To Program or Not to Program. Career Advise.

Hi All!

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum.

I need career advise from people in the field. Note I have NO Programming background. Please don't flame I really need your help. Thank You!

Quick run down... I have worked at IBM and Lenovo Canada for the last 7+ (I'm 29) years in management and sales. I never finished school and I feel like something is missing. So I decide to go back to college part-time and see if I can fish my studies and maybe open some doors career wise.

I picked something in Computer Science (Computer Programming and Analysis Diploma) (https://www.senecac.on.ca/parttime/p...puter_cpa.html)
Why Programming...
1. Although I don't have any experience I have read about what you do and sounds like a challenge and rewarding career.
2. My company will pay for my studies once I finish.

My Question is once done what's the likelihood of finding work in the programming world? Any regrets? Pro's Con's? Should I study something else?

Thank You for your feedback. I hope to find some direction.

"Careers advice" is often difficult, and it's something that only you can really answer if you want to go down path 1 or path 2, or maybe try the winding path of 3.

I knew before finishing school (College or similar in the US school system) that I wanted to work in programming.

I didn't study computer science or software engineering at university, but I have been working in a software engineer role of some sort for the last 20+ years.

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Mats

I think there is a good likelihood that you'll find work. It depends a lot on how well you do. If you excel at your studies and have a good grasp of the concepts, then you shouldn't have any trouble finding work (depending of course on where you're looking). If you struggle then it might be harder, or you might have to find work that is isn't exactly programming but is in the same general field.

>I have read about what you do and sounds like a challenge and rewarding career.
It's definitely a challenge in most cases, but rewarding is in the eye of the beholder. For example, I've worked with people who don't like being in the shadows and not getting recognized for their work. On the other hand, I love sitting back and watching people benefit from my efforts without knowing it. (I develop programmer tools, by the way). To some people, my job isn't rewarding at all, but I think it's very rewarding.

>2. My company will pay for my studies once I finish.
But you have to finish first? Sounds sketchy to me.

>what's the likelihood of finding work in the programming world?
Pretty good, but it'll be harder at first due to lack of experience. It also depends on where you live.

>Any regrets?
No, not really. I love programming, and I'm pleased with how my career has gone so far.

>Pro's Con's?
Depends on the field, actually.

>Should I study something else?
Your course probably won't cover algorithms and data structures as thoroughly as I would hope. When I'm hiring programmers, especially new graduates, I focus a lot on the fundamentals you get from that kind of study.

Depends on the type of programming. In the IT world, a lot of the entry level work is being shipped overseas to cheap labor. In a place where the business drives the software, it's all about the bottom line and they think they can cut costs on the front end.

Try looking for work in a software company where software is the business, and not merely a supporting department. I would think they would tend to make investments in eager, talented people rather than simply looking for the cheapest people they can hire.

Honestly, a B.Sc. will get you a lot further than a diploma. You may get a job as an entry level programmer or a tester with a diploma but your opportunity for advancement will be limited. As Prelude mentioned, a diploma course won't cover much of the fundamentals (they are generally geared towards teaching a particular technology).

I have a few old highschool friends that did varios types of diploma courses and they are now (the three that I'm thinking of) looking to start a bachelors. Most universities in Canada won't give any credit to the work done in college either.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Prelude

>(I develop programmer tools, by the way). To some people, my job isn't rewarding at all, but I think it's very rewarding.

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What kind of tools? Are they free/open source?

To the OP: Hey you have already worked at IBM, you will sure get the job, just if you learn the stuff properly!

>What kind of tools?
Compilers, libraries, and such.

>Are they free/open source?
Nope, I actually get a paycheck. ;)