynamik wrote: »

I disagree. I have a pick-up line that works every time.

"Hey baby, I heard you're looking for a stud. I have the STD, now all I need is you!"

Ya I think you might want to rethink that one.

[scene] In a loud nightclub.

(dynamic eyes a buxom blond beauty from afar)

(after exchanging smiles he walks over)

Dynamic: "Hey baby, I heard you're looking for a stud. I have the STD, now all I need is you!"

(in between the thumping she looks confused)

Girl: What???

Dynamic: "Hey baby, I heard you're looking for a stud. I have the STD, now all I need is you!"

(of course she hears "I have the STD, I need you")

(her face looks confused and angry)

(Girl exit's stage left)

pwjohnston

MCPWannabe wrote: »

But basically, he paid $2200 for a class for the right to go on a business lunch date -- it wasn't even a real date.

Desperate men sometimes pay a lot more for a lot less.

skrpune

pwjohnston wrote: »

Desperate men sometimes pay a lot more for a lot less.

Good point. Still pretty sad though.

dynamik

pwjohnston wrote: »

Desperate men sometimes pay a lot more for a lot less.

Someone really needs to acquaint them with Craig's List. You'll be amazed at what you can get for $2200. I mean, from what I've heard...

Edit: I found someone who needs to sign up.

skrpune

dynamik wrote: »

Someone really needs to acquaint them with Craig's List. You'll be amazed at what you can get for $2200. I mean, from what I've heard...

Edit: I found someone who needs to sign up.

Oh my. Um, yeah, that person just needs to learn what "creepy" means...

MCPWannabe

dynamik wrote: »

Someone really needs to acquaint them with Craig's List. You'll be amazed at what you can get for $2200. I mean, from what I've heard...

Edit: I found someone who needs to sign up.

lol.. That's true. I wondered about why he didn't just apply his $2200 in a more cost-productive way.. But he gave me a perfect evaluation, so I was happy. Plus, he was IT director, so he was waisting the company's money, not his own.. sad still..