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Question for all our resident IT peoples...


Sutterkain
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I know that I've heard that we have quite a few people here in the IT field... (I'm one of them, but I'm trying to move away from help desk type work).

 

So who here is and what do you do??? I'm actually trying to get back into coding, but havn't really touched any kind of programming in well over 5 years.. Any knowledge that I may have had is either mostly forgotten, or obsolete... Soooo.... yeah... I'm trying to jump back in, but not really sure what direction to go.....

 

 

Thoughts? Suggestions?? Indiscriminate photographs?? Errrrr.... Wait... disregard that last one...

 

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I'm kind of tired at the moment, so I'm just going to throw some ramblings out there :-D :

 

I'm an Information Technology Specialist (Programmer) with the New York State government. I got my Bachelors and Masters (of Science) in Computer Science. I'm really loving what I do at the moment, and I think it really is a great field to get into, and it's ever expanding. Most of my current projects involve developing java-based web applications and systems programming.

 

I didn't really 'pick' this type of programming as I was going through college because I wanted a wide variety, but given the choice again, I definitely would. Regardless of where you program, there are some commonalities:

 

 

  • People want easy and intuitive web-based applications to get things done in an increasingly paperless world.
  • Legacy systems written in COBOL (and other older generation languages) are getting rewritten in Java on a consistent basis.

 

Doing either of the above can lead to an endless stream of work, which is a very good thing in today's economy.

 

You'll get different opinions on what languages to learn, programming styles, etc, but it entirely depends on what you're looking to do - different languages are much better than others for certain tasks. The important thing, which I think my University emphasized well, was to learn a whole lot of theory first, and a wide variety of programming languages to a lesser degree, as opposed to mastering 1. Once you know the basics, you can pick up a book and spend 2 weeks to learn the syntax/details of a new language pretty easily.

 

Suggestions:

 

  • Pick up some books on the basics -(these were always my favorites http://www.deitel.com/ ) and see what interests you the most, get familiar with the stuff you've forgotten, etc.
  • Once you get back into it, if you're looking to get a job in the field, do something that makes you stand out. Try coding independent projects, developing your own tools/programs, anything that can put you 1 step above the other 1089273091283 programmers looking for the same job.

 

 

Personal bias: Java all the way. Web development is fast, fun, and pretty easy.

 

Feel free to ask any questions

 

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LoL... Thanks dude...

 

I actually graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 02-03 with a bachelors in Management Information Systems... Did about 2 1/2 years of C++, about 6 months of Java, a year in SQL server and probably a few others... The problem is that since I didn't get a job in the field immediately, I didn't use my skills, and well, they kinda went away....

 

Just tried to jump right into the field some way, some how, and the only place I was able to get in to get some form a experience is retail help desk.... Still there 6 years later... The pay isn't bad... (Really cant knock it when you're making over $15/hr in this economy...) But at this point I'm feeling like there's gotta be something more...

 

The problem with my field is that it was so wide the hell open, I dont even know what I'm looking for specifically... At least if I had been a web developer, I'd know to look for web developer jobs specifically... (and yes, I know, your degree really doesnt mean much when it comes to what job you have)

 

My thinking is that before I can decide on a direction to aim in, I might want to see everything thats out there and then when I have the info, figure out where to go from there... Just the whole

"Lets research this language today" process is a pain.... (Especially when trying to find a good forum or community site is the proverbial needle in a hay-stack)...

 

(BTW... I hated java... So much more verbose then C was... But I know a lot of people that have recommended it.... So I've actually started looking back into it... lol... Keep my options open...)

 

 

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Im currently studying comp sci as well at my school. I've also done a couple internships and am looking to work in the gaming industry upon graduation (yeah tough luck). I may just end up working with the IT for this bank, since they pay super well and have great benefits (21$ / hour with time and a half for OT JUST FOR AN INTERSHIP!)

 

As far as programming goes, you really just have to find a language that suits your development needs (I.E python is a very good entry level gaming language), and then just play with the language and make your own fun items.

 

I've programmed in C, C++, C#, Java, MySQL, PHP, COBOL, Pawn, and a lot of the electrical engineering languages like matlab, verilog, etc. One of the most useful languages I've used by far is PHP, but I do find that most network mainframes and big companies are using Java as the backbone of their coding. Java is an OOP just like C++ and yeah, its pretty simple to look up.

 

 

Basically, yeah, just find what your interested in. If you want some programming languages that link together real well with common things, give me a holler, I can tell you some. I really want to get into the world of game development, but I already know I'm going to need at least a couple more years at a technical school once I graduate with my bachelors degree. Most companies won't take on programmers unless they have 10+ years of experience for project teams, or somewhere in the range of 3-4 years of engine design / graphics, so sucks for me haha.

Edited by Chozo

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Sutter, you may benefit by trying to move into a second tier of help desk / QA. In a decent company it'll allow you to expand back into the coding side as you debug problems (though not necessarily fix them) exposing you to the coding side; without giving up the very valuable 6 years you already have in Tier 1 help desk.

 

I know it's not the immediate answer of, 'give me code now'; but within a couple of years it would give you a solid platform to launch into a stronger development role.

 

As always feel free to pick my mind on vent.

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