Tough decision - help!

*This isn't a coding question but one about employment prospects*

Hello,

I've been learning C and most recently C++ for a couple of years. I'm working on OpenGL and Windows at the moment. I've been doing this in my spare time so my progress has been rather slow due to regular pauses brought on by work or other general stuff.

Anyway, I'd like to try and find myself a job using and developing what coding skills I have.

I'd just like to know what you all think about this. I would appreciate any advice, your own story or even just berate me for the late onset of my career decision.

I know its hard to be too specific without knowing my level of ability but do your best. Please?

All the best

fall_guy

>>*This isn't a coding question but one about employment prospects*
Then ask in the General Discussions forum.. moving...

You did learning C, C++ and application programming in your spare time, can I ask you what your work currently is?

If you're not working as a programmer or such and do not have had education for such job, I'd suggest you do some education to get some certificates. For employers it is hard to find out your skills if you don't have certificates to show what skills you have. I know you can show what you have developed, but I don't know if that is an accepted method where you live. In many European countries it is not, there you have to show that you have certificates.

Maybe there are small companies where you live which don't require you to have certificates, but only the required skills. Or you could start your own company.

Hi Shiro,

Thanks for replying.

I'm an IT journalist at the moment.

I have a feeling I'm going to have to do a course of some sort just to make it easy for people to judge my ability, and to make my ability worth judging.

Would you try and go for a degree or some other type of qualification.

Bearing in mind the expense and time, it would be cool to find an alternative approach.

Thanks
Mark

>Would you try and go for a degree or some other type of qualification.

A recruitment guy once told me that the first thing he looks at, during the selection process, is the overview of certificates one has. If one has not the required certificates, then that person is removed from the selection process immediately. So yes, I would try to get some kind of qualification before applying.

Companies for which software development is the main bussiness or one of the most important things looks more strict at qualifications then a company for which it is not. I can imagine that a company which does a little bit of software development for internal use, does not look that strict at qualifications.

Something else to bear in mind is timing. Right now, the IT industry is in a global slump. A lot of firms have laid off staff, meaning, that there are a lot of applicants, many with good qualifications and experience, applying for the relatively small numbers of openings. You'll be competing with these people.

The wise men say the slump is just about over, this time last year they were saying the same.