Computer Programming and Networking Careers

YOU'RE GRADUATING — NO MORE "What I did with my summer vacation" but, "WHAT WILL I DO FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE?"

"Why would I want to become a computer programmer or network engineer? How do I know it would be a good fit? I'm only 18 years old—why do I have to decide now what I want to do with my life?"

Have you ever pictured yourself as Sandra Bullock's character from "The Net" or maybe you identify with the "Lone Gunmen" of the X Files series?

Come to think of it, have you read any good mysteries lately? Solved any jigsaw or crossword puzzles? Or maybe you really enjoyed building things with a giant Erector set when you were a kid? These are all pretty low-tech activities, so how could they possibly tie in with computers? The intricacies of building a network involve the same type of logic skills and vision that you used to build structures with the Erector pieces. Puzzles and programming both involve looking for recurring patterns and applying logical thought processes. If you enjoy these activities, computer programming or networking just might be for you.

You may be thinking, "Yeah, but I'd be sitting in a cubicle by myself for eight hours every day. I don't know if I could stand facing four gray walls writing line upon line of program code for that length of time." If that's your idea of information technology, think again. The technology field is a much more social environment than you might suspect. The computer programs developed today are huge, and programmers work in teams or groups, with each person contributing segments to the whole. With the emphasis on graphical interfaces, the development tools used by programmers are much more sophisticated than a simple text editor. Programming environments provide support for the most commonly used programming languages while including debugging (making the code you wrote actually work) tools that make a programmer's life much easier. If the Internet beckons you, a multitude of tools provide a vast array of features. See? You won't be just sitting around entering cryptic word abbreviations.

Network administrators whose job it is to create or maintain a company's intranet/internet presence, and tech support personnel whose duties are to assist other staff members with technology issues, get to know everybody in the company. A tech support or help desk job puts you in a great position to get an overall view of the company structure, because you deal with every and any employee whose job requires contact with a computer.

Ok, so what's involved? Well, you may not want to hear this, but you need more education. In our corner of Pennsylvania, we are extraordinarily fortunate to have a large number of post secondary institutions that offer a wide and diverse array of programs. Go to the Pennsylvania state home page (do you know its web address by heart? It's stamped on every Pennsylvania license plate, "www.state.pa.us"), click on the link "Learning in PA," select "Career and Technical Education," click the Higher and Adult Education tab and select Colleges and Universities or Private Licensed Schools (Career or Trade). Both links will eventually list local schools and contact addresses. Most colleges and specialty schools have web sites, so you can sift through the information at your leisure. With so many choices, one of them is bound to be a good fit. Then schedule visits to the schools whose programs interest you.

Many people who might otherwise consider a career in the IT field discard this choice for one reason. MATH. There are some areas where you need to know a great deal of math (surprisingly enough, game programming is one of them). However, a basic knowledge of math (you know, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) is usually sufficient. If a complex and convoluted mathematical equation is required, chances are an accountant or scientist will supply it to the programmer.

"Do I need a degree or certification to break into the Information Technology field?" As with anything, you're going to have to prove that you have the skills to fill the position. In the absence of a performance record or work history, a diploma, degree or certification is crucial. Perform a search on "Computer Certifications" on any internet search engine, and web sites such as gocertify.com and certification.about.com will provide information on the available certifications for any facet of the computer industry.

"Yeah, but can I get a job after I finish school?" Face it: computers are here to stay. Right now, headlines shout TECH SECTOR DEPRESSED! Earnings are down, stock prices are falling, and it seems that every other company is laying off people in their IT department. Does that mean the end to any thoughts you might have entertained about a career in the high tech field? Don't worry; there are still jobs in the field. They may not drop into your lap as easily as they once did, and there may not be a signing bonus paid, but there is, and will continue to be, a need for capable and qualified IT people. No matter what anyone may tell you, networking (with people) is the best way to learn about possible job opportunities. Your classmates and people already working in the profession will be your best sources of information.

But wait—there is an important caveat to this article. Don't go into a field just because you heard there was money to be made. Job satisfaction plays an important roll in your career decision. If you believe in your heart that you really want to be a hair stylist or a firefighter, do it! You won't be happy if every day you force yourself to go to a job you absolutely loathe just because of the paycheck. Work seems a lot less like work if you enjoy what you're doing.

Editorial provided Deborah L. Dale, Education Coordinator, RETS Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh Campus.