iamacp.com - I Am A Computer Programmmer
All about the daily work issues of a Java/J2EE Computer Programmer

A few days ago I was surfing the Internet and came across this article I had to talk about. David E. Kerry  talks about what it’s like to be a computer programmer. As a professional computer programmer I can really relate to this article. The one thing I really found amusing was the discussion about how most programming work is maintenance and fixing other peoples code. I can speak from my past few years that most programming jobs are support and enhancement. New development jobs do exist but they are far less common than enhancement and maintenance jobs.

Mr. Kerry also makes another excellent point about other people not understand what a computer programmer does. Most people don’t understanding that programming different types of applications are different. This is true even when the language used to program the applications remains the same.

People also assume since that you’re a programmer you somehow know how to fix computers. How does being a computer programmer make me qualified to be a computer technician? The answer is that unless I enjoy fixing computers or have the qualifications I’m not qualified. IT is such a vast field that covers so many areas.

This article is really a well written piece that any IT worker or anyone who has an interest in Computer Programming would appreciate.

Job hunting is one of the most stressful times of any IT worker. It is very plausible that you many apply to dozens of jobs just to get a few interviews. Sometimes even the jobs you interview for will not work out. That’s life. Don’t ever let failure bring your motivation down. Each failure brings you one step closer to success in your dream job.

I speak from personal experience that finding a job in IT isn’t easy. It takes a lot of hard work and preparation to get the job. Just remember that there is an idea job out there for you. You just must never ever give up.

I’ve always been a firm believer in updating my skills when and wherever possible. I’ve been programming in Java for a few years now and have always procrastinated on getting my certification. Finally, several months back I started to prepare seriously for my certification by picking up The Sun Certified Programmer for Java 5 (SCJP) Study Guide by Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates. This fantastic book has everything a programmer needs to pass there SJCP exam.

Throughout the 800+ pages and 10 chapters you will find detailed coverage of the areas that are covered on the exam. The chapters are filled with useful hits on possible things questions will try to trick you on. This is a very big help because it helps you to learn what you should focus on in a given question.

The most useful part of this book is that the practice exams at the end of the chapter are alone are well worth the price of the book. Preparing to take an exam is stressful enough but with practice tests at the end of each chapter you’ll be well on your way to the elite verified Java programmer status. I would highly advise that any Java or wannabe Java programmer should have this book in his library.