The Glade 4.0

I'm looking to make the switch out of the engineering field and move into software. I have experience with C++/C# but I'm looking at perhaps moving into backend database type stuff as a good transition point since a lot of the engineering work I did involved parsing and aggregating data. Think grunt level programming type work to start out with a transition eventually toward more architecture level development.

1. What do you like about your career as a software programmer or developer.
2. What languages should I go learn? I've heard SQL and Apache Hadoop might be good for this type of work as well as PERL? I'm completely ignorant so your honest (and unbiased) answer is appreciated.
3. What certificates or degrees do you think I should complete? I have a B.S. Mechanical Engineering with a diverse professional background which I briefly alluded to above. Should I go get a B.S. Com Sci or Comp E? Are there language certs I can that are respected but not expensive, maybe on Groupon or something similar? Economy/efficiency are key here. I'm still young-ish (28) but I'd like to not delay my career transition if possible.
4. I am living in Boston, now. Are there any good companies you'd recommend me applying to? Money isn't as important as being able to get in there and get experience and prove myself but the better pay, the merrier.

Thank you for your feed back. I hope you all have been doing well. I regret not being around as frequently as before.

- Ryan

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"It's real, grew up in trife life, the times of white lines
The hype vice, murderous nighttimes and knife fights invite crimes" - Nasir Jones

1. I like the difficulty, the chaos, the good and bad feelings I feel when I meet or miss deadlines, the coffee with sugar, being around smart people, the uncertainty about my future when I'm lazy for too many days in a row, the email threads, the passive aggressiveness of others, the weird bureaucracy, the cargo cultish opinions of others about writing software, the unpredictability of whether my code will work, the surprise of finding the solutions to problems in code, the frequent disconnect between management and engineers, and the high stress of peer pressure to perform. This probably isn't the answer you're looking for.

2. Javascript, C, the PHP/Apache/Mysql stack, and Python are the best in my opinion. Don't learn Perl. It's dying.

3. Go with a B.S. in comp sci, and also just start making stuff.

4. No idea. I live in Boston as well. I haven't looked for a new job since I started this one five years ago. I'm also working on multiple early startups on the side with others. I actually pay my brother to work on stuff full time.

1. It's been a while since I did pure software development, but it's the field that got me into IT. I enjoy the problem solving, the logic, and the literalness. Taking a large problem, breaking it down into the smallest possible parts, and then coming up with a solution is something that gives me a lot of satisfaction. So does taking a method that performs really poorly, making a small change, and increasing performance 10- or 100-fold.

2. The basics of programming translate across languages. If you have experience in C/C++ already, that's a good thing for you. I'd say C, some version of SQL, and something web-related (ASP.Net, Java which would translate well from C, etc...). That should cover your bases. Oh, also if you're looking to do backend stuff, it might do you good to get versed in a middle tier solution (IIS, Apache, WebSphere, whatever) and a BI and/or reporting solution (Cognos, SSIS, even Crystal Reports) just so you can get the basics. Non-language-specific technologies that you could learn about include relational databases, SOA, and object-oriented design.

3. Exactly what Lex said. Experience is a lot more valuable than a degree in this field, especially with so many things changing so rapidly. Speaking as someone who has hired quite a few folks, if someone comes into my office and can write some code, find their problems with it, and fix it, that's wayyyy more valuable than then having a PHD in CS. Personally, I have a MCP cert in addition to a B.S., but other than helping sort my resume into the "do a phone interview" pile, I don't think they've been as much of a benefit as walking in there and showing them what I can do. In other words, just go start making stuff

4. The problem is that software development is really easy to offshore. On my last dev team, I could get one developer in Jersey for the same price as two in Florida, or five to ten in Bangalore or Mérida. In order to get started in the US, you've got to have a connection with a decision-maker in IT, or be in the top 20% of your peers. There are a lot of other guys and girls looking to do what you want to do, and you need to stand out. The other way around that is to broaden your base and get in a small shop that's looking for someone who can do more than just sit in a dark corner and code. Having a double-E background might help with that - for example maybe you could find someplace that deals with PLCs, and where they need someone who can translate between the code monkeys and the guys who design the boards. Or maybe your prospective boss just dabbled in digital electronics before he got into programming (which is pretty common for folks 50+) and you can forge a bond. Once you get your foot in the door somewhere, look to gain experience in as many things as you can, even if they're not coding-related. (Program management, QA, DBA work, whatever) If they see you as the guy who can code plus you can do some other stuff, that might be enough to make you stand out when it comes time for a promotion or a new job.

All just my 2 cents.

(Oh and 4b - Network, network, network. I used to work with a DBA who was also a Glader, although we didn't know it until I talked about EQ in passing one day. That professional relationship ended up with me hiring his friend who was a software developer, and that guy worked for me off and on for probably six years as well as being a guildmate in WoW. Anyway, the moral of the story is - if you want to connect on LinkedIn, send me a PM. )

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The most guaranteed way to become hired as a software engineer is to do these things:

1. Get a bachelor's degree in computer science. I did electrical engineering though, so technology-related engineering majors are often accepted as well. It's the only academic credentials you need*.

2. Concurrently acquire real experience that you can talk about and most ideally demo. For example make websites, apps, or that sort of thing. It is clearly most advantageous to build things that have revenue potential. So personally I would never join someone's open source project, for example. Note if you can find others to work with, the chances of completion and other forms of success go up dramatically. As a side effect you will also build personal relationships and that sort of thing.

*Arguably if you have enough experience and no academic credentials, you could still get hired at many companies.

Would love to contribute to the thread, but I just write scripts & macros for a living.

BAT files, VBScripts, PowerShell scripts, and VBA macros are my life.

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Go back to zero, take a pill, and get well ~ Lemmy Kilmister