Really need some advice from you guys

bronxnative

Hello guys and gals. I always been fascinated with the thought of making my own programs and been very eager to enter the world of computer programming. I'm fairly technical I'm 20 and been working on computers for about 4-5 yrs(networking, building pc's stuff like that). So i'm not a complete beginner when it comes to PCs in general.

I really have a passion to learn programming and ive read the "Microsoft Developer Certifications Overview" on this forum. My problem is i'm not sure what certification to begin with. I feel that for you guys to help me you need to know what i'm looking to do long term. But my goal is to be developing enterprise applications for companies, that sort of thing. Of all the programming certs available which would be best for me as a beginner to start with ? Also based on your experiences would watching CBTs like cbtnuggets be better than reasding books like orielly or wrox, and why?

sorry for the long question but i really want to get on with the learning and just want to make sure i choose the correct path.

int80h

If you want to develop software for a living, forget about certs. You need to build up a project portfolio.

tjcasser

I'd have to respectfully disagree with Int80h with regards to "forgetting" about certifications. I think that they definitely have their place in the grand scheme while working towards being a professional developer, but they are not a beginning for a career in the field.

I do agree with the concept of starting out by working on creating a portfolio of projects to show to potential employers - while certifications are nice (and I have more than a few myself), they're still more demonstrations of knowledge than the ability to apply said knowledge. Having some projects you can point to as proof of your ability will go a long way, and most of us have found that the best way to learn is by doing.

That all being said, I suppose that the major question is what sort of software you're envisioning yourself writing when you get into the field. You've mentioned an interest in enterprise applications, but that is still a fairly large field when taken as a whole. I would start out by working on learning the language basics (pick a language ) and getting a solid start on the fundamentals before branching out into more specialized turf. At the very least, this will ensure you're solid on the basics, and in the end (as I've advised developers in my own company) it will also allow you some flexibility if you choose down the road to change your direction.

bronxnative

tjcasser wrote:

That all being said, I suppose that the major question is what sort of software you're envisioning yourself writing when you get into the field. You've mentioned an interest in enterprise applications, but that is still a fairly large field when taken as a whole. I would start out by working on learning the language basics (pick a language ) and getting a solid start on the fundamentals before branching out into more specialized turf. At the very least, this will ensure you're solid on the basics, and in the end (as I've advised developers in my own company) it will also allow you some flexibility if you choose down the road to change your direction.

thank you for your response. as i dont have any experience programming i wouldnt be able to be more specific as to what k ind of programs i want to develop. i guess i willfigure out what area i will wanna specialise in when i get more experience in the field.

you mentioned i should start with the basics and pick a language, well what would you recommend i begin learning first? i know this question has been asked before. but to be moe clear i want to make sure i touch all the critical fundamentals early in my career so i have an easier time gaining more information later on. or should i just dive into a VB.NET book and start from there?

tjcasser

bronxnative wrote:

you mentioned i should start with the basics and pick a language, well what would you recommend i begin learning first? i know this question has been asked before. but to be moe clear i want to make sure i touch all the critical fundamentals early in my career so i have an easier time gaining more information later on. or should i just dive into a VB.NET book and start from there?

Well, this being a Microsoft forum, I'd probably get looked at funny if I suggested something other than VB.NET or C#. I think that if you're looking to do professional software development, you could do far worse than to grab a book from the library on one of the two and start working through it. (My personal preference for C# is only due to the fact that I'm a Java developer in my daily job, and the two are fairly similar syntactically, given their common ancestry in C++.) As I largely learned from books and online tutorials myself, I'd have to say that I think it's a good way to start out.