How does a person become a programmer?

[89stangGT]

I bet you couldn't pick any out of a crowd. It must be a New Hampshire thing.


<----software guy

right?

I have a friend that I met awhile back cause he was selling a motorcycle. He was a jock from Bowie high school here in arlington that worked at Discount Tire at the time, and he worked there for awhile and was really good at it. Went from doing that to waiting tables and back. He started doing the programing stuff for fun, and then ended up getting a job doing it. He then started getting to go to the Google Conference in San Fran each year and I believe was/is an IT director at a FW company.
Now, he was just in the Fort Worth Magazine in a article on entrepreneurs in FW for his new company Gymdoll (http://www.gymdoll.com/). Right before he got into this company, he was asking me ideas for a company to start up lol.
He's just a good example of a person that was able to get where he is without any college degree and just by working hard and teaching himself new stuff.

[josh9167]

I bet you couldn't pick any out of a crowd. It must be a New Hampshire thing.


<----software guy

New Hampshire isn't special enough to have its own type of people....other than the elusive snow redneck. Might be a new england thing though. A lot of assholes and people that think they are smarter than they really are. Just another reason that I'm out of this place after my dues are paid.

[ceyko]

Alright, I'm not getting into what technology is more awarding and how some programmers are strange.

I will say, if you want to get experience and be better than the average geek - you have to immerse yourself in whatever field/tech you choose to do.

When I say immerse, I mean do it as many hours a day as you can. Do it for work, do it as a side job, do it at home in a lab doing different scenarios - get on forums around it, learn the technologies that surround what you're doing and do the certifications that support what you're learning.

Unfortunately, this IS how you become a little bit socially deprived for awhile. However, it pays off after a few years because you do have skills and the ability to interview better because you know it better than most.

When I decided to become a Cisco type person in networking, UC, video, security...etc...etc I thought of it as training for XYZ sport. You don't just train an hour a day if you want to be elite, you sleep/eat/breath it.

To me the toughest part about any technology is the rate at which is changes. So, you can't rest once you learn it because in 2-3 years you'll be obsolete. That part does really suck, but it's also the reason for demand that keeps us employed. Between it being a little harder than normal things, constantly changing and most being intimidated - it's going to be a little while before it's all a commodity if you stay on or close to cutting edge technologies.

Just my opinion.

[MustangPoser]

When I say immerse, I mean do it as many hours a day as you can. Do it for work, do it as a side job, do it at home in a lab doing different scenarios - get on forums around it, learn the technologies that surround what you're doing and do the certifications that support what you're learning.

Exactly. You will have to put in more than your fair share of time behind the screen. You need total immersion, and you need to explore beyond your chosen technology. Learning about associated technology and skills will make you a well rounded programmer and allow you to tackle any task confidently.

I've been training in my field for over a decade (I'm 25). I build websites, so I first learned about the design aspect of websites, then about HTML. Then I spent some time thinking I was a hacker. After playing with linux, I learned PHP/Mysql. When I was 17, I built a few websites that fully supported me financially until I was 22. But I did it all because it was interesting and fun to me.

Since I had learned so much about making money online, and growing websites, it only made sense that I get into search marketing. Now, I mostly manage e-commerce websites (Conversion optimization/SEO) and work with service companies (Local SEO). Before I started doing SEO and conversion optimization, I was already learning about conversion optimization passively when I was 17, trying to generate the most revenue from the least number of pageviews.

I spent a lot of time learning this shit, and skipped out on a lot of things. However, now I can work efficiently. I make up for it. I still work all day, but I can fit in 2 rounds of disc golf and lunch while still getting things done.

That's basically how I "became" a programmer, since I re-read your original post and you wanted to know how people become one. Again, I'm not a real programmer I just write some PHP, but I work with and know a lot of dedicated coders and most of us started the same way: having fun.

[BERNIE MOSFET]

There's a lot more rewards when you do embedded software than networking or desktop apps. Every time I see a B-1B or F-35 fly, I get chills. Some of my work makes those planes do what they do. Every time I see videos from targeting pods taking out terrorists, I get chills.

