Are You Chasing Rabbits For A Living?

Do not worry about how to get handson experience in a programming language before you actually learn the programming language … that is called putting the cart before the horse.

If you choose to worry about handson experience before learning the programming language, all that you will end up achieving is nothing … those worries, fears or doubts will only delay your progress because they are either imaginary or harmful!

Rather, choose the path of action or get your hands dirty learning the programming languages that I recommend below and opportunities to get more handson experience will present themselves.

So, don’t hesitate or procrastinate … remember, he who hesitates is lost!

Click here to read this article on hesitation or procrastination

Which Programming Language Is Best To Start With?

Here is a question submitted by a reader on getting handson programming experience and the best programming language to start with.

The toughest challenge facing my career right now is boredom and a feeling of restlessness.

I’m about to graduate college with a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, and I’m itching to start a real career that is more technical than the help desk that I work on.

Therein lies another challenge: I have no experience.

I’m very interested in programming and software development right now, but I don’t know what is hot in the job market in my area right now.

I’ve been searching the IT job sites, and there are positions open for Java, .NET, and Unix developers (each with a minimum five years of experience).

I appreciate your website and the excellent articles!

I now know to self-teach myself programming skills and work on open source projects, freelance and try for some contracting jobs.

Thank you!

Here Is The Answer To This Reader’s Questions

Hi, I am glad that you know how to self-teach yourself programming skills, work on open source projects, freelance and try for some contracting jobs … it seems that you just want to choose the right programming language since you’ve already heard about Java, .NET and Unix.

Choose Web Development Languages:

Don’t waste your time learning programming languages that are not suited for web development. This is because out of all the software development language careers, web developers are the most in-demand!

Choose a Rapid Application Development (RAD) Programming Language:

The best programming languages for your career will be the ones that are the most productive to code with.

Several years ago, software developers were using languages like Clipper, Foxpro, C/C++. That was back in the days when computer programmers were just transitioning from programming for DOS to programming for WINDOWS.

While all that was happening, Microsoft released a programming language known as Visual Basic which revolutionized the programming industry.

Visual Basic was a Rapid Application Development (RAD) Language which contained visual cues for building desktop applications.

For example, it allowed you to drag an icon representing a button onto a screen and then it generated the code for the button for you.

Because it made programming easier, Microsoft’s Visual Basic quickly became one of the most popular and productive languages for building software applications.

For example, using a Visual Basic enabled database software like Microsoft Access, a developer could create a functional application in a fraction of the time it takes a Java or C/C++ developer to code the same application.

Finally, Microsoft changed the game again with the introduction of .NET Framework which incorporates some of the best features of programming with Java, Visual Basic and C/C++!

So, if you want to be successful computer programmer, go with a productive Rapid Application Development (RAD) Language like Microsoft.NET, learn C# and SQL Server … which is the database language that is most compatible with .NET Framework.

Note that you also have to learn a relational database system because both web and windows software developers have to design or develop databases for their software applications … so, learning SQL query writing and database development is required for software developers.

Study Or Handson Experience, Which Comes First?

And don’t be worrying about not having handson programming experience before you get to learn the programming language … that is putting the cart before the horse.

Answer These Questions …

1. Are you learning the right programming languages?
2. How productive are the programming languages that you are learning?
3. Are you worrying about how to get handson experience?

When you start out learning the programming languages that I recommended, opportunities to get your hands dirty will present themselves.

Don’t hesitate or procrastinate … remember, he who hesitates is lost! Click here to read this article on hesitation or procrastination

Another reason why you should stick with my recommendations is that … studying computer programming can quickly become an overwhelming experience because of the myriad of computer programming languages.

So, if you make the mistake of dabbling in different programming languages, you may end up not being skilled in any!

Don’t waste your time chasing rabbits … learning programming languages for which there is little or no market demand.

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Cowboy Coder Or Agile Programmer

Are You A Cowboy Coder Or Agile Software Developer?

Software Developers facing a new programming project sometimes start coding before thinking through or planning an approach.

Coding without first planning or thinking through is a programming method known as cowboy coding.

Cowboy coders approach work with the mindset of coding without estimating or planning.

And they are at a complete lost when the results achieved by their cowboy coding tactics does not meet expectations.

Cowboy Coding Is Dead, Long Live Cowboy Coding

While many programmers publicly ridicule cowboy coding, they privately practice cowboy coding because it is the easier thing to do.

Look around you for cowboy coders. They exhibit some of the following tell-tale signs:

1. They do not estimate the work required for a software development project before coding because that is too difficult or unnecessary for them

2. They hack away at code instead of taking time to find the best algorithmic or coding approach for solving a programming challenge

3. They frequently under-estimate the complexity of software development projects and so they work late nights, weekends or even holidays in a bid to catch up with late deliverables

4. They dislike working with system architects, business analysts and project managers because the only work that matters to them … is that of writing code

5. They can’t find time to sharpen or improve their programming skills because all their time must be spent on coding

6. They get stuck in their code or hit dead walls because they under-estimate the complexity or difficulty of working with technology

7. Cowboy Coders get frustrated because their programming projects always seem to take a longer time to market than they estimated.

   Unable to see the complexity of their code ahead of time, they are stumped when their efforts fail to produce working software on time or under budget.

8. Cowboy Coders bite off more than they can chew by embarking on projects that are too large for such tactics.

   Since they do not take time to understand the complexity of their code, they are also likely to under-estimate the time or effort required.

9. Cowboy Coders develop poorly designed, buggy, unreliable software because of a lack of proper architecture and a lack of a software development methodology

10. Cowboy Coders produce poor quality software because of a lack of unit testing skills or good co-ordination with other software testers or quality assurance professionals

We Are Cowboys

Despite the superiority of iterative, agile or even Waterfall software development, Cowboy Coding is very much alive and well … and here are the reasons why:

• Software Developers resort to cowboy coding because structured software development including Agile or Waterfall methods requires more thinking and planning skills from the developers.

• Formal software development practice is more of an art than a science.

  And it requires additional formal training, education or discipline beyond that of just learning a programming language.

• Agile or waterfall software development methods places an initial burden or responsibility on the programmer to think or plan their work first before coding.

  This goes against the natural habit of undisciplined cowboy coders.

• Asking cowboy coders to go Agile hurts their feelings because it suggests that they cannot instantly, easily or intuitively come up with the best code for a programming challenge

• Agile and Waterfall software development methods require more planning, design and architecture skills which are harder to come by or less intuitive than simply coding before thinking or cowboy coding.

Developers Go Agile!

Why the Waterfall model may seem like the next step up from Cowboy Coding, I recommend that developers bite the bullet and go agile for the following reasons

1. Faster Time To Market:

   Agile developers work for their clients or customers.

   Agile Software Development helps you get the most important features to market first knowing that about 60% of software features are never used.

2. Customer As King:

   Agile software developers work for the customer and not for the development process.

   They are empowered to focus, respond and adapt to the customer’s needs with the end goal of giving the customers what they want!

3. Agile Project Management:

   Agile project managers focus on the current iteration or use it to make better estimates for the next one.

   Agile software developers have better, more realistic or more accurate project plans to work with because they are only tasked with producing working software for the current iteration and not for the entire project at once!

4. Agile Software Testing:

   Agile software testers work with software developers to produce high-quality software a the end of each iteration instead of waiting for the entire project to complete before testing!

