Need career advice

[imsolazy]

I need some help to improve my career. Currently I am not a programmer but I learned some java and object oreinted programming in school. I didn't do well during school in programming so I have to move on to different path in career. My current career hasn't be great either and its not because I didn't work hard on this career.

I really want to do something technical but I have very bad experience learning computers in the past. I got overwhelmed with lots of languages to learn and I was bit lazy. Now, I have grown up and learned my mistakes and I want to learn and improve my career as my current job is a dead end job.

So, I want to make a good career choices now. I want to know what a typical progammer does in the job. How many languages the progammaer have to know. does the porgammmer have to know configuring network and systmes or database as well? does a java programmer also has to know C, C++, html, php, sql, javascript, xml, linux, other languages and system etc. How stressful is the programming job?

What are the important things you have to know to be a java programmer? Will a good knowledge of object orientation programming is good enough to be a java programmar? or does the java programmer has to really know J2EE. how much important are jave swing and java applets?

will like to hear you from current programmers and thanks in advance.

[gnomeontherun]

I don't program in Java, nor do I ever want to, so I cannot comment on that area. However I can comment on careers.

Good career choices start with a proper attitude. You are only as valuable as your attitude, skills, and personality. Stress on the job is directly related to your attitude about the job. I often am faced with things that I don't know or understand, but because I enjoy the challenge of figuring it out (and am humble enough to admit that I don't know everything) my stress is fairly low. Laziness doesn't fit with these types of jobs because there are so many people in the industry.

Admitting you were lazy is good, but you need to get over it and prove that you have the drive to improve and do something in your job. For example, I have a friend who was under-qualified for a job compared with another applicant, but because he was honest and didn't pretend to know everything he got the job (this was shared with him afterwards).

The number of languages that you learn is up to you and your job. You could find jobs related to just Java, however those would likely require a higher level of expertise. You could also try to specialize in a combination, perhaps Java and Flex or some combination that is more rare, but still needed. Generally though, I think a programmer knows one language really well and picks up a few others along the way. If you work in a large company, its easier to get away with sticking to one task, but if you are in a small business your skills will need to be flexible enough to cover their needs.

I also don't think you should limit yourself to being a Java programmer just because you did it once, maybe you have strengths in network administration or other techie things. The real trick in a career is to find what you like to do the most, and make your niche.

[susagar]

hai.. iam susagar. studying 3rd year b.tech CSE in a reputed college. i need a quidelines for my future studies. what is the best way after completion of my engineering?

[Deacon Frost]

I couldn't think of anything to say after reading your post, but this picture helped me think of what to say:

http://journalistopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/11th_grade.png


Being taught = fail.

Learning out of your own motivation and desires = success.

Self Taught Programmers > School taught Programmers

Some of us may not know the context as well as those who went to school for it, but we have more ability, and "web smarts" as it were. Whereas they are simply ebook savvy ;). Teaching yourself accounts for experience, learning from others doesn't.

So, simply open up your friendly neighborhood Google, type in what you wanna know, and don't do anything else till you know it.


BTW: Those "programmers" are not people you hear about. You only hear about developers. Programmers are not generally in the spot light. Programmers can be very focused, or very diverse. It doesn't matter. If you know what you wanna know, and you can apply it, that's all that matters.

[thebeachdepot]

iSpikedthePunch should be given a position as an exec for one of the faltering companies. No joke, he made, in a few words and a simple illustration, what really makes sense. Thanks for some original and refreshingly creative input! Justin L, TheBeachDepot.com