Scope:
What Careers are there in Programming?
Get A Programming Job.
Freelance via the Web.
Sell Software via the Web.
Run a service via the web.
What Types of Programming Work Can I do?
Programmers tend to specialize by industry sector. Games programmers don't write aviation control software or valuation software for financial trades. Each industry sector has its own specialist knowledge, and you should expect it to take a year full-time to get up to speed. Important These days you are expected to have business knowledge as well as technical. In many jobs, that edge will get you the job. There are niche skills that cross sectors - knowing how to write artificial intelligence (AI)) software could have you writing software to fight war-games, to buy or sell trades without human intervention or even fly unmanned aircraft.
Will I Need to Keep Learning?
Always! Expect to be learning new skills throughout your career. In programming, everything changes every five to seven years. There are always new versions of operating systems coming along every few years, bringing new features, even new languages like C#. Its a career long learning curve. Even older languages like C and C++ are changing with new features and there will always be new languages to learn.
Am I too Old?
You're never too old to learn. One of the best programmers I ever interviewed for a job was 60! In case you're wondering what is the difference between a programmer and a software developer? The answer is none. It just means the same! Now a software engineer is similar but not the same. Want to know the difference? Read about software engineering.Skills:
Education
If you have had the education, got a college degree, maybe been an intern during summer vacations then you've taken the traditional way into the business. It's not quite as easy these days as many jobs have flown overseas but there are still a lot of jobs out there.Recreational
New to programming or thinking about it? It might surprise you to know that there are many programmers who program just for fun and it can lead to a job. It isn't just a profession, but a very enjoyable hobby.
Recreational Programming - the No Job Route to a Job
Recreational programming can be a path to a programming career without having to gain experience in the job. Not with large companies though. They often recruit through agencies so track experience is essential but smaller outfits may consider you if you can demonstrate aptitude and ability. Build up experience with small companies or freelance and concentrate on building a resume that any employer is going to want.
Different Industry- Different Approach
As the computing business matures, even games programmers can get a degree in developing games these days. But you can still teach yourself into a job without one. Find out if you want to be a game developer.
Showcase Yourself!
So you haven't got the grades, the degree or the experience. Get your own showcase website and write about software, document your experiences and even give away software you've written. Find a niche where you are the expert that everyone respects. Linus Torvalds (the first four letters in Linux) was a nobody until he started Linux off. There are new technologies coming along every few weeks or months so pick one of those. Show off your programming skills that you've learnt. It will cost you no more than $20 a year (and your time) to give yourself a boost in your job seeking career.
Job Agents know Enough but...
They aren't technical and have to recruit according to what their client tells them. If you have spent the last year learning version X of a hot programming language and your rsesume is up against a ten year veteran who only knows version X-1, it's the veteran whose resume will be chucked in the bin.
Freelance or Wage Slave?
The Web has made it possible to escape the college route to a job. You can be a freelancer or find a need and write software to fill it. There are many one man outfits selling software on the web. First you need to learn at least one programming language. Find out more about programming languages.
References:
While it's true that the engineer is also a programmer, and
there are some design duties included in the core job functions, there are also
some very fundamental, critical differences in the manner in which software
engineers, programmers, and designers complete their work. Many engineers would
also argue that there is a marked difference in the quality and performance of
the products they produce as well.
Software engineer jobs take a more formal approach to the
process of programming software. The manner in which engineers complete their
work is much more similar to traditional engineering processes than it is to
software programming or designing methods.
Software engineers are often involved in the most complex of
design or programming activities. Though every day, run of the mill programs
can be designed by less skilled folks, many programs can't be trusted to just
any old programmer.
For example, programs that control important processes -
especially in circumstances where human lives may be lost if an error occurs in
a program - are primarily the realm of highly skilled software engineers. After
all, you don't want the software that runs a key piece of medical equipment or
that which drives the operating system of a nuclear submarine to fail.
This is perhaps the most challenging aspect of design
engineer jobs with which incumbents must constantly contend. They are tasked
with ensuring the smooth and efficient operations of incredibly complex and
sometimes frightening processes with computer enhanced systems.
Design engineers are tasked not only with creating a
software program that will serve the basic needs of a business, organization,
or other client, but they must also foresee the potential pitfalls associated
with the program as well. They must be able to grasp the technological concepts
of the methods or practices with which the program is intended to interface and
design the software appropriately for the highly technical, and often
potentially dangerous, environment in which it will be used.
Although the average programmer or designer may be able to
afford a few minor glitches, for those working in design engineer jobs, there
is often no such thing as a minor glitch. Of the software fails, the consequences
can be great. The pressure that design engineers face on a daily basis is
tremendous for this very reason.