   Testing for bugs at the end of each iteration, reduces the chances of producing unreliable, buggy software at the end of the entire project unlike the waterfall model.

Case Study: An Agile Developer Breaks The Cycle Of Unemployment

Here is a real-life case study of how I helped a C/C++ programmer break the cycle of un-employment using Agile Programming techniques.

Un-employed C/C++ Programmer

Sometime ago, I was approached by a C/C++ programmer with a college degree who had been unemployed for a couple of years.

Transition From C/C++ Programming

Instead of just re-writing the programmer’s resume, I counseled the C/C++ programmer to learn a new programming language and database platform from scratch.

Agile Hands-ON ExperienceFor acquiring hands-on experience in the new programming language, I gave the C/C++ programmer an iterative software development project to build from scratch.

I also tasked the programmer with building a working release of the project very early in the lifecycle and then presenting that to hiring managers immediately.

Guess what happened, including the agile development experience in a resume, got the developer hired in the very first job interview and with only 1 month of software development experience in a new programming language!

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learning multiple programming languages?

If you need help with a Question or Challenge, be sure to ask it as a comment on this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering this reader’s question below!

Please, send this post to your friends using the “Tell a Friend” Button button below. You earn points or cash each time you refer an article to your friends using the Tell a Friend Button.

Here is the Challenging Situation:

I want to learn many programming languages including C/C++, Java, PHP and Microsoft .NET Framework because this will make be very good at programming and employable.

What do you suggest? Are there languages I should learn first or not learn at all?

What’s the best way to go about learning many programming languages?

How To Learn Multiple Programming Languages

There are benefits and challenges to learning many programming languages. Sometimes it’s better to master just one programming language and some other times it’s advantageous to learn more !

Learning many programming languages poses a special challenge. Part of this challenge is remembering the syntax or coding paradigms behind each programming language.

The challenge of devoting the time it takes to learn or master just one programming language should not be under-estimated.

On the other hand, the benefits of successfully learning many programming languages includes having more employment options because you can work on a wide variety of software developemnt platforms.

Here is additional guidance on when you may learn multiple programming languages:

Should Junior / Entry-Level Programmers Learn Multiple Languages?

If you’re just starting your programming career, then I would advise you to focus on learning just one programming language at a time.

This is because there’s little to be gained by listing many programming languages on your resume without really being good or highly skilled in any of them!

As a general rule, it’s far better to learn one programming language and master it well before learning other programming languages.

Beginner, Entry Level, Junior or Hobby Programmers are more likely to fall into the trap of learning on too many programming languages.

They are likely to dabble in multiple programming languages ranging from PHP to C/C++ to Java. Unfortunately, while they may learn a little of each programming languages they are good at none!

The danger facing newbies to computer programming is that they understimate their own powers and the challenges of learning a programming language. So, in a bid to prove themselves, they bite on more than they can chew!

Without a lot of programming experience, newbie computer programmers really have no idea of what they’re trying to accomplish.

In trying to impress others by working on many programming languges, they end up “A Jack of All Trades and Master of None”.

Should I Learn A Software Development Platform?

On the other hand, while beginner programmers should not worry about learning many programming languages, they should learn or master all the programming languages for a platform, one at a time.

For example, if you’re learning PHP, you should also plan to learn MySQL and vice versa.

The reason is because, employers or clients hiring for PHP skills will also expect or need MySQL Database Services.

Another example is that of programmers learning .NET Framework who should plan on learning the entire Microsoft .NET Software Platform including ASP.NET (for building web applications), SQL Server for building Databases and C# or Visual Basic for programming.

Should I Mix and Match Programming Languages?

Programmers should look out and learn other technologies within their familiar programming languages.

For example, both PHP Programmers and ASP.NET Programmers should take the time to learn or master HTML, CSS and JavaScript as these are useful for all programmers.

However, learning PHP and then jumping to Java or C/C++ is a different matter altogether.

Here is “how to to learn many programming languages”:

1. Learn programming languages one at time.

2. Master, become highly competent or become an expert at one programming language before attempting to learn another.

3. Learn all the tools, technologies and programming languages in one family (LAMP, MICROSOFT.NET, JAVA) first before switching tracks.

4. Employers hire for quality (competency) and not quantity. So, be clear to yourself on why you’re learning many lanaguages!

5. Learning many programming languages requires dedication and time. So, be sure to plan adequately and budget the right amount of effort or time to your learning. Don’t under-estimate the required effort.

6. If you’re a skilled developer or a senior programmer or a software architect, there may be some good advantages and fewer risks to you branching out and learning many other languages.

This post is an answer to a “question on how to learn multiple programming languages.
If you have a question, concern or challenge, click here to post it and I will answer it for you!

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highly paid corporate programmer

Becoming a corporate software developer is not the same thing as becoming a freelance programmer or a systems programmer.

• Corporate programmers are hired for coding skills in programming languages like Microsoft .NET (ASP.NET, C#, VB.NET, SQL Server) and they tend to work regular, office jobs as contract or full-time programmers.

• Systems programmers tend to work with programming languages like C/C++ and they also work for companies like Microsoft that build operating systems or systems software.

• Freelance programmers work on their own hours and they tend to focus exclusively on web development, web design and user interface (UI) jobs using programming languages and platforms like PHP, WordPress or Microsoft .NET.

Microsoft .NET is the recommended programming language for Corporate Programmers.

However, transitioning careers to Microsoft .NET programming may seem like a daunting or impossible task because you need solid Hands-ON experience which is hard to get without a full-time Microsoft.NET job!

So, the question is, “How Do You Gain Hands-On Experience For Microsoft.NET Corporate Programmer Jobs Outside Regular, Full-Time Employment?“

How To Get An Entry Level Corporate Programming Job

Start by transitioning into a Microsoft.NET Software Developer Career in manageable steps or phases which allows you to achieve career success.

Your first step in becoming a highly paid corporate programmer is to learn Microsoft.NET Programming.

The next step after that, is to gain solid hands-on programming experience!

Both steps must be completed before you can achieve the goal of becoming a corporate programmer!

First Step: The first step in your career transition is to learn the ins and outs of Microsoft .NET Programming. This would include learning ASP.NET, C#, SQL SERVER and the Microsoft.NET Framework.

You can’t bypass the requirement to learn Microsoft.NET programming because you’ll be asked programming questions at your technical interview which you will have to ace before you are hired!

Second Step: The next step involves getting solid, hands-on Microsoft.NET programming experience.

Handson experience is a requirement for information technology jobs because this is a handson, practical industry where what you can do is valued even more than your educational qualifications.

Click here to read more about how to get handson computer programming experience!

1. Become a Freelance Microsoft.NET Software Developer:

   You may consider starting your career as a freelance programmer before you get hired for corporate / full-time programming jobs.

   The experience or skill-level required for some freelance jobs is not as extensive as that of full-time programming jobs because clients can easily work away if they don’t like your job or try your services and see if they like working with you first before hiring you on a longer-term basis.

   Freelance Programming Jobs are not necessarily as lucrative as full-time or contract programming jobs but they do allow you to gain the mandatory hands-on programming experience by working on real-world software development projects for real-world clients.

