Who works in the programming field?

[Itchie]

My university is supposed to give me a coop position as a programmer, however the only language they have taught me so far is ANSI C and I've asked around a bit and found out that no one uses ANSI C where they work. They all use either C++ or Java or something like that. How exactly am I supposed to work as a programmer if I don't know any of the languages that are commonly used? If I really wanted to I'm sure I could teach myself C++ or Java in a few weeks, but I think that employers are looking for people who were trained in these languages, if you trained yourself then it doesn't count. Does anyone have any ideas what's going to happen? Is the employer going to put me to work programming in ANSI C or is he going to teach me a new language himself, or what?

 

[naif]

What actually do you mean by being a coop programmer? I guess you mean you will be an assistant to them. Anyways I guess your university already knows you only know ANSI C, right? And getting trained by someone in a language or training yourself doesnt matter, what matters is if you are trained or not
Anyways maybe those programmers need more help with programming concepts then they might need with coding itself. And if your university is going to give a coop position, then surely you must be qualified for this

Alright best of luck.

 

[Zuck Gou :)]

And getting trained by someone in a language or training yourself doesnt matter, what matters is if you are trained or not

Sadly that isn't true, the majority of employers want certification and experience.

I know a guy who knows so bloody much when it comes to programming, but cause he taught himself and his resume doesn't have university/certs he can't find a job.

 

[Itchie]

Coop is when you alternative study terms with work terms. For example you go to university for 1 terms, then work for one terms, then go to university again, and so on, and at the end of each work term your employer reports your performance to the university and you get a grade. The purpose is to gain experience (while making money in the process) so by the time I get my degree I can say I have 2 years of experience in the programming field.

Anyways, I never thought about the idea that maybe they don't want me as a coder but rather to help with programming concepts or something else that doesn't involve coding.

Oh well I guess I'll find out soon enough.

 

[NookieN]

It's true that most software houses use only C++ or java these days. However ANSI C is still alive and well in other fields -- mainly hardware. Microcode, device drivers, and hardware definitions are mostly done in C or a C variant.

I worked for a company that was Java oriented, and work for one now that's C oriented. In either case, I've done everything in Perl.

 

[Benolan]

I do VB, ASP, Java and JSP most frequently.. for both web and desktop. Many employers are impressed if you teach yourself.. It shows initiative and focus.

 

[garwain]

Welcome to the real world When I was in college taking computer science, my instructors told the class on day 1 that their job was not to teach us how to program one language, it was to teach us how to learn a programming language. I had to study several languages (C++, JAVA, REXX, COBOL, JCL, VB, VC++) and haven't touched a single one of them since. My first day doing work study I was handed the source code for a program I was supposed to modify (in delphi) and the manual that came with the compiler.

When it comes to being a programmer, you are a lot better off knowing how to learn a language than how to work in a language. Because I studied with this philosophy in mind, I'm now in a position where language doesn't matter. If I get a new project in a new language, I need a day or so to learn the basic syntax, then I'm good to go.

 

[Pfieffdog]

When it comes to being a programmer, you are a lot better off knowing how to learn a language than how to work in a language. Because I studied with this philosophy in mind, I'm now in a position where language doesn't matter. If I get a new project in a new language, I need a day or so to learn the basic syntax, then I'm good to go.

This is true. You are much better off being a good learner. I started a coop this semester and for the most part I only knew c++. The coop was working with coldfusion so it was good that I was a fast learner because it didn't take me long to pick up and now my boss loves me.

-Pfieff

 

[Rakk]

ANSI C is a very good first language and is still in use in IC and legacy work but as the others have said, learning how to be a programmer isn't about learning a single language but learning how to take base principles and apply them to new languages. The more languages you can get a little experience working with the more this will become apparant. Embrace this coop work as it will be a good opportunity to get a feel for something different.

Also, realise that most real world programmers don't have full formal training in the languages they are currently using. At best they will have done a short course or picked up a book on the subject.

Just get in there, enjoy your time and soak up as much knowledge as you can. Good luck

 

[Talon101]

You know, you could always join the military and everything will be free for you... training, certs, the works. hey that rhymes anyways, im in the air force, and im actually trying to get into that career field. im hey, a sun sys cert, or a ms networking cert for free? can't beat that

 

[Rakk]

True, the military is great for that - sadly though (at least here in the UK) military qualifications arn't treated with the same respect as civillian ones (though of course an MSCE is an MSCE).