What are the steps to becoming an Application Developer?

Hey all!! First of all I just want to say that this forum is amazing! It has taught me many things about the IT world, and believe me, I did not know a thing!! (still don't know much though)

I am 25 and I am making a switch in my career because my first choice is not panning out the way I had hoped/planned. Hopefully this will turn out much better as I am willing to put in the time/effort.

My question is what are the steps to becoming an Application Developer? What certifications/studies do I need to go down that field?

I understand I should start off with the basic certifications (A+, Net+, and Sec+) and I also understand Experience is HUGE in the IT world. The basic certifications should get my feet wet and hopefully land me an entry level job as a Help Desk which would give me some experience (hopefully help with Application Developing) in the IT world which I do not have. I also understand education can be a big factor (I only have 1 year of college under my belt), but I have a Wife and 3 kids, so I don't really have to much time for college unfortunately.

Here is an entry level job at IBM for an Application Developer:

Required

High School Diploma/GED
Basic knowledge in programming languages, methodologies and Object Oriented programming (Ex. Java, J2EE C++, etc)
Basic knowledge in development tools (Ex. IDE’s, debuggers, code repositories)
English: Intermediate

and also another job:

Required

High School Diploma/GED
Basic knowledge in Basic knowledge of C#.Net
Basic knowledge in Basic knowledge of C, C++, ASP.Net
English: Intermediate

So exactly what certifications/studies should I focus on to land a job like this or the field of Application Developer?

Sorry for the long wall of text. Any help would be appreciated.

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Comments

Polynomial

This forum tends to lean towards systems/networks versus development. The basic certifications you list there will not help you in development and are completely irrelevant.

It sorta starts these days with a CS degree in my opinion.

fontenjj

Polynomial wrote: »

This forum tends to lean towards systems/networks versus development. The basic certifications you list there will not help you in development and are completely irrelevant.

It sorta starts these days with a CS degree in my opinion.

Ahh!! Darn. Do you have any other recommendations besides a CS degree?

--chris--

I think the CS degree is the common method because coding and mathematics often require the same problem solving ability. If you have a CS degree you have the basic ability to code ( that's the logic anyhow).

As you will find out some employers require degrees and some don't. If you can pick up a language and run with it then find someone that is impressed by you....boom that's all it takes.

Fr example there is a shop in downtown Detroit looking for someone with 3 years of ruby experience. No other requirement. 22 to 26/hour plus benefits and most of it was remote work with a weekly meeting requirement.

paul78

The other common field of study is EE.

But it also depends on what type of software development you want to do. Application development these days are a bit less complicated and do not require the same amount of in-depth knowledge - especially with web based development. While it helps to have good knowledge of software engineering techniques, you may be able to break into application programming with just basic web development skills.

Bear in mind that certifications are not as ubiquitious with programming roles. But if you lack the basic skills, you may be able to use certifications as a way to learn the skills that you need.

The first and foremost requirement in my opinion is to have a passion for the craft. I was a software engineer for many years. I was sucessful only because I seemed to have a knack and persistence for it. While I no longer develop software for a living, it is the one thing in IT that I miss the most.

fontenjj

paul78 wrote: »

The other common field of study is EE.

But it also depends on what type of software development you want to do. Application development these days are a bit less complicated and do not require the same amount of in-depth knowledge - especially with web based development. While it helps to have good knowledge of software engineering techniques, you may be able to break into application programming with just basic web development skills.

Bear in mind that certifications are not as ubiquitious with programming roles. But if you lack the basic skills, you may be able to use certifications as a way to learn the skills that you need.

The first and foremost requirement in my opinion is to have a passion for the craft. I was a software engineer for many years. I was sucessful only because I seemed to have a knack and persistence for it. While I no longer develop software for a living, it is the one thing in IT that I miss the most.

