If you were going to start taking some computer classes, where would you start to get in on the fast track ASAP?
(Given: I know programming from the “older” languages: BASIC, Fortran, dBASE III+, Clipper).
What’s hot? What’s not? And, is there more to the IT world than writing code and stringing cable? For example, web design and web architecture…is it all miles and miles of written code?
All your (collective) insight would be great!
A little behind the times,
Depends upon what you want to do, really.
Coding will generally pay the bills from now until the day you die. I have found the atmosphere to be mostly laid back and easy going.
“Web-design” and other some such makes me very leery. Avoid this.
I find Network Administration to be thankless drudgery. And they make you wear a pager 24-7. It’s less demanding than coding however, even if there’s a little overlap. There seems to be a proliferation of Type A A**holes drawn to this however, especially in the Windows world. If you’re a Type A, dive right in. Just bring your own jackboots.
Tech support is hell-on-a-stick. Don’t do this. You will burn out in no time. Don’t even think about it.
Coding-wise, you have to be careful not to make the Number One Mistake of Programming: Don’t get locked into a Micro$oft-only language or mindset. M$ is a fickle mistress and you WILL get burned in the end, one way or another. Don’t base your career on VB or VC++ or J++ or VBA C# or etc. It’s fine to learn C++, for example, and how to implement it via VC++, but if you ‘become’ a VC+±only programmer, you’ll pay for it in the end.
I second the notion for computer coding/programming (or software design, which is coding but with more respect). And definitely avoid anything Microsoft-specific – not only are you feeding The Borg™ of Redmond, you’re also tying your future to proprietary and closed systems.
Hottest/best things right now to learn would probably be C++ and Java for languages, and XML, JSP, or PHP for web server technologies. All IMO, anyway.
One final advice: if possible, try to get a job with a company that primarily does computer work, as opposed to a “traditional” company that has a computer department “on the side”. The former knows that their technical people are the lifeblood of the company and treat them accordingly; the latter tend to be run by (in my experience) clueless morons who think programming is fundamentally identical to being a clerk or a typist. “Why can’t we just hire a few extra temps and get this project done on time?”
I agree with rjung about Java. I’ve been in the job market for two months now and all I keep hearing is Java, Java, and more Java. So, I’ve started learning Java. I also agree that XML is a must-learn since I believe it’ll be an essential part of the future of the Internet.