   Becoming a freelance programmer while in training as a Microsoft.NET Programmer may also provide you with additional income, which is helpful whether you’re just transitioning careers or looking for a full-time programming job.

   Your initial focus should not be to earn a high income but to gain the hands-on programming experience which is required for programming positions.

2. Become a Highly-Paid Corporate Programmer:

   After you’ve completed learning Microsoft.NET, C#, ASP.NET, SQL Server and worked on some freelance computer programming projects, you may transition into a regular full-time or independent Contract Programming job.

   Independent Contract Programmers are highly paid corporate programmers with billing rates ranging from $45/hr. to $60/hr. and even more!

   However, Independent Contract Programming is not for everyone because you have to pay your own employment taxes or provide your own benefits or face some downtime in-between projects meaning that your income may fluctuate.

   As an independent contract programmer, you also have to market your skills consistently to compensate for any downtime in-between programming projects.

   The good news is that “the demand for contract programmers is quite high” and each programming project usually lasts for a while (between 6 months and two years).

3. Become a Full-Time Computer Programmer:

   Finally, after you’ve gained strong freelance or contract programming experience or you’ve worked on a number of corporate consulting gigs, you may be ready to become a full-time, salaried computer programmer.

   The upside of a full-time, permanent, salaried computer programming job is that you’re guaranteed medical benefits, a good paycheck and some stability in your employment.

   You won’t have to pay your own taxes or be on the look-out for the next consulting gig or wonder where your next paycheck is going to come from!

   The downside of a full-time, salaried programming career is that you may not earn as much as a corporate programmer because you don’t handle as much risk.

   Also, you don’t have the flexibility of deciding who to work for or the ability to switch programming projects or teams when you want!

If you’re interested in learning more about the differences or distinction between full-time and contract programming jobs, read this article titled: “full time programming compared to contract programming jobs …”

How To Overcome Hurdles In Transitioning To A Computer Programming Career

1. Transition your Career in Phases

   Break up your career transition into phases and set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable and Realistic) goals for each phase.

   Transitioning your career in steps helps because you set achievable goals and build up the momentum that helps you follow though on a plan that leads to career success.

2. Take Your Software Developer Training

   Transitioning to a new career begins with learning new skills.

   So, don’t neglect to acquire the required skills and don’t be looking for alternatives that promise a career transition without learning or acquiring new programming skills!

3. Give Employers What They Want!

   Employers require hands-on programming experience which may seem unfair because you need their jobs to gain experience.

   However, don’t waste time hoping that employers will change their requirement for hands-on programming experience because you will be more successful at giving employers what they want than at getting them to change their minds.

So, you may transition into a highly paid computer programming career by following this step-by-step plan that allows you to build on past successes or achieve your goals in stages!

You may also enroll for the Software Developer Boot Camp Training and the Sql Boot Camp Training, since both SQL and Microsoft .NET programming skills are required for Software Developer Jobs.

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How To Become A Web Programmer

The post which you are just about to read answers the question of:“what is the most compelling thing on a web programmer’s resume or how do you gain the type of resume that will make you standout in the web development industry!“

Let me begin by saying that, the key thing that hiring managers are looking for on your resume is not your programming certifications or your college degrees or computer science education but your handson web programming experience.

It is only after software development managers are satisfied that you have the required experience that they will start considering other things like your training, certification, degrees, education or qualifications.

So the real questions here are:

• How do you get strong, hands on web programming experience?
• How do you document web programming experience on your resume?

How To Gain Compelling Web Programming Resume

• Build ASP.NET Applications for you own personal use: Begin by developing asp.net web applications that have some real world, practical and personal benefit.

  An example would be a web application that stores and catalogs links to useful ASP.net articles that you find on the web

• Volunteer for open source ASP.NET projects: There are several open-source ASP.NET projects on sites like http://www.CodePlex.com.

  Some of these open source projects need help from volunteer asp.net developers like you, who can design or develop new features or fix existing bugs in the open source project.

• Volunteer for non profit projects: Find a non-profit organization close to your heart and volunteer to help with creating or improving their websites or software applications.

• Work on freelance projects on websites like Elance or ODesk. Don’t get hung-up on trying to win the big bids, instead work on winning the smaller bids because you are still looking to build your skills, experience and clients and not to make a lot of money.

  Working on real-world projects will help you get used to communicating with clients or managing project scope, deadlines or deliverables.

How To Document Web Programming Experience On your Resume

• Go back and document all the projects or tasks or features you wrote or completed.

• Describe the technologies you used, the business processes you supported, the type of project you worked on, the positive reviews giving by your clients or project managers or colleagues.

  One of the biggest mistakes that computer programmers make on their resume is that giving too little credence to the tasks they perform on a project.

  This is sometimes due to them because of low self-confidence or self-esteem.

• Don’t have to wait until you complete a big project before you document your work or results.

  Give a lot of time, attention and effort to documenting the smaller victories (tasks, features or software applications) you either created from scratch or completed.

  Trust me, your resume would look much better than the other folks that don’t do use this highly effective technique.

One of the folks in our online training bootcamps applied the last technique to his business analyst resume and saw the activity on his resume jump by 300%.

A coaching participant did the same thing and started getting pulled into business analyst job interviews that he wasn’t even qualified to attend.

When he saw that recruiters were taking him seriously and that he was getting a lot of calls for business analyst consulting jobs beginning at $30/hr., he decided to run back and complete his training … that is how powerful the techniques posted on this article are!

Though this article is written for computer programmers, you can adapt these techniques or use them to improve your resumes or get hand on experience for business analyst, data analyst, database or any other information technology (IT) jobs and careers.

This post is an answer to a question asked by Talibah Coleman on “How to put together a compelling ASP.NET programmer resume from watching ASP.NET software developer videos“.

You may click here to add your own No Holds Barred Questions, Comments or Discussion on challenges, problems or issues facing your career and i will respond to your question just as I answered Talibah’s question in this post!

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If you are having a hard time choosing between a business analyst career and a computer programming career, perhaps it is because you can’t tell the difference.

I want to help you out by explaining the major differences between business analyst and computer programming careers.

These differences include:

1. Technical Skills

2. People / Leadership Skills

3. Educational Requirements

4. Learning Curve

5. 2007 and 2008 Job Market Outlook

6. Salaries, Wages and Compensation

7. Job Satisfaction

Technical Skills Needed for Business Analyst and Computer Programmer Careers

Business Analysts need to know the basics of progamming while computer programmers need to be experts at software development. While computer programmers are required to be experts at using programming languages like C/C++, Java, C#, VB, PHP to develop web, windows and mobile applications, business analysts are required to know how to model and analyze business/software processes

People/Leadership Skills Needed for Business Analyst and Computer Pragrammer Careers

Business Analysts need to have good to strong people and leadership skills. They need to be good at eliciting information from people, communicating on paper or in person, building relatonships, collaborating with team members coming from different backgrounds and viewpoints.

On the other hand computer programmers need to be good at recognizing technical excellence in their team mates. They also need to be good at presenting their point of view to their team members on technical issues.

To make it simple, computer programmers can get away with having weak people skills and strong technical skills while business analysts can get away with having weak technical skills and strong people skills.

Educational Requirements for Business Analyst and Computer Programmer Careers

Business Analysts traditionally major in business management unlike computer programmers who traditionally major in computer science.

