Programming from scratch: which direction to choose to “enter IT”

It seems that professions that do not require specialized knowledge and specific skills are gradually disappearing. Technical progress and the development of artificial intelligence leads to the fact that delivery robots and driverless cars are rapidly appearing, automation of warehouses and call centers is developing.

There is a need for specialists who know how to develop applications and programs. Programs are written and implemented by programmers, they also develop applications and software for all kinds of “smart” equipment. Development of modern technologies is also in their competence.

There are many specializations and directions in IT. The main specializations are:

• Web development - creation of internet resources.
• Creation and development of games.
• Programming systems.
• Mobile applications.
• Desktop applications.
• Data Science - working on artificial intelligence, managing neural networks and processing large data sets.

What you need to know and be able to do

IT has long ceased to be a direction only for a select few. To master skills you need to learn, and you can acquire professional knowledge and experience on special courses. In the IT sphere there are rapid changes, knowledge quickly becomes outdated, skills and practice are most important.

Hard Skills of a programmer

At the first stage of entering the profession, it is important to study the theoretical block of Computer Science. It includes knowledge of mathematics, computer science and the basics of programming.

At the second stage, you need to choose a specialization and start learning programming languages. Languages for each specialization are different:

• System programmers use languages - Assembler, C and C++, Java.
• Web developers - JavaScript, Python, PHP, Go and the frameworks React, Vue and Angular.
• Mobile application developers - Java, Kotlin, Swift, C#.

Experts single out Python, JavaScript and PHP as the easiest in terms of learning. These languages are concise in syntax and less deployable.

In addition to knowledge of programming languages, specialists require the ability to work in frameworks and libraries, work with version control and versioning systems, as well as the ability to read and understand other people's code and technical documentation.

Soft Skills of a Programmer

To advance in this profession, you can't do without knowledge of technical English, the concepts that are used in programming. This is the key to employers and professional sources of information. Also important are:

• Stress tolerance.
• Emotional intelligence.
• Ability to work in a team.
• Time management skills.
• Curiosity and ability to develop, learn new things.

Where to study for a programmer

There are several options for gaining knowledge:

• Traditional education. Training at a university or university will take 4-5 years.
• Self-study. On average, it will take 1 to 1.5 years to get your first job.
• Courses. Training on them will take from a few months to 2 years. And it is assumed that the student finds his first job while still studying.

What other options for professions in IT

Not only programmers are needed in the IT sphere. Sometimes it is necessary not to change, but to expand their competencies.

To become a specialist in promotion in networks, an experienced salesperson will only need to master the skills of digital marketing. This is setting up contextual advertising in Google Ads as well as targeted advertising in social networks. IT sales specialists, testers, web designers, content managers and others are also needed.