How do I launch a career in programming?
Times are tough and so is the job market. I’m considering a career in programming.
If I have no qualifications in programming:
1) How long would it take me to learn a programming language?
2) Which programming languages should I learn (which is in demand in the industry)?
3) How long will it take to get certified?
4) How much will it cost?
You need a degree in computer science. That’s a four year bachelor’s degree. There are TONS of programming languages used by different companies. C++ is a pretty dominant language though.
I can only answer your first two questions but I just want to give you encouragement. Programming is a great and fun field for me and I think it will be for you too. If you work very hard in this career you could be the best!
1) It depends on how fast you can learn
2)C++ is around, also PHP but a lot of sites call for Javascript, CSS, HTML and/or XHTML and some PHP more frequently that I have seen.
Don’t let go of your dream whatever it may be!
To get into it with no experience in it right now, college is almost a requirement. Even if it just down at your local community college or tech school (those can be better, actually). An associates degree will be more than enough to get you started.
Reason I would suggest that rather than just teaching yourself a language is because modern programming is a LOT more than language. Learning a language does not make you a programmer nowadays. You need to learn how to program, in any language.
Object Oriented Programming is the standard right now, and you simply cannot just “pick it up”, unless you’re crazy smart. There are a lot of aspects to it that you will need someone to show you. And it isn’t something you can fake, either…
If you’re smart with computers, I would look for a Tier 1 support job while getting a degree in the field. That way you can hone your skills on both sides. One bonus to an IT Degree is that you can score most of your classes online, so it’s easy to work a full time job and go to school full time.
To really “launch” your career, you can plan on a 2 year investment in learning and training, at least. From there, you’ll look forward to moderate pay in the field for a few years.
Programmers are in demand in the US as much as ever. Outsourcing overseas is a problem, but it has slowed down a quite a bit as employers realize that they can get a lot more bang for their buck if they keep their programmers in house, sitting next to their administrators.