Many people who have taken an interest in tinkering with computer programming as a hobby or side project eventually end up pursuing it as a career full time. This applies even if the person‘s previous field of specialization is something that has nothing to do with computers, such as history or the theater. The reasons why a person diverges from his or her career path and dives into computer programming instead are as varied as they come. Mostly, however, these reasons have a lot to do with the benefits a computer programmer usually gets as part of his or her job.

Money is a big factor. Whether we admit it to ourselves or not, tech careers pay more than any other jobs out there in the market. Being a computer programmer is one of the more highly paid jobs to be had on the block right now. Contract programmers, or computer programmers who go freelance and work with companies on a per-project basis, for instance, get paid anywhere from $100 to $400 per hour. Computer programmers who are tied to a specific company as a full-time employee get paid less than contract programmers but the difference is not really that big.

Another factor that makes shifting to being a computer programmer so attractive is the flexibility it offers and the telecommuting possibilities available to the computer programmer. A contract programmer, for instance, has the choice of working on a project that he or she likes, and with a company that he or she likes. The work involved does not have to be confined to the office; it can be done at home, at the coffee shop, or anywhere that is convenient to the contract programmer. And if the work can be done outside the office, it can be done anytime the programmer pleases as long as the deadline is met. The same goes for most computer programmers fully employed by a specific company.

And yet another factor that makes being a computer programmer a great choice to start a career on or for shifting career paths is the fact that entry requirements are low and the training period involved can take as little as six months. A person looking into getting a job at computer programming can teach himself or herself the skills and the computer languages needed for the trade, or he or she can take a few short courses. A degree in computer technology or in computer science can provide an edge over the competition, but it is not really a requirement. The qualifications that most companies look for when hiring computer programmers are experience and mastery of one or so programming languages, and mastery of a programming language actually comes with experience.

Designing the overall look of a website and balancing this look with the supposed function of the website is the responsibility of the website designer. It is the job of the web designer to create pages that make up the website, putting in the images and the text, incorporating features such as community chatting and forums, search engines, e-commerce applications, animations, applications that will allow visitors to interact with the website, and other such features and add-ins. While balancing the overall look and function of the website, the web designer is also supposed to make sure that the website will remain accessible to users regardless of the computer and browser they are using, as well as compatible with the technologies that support it. The performance of the website, whether it generates traffic and sales, depends on the quality of work the web designer put into it.

Typical Activities of the Web Designer

In order to accomplish a job, the web designer typically does the following tasks:

1. Take part in planning sessions with the website development team and the client to discuss the requirements for the website

2. Collect articles, images and other material for the website

3. Write up code that will generate the pages to be put up in the website

4. Test the performance of the website and participate in monitoring the said performance

5. Provide user support for the website

6. Update the website content on occasion

Industry Prospects for the Web Designer

In the nineties, during the dot.com boom, many people thought that the limits of the Internet have already been reached. But while the dot.com startups that had their heyday back then have mostly fizzed out, the Internet continues to grow by leaps and bounds. There are millions of websites on the Internet, and that figure is yet to grow a lot further. We are still on the tip of the iceberg that is the Internet; as long as the Internet continues to grow, there will always be work for the web designer.

The challenge for the web designer is to keep abreast of the development of technology surrounding the Internet, and to keep updating his or her knowledge on the different extensions that support HTML.

The average salary pegged for web designers in 2006 was $54,159, with average bonuses at $1,066.

The Necessary Skills

Web designers often have a background not in computer programming but in fine arts, graphic design and publishing. It is necessary for them to know how to work with software like Dreamweaver, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro and other such software. How to work with Flash, XHTLM and XML programming and other such applications are also a must. Web designers also need to be familiar with working with different kinds of operating systems, i.e. Windows, Macintosh and Unix. The ability to work within a team, as well as good communication skills when interacting with clients and the team, are also skills that the web designer must cultivate.

