Coding/Programming - career advice please
Discussion
Career "developments" in the past few months have started me thinking about switching careers (slightly) and retraining. I'm currently a systems consultant but have realised that the stuff I really enjoy is coding. I get to do a few things in VBA (mostly in Excel, sometimes in Word). I've also been starting to pick up Python and C++ in my spare time, but haven't any real purpose/task to use them for at the moment - I'm just working through online tutorials. In the past (long, long ago) I've also picked up small amounts of HTML, CSS, javascript, SQL, PHP - but as with the other languages it's just a case of finding something close enough via google and hacking at it until it works (often with more googling) - therefore my learned principles and habits probably aren't the best.
With minimal experience of the industry and its structure, I'd guess my interests lie more in back end/application development rather than the front end/UI side of things - although if a task leans towards "calculations" rather than "design" I think I could cope.
My questions are: what are the routes into such a career? Are there any preferred qualifications/accreditations to look at? AIUI, languages are as much about picking the right tool for the job rather than the job itself, so I'm assuming a decent qualification is somewhat language agnostic? What is the jobs market like at the moment and are there opportunities to build experience?
If anything develops from this, it's likely to be a 1/2/3 year plan depending qualification requirements while continuing in my current role.
Cheers in advance
With minimal experience of the industry and its structure, I'd guess my interests lie more in back end/application development rather than the front end/UI side of things - although if a task leans towards "calculations" rather than "design" I think I could cope.
My questions are: what are the routes into such a career? Are there any preferred qualifications/accreditations to look at? AIUI, languages are as much about picking the right tool for the job rather than the job itself, so I'm assuming a decent qualification is somewhat language agnostic? What is the jobs market like at the moment and are there opportunities to build experience?
If anything develops from this, it's likely to be a 1/2/3 year plan depending qualification requirements while continuing in my current role.
Cheers in advance
SystemParanoia said:
Ive been running through Nodeschool ( https://nodeschool.io )
and Freecodecamp ( https://www.freecodecamp.com )
Im not in I.T at the mo' as much as i'd like to be, but i apply things i've learned to attack problems and issues in the office that people have.
Ive also learned that i can run javascript locally on the work windows boxes using cscript without needing to install anything.
Ill be watching this thread closely as im starting further back than you OP but wish to achieve the same ends
Excellent, thanks, I'll take a look at those. I've used codeacademy.com a bit, check it out if it's any use to you and Freecodecamp ( https://www.freecodecamp.com )
Im not in I.T at the mo' as much as i'd like to be, but i apply things i've learned to attack problems and issues in the office that people have.
Ive also learned that i can run javascript locally on the work windows boxes using cscript without needing to install anything.
Ill be watching this thread closely as im starting further back than you OP but wish to achieve the same ends
zippy3x said:
The advice to network is very good advice, and ultimately it might lead to an opportunity, but you need to be able to do the job to be in a position to take advantage.
If you are getting any experience of coding where you are, I would continue. Take every opportunity to do more, and actively seek out tasks with a programming element.
I would also recommend looking at open source projects. GitHub has tens of thousands of projects spanning every language and many, many domains. find something interesting and download the code. Play with it, change things and see the effect.
The internet has thousands of tutorials, again on every subject and language, so watch the videos or read the text, whichever medium you prefer.
But above all keep plugging away, took me nearly a decade to get in, but 20 years later, I still love the job (most of the time anyway)
Cheers, the Github idea is an interesting one.If you are getting any experience of coding where you are, I would continue. Take every opportunity to do more, and actively seek out tasks with a programming element.
I would also recommend looking at open source projects. GitHub has tens of thousands of projects spanning every language and many, many domains. find something interesting and download the code. Play with it, change things and see the effect.
The internet has thousands of tutorials, again on every subject and language, so watch the videos or read the text, whichever medium you prefer.
But above all keep plugging away, took me nearly a decade to get in, but 20 years later, I still love the job (most of the time anyway)
I know a couple of people in related fields - I'll get networking.
loudlashadjuster said:
RBH58 said:
My angle, I understand complex business issues quickly and can articulate the technical challenges to IT folks...and I can take the IT challenges and explain them to business people.
That's me in a nutshell too 
I also have enough ops/support experience to bring their needs the table aswell, something that is often neglected.A project may be a part of a PM/BA/dev/tester's life for 12 months, but someone has to live with it for 5+ years. Shame their needs are often at the back of the queue.
It's interesting to see the mixed experiences with the strength of the jobs market - it is one of the things on my mind.
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