Sorry for such a silly question but what certifications would give me the basic knowledge for

Basic knowledge in programming languages, methodologies and Object Oriented programming (Ex. Java, J2EE C++, etc)
Basic knowledge in development tools (Ex. IDE’s, debuggers, code repositories)

and

Basic knowledge in Basic knowledge of C#.Net
Basic knowledge in Basic knowledge of C, C++, ASP.Net

Once again sorry for such a silly question

YFZblu

Honestly I would just start coding.

paul78

As YFZblue stated - just pick something to do and start writing some software for your own pleasure or learning opportunity. When I said that certifications are not common, it's just that - unlike other IT roles, in development, certifications are typically not valued as highly because it's very
difficult to gauge talent level in development.

However, if you are seeking a learning track - the .NET and Java tracks are a good place to start.

Microsoft - MCSD Certification
Oracle - Certification Finder

As I mentioned, I was a software engineer in the past. But certifications was not how I got there...

NetworkVeteran

Certifications aren't too important in development. If you're not up for a CS degree--the obvious way to get ahead in that field--I'd aim you towards a book focused on teaching programming concepts as opposed to language syntax. A popular text, quite readable and used by many universities, is Deitel/Deitel "How to Program". A good programmer can write solid software in just about any language. You can know a language well, and yet still be a poor programmer.

It's key, of course, not to just read the book but to also attempt all the projects.

As I think about it, many top universities these days (MIT/Berkeley/Harvard) offer their intro classes online. That would be a step up from self-study if you're commitment level is stronger than self-study, yet not so strong as a full degree. They also offer certificates of completion and/or distinguished completion. Might be up your alley.

Xonis1

I would suggest starting programming..here are some options

Stanford CS106A: Programming Methodology - free intro to programming course from stanford they have 3 to start with and a mobile dev course.

udacity.com - has a couple intro programming courses

codeacademy.com - has a python course . I like this one alot

kahnacademy - has programming and math courses.

there are a few others as well but here are some to start with, programming takes alot of math so you are going to want to study up in your differential equations and learn algorithms.

fontenjj

Thank you all for your help! Any other input would be greatly appreciated as well

ptilsen

As everyone else is stating, certifications aren't as useful in this arena, and certainly aren't a logical starting point. There are some tech-specifical certifications, but they are definitely not good starting points.

There are definitely things you can do on your own to get the knowledge and skills you'd need, but at the end of the day most of it is just replicating the material in a CS degree. There are plenty of books, web sites, free courses, and such to recommend, but the bottom line is that the time commitment will be only a marginal reduction from actually working towards a degree. And since you'll realistically be starting with no other qualifications, getting a job will be challenging. That is not to dissuade you or say you shouldn't try. I just want you to have a realistic outlook. There are some very successful self-taught programmers.

What I'm wondering is what's led you to the decision to be an "application developer," specifically? Do you have some experience programming or something that makes you think it would be the right career for you? On that note, have you looked at what most of us here do, which is some area of IT infrastructure support, design, or management? Certifications, self-teaching, and lack of formal education are much more viable in these lines of work, and frankly it's an easier career to jump into. Easy shouldn't necessarily be the goal, but I think it's important we understand the how and the why of your goals before we give out specific career advice.

fontenjj

ptilsen wrote: »

As everyone else is stating, certifications aren't as useful in this arena, and certainly aren't a logical starting point. There are some tech-specifical certifications, but they are definitely not good starting points.

There are definitely things you can do on your own to get the knowledge and skills you'd need, but at the end of the day most of it is just replicating the material in a CS degree. There are plenty of books, web sites, free courses, and such to recommend, but the bottom line is that the time commitment will be only a marginal reduction from actually working towards a degree. And since you'll realistically be starting with no other qualifications, getting a job will be challenging. That is not to dissuade you or say you shouldn't try. I just want you to have a realistic outlook. There are some very successful self-taught programmers.

What I'm wondering is what's led you to the decision to be an "application developer," specifically? Do you have some experience programming or something that makes you think it would be the right career for you? On that note, have you looked at what most of us here do, which is some area of IT infrastructure support, design, or management? Certifications, self-teaching, and lack of formal education are much more viable in these lines of work, and frankly it's an easier career to jump into. Easy shouldn't necessarily be the goal, but I think it's important we understand the how and the why of your goals before we give out specific career advice.

