Career warning in programming IT

[kapakaps]

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I always think of programmers as construction workers in an air-conditioned office environment. I associate computer languages to construction tools. The languages will continue to change over time so you need to be aware of the new developments. In construction, there are also new tools coming out to make construction faster and more stable. If you will stay as a programmer and continuously learn all the new technologies coming out, it will take tremendous effort and time. I don't think that you will even be able to master all these technologies because there are just too many and there will always be something new at the end of the road. The important thing I believe is to at least be able to know the concepts, and invest more time on becoming an architect, consultant or project manager. Let the younger people do the programming for you with your proper guidance. There is a bigger challenge in software or product development than simply programming. You may consider the challenges of programming more interesting, but can you see yourself 20+ years from now still doing programming even if you consider yourself a hardcore guru by then? Try this.. let's say your dad is a programmer, can you imagine your dad still doing programming and going home late at night and working on weekends because he hasn't fixed the bug? Again, just like a construction workers, programmers are builders following the orders above. You better aim high so that one day you will be the one giving the orders.

[kamahak]

I was a programmer then (1995) using C++ until now, still using C++ ... though I adopted to use other tools (C#/Perl) now. From earning a measly PHP 10K/month way back then, to earning around $6.5 K (PHP 200,000)/month now ... and I see no way of changing roles in the near future. I plan to retire still writing code, the key is ... although your tools may become obsolete, you should never allow yourselves to become obsolete as well.

Mao ni cyay sakto na programmer. Mao nani siya akong bag-ong idol karon. Not saying we should all still be programmers when we're 60 but, at the very least, this is what we should be aiming for.

[kolz]

I always think of programmers as construction workers in an air-conditioned office environment. I associate computer languages to construction tools. The languages will continue to change over time so you need to be aware of the new developments. In construction, there are also new tools coming out to make construction faster and more stable. If you will stay as a programmer and continuously learn all the new technologies coming out, it will take tremendous effort and time. I don't think that you will even be able to master all these technologies because there are just too many and there will always be something new at the end of the road. The important thing I believe is to at least be able to know the concepts, and invest more time on becoming an architect, consultant or project manager. Let the younger people do the programming for you with your proper guidance. There is a bigger challenge in software or product development than simply programming. You may consider the challenges of programming more interesting, but can you see yourself 20+ years from now still doing programming even if you consider yourself a hardcore guru by then? Try this.. let's say your dad is a programmer, can you imagine your dad still doing programming and going home late at night and working on weekends because he hasn't fixed the bug? Again, just like a construction workers, programmers are builders following the orders above. You better aim high so that one day you will be the one giving the orders.

Programming for me is a passion, not a role. Though right now my official role is a Software Architect, I'm still consider myself as a programmer and still doing programming.

Look at Linux Torvalds, or James Goshling, these are renowned and successful people who never gave up writing code till this day. Programming is a passion, something that I have taken it to heart, though your roles may change throughout your career as you progress, you should never lose that programmer's heart - a passion for finding solutions and solving problems.

[kapakaps]

Yes, I agree that passion is the perfect word to describe how we should work. To continuously look for solutions to problems no matter how harsh the situation is.

Going back to programming, as much as I would really want to touch the codes myself, I believe it is my duty to step up and take the higher roles in order for the younger generations to enter the IT world. Someone has to take up the architect and project manager role otherwise we will all be a bunch of hard core programmers with no one taking the lead roles. Product development requires a complete team formation in order to succeed. We (including me) find programming very interesting and challenging to the point that many do not think of moving up to the next role. By moving up does not mean that we totally let go of programming, but shifting to a more mature role of coaching and mentoring the programmers about the best practices instead of touching the codes ourselves.

[anggwaponi]

wow

very well said lads ... i agree nga everything will not last that long especially ang atung mga kinaadman. as the saying goes, " ... the only thing that remains in this world, is change. time always change ... ".

hanep. heheh

[Dark-Knight]

Nice thread for I.T. professionals like us. While still young ningkamot jud mura pud ta artista ani nagkatiguwang pwede maLaus.

[boang3000]

thanks sa info mga yoo.. il be graduating this march taking up BSIT! program jd kog taman ani samtang bata2 pa..

[nins2k]

hahaha... most man sa mga programming languare almost same same ra ug syntax. so kung stong imong foundation like C or C++, di ka ma mublema ug absorb visual basic, visual fox pro, php and the like...

Just learn the basic.

[cyraxx]

foundation lang important. Interest pud. if you have both u will be ok.

People seem to Think na Programming lang ang option. Pede ka mag system implementation and system analysts/design. Those arent coding so you have better life span than those burn out programmers hehe.

[systembus]

nice na topic
maybe lack na of interest because naa nai lain focus nga field!