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What are some valuable fields for Coders.
Thank you for agreeing to this informational interview. My name is Amir Johnson I am a Job Corps student soon to be in maine, and I am reaching out to you because I believe I would enjoy a career in Some sort of digital engineering or programming, and I would appreciate your perspective on the practical aspects of working in this area.
Here are the three questions I have for you.
1. What are some hardships you had to face while pursuing this career and how did you over come them or what did you learn from them.
2. How has making connections with associates and other people in your in similar careers help you in the long term or short term.
3. Would you have done anything differently?
Thank you in advance for your time.
Sincerely,
Amir
#Programming #career #job #career-counseling #technology #Code
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4 answers
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Nicole’s Answer
Hi Amir. Thanks for your in-depth questions.
I share with you that I don't think there is a space where coders aren't valuable. I share this because, in general terms, the impacts that coders have on the projects they work on can be a pretty big deal. Coders typically are brought onto projects because of their problem solving skills. Some of the types of problems they are able to solve include being able to gather and/or advise on large volumes of data. Coders can complete processing activities faster, so something that may take days to complete can be shortened. What project teams gain is the ability to use the "new time" they have gotten to do more on the project or to move on to create newer, more exciting products.
The "fields" where you might find coders include social media, banking, communications, sports, promotional work....really the list is endless.
As a coder myself, I will admit that it took me a little while, after I left college, to realize how valuable coding skills are. I mention that as something I did overcome...that is, I initially saw learning to code as an obstacle instead of an asset. By now, I consider how glad I am that I learned and overcame that obstacle.
Each individual has their own method of learning and growing in their personal and career development plans. In my case, I wouldn't have done anything differently. Just glad that I took opportunities that were presented to me and worked them to the best of my ability. I suspect you will do the same :).
Hope you find this response helpful and best of luck to you!
I share with you that I don't think there is a space where coders aren't valuable. I share this because, in general terms, the impacts that coders have on the projects they work on can be a pretty big deal. Coders typically are brought onto projects because of their problem solving skills. Some of the types of problems they are able to solve include being able to gather and/or advise on large volumes of data. Coders can complete processing activities faster, so something that may take days to complete can be shortened. What project teams gain is the ability to use the "new time" they have gotten to do more on the project or to move on to create newer, more exciting products.
The "fields" where you might find coders include social media, banking, communications, sports, promotional work....really the list is endless.
As a coder myself, I will admit that it took me a little while, after I left college, to realize how valuable coding skills are. I mention that as something I did overcome...that is, I initially saw learning to code as an obstacle instead of an asset. By now, I consider how glad I am that I learned and overcame that obstacle.
Each individual has their own method of learning and growing in their personal and career development plans. In my case, I wouldn't have done anything differently. Just glad that I took opportunities that were presented to me and worked them to the best of my ability. I suspect you will do the same :).
Hope you find this response helpful and best of luck to you!
Thank you for taking time out of your day for the detailed response i really appreciate it. I resonate well with the different people learn in there own ways and its nice to know that the field that i am looking into has a positive outlook in todays industry. once again thank you
Sincerely . Amir
Amir
Great advice from Nicole! And I LOVE that you wrote a thank you note, Amir. Our professionals love to see it and it's just a great habit for the workplace and beyond. Keep asking away, Amir, and best of luck in your career journey!
yoonji KIM, Admin
Updated
Angelo’s Answer
Hi Amir!
I'll give you a few examples of where programming is important:
- Health technology: Lots of people have trouble accessing healthcare or are slowed down by processes that are done by people; we can write software (like an app, for example) to give people access to healthcare and make the process easy for them
- Internet of Things: Houses and buildings are getting "smarter" every day, and it's because of engineers who design and implement devices that can talk to each other, and make your life easier (e.x., Google Home)
- Advanced technology: New technology like vehicle intelligence and machine learning are some examples of tech we've never seen until recently; if we help make these things better, who knows what we can accomplish?
These are just a few examples - in almost any field, there is a big need for software! Companies are getting more familiar with tech and some are already changing from being just "digital ready" to "digital first" because the world is getting so familiar with tech. Someone needs to write this new software - and that's where we come in 😉
I'll give you a few examples of where programming is important:
- Health technology: Lots of people have trouble accessing healthcare or are slowed down by processes that are done by people; we can write software (like an app, for example) to give people access to healthcare and make the process easy for them
- Internet of Things: Houses and buildings are getting "smarter" every day, and it's because of engineers who design and implement devices that can talk to each other, and make your life easier (e.x., Google Home)
- Advanced technology: New technology like vehicle intelligence and machine learning are some examples of tech we've never seen until recently; if we help make these things better, who knows what we can accomplish?
These are just a few examples - in almost any field, there is a big need for software! Companies are getting more familiar with tech and some are already changing from being just "digital ready" to "digital first" because the world is getting so familiar with tech. Someone needs to write this new software - and that's where we come in 😉
Updated
Dan’s Answer
Hey Amir,
I wish I could say I have planned my career up front and knew exactly what I want when I was a student. my first job was an opportunity that I found that seemed interesting (it was in CAD - Computer Aided Design) at a firm that seemed to be good in a convenient location and most importantly, my boss seemed like a good guy (and he was). 9 years later I completely changed fields and moved to be a storage expert because of an opportunity that came my way. both turned out to be very interesting and I am sure if chance had given me a different field, I would be just as happy.
so my point is that it is ok to start with anything that seems interesting, that will be a learning experience and will allow you to learn and grow and gain experience. you can always change course later because having the common engineering experience can be used in other fields.
best of luck!
I wish I could say I have planned my career up front and knew exactly what I want when I was a student. my first job was an opportunity that I found that seemed interesting (it was in CAD - Computer Aided Design) at a firm that seemed to be good in a convenient location and most importantly, my boss seemed like a good guy (and he was). 9 years later I completely changed fields and moved to be a storage expert because of an opportunity that came my way. both turned out to be very interesting and I am sure if chance had given me a different field, I would be just as happy.
so my point is that it is ok to start with anything that seems interesting, that will be a learning experience and will allow you to learn and grow and gain experience. you can always change course later because having the common engineering experience can be used in other fields.
best of luck!
Updated
Tony’s Answer
I have worked in the IT industry for over 35 years now, so here are some of my hardships I have faced:
1) Not normal 9-to-5 hours -- IT admins often have to work early in the morning or late in the evening to work with those in other countries. A lot of IT work is done on weekends and holidays.
2) Always on call -- I have to carry a work phone and have it with me 24x7. Computer outages are costly, and nobody wants to wait until the next morning or the next business day to get things rolling.
3) Dealing with non-technical people. Lawyers, Business People, etc. that don't understand how computers work, and often make unusual or impractical suggestions or requests based on this lack of understanding. The Dilbert comic has plenty of material to work with.
4) Stress -- there is a lot of pressure, tight deadlines, scope creep, budget cuts, and the risk of getting fired for costly computer mistakes.
1) Not normal 9-to-5 hours -- IT admins often have to work early in the morning or late in the evening to work with those in other countries. A lot of IT work is done on weekends and holidays.
2) Always on call -- I have to carry a work phone and have it with me 24x7. Computer outages are costly, and nobody wants to wait until the next morning or the next business day to get things rolling.
3) Dealing with non-technical people. Lawyers, Business People, etc. that don't understand how computers work, and often make unusual or impractical suggestions or requests based on this lack of understanding. The Dilbert comic has plenty of material to work with.
4) Stress -- there is a lot of pressure, tight deadlines, scope creep, budget cuts, and the risk of getting fired for costly computer mistakes.