Is programming for me?

**Al Wen** · Jan 2 '06, 01:25 AM

Re: Is programming for me?

On Sun, 01 Jan 2006 10:59:54 +0800, - <fakemail@faked omain.fake>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>I kinda like programming (Java is the only language I know) but have not
>been able to develop a complete software or get anywhere close to it.
>The reason why I like it is because it gives me great satisfaction if I
>can complete one. However, after years of trying, I just could not do it.
>
>After doing self-assessment and doing a credible personality test, I
>learn the following about myself:
>
>"you are more concerned with theories and concepts than with specific
>applications . You are not inclined to focus on any one practical,
>concrete area; you find it irksome to deal with details and particulars."
>
>I would like to know if programming falls in/out of the above excerpt.
>Thank you...[/color]

Sounds like you would enjoy management better :)

Honestly, if details and particulars bother you, then I think
real-world application development would really bother you.

Programming as a hobby, or working on your own projects (where you
design the system, set your own deadlines, etc) is very different from
real-world software development. I have worked with so many people
who entered the field of software development or IT in general because
they thought it would pay well, or for some reason other than that
they enjoy programming. I have not seen any of them remain in the
industry for more than a few years. This is not to say that all tech
jobs require programming, they really don't, and there are many areas
of IT that do not require a high level of programming aptitude.

Analysts, for example, can make more money than a programmer and
arguably have a harder job, and they work more with concepts than the
details of code implementation. In my opinion, there is an extreme
shortage of good analysts.

Quality assurance is considered by some to be less "glorious" than
programmers, but I have a great deal of respect for really good QA
engineers. Their job is not easy, requires a high amount of technical
aptitude, and the good ones are very smart people. I've seen many of
them that could make it as programmers if they only had appropriate
background for it. The prestige of their job is somewhat undermined
by the minions of bad QA folks who littered up the industry before the
DotCom bust.. I don't mean this in a sexist way but I met a lot of
nagging females who felt that the key to creating good software was to
nag the development team like a wife nags her husband. Nagging does
not lead to good software (I've worked with some excellent female QA
folks too, btw).

Then of course there is network administration, network design etc..
I always found that stuff quite theoretical in nature. It does
require a lot of hands on but its very different than dealing with the
intricate details of hundreds of thousands of lines of code.

You didn't mention your age or educational background but I assume
you're at an age where you're trying to discover what you're good at
for purposes of career direction.
If you don't mind getting at least a masters degree, you could also
consider teaching computer science in academia. I have never met a
comp sci professor that was good at real world programming.. They are
good with the concepts and theories but not getting down and banging
out the code that actually gets the job done, but then again thats not
their job. They have to understand the theory and convey that theory
to students.

One thing I will say to those considering programming as a career
choice: think twice and don't do it unless you honestly feel you were
born to write code, because if you're not that type of person, it's
not that you won't succeed at programming, it's that you will be
miserable doing it. Those of us who have an innate "code lust" and a
determination to finish the job rapidly manage to survive the
industry, but to tell you the truth it has changed so much in the last
15 years.. It used to be every programmer I knew liked their job
pretty well. Now, I cannot name a single programmer who is happy in
their job. The global economy has changed a lot, and many other
factors have affected our overall job satisfaction. We are constantly
subjected to layoffs, salary cuts and other factors that seem
determined to strip us of our spirit. The only thing that keeps me
going is the fact I've been doing this stuff forever, I am still
(remarkably) able to pay my bills doing it, and quite frankly I don't
know how to do anything else.

If I had it to do all over, I would have gotten a law degree or an
education degree. Teaching is a nice gig.

**Oliver Wong** · Jan 10 '06, 06:45 PM

Re: Is programming for me?

"-" <fakemail@faked omain.fake> wrote in message
news:43b745a9$1 @news.starhub.n et.sg...[color=blue]
>I kinda like programming (Java is the only language I know) but have not
>been able to develop a complete software or get anywhere close to it. The
>reason why I like it is because it gives me great satisfaction if I can
>complete one. However, after years of trying, I just could not do it.
>
> After doing self-assessment and doing a credible personality test, I learn
> the following about myself:
>
> "you are more concerned with theories and concepts than with specific
> applications. You are not inclined to focus on any one practical, concrete
> area; you find it irksome to deal with details and particulars."
>
> I would like to know if programming falls in/out of the above excerpt.
> Thank you...[/color]

Look into program design, rather than programming outright. In such a
job, you would draw high level diagrams and plan out how the program as a
whole should work, and leave the detail of actually writing code to the
programmers. The people who do the design are sometimes called "system
architects".

- Oliver

Is programming for me?

Is programming for me?

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