I want to pursue a career in Java programming, what can I expect?

Is the java programming business worth going into overall? Is it going to be long hours in front of a computer? Is the salary good? Would it be hard to find a job as a Java programmer? What sort of degree should I get?





Obviously I should get Java certified, but should I go for a bachelor degree in science as well?

I want to pursue a career in Java programming, what can I expect?
Good for you for being interested in Java! It's an excellent language; not perfect, but a wonderful career choice (in my opinion).





I disagree with many aspects of the answer above. I'm a senior software engineer with 7 years of Java experience (and 20 years of programming prior to that). I have a B.S. in Computer Science. I switched to Java and have not regretted it.





The link below can give you an idea of the salary range, which depends on where you are, the size of the company, your experience, and other factors.





Java will be around for a long time. Heck, there is still a need for COBOL programmers, and that language was created in 1959! Java is similar enough to Microsoft's (evil) C# language that you could switch to that if you needed to. And once you know Java, switching to C/C++ would be pretty straightforward. Lots of options.





The offshoring problem mentioned in the answer above is a mixed bag. Yes, many programming jobs have gone overseas, but the tide may be starting to turn back. Many companies are realizing how hard it is to manage teams in a different country. Language, cultural and timezone differences make it more of a challenge than many companies realized at first. Additionally, some predict a shortage of programmers in future years since many parents are discouraging their kids from going into the field because of all the press about outsourcing.





It will be long hours in front of a computer. But you also get to work with others. The pay is usually very good. Start with a BS or BA degree, do an internship with a software company if you can, and then try to get hired. Open source community experience can be a big plus these days. Certification is nice but pretty optional from my perspective. Hardly any of my programming colleagues are Java certified, and it hasn't slowed their careers down. I haven't found a need for a Master's, but if it turns your crank, go for it.





I will agree that the broad education base of a degree is good - communications skills, teamwork, analysis and critical thinking, all are important today. If your school has a Mentoring program, hook up with a Software Engineer and ask to "job shadow" them for 1/2 day to see what it's really like.





Don't think that one language (or operating system) is all you'll ever need. I started with Pascal in the 80's, used C for 10+ years, then Java. Today you could try Perl and Visual Basic and others. Install unix on that old PC in your closet and learn Bourne shell scripting.





Best of luck with your career!
Reply:You shouldn't focus on being a java programmer. You should get a degree in Computer Information Systems from a respectable school (like a state university). A good university program in Computer Information Systems will provide you with a great overall understanding of the Computer Information Systems environment. They should teach you a couple of languages, database modeling, SQL, project management, systems analysis, requirements gathering, and great written and oral communication skills. These will all be necessary in your career. Above all, a good program will teach you how to learn. This is important because languages and specific technologies have relatively short lifespans. You could learn one language and it may be obsolete in 6 or 7 years. You need to learn how to pick up another language and be prepared to do so many times in your career. Also, you may get bored with programming and decide to become a requirements person or a project management. These shifts in your career will build upon what you have done in your past, but continue to advance your career.





The area of programming is kinda iffy right now. The trend is toward offshoring programming. Therefore, the price people are willing to pay for a java programmer is going downward. Many corporations have offshored all of the development. They retain IS project managers and architechts to help manage and direct development efforts occuring offshore. An offshore resource ir running around $20 or $30 an hour these days. Java programmers (contractors) used to get $120 an hour here. The availability of low cost offshore programmers has brought the cost of domestic programmers down. However, there will always be companies or organizations that don't go for offshoring and will want onsite resources.





My advice to you is to broaden your career objectives to a career is computer information systems and be open to learning other aspects of that career besides just programming.





Purdue University has a great program. I also know that Penn State has a good program.





I'm a Purdue Grad. I have 12+ years of experience in IS working at multiple Fortune 500 companies in multiple roles in IS.