To cross-over from a business analysis career to a computer programming career you need to master software development. This can be achieved without going back to college by learning a suite of related computer programmng languages.

On the other hand, crossing-over to a business analyst career from computer programming requires you to work on your soft skills. Of the two, crossing-over to a computer programming career is more difficult because you need to master a number of software development technologies which is not a trivial task.

Learning Curve for Business Analyst and Computer Programming Careers

The path to becoming a computer programmer is technically more challenging because computer programmers have to be experts at programming in a variety of key or important programming languages. They also have to keep their skills current in whatever programming languages they choose to become expert in.

Finally, computer programmers need to be experts in the entire software development life cycle. Business Analysts on the other hand only need to master 2 or 3 technologies to get a job.

Also employers expect the business, leadership, communication and people skills required for business analyst jobs to come naturally. They verify this by closely examining current and previous business analyst roles and responsibilities for evidence that you exercised those skills on the job.

Their thinking is that if you’ve succeeded in previous business analyst jobs, you are likely to be a good hire for their current business analyst job opening.

The Job Outlook for Business Analysts and Computer Programmers

The job market outlook for computer programmers and business analysts is good and favorable. Experienced computer programmers and business analysts who know how to market themselves will find it easy to get a job in the current job market.

Beginner computer programmers and business analysts have a lot of opportunity also, because the demand for their skills and services is high. The key is to learn how to quickly master the skills employers are hiring for and also learn how to separate the really good employment opportunities from those that will waste your time.

Salaries, Wages and Compensation for Business Analysts and Computer Programmers

Because the demand for computer programmers and business analysts exceed their supply, their compensation is very good and will continue to get better. However, computer programmers are compensated at a higher rate than business analysts even though business analysts often have more visible roles.

Seasoned or experienced business analysts who know how to market their skills and how to sell their value will be compensated at above market rate.

Job Satisfaction for Business Analysts and Computer Programmers

There are some factors that influence or decide how much you like your job. Job satisfaction varies from person to person because some people are inherently more satisfied with life than others. It varies from employer to employer because some managers, firms and teams are more fun to work in than others.

Depending on what matters most to you, here are additional factors that influence how much you like your business analyst or computer programming career:

(i.) Prestige: Business analysts invest the majority of their time interviewing or working with business owners, stake holders, project managers, team leads and management. They have a more visible role than computer programmers who spend a good deal of time writing code on the computer.

(ii.)Craftsmanship: Computer programmers write code and develop software. At the end of the day, they create a deploy a program unlike business analysts. The ability to visualize and craft artificial business intelligence can lead to considerable personal job satisfaction.

(iii). Personality: One of the most important factors to take into account is your personality. For a variety of intangible reasons, you may enjoy spending a lot of time on the computer writing code or you may not.

Also, you may begin your information technology career as a business analyst and then over the years realize that you have a hunger or passion for coding. On the other hand, you may begin your career as a computer programmer and over time begin to feel burnt out.

Either way, always keep in mind that you can switch from a computer programming career to a business analyst career or switch from a business analyst career to a computer programming career.

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I’m finally done with it … the book that’s 10 years in the making and tonight I”m releasing the How To Ace Programming Job Interviews Book.

Why The Programming Job Interviews Book Took Ten Years To Write

If you are my customer, by that I mean you’ve bought one of my books, you will realize that i’m pretty thorough and not one to release a half-baked book. You will also realize that my computer programming books and business analyst books are practical, comprehensive and based on tactics, strategies and information that gets results in the software development industry.

So, after a decade of taking software developer job interviews for both full-time programming positions and well paying contract programming jobs, I’ve decided to come out with the book that says it all: The Ultimate Guide to Computer Programming Jobs and Software Developer Job Interviews.

I Interviewed for Programming Jobs for Over a Decade

I’ve taken dozens of programming job interviews with various IT departments ranging from small software development shops to Fortune 500 IT departments to non-profits to consulting firms to staffing/recruitment agencies.

I’ve been interviewed and hired for both management and non-management software developer positions. I’ve personally interviewed software developers and also coached software developers who’ve gone on to wow their interviewers and ace the programming positions they want.

I’ve been in several situations where to get the next assigment, I interviewed with several firms and received multiple competing programming job offers.

I’ve been in situations where firms competed for my programming services by trying to hire me away or go out of their way to impress me with pretty good offers.

I’ve been hired for high visibility programming jobs in large organizations with one single phone interview without going through a face to face interview. I’ve taken more programming interviews than I care to count, closing and getting job offers 9 times out of ten.

I’ve even taken and aced programming phone interviews while driving and while on vacation.

I’ve been interviewed by a team of technical people several times during my career and sometimes without any warning and still wowed my team of interviewers without any prior preparation. As far as programming job interviews are concerned, I’ve been there and i’ve done it.

I Have Something To Say

I have a lot to say about programming job interviews and I’m asking you to learn from me, so that you can truly be the master of your own fortune because you desire to be the best that you can be.

Are you are ready to be all you can be, break out of your personal limitations and experience the success you want? Begin by learning from an expert on “how to ace programming job interviews”.

Are you teachable and open to learning? If you are, Click Here To Get Your Own Copy of How To Ace Programming Job Interviews.

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One of the challenges I faced when I peeked inside my first programming book more than 15 years ago was the difficult of understanding the programming concepts taught in the textbooks I was reading. Think about it for a moment – if you walk into a store and buy a book on “how to master a programming language”, you should be able to read the book once or at most a couple of times and understand it correct?

Well, I’m afraid that’s not how it works in real life. Computer programming books are notoriously scary and difficult to read.

In my roles as a software developer coach and consultant, I come across a lot of folks who are close to giving up the ghost on their programming career because of the difficulty of understanding programming textbooks. I took this to heart some time ago and wrote an article titled “Why Are Computer Programming Books Hard to Study”.

However, this question has been coming up in my private software developer coaching sessions and I think it’s time to address it again.

HOW TO STUDY HARD-TO-UNDERSTAND OR DIFFICULT PROGRAMMING TEXTBOOKS

Software development and computer science textbooks are the primary means of learning new programming languages for beginner, intermediate or expert programmers. To become a better, confident or expert programmer in any programming language you have to read a lot of literature (books, magazines or articles) published on the programming language. What would you do then, if you can’t seem to get a grip on the textbooks written on the programming language you are learning?

What If?

1. You are unable to independently solve the exercises in your programming books

2. You always seem to be stumped whenever you try your hand at challenging programming exercises?

3. You lose confidence in yourself when you get stuck with a problem as you hear a voice in your head saying “as a good programmer, you should be able to solve this problem but you’re no good, that’s why you are failing”?

4. You seem to be able to understand programming theories and concepts but fail at solving real-world programming puzzles, challenges and exercises?

5. You are scared that the reason why you can’t seem to understand programming books is because you don’t have a technical background or your technical background is not as strong as it needs to be?

6. You are scared of technical job interviews because you’re afraid you will be found out to be an impostor?

7. Your commitment, courage and motivation towards software development wanes because of the challenges mentioned above?

8. Your tenacity and resilience at solving programming problems seems to be low and you want to build yourself up by improving your problem solving skills?

You and I both know that programming textbooks are notoriously difficult to study especially when need to master a new programming language. The good news is that there’s an answer waiting for you.

