What are my options for a career path starting from java?

[Keith Earl]

A bit of my programming history. The only programming I've really done is some html and a very little bit of javascript in highschool. After taking those I got really interested in programming in general. Then in college I went for game design and programming, and although I didn't get to finish, I did learn some C++ during then (of course forgetting it over time since it was back in 2004/05 and hadn't coded since). Now I've picked up java as a language to study, but was really wondering what options do I have. I've looked on careerbuilder as sort of a guide to see what's out there (by the way I live close to chicago and I see it's a good market for programming), but there's so much, and each of them seem to have similar requirements among them (ie: java knowledge) and of course different things such as spring framework, etc. I'd really like to have java as my "core" language that I learn, but want to have some others in my arsenal. I've also seen that some of these are split into different categories, such as a front-end developer where there's more user interaction, and then there's the back-end programming (i'm assuming SQL is one?). Judging from this forum I can tell there are programmings from all walks and would like to get some ideas of where I could head from this point.

Just as a piece of info, I currently can't afford to go to school and even if I could there's some situations that I'm anticipating on that, one major one being me moving to Canada, among other things. I have a couple of books of spring framework, quite a few sql sever books, java networking, java mobile, java se & ee, head first html & css, needless to say I have a bit to study from of what I have on hand, plus places like coderanch. I've been using eclipse ide, and I have netbeans as well although i can't say I've actually used it. I guess my main question is what paths have you all taken? Did you study by yourself or go to school? What were the main things you studied for the career you wanted? Of any question that needs to be asked to help clarify things are more than welcomed.

[Chris Barrett]

Hi Keith,

Front-end programming generally refers to technologies an end-user (or client side) can see, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc...
Back-end programming generally refers to technologies that are used behind the scenes (or server side), such as C++, Java, Objective-C, C#, etc...
Certain technologies, such as PHP and Java EE, could cross back and forth between the traditional view of front-end versus back-end.

Java is a very diversified language that can be used in many different situations. Before you decide on Java, though, I suggest you spend some time getting to know your local job market. Polyglot and programmer MeetUps are an excellent (free/cheap) resource that lets you get feedback from local programmers and helps you build your network. If you are just starting out, I would suggest you find one language you like, and is in demand locally, then learn it well. If you already have some understanding of C++, you will find Java has many similarities (minus the pointer manipulations). However, if the local jobs don't demand Java, investing time in learning it probably won't help you find a job. Over time you will want to learn more languages, as it increases your marketability and value to an organization.

Most of us have some formal education, but self-study is still a very important component. Programming is a life-long learning commitment as technologies change very quickly. There are also excellent free courses available through sites such as Coursera that we regularly discuss in the Bunkhouse Lounge forums. I also suggest you take a flip through the Job Discussions forums, as the questions you asked come up quite regularly. For example, this thread answers a lot of them.

Cheers!
Chris

[Mike Baker]

Hi Keith,

I would suggest you to complete a college or university. It would be pretty hard for you to get a job without a formal education. Otherwise, you might try to complete some Java courses and try to get a job in a small start-up company starting with a small pay. If you choose this way, I would suggest you to start with front-end development (HTML, CSS, graphics) and some Java. And then you can grow in Java step by step.

Java is huge and has tons of frameworks (core Java, J2EE, JSP, Servlets, Struts, JSF, Spring, Tapestry, GWT, EJB, Hibernate, JPA, TopLink, Mobile and many more). It takes time to learn each library of core Java and each framework because of that I would suggest to learn core Java first and then add java web frameworks one by one depends on your potential client/employer. You cannot learn all Java frameworks at the same time, so learn them one by one. A small start-up is the best chance for you to get your first job. The pay wouldn't be great but it's a real chance for you to get a job, learn Java and grow in your career. After you work at your first job for 2-3 years, you can move to another company with a higher pay and so on.

Regards,
Mike

[Keith Earl]

Thank you both for your suggestions. Yeah going to college is sort of out of the questions for now and i figured since i won't be able to go any time soon i'd study on my own with books i've got. I have a pretty good understanding about the core of java, and right now i'm just doing a lot of practice programs so i can fine-tune those skills. In fact i did a little rpg battle demo, although it's only text-based right now, I got it to work exactly how I wanted . I think I need to work on more business applications though, such as handling payroll, scheduling , etc. I don't mind starting somewhere small and working my way up, even once I move. With that I have another question to add, I'm in the U.S. right now and plan on moving to Canada. Will any certifications I get here be good out in canada? I wouldn't see a reason why they wouldn't since i don't believe there is a java "canada" version where there are some sort of different libraries.

[Chris Barrett]

Hi Keith,

Oracle Certifications are recognized world-wide, so you should be fine.
The exams in Canada are exactly the same as in the USA, as are the Java SE and Java EE libraries.

Good luck!

[Keith Earl]

Pertaining to schooling I think I've been able to come up with something. Once I move to Canada I think I will try going to this school. They seem to have all of the courses I'd like to take, plus a game development course. Also they're all 6 weeks long each, which to me is good, and not to mention the price is more than reasonable. So I think in the mean time until I start going there (since I'm not sure exactly when that'll be yet), I'll just focus still on self-studying. I've got the core of java pretty down pat except for a few things I know I have to brush up on, so that being said I'm going to study some Libgdx since I would really like to do some game development in java at some point. However once I start going to school I will probably try to test out of the beginner's java course since that 6 weeks can be spent doing another one.