Software engineers also face some other unique challenges in
the IT world. They must often complete a lot more paperwork than most IT professionals.
Once again remaining true to the engineering trade, software engineers will
draft designs, test them for quality, integrity and performance, and will
frequently redesign them several times before moving from paper or prototypes
to the real deal. In fact, many of those who work in software engineer jobs
will spend as much as 70 - 80% of their time dealing with paperwork and only 20
- 30% actually writing code for the software itself.
Certification:
As one of the people who sits and
creates the software that runs our lives and businesses, it is important that
you can verify your skills to future and current employers. There are several
great certifications out there to do just that. The following is a list of some
of the most popular and where to get more information about each.
BEA Certified Developer
Offers three specializations to choose from: Portal
Solutions, Build Solutions, and Integration Solutions. Each specialization
requires one exam. Only one specialization is required for the BEA
Certified
Developer designation.
Developer exams cost $150 each.
Brainbench Certified Internet Professional (BCPIP) - Web
Developer
This online certification requires four online exams that typically cost
$49.95. Some exams are free.
Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) Certifications
- Master
CIW Enterprise Developer
An advanced certification, this requires eight exams at $125. - CIW
Web Developer
Requires two exams at $125 each.
Macromedia MX Certifications
- Certified
Macromedia Dreamweaver MX Developer
- Certified
Macromedia Flash MX Designer
- Certified
Macromedia Flash MX Developer
- Certified
ColdFusion MX Developer
Microsoft Certifications
- MCAD
- Microsoft Certified Application Developer
Requires 3 exams at $125 each. - MCSD
- Microsoft Certified Solution Developer for Microsoft .NET
Requires 3 core exams and 1 elective at $125 each. - Microsoft
Office Specialist - Access
Requires 4 exams for master level, 1 additional exam for expert level, and 1 additional exam for a total of 6 exams for specialist level. Each exam costs around $125.
Learning Tree International
- .NET
Enterprise Application Development Certified Professional
- .NET
Web Development Certified Professional
- Access
Certified Professional
- C#
Programming Certified Professional
- Visual
Basic .NET Programming Certified Professional
- SQL
Server Application Development Certified Professional
Oracle Certifications
- Oracle9i
PL/SQL Developer Certified Associate (OCA)
Requires 2 exams at $125 each. - Oracle9i
PL/SQL Developer Certified Professional (OCP)
Requires an Associate certification and 1 exam costing $125.
IBM Certifications
- IBM
Certified Associate Developer - WebSphere Studio, V5.0
This entry-level cert requires 1 exam for $150. - IBM Certified Developer Associate - IBM WebSphere Studio Family of Products, V4.0.x
-
Requires 1 exam for $150.
- IBM
Certified Application Developer – DB2 Universal Database V8.1 Family
Intermediate level cert requires 2 exams for $150 each. - IBM
Certified Solution Developer
This intermediate certification is product specific and requires 1 exam for $150. - IBM
Certified Enterprise Developer
This advanced certification requires 4 exams that range from $150 to $190.
PeopleSoft Certified Developer
SAS Certifications
- SAS
Certified Base Programmer
Requires one exam for $150. - SAS
Certified Advanced ProgrammerRequires a Base Programmer Certification
and one exam for $150.
Sun Certifications
- SCJP
- Sun Certified Java Programmer
Requires one exam for $150. - SCWCD - Sun Certified Web Component Developer for J2EE Platform
- Requires an SCJP certification and one exam for $150.
- SCBCD
- Sun Certified Business Component Developer for J2EE Platform
Requires an SCJP certification and one exam for $150. - SCJP
- Sun Certified Developer for the Java 2 Platform
You must be a Sun Certified Java Programmer and then complete a programming assignment available from Sun for $250 and take one exam, administered by Sun for $150. - Sun
Certified Enterprise Architect for Java Technology
This advanced cert requires one exam, a programming assignment, and an essay exam, all available from Sun. - J2ME
- Sun Certified Mobile Application Developer
Requires an SCJP certification and one exam for $150.
Sybase Certifications
- Sybase
Certified Professional - Adaptive Server Anywhere Developer
- Sybase
Certified SQL Developer
- Sybase
Certified PowerBuilder Developer
EC-Council Certifications
- EC-Council
Certified Secure Programmer (ECSP)
Requires one exam costing $150. - Certified
Secure Application Developer (CSAD)
Requires a prior certification from Sun, Microsoft, Linux, Oracle, or IBM (specific certs listed on EC-Council site) and one exam. Exam costs $150.
Good luck on achieving your programmer certification!
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