Is it true that programming is the most sought-after profession in the world? Who are the system and application programmers? How many years do I have to study to become a programmer? What college or university should I attend to become a programmer?
History of Programming
Programming was born in the 19th century, and until the mid-20th century, when information technology proliferated, creating programs for a machine was like an art. Programming was the privilege of a select few. Today, the programming profession is widespread and in high demand. In 2017, there were 18.2 million software developers worldwide.
Let’s see what the future of the programming profession is. And what threatens it.
Description of the profession
A programmer is a specialist who creates the source code of a program, for example, a computer operating system, a video game, a web or mobile application, or even a microwave oven algorithm. The program code is written in a particular programming language. It consists of ordinary words and a few special characters.
There are several hundred programming languages today, but the most common are Java, Python, PHP, C#, JavaScript, C, C++, Objective-C, and Swift. The choice of programming language is left to the programmer’s discretion, depending on the specific task (making a game, a web application, or a program for a server) and his knowledge.
The competent programmer confidently uses 2 to 4 languages. But no programmer knows perfectly the language he works with. Especially if we are talking about beginners because they can easily get confused by the number of assignments to do or their complexity; that’s why it makes sense to appeal to an expert and receive needed homework help in programming.
Specialization of programmers
This is far from the truth if you think a programmer is a computer scientist. The most surprising thing is that a programmer does not necessarily work on a computer. He can write the program code on a napkin, but he needs a computer to implement and test it.
Nor should a programmer be equated with an “it-specialist.” Under the general name of “computer specialist,” more than 50 different professions and positions exist. For example, the UIX designer (interface designer), the account manager (technical support specialist), the system administrator, the DevOps (“IT-process automation engineer”), and the IT project manager are “it specialists” but not programmers. However, it is convenient to remember that all IT professions can be accessed by training as a programmer.
Depending on their specialization, programmers are divided into system programmers, application programmers, and web programmers.
Application programmers are involved in writing various programs and applications: games (for example, the popular game Angry birds), desktop applications (such as Microsoft Office Word), and many others. System programmers create operating systems (such as Android or iOS). Web programmers develop websites and the programs that make those websites work.
On job boards, you’ll find a division of programmers by the languages they work with: C++ programmer, Delphi programmer, and PHP programmer. And also by the type of tasks they perform: database programmer, front-end/back-end developer, mobile/desktop developer, 1C programmer, Bitrix programmer, gamedev, software architect, system engineer, etc.
Where to study?
There are three ways to become a programmer:
- After grade 11, go to a computer science and information security college.
- After 9th grade, go to college for the same majors, then go to college or not.
- Study programming courses by yourself.
The information technology sphere is distinguished by its youth and modern approach to education. At work, it is not the degree valued but the skills (hard skills) the future employee has in his baggage. The employer will take a programming test and, depending on the results, will accept or reject the candidate. Therefore, knowledge and experience in information technology can be acquired at home through books, online courses, and the creation of small programs. The variant of education that is best, everyone decides for themselves. A programmer must ask himself: “Am I diligent and determined enough to learn and then compete with those who come from college?
What are the skills and personal qualities needed by a programmer?
There are 3 qualities to distinguish a programmer:
- logical thinking.
- mathematical ability
- diligence
Several skills make a good programmer the best:
- flexibility of thought
- good memory
- multitasking
- developed imagination
- ability to communicate clearly
- communicative
- teamwork
A person who can develop new ideas and work well in a team of similar developers can take on the most exciting and advanced IT projects or start their project.
Are you thinking about programming or want to work in IT in the future? You can start developing your skills now:
– study math, computer science, and English in depth in school;
– programming and creating websites, small editors, and valuable utilities;
– read news about programming;
– participate in programming circles and schools for young programmers;
– visit the camp to communicate with real computer professionals and learn more about modern technologies.
Conclusion
It is said that there are ten kinds of people in the world – those who understand binary code and those who don’t. That’s a famous programmer’s joke. But in addition, programmers must understand a lot of different subjects, pay attention to details, and constant innovations in their field. That’s not an easy task, and coding isn’t simple at all, but everything becomes explicit enough with time. To step into programming, you only need motivation and a goal.
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