The solution is described in a downloadable book made instantly available to you when you order “The Street Smart Guide to Computer Programming Careers” titled “Effective Study Skills for Computer Programmers”.

WHAT COULD YOU ACHIEVE IF YOU COULD DIG INTO PROGRAMMING TEXTBOOKS EASILY OR SOLVE DIFFICULT PROGRAMMING PROBLEMS COMFORTABLY?

The Fastest Way To Learn Programming Guaranteed

1. For one, you will be able to study for and pass programming job interviews. You won’t be scared of failing or not sounding knowledgeable because you will actually know what you are talking about.

2. If you became competent at solving solve real-world programming challenges, your confidence level will increase and you will be able to apply for the top programming jobs knowing that you are better than other programmers applying for the positions you are interested in.

3. Your peers, managers and clients will notice your increased level of self-confidence and competence and increase their demand for your help and services.

To get started on the road to becoming a better, more confident, expert programmer, click here and order a copy of the book now and you will instantly begin to learn “how to study programming quickly and effectively” and “how to become an expert computer programmer“.

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Learning A Marketable Skill?

Hi,

Do you want to learn the C++ programming language or become a C/C++ computer programmer?

Have you ever asked this question? which programming language is the most complex and challenging?? and received the answer C++?

If you answered yes, you are not alone. About 13 years ago, I asked my mentors in computer programming which programming language is the hardest, toughest, most difficult to learn? and I got the same reply as you… C++.

I asked the question because I wanted to become a successful computer programmer.

So, I reasoned that if I could prove myself by conquering the hardest programming language, my success in computer programming would be guaranteed.

Do You Want To Learn The Hardest Programming Language?

Recently, a number of C/C+ software developers have been turning to me for help with their computer programmer careers.

You can do this by taking advantage of the developer coaching or training sessions available to computer programmers who enroll in the software developers boot camp.

So, what could go wrong with the career of a software developer who has conquered one of the meanest, hardest, most complex computer programming languages?

The real problem with learning C/C++ is not whether it leaves up to its reputation for being a tough guy, because it does!.

The challenge facing those who succeed in learning C/C++ is more subtle.

Continue reading and you will find out for yourself soon.

Is C/C++ Programming Good For Your Career?

A few months ago, I started mentoring a C/C++ computer programmer with real-world programming experience in C/C++, Microsoft Foundation Classes and Windows 32 API and a college degree.

He couldn’t get a computer programmer job, so he signed up for my coaching program to find out why he couldn’t get a job with C/C++ programming skills.

After he explained his situation to me, I presented him with a list of 3 hot programming technologies in high demand.

I told him that these programming languages were so hot that just having them on his resume would land him programming job offers, even though he had been out of work for 2 years!

Well, he acted on the information I gave him, took MASSIVE ACTION and in a FEW MONTHS learnt all he could about the 3 hot programming technologies!

Guess what? a few months after taking advantage of my software developer mentoring, he got the first programming job he interviewed for on the spot, after being out of work for two (2) years!

So, why couldn’t a C/C++ computer programmer with real world industry experience and a college degree get a programming job in the middle of a hi-tech boom?

WHY C++ PROGRAMMERS CAN’T GET JOBS

The simple reason why C++ programmers can’t get a job is that the C++ programming language is not suited for business or web applications development!

But, wait a minute, isn’t C/C++ also one of the fastest programming languages?

Yes C++ is one of the fastest programming languages. But the speed of C++ applies to the speed with which it executes on a computer and not to the speed with which you can code or develop software programs.

STOP! Think about what I just said. Don’t just read it, digest my last statement until you really comprehend it.

C/C++ is the wrong programming language for business or web programming because employers care more about the speed with which you code or develop software and care less about the speed at which your software program executes.

Why Employers Don’t Care About The Execution Speed of C++ Programs?

The reason is that the dramatic increases in computer processing speed and memory has made the personal computer faster and much more powerful.

So, the amount of processing power available on most personal computers makes the execution speed of any programming language sufficient for most business software development projects.

What Do Employers Care About?

Employers really want their software developers to code or write programs faster. And C/C++ fares badly at this, because it’s one of the meanest, hardest, most complex programming languages to either learn or develop real-world business applications with.

The problems of C/C++ does not stop with the difficulty of learning the language. It’s also harder, tougher and slower to develop web or business applications in.

This is the real reason why most employers will not hire C/C++ programmers for business or web application development.

Is C/C+ Dead?

Certainly not. C/C++ is best suited for software projects like writing operating systems, compilers, computer or video games, data mining applications, scientific applications or applications where the execution speed is critical.

Stop for a moment now and answer this question: do you really want to make money from programming computers quickly or easily?

If you answered yes, I recommend you go into an area of computer programming where the demand is hot and where there are lots and lots of jobs.

That area right now is in internet or web application programming which C++ is unfortunately not suited for.

Secondly, if you want to success in web or business applications development, learn a programming language which allows you to quickly create programs that meet business needs.

After 13 years, I realize that employers don’t care about the beauty of the C++ programming language.

Employers care about automating their business processes or making their businesses work better, quicker and faster.

Employers also want to hire programmers whose speed of development matches or outpaces their business operations.

The ugly truth is that C/C++ is not the right tool for achieving either of these results.

Dear friend, enroll in the Software Developers Boot Camp now and learn those programming languages that excel at creating business software applications easily and quickly and you will discover success in computer programming quickly and easily.

Finally, if you are a programmer needing help with career decisions, no matter how bad your situation is, sign-up for the Software Developers Boot Camp now and you will be personally coached on how to achieve success in your situation.

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Who is a contract programmer?

A contract programmer is a software developer who is paid an hourly rate for working on special software development projects for a period. Contract computer programmers are not paid salaries like full-time developers but hourly wages.

Contract programmers tend to be very project focused because they are hired to solve specific problems or code specific features and as soon as that is done, they have to move on to another project or find a new client.

Contract programmers are independent software developers who work with clients on a project-to-project basis. The relationship between a contract programmer and a client lasts as long as the client has a steady stream of work. What usually happens is that as soon as the client can’t find any work or the work starts dwindling down, the client initiates the process to end the relationship.

Contract computer programmers are not supposed to form strong emotional bonds or ties to their clients unlike their full-time colleagues because the nature of their work is temporary. That is why contract programmers are sometimes called temporary workers.

Contract programmers are specialists, experts and master craftsmen. When a client hires a contract computer programmer, the client expects to find a master programmer who will hit the ground running. This separates contract programmers from full-time software developers and the master craftsmen from the wannabe contract programmers.

A contract programmer is expected to start churning out high quality code, fixing bugs, improving their clent’s software and generally justifing their high pay by solving important problems within a few hours or days of starting work. Unlike full-time software developers who may take 6 months to 1 year to prove themselves, contract programmers who haven’t mastered their art well-enough to make a difference are usually dropped like hot potatoes by their clients.

Contract programmers may be W2 contract programmers or 1099 contract programmers. The difference lies with how their taxes are filed with the IRS.

The W2 contract programmer is paid by a recruiting agency that is also responsible for withholding taxes and providing liability insurance. Many recruiting agencies will also provide medical, dental and 401K benefits.

On the other hand, 1099 contract programmers, generally known as free-lancers, pay their taxes to the IRS and provide their own medical, dental and 401K insurance.