Finding the Job

Database developers or administrators are IT people who create or otherwise use software that are meant to sort out, store and manage information in such a way that these information can be easily retrieved and hard to lose, thereby adding to the productivity and efficiency measures of the company for which the database developer works for. The database that database developers form is supposed to work like a paperless filing system. The database developer is responsible for keeping this filing system accessible whenever it is needed and at the same time secure against unwanted access. The database developer is also tasked to update, back up and fine-tune the database on a regular basis. While most database developers work alone, in some companies, the database developer is made to work with a team of programmers in order to come up with a database system that is suited to the needs of the company he or she is working for.

Typical Activities of the Database Developer

The activities of the database developer often encompass the following:

1. Writing code for the database

2. Coming up with the necessary specifications for developing the code

3. Drafting the design of the database systems

4. Making sure that the database is reliable and running smoothly at all times

5. Performing administrative functions from time to time

6. Ascertaining that the integrity of the database is secure and cannot be breached

Industry Prospects for the Database Developer

Because many companies are now putting emphasis on databases rather than on paper-based filing systems, it is not unusual to find a database developer working in various field, be it in retail, in government, in schools, in financial institutions, in manufacturing – in virtually any place where the maintenance of a paperless database is seen as necessary. The work of a database developer is not very demanding, and while this work requires the database developer to sit at his or her desk for most of the week, many database developers are required to travel on the job every once in a while.

In 2006, the average salary for the database developer was pegged at $79,098 annually, with bonuses amounting to around $2,466.

The Necessary Skills

A database developer needs to know the following skills:

1. Mastery of a computer language

2. SQL programming

3. Oracle DBMS

4. Data modeling and warehousing

5. Database design and administration

6. Database performance tuning

7. Database security

A critical and analytical mind is a requirement for all database developers for them to be able to come up with an accurate and efficient database system. While database developers often work alone, it is not unusual for them to be placed within teams. Thus, the ability to work and coordinate within a team, as well as the capability of communicating easily both verbally and through written documentation is a must.

Finding the Job

1. You must first decide on which sector of the computer programming business you want to specialize in, whether on gaming, database, website development, small business applications and whatnot. Making this decision will help you figure out what computer programming language to master because each field uses its own language. Many, however, use Java and C++ so those two are safe choices.

2. Train yourself in this language of your choice. This should be easy if you already have the rudiments of the language, and you probably already do. However, you should still try to stretch your knowledge on this language as far as you can. Review your programming books or do a number of projects on your own. If you have the time, you can enroll in a refresher course.

3. Grab every learning opportunity you can get. Buy or borrow as many computer programming books dealing with the language of your choice as you can lay your hands on. Study every line in them, and learn how all the commands and the syntax works. Use what you have learned to solve programming exercises and challenge yourself by making and solving your own projects.

4. Find a study buddy. You do not have to undertake your learning on your own. Having a study buddy is handy. You will have someone to compare notes with on how some programming problems ought to be handled and to check up on your progress. Finding a study buddy can be done by joining a programming user group in your local college or university.

5. Join a computer programmer’s community forum on the Internet. Community forums have many links and resources that could be quite handy with getting your mastery on the computer language of your choice. They are also frequented by experienced computer programmers who are often generous with dispensing their knowledge to the greener members of the community. You will certainly find a treasure trove of knowledge there.

6. Take a certification test. Taking a certification test will force you to study harder and enroll in review classes. The effort is certainly worth it. Passing a certification test is a sure sign that you have achieved a level of mastery in the computer programming language of your choice. It certainly adds to your credibility as a computer programmer and makes a nice and impressive entry in your resume.

Gaining experience counts a lot towards getting ahead in a career at computer programming. The more experience a budding computer programmer gets in his or her chosen field, the higher his or her expertise level rises. With greater expertise come more jobs, and eventually a higher level of expertise will enable the computer programmer to command a higher pay rate.

Practice makes perfect, and perfection takes work. If you are seriously thinking of launching a successful career in computer programming, the more work you do enables you to hone your skills some more until you achieve mastery of your chosen field.

How do you get your licks in computer programming? Everyone has to start with baby steps, and so do you. Your first step towards gaining experience in computer programming has a lot to do with doing your homework diligently and completing all the programming exercises and projects that you can find in your books on computer programming. Challenge yourself and gleefully dive into the harder projects as your degree of knowledge in computer programming gets further. Discover new ways of solving a programming exercise if you can.

