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- From: Jeff Klug <jeffrey.klug@autodesk.com>
- Newsgroups: alt.computer.consultants,comp.edu,comp.lang.basic.misc,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.misc,comp.lang.pascal.borland,comp.lang.pascal.delphi.misc,comp.misc,comp.os.msdos.programmer,comp.os.os2.programmer.misc,comp.programming
- Subject: Re: Info on being a Systems Programmer/Analyst?
- Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1996 11:00:26 -0800
- Organization: Autodesk, Inc.
- Message-ID: <3151A74A.5DAF@autodesk.com>
- References: <3150eada.14098156@News.why.net>
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- Stuart.Johnston@Chrysalis.org wrote:
- >
- > I am currently a Junior in High School and have been
- > considering becoming a Systems Programmer/Analyst. I've read books
- > about it but I would like to get some first hand information from real
- > people with experience in this field. General information, including
- > job responsibilities, education needed, and salary would be
- > appreciated. I am specifically wondering about how much math I would
- > need. I don't really like to do math but I am fairly good at it.
- > Many people say that to be a programmer, you need a lot of math
- > skills, but I wonder if that is true. I'd like to know specifically
- > what type of math is used and how it is applied.
- >
- > Anyone who has any information that might be useful to me, no
- > matter how little, please respond. I will greatly appreciate your
- > sharing your experience and knowledge with me.
- >
- > Sincere thanks,
- > Stuart Johnston
-
-
- My best advice to you would be to get programming experience while you're
- going to school, through college internships, or possibly high-school career
- "mirroring" programs where you would shadow a professional in his/her workplace.
- This is EXTREMELY valuable when you are eventually job-searching, as it gives you
- a big advantage over your non-experienced competition. (You may even beat out a
- degreed competitor even before you graduate!) It also gives you a chance to use
- your education in a practical hands-on setting. It may delay your graduation,
- but it will be worth it, trust me.
-
- As far as the math question, you need to understand the theory of
- high-level math such as calculus, not so much for number-crunching, but to be
- able to conceptualize the mathmatical/logical relationships between "things".
- The techniques you learn in high-level problem solving are invaluable.
-
- Salaries will change dramatically by the time you get out of college, so
- these numbers won't mean too much to you then, but as an ENTRY LEVEL programmer,
- expect $25,000-$35,000. One to two years of hard experience and you can probably
- ask for $45,000.
-
- Not everyone is willing to pay this much, though. There are tons of
- companies out there looking for fresh programmers to exploit, so pick carefully
- who you want to work for and don't sell yourself short. Benefits and work
- environment, as well as location are very important. Cost of living is a big
- factor in how much you "really" make. Finding a good job may take a while... a
- good rule of thumb is to expect a month for each $10,000 of income.
-
- I hope this information helps.
-