A contract programmer has the liberty of working as a W2 contract programmer with one firm and a 1099 contract programmer with another firm.

How long do contract programming projects last?

Contract programming projects typically last from a month to 5 years. The trend is towards fewer months and higher billing rates. The typical duration is 3 months, 6 months or 1 year.

How much do contract computer programmers bill?

Contract programmers typically bill anywhere from $50 per hour to $200 per hour.

What factors determine the contract programmer’s billing rate?

The factors that determine a contract programmers billing rate include:

1. Experience: The more experienced a contract programmer is, the more the contract programmer can charge

2. Demand: Some computer programming skills are in high-demand while others are not. So contract programmers who master computer programming skills that are in high-demand can bill at a higher rate than others

3. Client: The compensation provided for the same programming skills can vary widely by client with no other explanation other than one client having more money than the other

Who should be a contract programmer?

Contract programming makes sense for computer programmers who love to be independent or who do not want to climb the corporate ladder. It is also good for those individuals who want to make more money than is found in regular full-time software development. Finally, it works for those who can use their down-time in between projects to sharpen their computer programming skills, pursue other hobbies or take vacations.

What is the future or outlook for contract programmers?

The future is bright for contract programmers as more companies are trending towards out-sourcing their software development projects to temporary staffing firms or recruiting agencies that in turn out-source the programming work to contract programmers. Contract computer programmers are considered to be expert, highly-skilled craftsmen and their opinions and expertise are valued at client sites They are also paid significantly more money and do not have to stand inline or beg for a pay raise when they work for it.

How do you become a contract programmer?

The critical skills needed for a successful contract programming career are:

1. Expert programming skills

2. Well-crafted resume

3. Effective job interviewing skills

4. Aggressive Resume Marketing

Read this previous post titled “The keys of a successful computer programmer career” to learn more about these keys.

If you have these skills in abundance, you will do well in contract programming. If you don’t or will like to develop them, you should read “How to become a master contract programmer” or CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY IN A FEW MINUTES.

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Why do some careers pay significantly higher salaries than other careers? And what do top paid professionals including doctors, lawyers and computer programmers have in common that makes them earn significantly higher income than other lower-paid professionsals?

The one thing that top paying careers have in common, are skills that fetch top dollars in the marketplace. Simply stated, how much you earn after a hard day’s work is determined by the market value of your career.

What do you know about low paid jobs, Kingsley? You are a contract programmer with a decade of skills and experience aren’t you?

What do I know about low paid jobs you ask? I will tell you what I do know. Before I became a contract programmer in Tulsa, I was working an $8/hr. sales job which I hated ever minute of.

I had to clock-in to begin work and then clock-out at the end of my 8-hour shift. I had to clock-in and clock-out to go to the restroom. I was on the phone fielding calls every minute of the day. I couldn’t play my radio or talk to my next cube neighbor because there was literally no break in between the phone calls.

How I hated those days. Finally I couldn’t take it and I quit. And within 6 months I was making $76,000/yr. as a contract programmer in the same city. So, don’t ask me what I know about low paid jobs. I have been there, done that and bagged a t-shirt okay!

You now have good evidence that your income is set by your choice of career don’t you?

You are not really a stranger to this fact of life are you? That your ability to comfortably pay your bills, take vacations, pay your home mortgage, buy new cars, provide medical benefits and take care of your family is affected by the career you choose!

We both know that in all careers, there are top performers who earn significantly more than most of their colleagues and under performers who earn significantly less than most of their careers. I am not referring to these over or under performers, but to the Jane Doe who earns an average salary.

You can make an informed guess on what people earn from their line of work can’t you? So, imagine for a moment how much your neighbor earns for a living working as:

• a school teacher in South Carolina
• a waiter in Bronx, New York
• an investment banker in Saint Louis, Missouri
• a high school graduate in Madison, Wisconsin

What does this tell you? It is illogical, unreasonable and statistically weird to expect a high income from a career that typically pays low wages. It is like expecting apples to grow on orange trees. It rarely happens because if you really want to eat apples, you have to look on apple trees and if you want oranges you have to pick orange trees.

So to earn a higher pay, escape the minimum wage trap or make more money than you are making now, you need to begin a high paying career right about now.

But you say that changing to a high paying career is not easy because:

1. Most top paying careers have stringent, required educational exams. There are requirements for examinations, certifications, and years of schooling in medicine and law
2. Preparing for top paying careers requires many years of classroom education. Years that may not be spent earning any additional income
3. Going to school to learn a top paying career can be expensive. Tuition costs can run into six figures and may require taking on hard to pay back debt
4. Not all students who can afford high tuition costs for top paying careers can be admitted. Because of the pre-defined, limited number of credentialed and certified academic institutions, competition is usually very high among prospective students and only a minority of applicants can be accepted
5. And if you weren’t near or at the top of your class in high school, your chances of being accepted into a top paying course in college or university is limited by stiff competition from your fellow high school students with better academic scores than you.

Enter computer programmer careers. The one hidden top paying career that still provides a steady dependable source of job wealth, high income and top pay. A hidden career thanks to the common myths lies and mis-conceptions spread about the career.

THE TRUTH ABOUT COMPUTER PROGRAMMER CAREERS

1. There are no stringent, required or mandatory exams that must be passed to practice computer programming. You don’t need to be registered, certified or degreed to begin a programmer career.
2. You don’t need formal classroom education to begin programming. You don’t have to spend years learning programming without earning an income and you can begin programming today and start earning an income in as little as 3 to 8 months depends on your motivation.
3. You don’t have to pay for any expensive sort of education before you can begin programming. Of course you have to invest in resources for learning programming, but at a small fraction of what you will have to spend to learn other top paying careers.
4. You are not disqualified from beginning programming because of your past or present academic performance, and I mean absolutely not. Even if you only have a high school diploma or a non-technical college degree, you can begin programming, if you simply want to.
5. And you can learn programming from any location, at your own pace and convenient time. There are no rules for learning, no set exams to take and additional classroom education is completely optional. You can begin your computer programmer career at home, in your spare time by just studying 1 to 2 hours a day or a few hours per week

Now, you understand that your choice of career locks-in how much you earn. And you understand that most top paying careers have difficult or hard entry requirements, certifications and courses except computer programming.

Finally, you realize that there are no rules on how to begin programming because being a programmer is simply about learning how to write good, quality software code.

Dear friend, away with the lies, mis-conceptions and myths that have stopped you from beginning your programmer career and start your exciting new journey to learn programming with me. A decade ago, I changed careers to computer programming and today

I am here to help you do the same. Don’t hesitate, just act and take me up on the offer today.

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Beginning computer programming can be difficult.

Even after getting hired beginner computer programmers may get the short end of the stick in matters ranging from compensation, training, and exposure to high profile projects and clients, peer respect, choice of technology, pecking order, holiday time and benefits.

There are several reasons why beginner programmers find it hard to get programming jobs or harder to find good career positions even after they are hired. Here are a few:

1. Lack of experience: Yes, lack of strong industry experience will keep aspiring beginner programmers looking for work longer than they should. And even after they are hired they may be relegated to positions with no real prospects for career advancement.
2. Lack of negotiation skills: Negotiation skills which are usually not taught at programming classes are critical to beginning computer programming. Because beginner programmers lack the skills to negotiate a better pay, more challenging programming projects and choice of technology their career suffers as they wait for something good to happen for them.

