CodeAcademy

Develop the ability to create computer code and have fun doing it. Ever wonder why so many americans cannot get jobs today. It's not that they are lazy. They lack the skills that millions of employers want, like developing code for programming. Thank god for immigrants (illegal or legal) Like all things it's up to you to develop a skill.

http://www.codeacademy.com

 

part of the reason why megacorps like Microsoft want to increase their visa limits

according to them, there just aren't enough americans with world-class talent, that's able to compete with other companies

 

1. You are unlikely to get hired without a degree.
2. You are unlikely to get hired if you have no internship experience.

I'm not being mean to the coders but just telling it like it is.


There is a difference between a codemonkey(love the tv show) and a guy with a degree and codes. It isn't like the 70's and 80's. Things are very complex and the rules to hiring have become very strict. I'm not saying it can't be done but why take the chance when you can up your chances by getting a degree in it.

In the very least, Buy the C++ book by the creator of C++. or C(no string, the horror the horror)

 

You don't really need a degree, a certificate in programming from your local community college will do but it depends on where you apply for a job. If there are a lot of candidates applying for one position then an employer will go the degree route and never view your resume. If they have an open position that they don't have many candidates for then they are more open to variuos candidates....with or without a bachelors degree.

By the way C++ is out...C# developers are in demand.

 

LOL I feel the same about C, the string.h library helps somewhat but its still primitive. Doing strings in C makes me want to jump to Java or something like Python in a heartbeat.

 

demonstrate ability and involvement!

While I agree with a lot of what's said here, we must add a little more to this discussion. I say this because there are some graduates out there who can't code to save their lives. It seems, tech degrees are getting diluted. Truth. There are horror stories of interviewers talking to Masters and Batchelor grads who can't program.

Another reality is that some people just don't have the money or time to enter full-time study in a university. They may also be 'mature' and are re-skilling, so they can't invest 3, 4 or 5 more years into education. Some of these are skilled enthusiasts on sites like instructables who tinker more than anything.

For those people, I will say from experience, all is not lost if you dont have a degree - though it would be nice. But you need to make up for not having a degree by actually demonstrating that you know how to program!!
It helps to show that you are part of a group of amateur/hobby programmers. If it looks like something of a 'lifestyle' you're in with a better chance. More here on what to expect.

There are employers out there waking up to the fact that talented self-starters are falling through the gaps at HR because their resume wasn't picked up by filters on their systems at the screening stage.
This is where investigating the company, ringing and finding out who the hiring managers are, sending in examples of your work will get their attention.
But be prepared for the interview, it's not just gonna be sitting across a desk and conversing. Examples of your work is how you get your foot in! Your personality will seal the deal.


Don't take my word for it! Lurk on sites like slashdot to see what I mean.

 

You dont need a degree, its the ability to code and have some sort of personality...

 

python, Ruby, C++, and Java are probably the more commonly used ones currently in the industry.

Of course if you want to learn how to be an Oracle God, then hello six figures. My friend is trying to get me to read more into Oracle but my day to day requires me to learn so much. I'm trying to learn python on my own right now.