Computer programming degree (West: rent, credit, job market)

[Megan1967]

I'm currently in the Web Programmer/Analyst program at out local tech college. I already have a BA and a masters so collecting yet another BA seemed repetitive. It has actually worked out well with my goals, but I'm thinking of moving before I complete the program.

Time is not really an issue here and starting over is not a problem. I would look at what I've done so far as really good prep.

So far I've taken are Intro to VB.net and I'm taking Adv VB.net and Intro to Java, object oriented design & Oracle SQL right now. I already know basic html.

I also took a class on Access which was designed for beginning programmers - sort of using it to introduce database concepts not using wizards or anything.

What would the people here recommend?
- stay here and finish the degree
-move and enroll in a tech college down there
-apply to one of the 4 year colleges.

Ultimately I want to freelance or work for a small shop doing a variety of things, not just the programming end.

[Willys]

Go to India for some hands on intro experience, get to be the best. Then return to U.S. to freelance.

[HappyTexan]

Sorry to say I agree with Willys..globalization and offshoring is killing that profession.

[PeacePlease]

Megan, don't get discouraged by this outsourcing thing. Get the degree (regardless of where). Experience is the key... so get some experience under your belt which will help you land the job that you want.

I also think for people in your field should leverage the Internet as an advantage. How? you can create your own website (or multiple websites) and use them to show case your work. Your future employer would love to see what you can do. A degree only tells them that you can study, but it doesn't mean it will help their business or can produce quality work. Showing off some examples of your work and creativity can mean getting a good job.

Good luck.

[jclAustin]

Seems to me you might want to look into transferring credits. You might be able to transfer and not start over.

If you want to freelance or do a variety of things I would say go to Silicon Valley and work in a startup after getting your degree. You'll get a lot of experience in a hurry, and exposure to many different phases of the development lifecycle. There are startups everywhere, but the concentration is still greatest out there.

[Megan1967]

Willys I don't think you really understand what my degree would be for. It wouldn't be help desk stuff where they ask you if you plugged the computer in. It is writing the code behind sites like WPS and American Family. They have complex databases behind them and need programmers to support them. Not really something that is outsourced, at least not here. The local employers are snapping up people before they even graduate.

Can't afford the West Coast as I have no choice but to buy a house. I don't imagine many people would rent to someone with 7 cats and they'd kill each other if they couldn't spread out.

[FromCalitoSteinerRanch]

Originally Posted by Megan1967

Willys I don't think you really understand what my degree would be for. It wouldn't be help desk stuff where they ask you if you plugged the computer in. It is writing the code behind sites like WPS and American Family. They have complex databases behind them and need programmers to support them. Not really something that is outsourced, at least not here. The local employers are snapping up people before they even graduate.

OK, so not to burst your bubble, but my last two trips to India were to transfer a Test Lead role to a person there. Also, we have several developers coming throughout the year, and also Dev Leads going there to transfer WebMethods, Java, and other projects to Hyderabad.

When they work for about $13K per year, then you do have to worry about the potential that more and more work will be sent there.

[Megan1967]

Huh... That's not good. $13K? Really? Lord.

That really isn't the case here, however. For whatever reason the job market in any IT field is on fire around here. I know one guy who job hops a lot and his salary keeps going up in increments of $10K. Last I heard he was making 90K. He is in data warehousing. Does that make a difference?

Well, like I said I really want to work in a small shop or free lance for several small companies. Guess I'll see what happens.

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by Megan1967

Huh... That's not good. $13K? Really. Lord.

Well, like I said I really want to work in a small shop or free lance for several small companies. Guess I'll see what happens. That really isn't the case here, however. For whatever reason the job market in any IT field is on fire around here. I know one guy who job hops a lot and his salary keeps going up in increments of $10K. Last I hear he was making 90K. He is in data warehousing. Does that make a difference?

There is a lot of outsourcing going on, that's for sure; but a lot of it is for lower-level/non-specialized/support related activities. I've seen the quality of what comes out of India; it's usually pretty poor, and companies are starting to realize that. Of course, some of them don't care.

The DB that I have to work with was written by outsourced employees in India and it's horrible. By the time a company deals with all the bugs in Indian-produced software, some of them find that they don't save much, if anything at all. That $13k can cost a fortune in delays and crippling maintenance costs.

In short...if this is what you want to do, don't let people try to talk you out of it. Just understand that it is an issue, though IT people often disagree on just how big an issue it is. Speaking personally, I've never lost a job through outsourcing but I suppose there's a first time for everything.

[Trainwreck20]

We personally have 'trained' in-house programmers to do custom data managment systems and environmental managment systems. Our work is fairly crude, probably, consdering what you can get if you spend a lot more money, but we probably could really expand our market if we could every catch up with our 'real' business. There will always be a demand for people that will sit down face-to-face and make completely customized products that work just like they wanted them to.

Also, being able to help someone realize what they need, not just doing exactly what they thought they wanted. What was true back when I was entering the workforce several decades ago is still true today - learn the programming/technical end, but then have a good depth of experience in some other field. Take any oppurtunity to learn about the oil buisness, or the electroplating industry, or injection molding industry, or the phone order customer center business, or WHATEVER comes across your horizon. If you can talk their business and know their issues, they will gladly pay your 'high' local cost to have you do their work. Heck, you could end up doing the programming to run those foreign service centers .