Programmer: who is this and how to become one?

The profession of a programmer is considered one of the most popular, sought after and highly paid. Every year, thousands of school graduates enter higher education in the field of "Programming". In addition, there are cases when already experienced and established specialists are retrained in order to become programmers.

Who is a programmer and why is this profession so popular? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the profession? What kind of programmers are there? What requirements do employers have for such specialists? You will find answers to these, as well as some other questions in our material.

A brief description of the profession of a programmer is quite simple to understand. So, if we turn to the professionogram of this specialist, we can note the fact that He is engaged in the creation of various algorithms and computer programs using complex mathematical models.

The profession of a programmer (like all other spheres and areas of human life) has both pluses and minuses. Accordingly, not everyone can deal with it. In this regard, a very it is important to evaluate in advance all the features and characteristics of the specialtyto analyze and compare your own abilities with the requirements of the profession and to understand whether you can do such a job.

So, first of all, let's talk about the advantages of the profession of a programmer.

• High pay. As mentioned earlier, a programmer is a highly paid specialist. It should be borne in mind that the more your work experience and the more complex your professional skills, the more you will be appreciated among employers, respectively, the more wages you will receive.
• Demand. Programmers are highly sought after specialists who will remain so in the coming decades. Accordingly, entering a university in this direction, you can not be afraid of being left without work. The labor market is rather supportive of such specialists.
• No need for higher education. Recently, one can notice the process of popularizing the trend that employers do not require higher education from applicants who apply for the position of programmer. Thus, you do not have to spend many years getting a diploma of higher education - just finish specialized courses or do self-education. In this regard, the profession of a programmer becomes accessible to a wide range of people.
• Creative focus. At first glance, it may seem that the activities of a programmer are associated only with mathematics and numbers. However, in reality this is not entirely true. The thing is that in the process of their professional activities, programmers often use their creative thinking and creative abilities to solve certain problems.

However, despite the large number of advantages, there are also negative aspects to the work of the programmer.

• The need for continuous clarification of their work. First of all, it should be noted that programming is a rather complicated field, which not everyone understands. In this regard, professional programmers often have to explain their actions to the boss or team in which he works. And because of this, a large number of quarrels, conflicts and other stressful situations can arise.
• Irregular working hours. Despite the fact that the employer will tell you about specific working hours during employment, very often there may be times when your help may be needed outside of your official working day (for example, late in the evening, early in the morning or on a holiday). Accordingly, when employing a programmer, you must be prepared for such a schedule.
• Professional deformation. As is the case with any other profession, programmers who have been engaged in activities in this narrow area for a long time experience the so-called professional deformation.

Thus, as you can see, the professional activities of a programmer are associated with both a large number of positive aspects and some negative factors.

Today there are several varieties, specializations and levels of programmers: SQL specialty, programming in computer systems, Bitrix or Delphi developer, lead programmer, assistant, etc. Thus, in the field of IT, a large number of specialists can be distinguished. Moreover, the most popular classification divides the professions in the information sphere into 3 large categories.

• Applied. Specialists who are engaged in professional activities in the field of applied programming, for the most part, develop various kinds of software (these can be either accounting programs or game applications).
• Systemic System programmers are working on creating operating networks, developing interfaces, networks, and other complex systems.At the same time, it is worth noting the fact that highly specialized system specialists are one of the most popular and highly paid, since they must have a fairly large amount of specialized knowledge and skills.
• Web Web programming is the most popular area among those interested in programming. Such professionals are engaged in the creation of sites and web pages, as well as working with databases.

First of all, it should be noted the fact that all the work tasks that a programmer is required to perform in the course of his professional activity, spelled out in the job description. This document should be issued to the applicant during employment, and therefore, even at the very first stage, you will be able to understand what a particular job is and whether you are ready to do it. Due to the fact that the job description is made by the employer, the duties that are included in it can vary significantly from the specific place of work, as well as from the requirements and preferences of the employer.

If you try to give a universal standardized instruction for a programmer, then you can include the following points in it:

• development of programs necessary for performing various kinds of calculations (in this case, specialized mathematical models are used, as well as algorithms for solving scientific, technical and production problems);
• creation of schemes for solving certain problems;
• translation of the mathematical algorithms necessary for calculation into a formalized (so-called computer or machine) language;
• information input (in this case, the programmer independently determines its volume);
• control over the operations performed by the computer;
• control over the form and semantic content of documents;
• verification of results;
• development of layouts and input schemes;
• control over computer-produced processes (for example, processing, storage and analysis of information);
• implementation of desk verification programs;
• determination of the necessary data that will help solve the maximum number of problems, taking into account a large number of conditions;
• program debugging;
• use of existing programs and applications;
• work on automation;
• introduction of new methods;
• implementation of programs;
• unification and standardization of various processes;
• creation of card files of standard programs;
• Creation of documents for machine processing, etc.

A good programmer to do his job efficiently must meet professional standard. This professional standard may change and vary depending on which organization you work in, which industry you specialize in. In addition, the requirements of each individual employer can also vary greatly. It should be borne in mind that a professional programmer must not only possess the necessary knowledge, skills, but also have a number of individual character traits.

Professional skills and abilities must fully comply with the requirements that the employer puts forward in relation to the applicant for the position. In addition, the following is appreciated.:

• knowledge of a foreign language (English is mandatory for a programmer, an additional foreign language will be a significant advantage);
• ability to work in different operating systems;
• knowledge of the latest trends and trends, etc.

Among the personal qualities that each programmer needs are:

• the ability to quickly adapt to changing conditions;
• stress resistance;
• desire for self-development and self-education;
• interest in technology;
• creative and creative thinking;
• ability to work with other people;
• adequate perception of criticism;
• independence;
• initiative;
• ability to bear responsibility for decisions made, etc.

The programmer is a profession that belongs to the category of the highest paid. At the same time, wages will increase as you gain experience and new knowledge.

So, if we talk about numbers, then the minimum salary of a novice programmer who is ready to work at a state-owned enterprise is about 30,000 rubles. Moreover, this amount will be significantly increased for those professionals who work in the private sector. Programmers with experience receive larger rewards of 100,000-200,000 rubles.

As mentioned above, in order to become a specialist in the field of programming, it is not necessary to have a diploma of higher education. Modern employers quite rarely make such demands. However, at the same time, they often arrange various test tasks in the process of hiring, so you need to know and be able to quite a lot. But for this it is not necessary to graduate from university. - It is enough to take courses or learn programming yourself.

A programmer's career can develop in a variety of ways. So, you can move up the corporate ladder and become the head of the department. In addition, you can organize your own business or work as a freelancer - the choice is yours.