   However the relationship between you as a beginner programmer and your employer is that of an adult-to-adult relationship. Meaning that your employer expects you to look after your own interests.

3. Weak Job Search Skills: Beginning computer programming jobs are often chosen out of fear, lack of self-confidence and lack of market insight.

   What is a beginner programmer to do? The first offer on the table is grabbed by the desperate, tired and stressed-out beginner programmer who’s intimidated and overwhelmed by their job search.

   As a result, beginner programmers may be stuck with under-paying, unfavorable jobs for several years until their career becomes un-livable.

4. Low self confidence: We have all been there. You are hired and given the tag junior level or entry level programmer. This tag becomes how your fellow programmers see you and therefore how you see yourself.

   Even though you may be capable of performing at the same level as other mid-level or senior level programmers in your firm. If you believe the tag beginner, entry level, junior or novice programmer, you give someone else the power to tell you what you can and cannot do.

   And you lose that fundamental ability of a human, “the ability to self-determine one’s own destiny“.

Do you see what is going on here?

Beginning computer programming can also be challenging because beginner programmers often lack the ability to pain a better picture of their abilities through their resumes, present themselves confidently at technical interviews and negotiate better salaries that are not tied to arbitrary beginner / entry level / junior programmer CAREER TAGS.

While beginning computer programming, I discovered how I could do the same jobs usually referred to senior developers. So, I peeled off the beginning computer programming tags on my career and within 6 months my salary multiplied from $28,000/yr. to $75,000/yr. which is really not bad for starters.

And I amazed when I gete emails from programmers who are paralyzed by their beginning computer programming tag. Here is a recent e-mail. Read it below and see what I mean.

Hi there,

upon reading your article about becoming a programmer I have decided to contact you.

I am working for a web-development company as a trainee.

I have worked for this company for two months now and what was once a passion of mine (web development) has now become my worst nightmare.

Although I am supposed to be a trainee i have received no training what so ever and i am expected to know everything about every language.

When i run into almost imminent problems all the director can do is send me abusive emails where swearing and personal insults are common place.

I am desperate to become a good web-developer and would do anything to become as proficient as my colleagues but this just seems like it will never be the case.

I often study outside work but when i go into the office something else is required of me (just seems like a never ending cycle of doom and gloom).

My probation is up and i will find out if i will be kept on in my role as a “trainee developer”.

This does not add to my motivation neither does my directors abusive emails.

My advice to beginner computer programmers who find their careers in a rut like this is:

1. Focus on the value you offer. Learn how to value your work by your raw ability to perform on the job and get the work done, nothing else. Think meritocracy and give no place to the self-defeating tags of beginner, entry-level or junior that only seek to restrain your performance.
2. Improve your skills. You are a computer programmer. What you offer is your programming skills, experience and knowledge. If anyone takes away your ability to learn and improve your programming skills, your career is as good as dead. So, find creative ways to develop your skills fast outside of your office or your career will be over before it even begins.
3. Think like a pro. Like a professional developer, ensure your resume and technical job interviewing skills stand out.
4. Negotiate what you want. Begin to form a healthy self-image of yourself and then negotiate like you are serious about your career. When you get the pay you want, accept the offer and do a damn good job. And if you still can’t do a good job, better learn how to
5. Own your destiny. Begin to act like you are in a free market economy. If you can’t get along with your employer despite your best efforts, simply apply for a position with another employer. There are several reasons why you may not get along with an employer.

   Sometimes, it’s your fault and sometimes it is not. Whatever the reason, don’t give in to fear and stay with a job you hate. Get out, get moving and get hired fast!

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I’ve been discussing how beginner (novice, entry-level or junior) computer programmers can break-through to high paying computer programming jobs with just a little real world experience.

Do you realize this is how I became a computer programmer? Yes, I landed a break-through $76,000/yr. contract programming job within 6 months of beginning my professional computer programming career in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA.

Unfortunately, some of my readers still find this hard to believe. I receive questions all the time pointing out why one can not succeed in contract or full-time computer programming this easily. If you are a skeptic, your contrary arguments usually falls into one of these:

1. You are too old: You believe you are getting too old to begin your programming career ( Read “how your age affects your programming career” ).
2. You only have a high school education and you think that finding a programming job with just a high school education is impossible.
3. You don’t have a computer science degree. And you reason that you must have 4 years of computer science education to succeed in programming.
4. You want to buy your way to success. So, you think you must spend thousands of dollars in expensive classroom education to learn a computer programming language!
5. You have little real-word experience. And you reason that it’s impossible to find a well paying programming job within a short time of learning programming.

Well, today, you’ll get one more powerful proof that beginner programmers can earn six figures or find a well paying computer programming job with as little as two (2) years computer programming experience.

Well, I receive job postings from recruiters all the time. So, I will post an email I got from one this week. Analyze it, email me about it, refute it, discuss it, do whatever you want with it, and if you are still a skeptic, please take the time to tell me why again

Here is the proof:

Hi Kingsley Tagbo,

I noticed your background and thought that you may be interested in finding out more about the new job opening we have below.

The position is for a C# ASP.NET Developer near Jersey city, NJ.

The job details:

C# / ASP.NET Developer – .NET ProgrammerLocation: Jersey city, NJ or New York,Salary Range: $80,000 – $120,000C# ASP.NET DeveloperWe are an established and growing software firm with clients in the investment banking industry. Due to our growth we are looking to hire and experienced C# , ASP.NET Developer to join our outstanding team.

We need candidates with a great attitude for developing cutting edge products and some experience with developing products for the financial services industry.If you have 2+ years professionals experience in C# and .NET – please apply!

Your background should include:

* 3+ years combined experience in C, C++, C#, or Java.* 2+ years experience with ASP.NET, HTML, DHTML, XML, and JavaScript.* Solid knowledge of relational databases, especially SQL Server.* Proficient in MS Visual Studio 2003/2005.* Familiar with source code control systems.* Bachelors degree in Computer Science or Engineering

What is in it for you:

* We offer a competitive salary* Bonus* Great benefits* Strong long term career opportunities* A fun and exciting work environment and other cool perks!So, if you have 2 or more years developing in C# and ASP.NET and a desire to work in a fast paced, cutting edge environment we want to talk with you, apply today!

Now you’ve read my mail , are you ready to know more about becoming a well-paid, in-demand computer programmer?

And if you’re ready to start earning serious money, enroll for”Online, Software Developer Training” and begin to see how it’s done.

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Because highly skilled software developers (master programmers) are highly paid (read previous post on software developers), the question is how do you become a master contract programmer if you aren’t?