Once you start feeling that the computer programming problems you find in your books are becoming rote to you, then it is time to begin putting your knowledge to the test. Get yourself into an internship or apprenticeship program where you will find opportunities to apply what you have learned and have someone see how far you have come in your studies. Eagerly seek feedback on your work and maintain an open and positive attitude towards whatever criticism the person coaching you may have on your output.

And then, once your internship or apprenticeship is done and you have come to believe that you have learned enough to start stretching your wings, you can start presenting yourself as a volunteer computer programmer for a non-profit organization and work on whatever computer programming projects they may have for free. Of course some non-profit organizations do give some sort of allowance, payment or a token of gratitude to people who have worked with them, so you may end up not leaving empty handed after your stint with a non-profit organization. But then again, the experience you gain from working with them should be reward enough, because that was why you did work for them in the first place.

After you have gotten a handful of feathers in your cap in terms of small computer programming jobs with non-profit organizations and when you feel that you can stretch your wings even further, you can start shooting for low-fee computer programming and consulting projects. You can find postings for these projects on college and university bulletin boards, in recruitment websites and in freelancing websites.

Most of these computer programmers from overseas are skilled enough, but according to the FAQ sheet published by Computerworld.com, the total education and training of a computer programmer from overseas amounts to only an Associate degree from a school in the United States. It can be said that companies that outsource their computer programming projects may be shortchanging themselves. Outsourced computer programmers will still need a local lead programmer who has the expertise to oversee the work coming in from overseas.

Hiring Skilled H1-B Workers

In order to fill in the need for computer programmers in the market, many companies bring in skilled computer programmers from overseas into the United States to work for them for a short period of time using H1-B visas. This has sparked a hot debate in the IT community. It is claimed that the shortage of computer programmers locally is not that much of a problem and companies are only using this excuse to employ computer programmers at a cheaper rate. Nonetheless, it is not a guarantee that these H1-B computer programmers are as skilled as purported. The expertise of a local programmer will still be needed.

What Can Be Done

The excuse companies use to outsource computer programmers, or even bring them from overseas using H1-B visas, is that there is a lack in the home field for the skilled computer programmers that they need. The people who do have these skills come for a price that these companies cannot always afford to pay for.

If you are a person studying to be a computer programmer, what can you do? The industry needs computer programmers who are masters in a particular programming language and specialize in a specific field. To gain an edge over outsourced or guest personnel, gain the mastery of a specific computer language. And then, think of what kind of place you would like to work in, whether in banking, finance, education, medicine, and know what computer programming needs are required there.

Read part 1 of the computer programmer job outlook now

There are hundreds of computer programming languages out there, with each language having its own particular use. The question is, how can you as the budding computer programmer choose which programming language you should focus on?

Here is a rundown of how you should choose the right programming language to study.

1. You should decide on the direction of your career path as a computer programmer. Will you go into computer game or video game programming? Does your interest lie in embedded technology, or is it along the lines of small business applications or enterprise applications? The direction that you want your computer programming career to take will dictate what programming languages you should learn. That is because, as stated earlier, every computer programming language out there was developed for a purpose, and each sector of the computer programming industry makes use of its own set of programming languages. Your decision as to where to go will tell you what you need to learn to get there.

2. Flexibility and versatility is a key trait that many IT companies look for in the computer programmers that they hire. Regardless of the computer programming language that you master in, it is important for you to have a full grasp of the foundations and the basic concepts of computer programming. In that way, you will not find it difficult to learn a new programming language or understand how another programming language works. Also, when faced with the code written by another computer programmer, you will be able to follow it fully no matter how many twists and turns this code takes.

3. If you are thinking of doing freelance work or becoming a contract programmer, it is best for you to gain mastery in computer programming languages that are in high demand and have many applications. Such computer programming languages include C++, Microsoft C# and Java. These programming languages are very popular and have many uses. You will not lack for projects to work on when armed with the knowledge of these popular languages.

4. Even if you have gained mastery of a particular computer programming language, never limit yourself with what you can learn. Knowing a little bit of this and a little bit of that can be very helpful as you live through your career as a computer programmer. Arm yourself with knowledge of other programming languages. It would also help a lot if you know how to work with a couple or so database programming languages like Oracle.