Jacksonville Developers User Group

I've been told by a lot of people that the IT industry is constantly growing and in demand. Some with other views, saying its too hard, or that there aren't enough jobs. However, I didn't want to learn Networking just because of its career benefits. Being a daily computer user, I find a lot of different aspects of the I.T and networking world so interesting, whether it be the psychical aspect (mechanical/engineering) or mental aspect (applications/operating systems).

 

Was that a question?

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There are only 10 types of people in the world: Those who understand binary, and those who don't

What is your current line of work?

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There are only 10 types of people in the world: Those who understand binary, and those who don't

Personally, I believe programming is a calling. You will only be slightly successful if you join the field because you read or someone else told you that there were lots of opportunities. Those who, after a brief exposure to programming, become driven to learn more, and to solve problems, will be truely successful in the industry.

Are there opportunities in programming? Well, I have never met a good programmer who was having a tough time in the industry (the period of 2001 - 2002 being an exception). I have, however, met a lot of people who thought they were good programmers, who have had difficulty getting jobs or obtaining a salary they thought they deserved. I have also never met a programmer who did not think they were a good programmer. Nearly all think they are great. Few are.

Being a programmer isn't particularly difficult. Being a truely good programmer takes a lot of time and work. BUT, it is not work to someone who has the passion.

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"But... I wore the juice!"

I agree. Have to pursue your interests. You will only stay so long in a job you aren't interested in and no matter how much money you make it will only cause you to resent yourself for being greedy.

Keep in mind that a programmer and developer are two different beasts.

Which one could you be or the guy next to you at work?  The differences are there.  Job titles usually don't discriminate between the two, but elsewhere in the community it does (or atleast it should).

 

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Corey

Catherine,

The truth is it is always growing and changing. The problem is that as soon as you learn a new technology, it may be outdated. That said; I know plenty of people that have enjoyed years of IT work with the same skills they started out with.

The biggest difference for me is a simple: Is this new development? Maintenance? Or is this an enhancement to an existing system?

Each answer poses its own unique set of challenges. New development means the customer/users of the system may not know exactly what it is they want the system to do. This can be a frustrating iterative development cycle.

Enhancing an existing system may require a lot of reverse engineering to understand what it does and why before you can implement the changes necessary.

So, I continually add new books to my library of tech manuals and read them each day for an hour on the treadmill....but that's just me.

Will Weaver

BizTalk Guy