transition to computer field....career advise

[mcompton1973]

Here is a very brief history for me ...

I am a geek at heart...

I was making short programs on the jr highs TSR-80's in the library durring lunch...I was the first person that I knew on the internet in like '93...etc etc etc.

In 99 I was still a bit of a geek, although I had been in the Marines, and was not in a computer related field, I was quickly the go to guy for setting up banyan vines accounts on the network and such. I got out of the Marines, and had a family to feed, and not enough college under my belt to get a computer job...and I got into the mortgage business.

I do mortgage loans for a living...and I make money at it...things are setteling down in life though, and I would like to get back into computers and a computer related job field.

I have a community college close buy that has a ton of computer courses...there is a Phoenix university campus here where I can get a computer degree...they have an application engineer degree I can complete in about 2 years...my concern is the classes are accelerated, and I worry about hos good my coding skills will be with only a few weeks of Java, and a few weeks of C++ etc.

I dont know that I would ever like being a 100% programming type job. I think I would be better....or happier creating custom solutions to problems, network design...security...maybe applications engineer...something like that.

I want to get back into a full time gig in computers in the next 12-24 months. I am in Omaha, NE...there are jobs here....I need the skills.

Can anyone give me any ideas on how to best proceed. if I get an BS in IT/Applications engineering at U of Phoenix...is that enough...are there certain certificates I should get first...is U of Phoenix not a good place....

just any advice...and also any other forums, boards, groups etc that I should check out?

Thanks a ton!

[mcompton1973]

I posted in the chit/chat section...but not many people there.
would really appreciate any help/ideas/etc.

Thanks.

http://www.codeguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=404277

[dglienna]

You can download Visual Studio 2005 Express for a few more months for free.
I would go with C# myself, but there are a few other languages that are available.

Check a book out of the library, or see about buying a used one from the college, and play around. I don't think you'll have any problem picking up where you left off.

[Vanaj]

I think the areas that will be best in the next 5 years are like David said is C# and .NET and like always is Security...I would concentrate in those areas...but that is just my opinion..

[Skoons]

Well, everything you need it`s a will to work, get interested in what you are doing, not be afraid to explore dark side of IT and inner world of new technologies, remember that Windows is good system but there are others.
C# is really nice thing fully agree with it, certificates maybe you should look at Microsoft site about certification in your area, also it will be nice to get certificates about Linux software dveloping and others. but remember the true advance not counted in crtificates but in what you have done.
GOOD LUCK

[mcompton1973]

yeah, Linux is somethign that I have been interested in alot. I had Mandrake back when it was one of the early distro's that you could buy in a box at Best Buy. But to be honest, I used the GUI, not alot of the shell stuff.

I am just now starting to play with openSuse. I figure that the editors etc for Linux will allow me to start programming without shelling out a ton of cash for some of the windows based stuff.

[Skoons]

Yeah, and now you may feel free about .NET dvelpmnet this idea is creating for Linux Mono Project

[mdmd]

my concern is the classes are accelerated, and I worry about hos good my
coding skills will be with only a few weeks of Java, and a few weeks of C++
etc.

A good number of people graduate with 4-6 year degrees without good
coding skills and they get hired by people without good coding skills and
continue through their career without good coding skills. Don't get caught
up in the "self destructive persuit of your interpretation of someone else's
perfection". Most of the people who interview you for a first programming
job won't expect you to be a genious - many will expect you to be errr.
somewhat worthless. Thats fine. You'll have 20 more jobs to learn at. Also,
don't get caught up in your own "self destructive persuit of perfection"
Don't think you could be bad - try and find out. Its free to try on your own.
MS VStudio express is FREE. MS SQLServer express is FREE. Documentation
is FREE. Try something.

I do mortgage loans for a living

And you already have something to try. Think of all the things you need to
do to make parts of software for a mortgage company and implement them.
Simple as necessary. Console applications, cheesy GUI applications, whatever
Just start learning and coding. Find out if you like it. Heck, in 24 months you'll
probably amaze yourself what you've created, starting with simple printf()
statements 24 months earlier.