Javian
What programming languages and skills should I focus on to be a successful programmer.
I am going into my junior year in college and I have decided I want to become a programmer. I am just very nervous because I am not sure what kind of languages and skills I should focus on to be successful in the field. If anyone is a programmer could we exchange email addresses, so I can learn about some of the daily tasks and assignments you have as a computer programmer? #programmer #computer
3 answers
Dean Holloway
Dean’s Answer
I agree with the comments provided so far, but would encourage you to consider the programming technique coverage by the languages you learn. As an example, i studied low-level programming languages before transitioning to high-level. Don't just restrict yourself to modern languages, but also include older languages where you have to consider all the low-level details like memory management instead of it being done for you.
I also studied structured programming languages and various IDE's before coding my first java-based project. Also consider various database technologies and scripting.
It's also a constant learning process, languages constantly evolve.
Daniel Moy
Daniel’s Answer
Comp languages varies by company. Big ones used in many places include C++, Java, Javascript, Ruby, Python, etc... You'll end up needing to learn multiple languages quite well. But that's fine, eventually picking up new languages becomes a lot easier.
As for skills, the primary concern is being able to effectively write code to solve problems. That's a combination of logical thinking, some organizing skills, and a lot of reading. But on top of that you'll need a lot of communication to figure out what to actually build, writing to communicate what you built, and time management / prioritization skills to not rabbit hole on things that don't matter as much.
The hardest bit will be learning to think like a computer.
Make sure your math is up to snuff.
Thank you so much, these are skills I have been working on. I also have been trying to learn, at least the basics, of the major languages. I'm glad you cleared that up for me.
Javian
Manuel Moreno Urcid
Manuel’s Answer
Hello Javian,
As Daniel said, programming languages keep changing constantly and will vary depending on the companies needs. In my case, during college I learned Java, C and Python and during my professional experience I had to learn Cobol (even is really old, but some banks are still using it! believe me). But once you start programming, any programming language will be easy to learn.
Regarding skills, I would say you need to be really patient and careful when you solve a problem, because when you program you must consider all the possible scenarios including all different kind of inputs/outputs in order to optimize your code. So, I would recommend you to visit the following site:
https://icpc.baylor.edu
This is a International Collegiate Programming Contest where they look for programmers that can solve any kind of problems using a program, There you will find a lot of tips and examples and if you are interested you can practice and participate in one of the contests , it's an amazing experience!
Good luck!