getting a job as java programmer?

[Bear Nithi]

I want to get a job as java programmer. I am a final year b.sc zoology student. I know java, php, mysql but i don't have any certificates. can i get a java job? For the past few months, i am learning and practicing java. can i eligible for programming jobs because am a zoology student? i love programming!! but now am in dilemma. should i have to get any certificate for java? please explain me in detail. am a final year student, i have only one year in front of me. after that i want to be a java programmer in any one of the companies.. please let me know am i eligible. if i am eligible, then what are the things should i do to get ready for the job??

sorry for my bad English. i hope, you can understand my problem.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Welcome to the Ranch

Can you change course? I think you would probably need a degree or a cert in computer sciences.

[Marc Laffan]

After you have experience, degrees are no longer used as an automatic filter candidates.

It'll always be more difficult for you to get a job than someone with the same experience AND a degree, but not impossible.

I strongly suggest doing some online courses (Lynda.com for syntax and training, Coursera for a middle ground between Udemy and Lynda, and Udemy for project work and experience. Udemy offers some kind of degree as well.) and getting some code up on Github to prove that you can actually code.

Many companies are terrified of hiring people with Software Degrees that literally CANNOT code. A Github account is second only to actual experience in proving that you certainly can code.

So get a github account and code till you drop!

You can also create Android apps, which can earn you some money and is practically a requirements if you want to go into mobile app development. I mention Android in particular, as it is based on Java 5 with a sprikling of Java 6 APIs. Lastly, there are conversion courses you can take for people in your situation. It is more common than you'd think for someone to do Arts, Literature, Zoology, Philosophy, etc (Pretty much any course) and discover that they actually love coding. You should looking into Masters-level conversion courses and see what you can find with your institution/college.

Good luck!

[Bear Nithi]

Thanks friends.. so now i get the idea that i should have some experience before i enter into java job. I hava created some small desktop applications in java like calc, vocabulary trainer. now i have some questions:

can you tell me that which java cert is most valuable??
how can i apply for it?
what are the things i should concern more in java to improve my skills?

[Campbell Ritchie]

Write code. Write code. Write code.

Get experienced people to look at your code.

[Marc Laffan]

You definitely need to put in a lot of effort before taking a Java Certification.

For example, the following app is free: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wibblerapp.wibbler&hl=en

You can search for "java certification" in the play store and get plenty more results like that one though. And they're all pretty difficult!

The certifications are also quite expensive, so I think you should stick to learning and creating more complex applications for now. I personally use Lynda.com for training, and it has been very good so far.

Book-wise, I've found that the most recommended books are Head First Java for beginning, then Effective Java for more advanced topics.

[Bear Nithi]

Thanks, i had read Head First java. Thanks to all..

[Vaseem Mohammed]

Landing to a java job is as easy as understanding java. Learn the basics of java and you will get a job in hand. There are many online resources: video tutorials, coursera courses, articles, blogs, etc which will help us understand java better than just doing a certificate or getting a training in institute. Also, the more you code the more you understand java. Take different problem statements and try to solve them using different techniques in java. After solving by yourself search the internet for the solution and see how people has solved the same problem.

Talk to your friends who are already in the java job and get some problems to work on. Solve those with java program. particiate in the forums and try to practice the questions asked in the forums. All these I am talking is about the basics of java not the advanced java. Once you get into the job you will get opportunity to learn advanced java by yourself. So take back and relax and learn just the basics and basics and basics.

head first, complete reference, java black book, scjp books are good to start.

Last but not least if you dont code you will never understand any programming language.

Happy coding!! Happy Job Search!! Wish You All The Very Best!!

[Campbell Ritchie]

Welcome to the Ranch

Please supply more details of those books, since they may be unfamiliar to the OP. Please have a look at our books pages. You will find some of those books reviewed there.

[Marc Laffan]

I should also mention that pure-Java shops are not as prevalent as you might think.

I think it would be best for you to use your knowledge of Java to specialise in a Java-based technology, or to focus on a particular area.

For example, you could become a Play/Grails developer for web frameworks, or an Android app developer. And by focusing on a particular area, I mean picking out some aspects of Java to focus in, like security or pretty much whatever you can think of.

In general, it'll be much easier to get a high-paying job when you specialise rather than when you don't. It might sound like you're cutting yourself off from 90% of the Java jobs out there, but the flip-side of this is that you're making yourself highly sought after by the other ten percent. This is pretty great, since you only need one job.

[Bear Nithi]

Thank Marc.. now am learning Android!!!