Here is what I consider to be a common sense guide to becoming a master software developer:

1. Certify now! Use certifications and test preparation material like transcender to sharpen your overall grasp of your technology
2. Read books. Read a lot of technical books on your skill set (for example .NET development). You should own a number of these books yourself
3. Find online mentors. Read and follow-up the online discussions or blogs made by people much more skilled and experienced than you. For example, if you are a C# .NET developer, find the folks who seem to be the most active in speaking and writing on C# .NET development. Choose one or two people whose books you like reading. Read every book and article they publish.
4. Make sure your skills are well rounded as much as possible (database development, business logic development, user interface development).
5. Do not dumb yourself down! The corollary to rule #4 is: avoid work that makes you more incompetent. If you know that you hate JavaScript development or your UI design skills suck, do not spend your whole life time working on it, find your strengths and sharpen them
6. Read articles. Read a lot of technical online articles (am I repeating rule #2?). Well written articles can tell you in 1 hour what it will take you 1 day to learn from a book
7. Become a Google expert. A good deal of the questions you need to answer or problems you need to solve have been answered, solved and posted online. Become confident in using Google to either solve a problem or narrow down your effort to a few specific areas
8. Ask for help. Learn how to ask for help on the job no matter how good your technical skills are. It is better to ask for help and save 20 hours than to invest 20 hours of your company’s time trying to prove how smart you are
9. Know when to quit. Not every problem requires a technical solution now! A few problems need to be left alone for a few days, a few need a workaround and the majority need to be solved.
10. Deliver results. Learn to deliver results often, early and consistently. Businesses love results. If it takes you 1 month before you deliver 1 result which your boss appreciates, either find a new engagement or fire yourself.

There are more street smart rules for becoming highly skilled and competent at work. If you keep your eyes open for what makes you better and what doesn’t, you will see more of them.

To learn more about fast tracking your computer programmer career, visit this resource.

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• Business Analyst Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Business Analyst Video Training


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• Software Developer Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Software Developer Video Training


• Data Analysts Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Hands On, Data Analyst Video Training


• Get Hired Fast - Online, Web Based, Resume + Job Search + Interview Video Training


• Become A Leader Coaching - Develop hands-on experience, gain domain expertise, solve industry problems, Stand Up and Be Noticed, market your career using PULL instead of PUSH techniques!

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.NET Developers (dot net computer software programmers) are in big demand with big pay in the major cities of the USA according to a 2006 survey at CNNMoney.com.

According to the survey, if you are willing to become an expert or highly skilled .NET software developer, you can command between $75,000 to $85,000 as an expert or highly skilled dot net (.NET) Microsoft software programmer and you can get an additional pay hike of 15% or more (which brings your pay to $86,000 to $98,000 and more) if you are willing to specialize in a field and then change jobs.

This has been our experience at the [careercoach] based in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA, where we coach people who are willing to transition to a high paying Microsoft .NET job (dot net job) or are looking for a new high paying job that is in big demand.We will help you:

1. become an expert highly skilled .net software developer regardless of your current job, educational qualification or financial resources
2. transition to a high demand .NET career if you already have computer programming skills in a language that is not in high demand regardless of what the language is
3. get a high demand high pay dot net job if you are already a dot net developer and you are ready to fast track your career
4. prepare a high demand highly marketable resume based on the skills and background that are in high demand in .NET software development

It doesn’t matter:

1. your current job or career, we can help you become a computer programmer. Whether you have an english, history or engineering background/ major, you are welcome.
2. your current educational qualification will not stop you from becoming a computer programmer. High school graduates, college graduates, associate degrees in any field are welcome.
3. your current financial situation because you can transition to a high paying in demand .NET job without taking additional loans or borrowing against your credit card since our goal is to put money in your pocket not to take money out.

To learn how you can fast track to a big pay high demand job in a short time, read the Software Developer Career Book

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• Business Analyst Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Business Analyst Video Training


• SQL Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Hands On, SQL + RDBMS Video Training


• Software Developer Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Software Developer Video Training


• Data Analysts Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Hands On, Data Analyst Video Training


• Get Hired Fast - Online, Web Based, Resume + Job Search + Interview Video Training


• Become A Leader Coaching - Develop hands-on experience, gain domain expertise, solve industry problems, Stand Up and Be Noticed, market your career using PULL instead of PUSH techniques!

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Career development planning for professionals who want a high paying job in a high demand career has never been easy.

This website addresses this difficult challenge by providing career coaching and guidance on how to get into the fastest growing occupations, top paying careers, jobs in high demand and skills in high demand.

The foundation of our career coaching is the Street Smart Guide to High Paying Computer Programming Careers? book and more than a decade of Information Technology (IT) experience in various high demand careers including Business Analysis, Database Development, Project Management, Software Consulting, Software Sales, Contract Programming, Web Development and IT Management.

Our goal on this website is to help you take the quickest and most direct route to getting a top paying high demand job in one of the fastest growing occupations.

We will help you fast track your career by providing career development help focused on:

• Defining the top jobs in demand and preparing you for the challenges associated with these jobs, including gaining hot technical skills in the fastest growing careers.
• Contacting employers for jobs most in demand, defining your core competencies for success on the job and reducing the time it takes to transition to a top paying job in a fast growing high demand career.
• Providing better job interviewing coaching, resume preparation and job marketing.

Top jobs most in demand

Our leadership coaching initiative has identified some of the highest paying career paths that have low training, education, certification or experience requirements and the top jobs in demand which are important to businesses and organizations whether local, regional, national or international.

These careers are in an industry that is critical to the competitiveness, growth and economic well being of the US economy. These top paying and high demand careers are open to individuals young and old, male or female, African American, Hispanic and White, college and high school graduates.

These top paying jobs and high demand careers include:

• Computer Programming
• Database Development
• Business Analysis
• Data Analysis
• Software Testing
• IT Management
• Web Development
• Web Analytics, Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Internet Marketing and E-Commerce

Leadership Outcomes

Our Fast Track Career Leadership initiative targeted at these high demand careers is designed to help achieve the following outcomes:

• Provide highly focused training targeted at developing hot skills for jobs in demand based on individualized career development plans.
• Increase the degree of mentoring and career support provided by more experienced professionals to the professionals transitioning to new careers and jobs.
• Increase the degree of collaboration between Industry professionals and the bench mark and re-use of best practices and strategies for succeeding in high technology jobs.
• Increase the opportunities for finding and keeping jobs most in demand by individuals from any socio or economic strata.
• Provide career development planning for top paying careers in demand.
• By coaching professionals on how to be more market-driven in their careers, identify the hot skills in hi-tech jobs, learn, adapt or react quickly to industry challenges and opportunities, develop best practices for identifying the top paying careers and high demand jobs, we help Information Technology professionals become more competitive, successful and productive individuals.

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ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES

• Business Analyst Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Business Analyst Video Training


• SQL Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Hands On, SQL + RDBMS Video Training


• Software Developer Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Software Developer Video Training


• Data Analysts Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Hands On, Data Analyst Video Training


• Get Hired Fast - Online, Web Based, Resume + Job Search + Interview Video Training


• Become A Leader Coaching - Develop hands-on experience, gain domain expertise, solve industry problems, Stand Up and Be Noticed, market your career using PULL instead of PUSH techniques!

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My name is Kingsley Tagbo and I will be your guide on “How To Become A Master Computer Programmer, Find A High Paying Job Working With Computers Or Jumpstart Your Information Technology Career“.

What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

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ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES

• Business Analyst Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Business Analyst Video Training


• SQL Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Hands On, SQL + RDBMS Video Training


• Software Developer Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Software Developer Video Training


• Data Analysts Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Hands On, Data Analyst Video Training


• Get Hired Fast - Online, Web Based, Resume + Job Search + Interview Video Training


• Become A Leader Coaching - Develop hands-on experience, gain domain expertise, solve industry problems, Stand Up and Be Noticed, market your career using PULL instead of PUSH techniques!

Visit our Shopping Cart