I need some redirection in life; this is actually something that really interests me and I've never pursued it. Any suggestions for an EE with no programming experience beyond college? I could be proficient with C again in no time at all.

[46Tbird]

With programming, it's either you have it or you don't. You'll know in the first year if it's the career for you. An inherent desire to fix things or make things work is what matters. If it's not for you, you'll probably end up in IT/Networking and support the programmers/engineers by providing them workstations and cleaning their mouse balls.

Wow. You might have a hyperinflated ego. If I remember right, you've been in the aerospace industry for a while. Likely you've been grandfathered in and aren't having to compete with younger talent that can do your job for less.

The industry in general seems pretty cutthroat. I see most developers following short-term projects and contracts as businesses need them. You also have to constantly stay ahead of technology, otherwise your skillset is passe and you'll be overlooked. Average programmers make average money, but the pay scale does seem to be wide. If you're a top-tier developer, $200/hr contracts are out there, but they're probably very short.

Keep in mind that you'll always be competing with offshore companies that have huge reserves of low-wage programming talent that are up-to-date on the most recent software and practices.

I prefer to lurk in the shadows of system administration and dba work. But I don't touch workstations or mouse balls.

[propellerhead]

I need some redirection in life; this is actually something that really interests me and I've never pursued it. Any suggestions for an EE with no programming experience beyond college? I could be proficient with C again in no time at all.

Your best bet is to apply at large companies like Boeing, Lockheed, Bell, L-3, etc. They typically have the resources and budget to grow a newbie.

Wow. You might have a hyperinflated ego. If I remember right, you've been in the aerospace industry for a while.

Yes, that was a dig. My brother, who is a network guy, and I often rag on each other on who's more important. And for the benefit of the OP, this is common in any medium to large organization. The developers and the IT support people are always picking on each other, like V8 guys and ricers. The takeaway here is in medium to large companies, a programmer is not an IT person and an IT person is not a programmer. This is often confused by those outside the industry.

Likely you've been grandfathered in and aren't having to compete with younger talent that can do your job for less.

It's a different landscape in defense & aerospace. Military aviation and weapon system hardware isn't made obsolete and replaced overnight like the commercial/private sector. My iPhone has more processing power than the avionics computers in an F-16. The F-35 does not have a lot of new technology. It is mostly existing stuff all brought together on one plane. iPhones go obsolte in 4-5 years. Military hardware can go 30+ years with periodic updates to the software. Learning the latest and greatest industry buzzwords is not as important in aerospace & defense. Having background knowledge and experience of existing tried and tested weapon systems is far more needed than knowing the latest internet protocol standard.

Another key difference in aerospace/defense is almost all jobs require a security clearance. This alone filters out non-citizens, new start-up companies and off-shore contracts.

[46Tbird]

It's a little alarming to know that our current crop of front line military technology is antiquated and uses software compiled in an uncompetitive environment. But hey, good for you, I'm glad you enjoy your job!

[mustangguy289]

Open a boat dealership.

Phil Dill?

[Silverback]

most programming jobs are going to cheaper labor countries, i.e. India, Brazil, Mexico, etc.

At least in the large corporate world. Be a Business Analyst, not a Programmer. That's where the money is in the states on the programming side of the house.

[jakesford]

It's a little alarming to know that our current crop of front line military technology is antiquated and uses software compiled in an uncompetitive environment. But hey, good for you, I'm glad you enjoy your job!

But military hardware is made to different standards and survivability. Look at the hardware used on curiosity. It has very little computing power, but must be able to withstand extreme environmental conditions, have multiple redundancies, and near perfect reliability. Add to that the long lead times and design phases and the hardware could be a decade old by the time it is in production.

[yellowstang]

But military hardware is made to different standards and survivability. Look at the hardware used on curiosity. It has very little computing power, but must be able to withstand extreme environmental conditions, have multiple redundancies, and near perfect reliability. Add to that the long lead times and design phases and the hardware could be a decade old by the time it is in production.

Can it withstand snakes on the plane tho?

And fuck computers, they suck!