Learning C++
Hey all,
I'm relatively new to C++, but am really enjoying learning it.
I'm schooled in Networking and Systems support. I'd really like to get more into the programming. I'm 32 years old, and am nervous that I wouldn't be taken too seriously as this would be a slight career shift in the computer field.
Should I go for it?
PS - I'd love the cprogramming.com site to be updated more with newer material and book reviews for books published within the past year.
Thanks all!
LOL. Think about your question for a second. You like programming. You want to get into it. And you're asking us if you should not continue because you're worried people won't take you seriously?
So get serious. If it's what you really want to do, prove you're serious. Do you really expect an answer from someone here saying that no one will take you seriously so you should not take up programming? Come on.
I suspect you might just be seeking encouragement to help erase doubts. If you want a slightly harsher opinion on the reality of your situation, then consider this: I believe it's harder to go from networking -> programming than it is the other way around, although I admit I can't necessarily back that up. It's just an opinion of mine. With that said, I think it's definitely possible to do, but just might require more work on your part. They're not totally unrelated fields.
If you already have a degree specializing in networking, then as much as I think certifications are meaningless for the most part, it might be more beneficial in your case to get certified in something than getting yet another degree specializing in programming (ie. software engineering).... if that all makes sense.
Welcome to Cboard, and if I got anything wrong, others will be able to correct me while I go get some sleep now.
>> I'd love the cprogramming.com site to be updated more with newer material and book reviews for books published within the past year.
The main site is maintained by the webmaster with some contributions from members, but it is rare for either the webmaster or the members to have much time for continual updates.
Besides, there aren't that many books printed on C++ each year to review. The book recommendations by forum members in the stickied thread are generally up-to-date, and a search will lead you to seem plenty of recent conversations about different books.
As for starting programming, I don't see anything wrong with doing that at 32, that's still pretty young. If you want to do it as a career I might consider starting with a popular but higher level language than C++ (like Java or C#) unless you are going to study programming in school. You might be able to be more productive faster with those languages. Of course, there's a lot more to programming than just learning a language, so picking a language to start with isn't necessarily the biggest issue.
Whatever you do I'd say definitely go for it if you can afford to.