I have no experience in programming. The reason why I am/was leaning towards it, is because it fascinates me greatly. Actually computers fascinate me in general. I know I should not base a career on fascination, but I believe having joy doing what you do every day leads to a healthier life overall.

I understand there are no "shortcuts or an easy way out" and it seems like from many responses that without an education/degree in computer science or a related field, it may be extremely hard to get into the programming field. Seems like it would be "easier" (and I use that word loosely) to maybe look at an area of IT infrastructure support, design, or management considering certifications are much more welcomed?

Like I said, all aspects of computers are fascinating to me, and I know I will have great passion doing whatever it is I decide to do.

ptilsen

Honestly, being fascinated alone is a good start. A lot of people try to jump into this industry because they think it will be an easy paycheck. Too few are legitimately interested in any aspect.

I think it would be worthwhile for you to explore a bit before you commit to a direction. If you study a bit of programming alongside A+, it may give you some ideas. Check out some free A+ content online, and start tinkering with computer hardware, software, operating system components at home.

As far as starting programming, my strong recommendation is that you start with Python. The vast majority of introductory CS courses are Java, and this is not where you want to start. It is where you will go, but I recommend you use Python to learn basic programming concepts. Java and every Java course is going to throw a bunch of concepts and complications at you that won't help you learn or even decide if you like programming, or worse, might make you dislike it for the wrong reasons. This Coursera course looks like a great starting point, and shouldn't be too much of a time commitment.

Spaced

Hi fontenjj! My advice would be to research the different technology related careers and for now don't bother with the certs you mentioned. As others stated, they are useless for application developers. Research the careers and match them with your strengths and interests. Definitely pickup a Java or C++ book or do one of the online options and see how you like it and how easily you can pick it up.

IT and development are very different. To get into development you need a CS, you need to be rock solid in upper level maths and be easily able to pick up language syntax and of course understand theory. I'm not saying that IT is a breeze, but there are more variants and options to pursue. It is also an easier path to a career. If after research, you still want to pursue development, but can't do the degree, your only option is to teach yourself theory and the languages and try to volunteer for projects so you have something to prove yourself to some degree. Although I would say that if you enjoy the hardware portion, you may want to look into the IT side more.

I think developers are a special category. I don't want to discourage you, but development is not that easy. I know for those who do it, it seems to come quite easily, but the average person struggles with the concepts and the languages. If you are one of those people that find math and development a breeze, than go for it, but definitely get your feet wet with research and some studying to find out what you like and what you are good at. I was a CS major because I wanted to work around technology and when I was 18 and somewhat clueless about what these careers entailed, it seemed like a good option. I also had no clue that there was anything besides development and my mature mind basically thought it would be "cool." A couple of semesters in I realized that I was not cut out for it and that I didn't enjoy it. Unfortunately, it took me quite a while to find where in technology my interest and strengths lie, so make sure you research and test things out before spending time pursuing anything.

Anyway, long story short - research all your options and do a little study in each to find out where your strengths lie and what you really enjoy doing. Good luck!

fontenjj

Thank you all for the information and advice you have given me

kgb

You are young... I'd get a CS degree. However, at a minimum, I'd get a 4yr degree. While a CS degree is more desirable, not having one will not be the end of all. Most job ads states, CS degree or technical/equivalent. Not having any experience and no degree will be hard to overcome at most places.

Best advice from all those above are the, "start coding". Coursera, udacity, etc. There's a wealth of information out there.

Legacy User

To land a job like you mentioned there is no sole certification. But to learn basics of C++ you could watch the Infinite skills series available on Udemy. It helped me get up to speed with my C++ class. Application development usually is with either java or c #. You could pick up a How-To learn C# in 21 days book read it from cover to cover follow the examples, answer the questions and watch videos explaining the concepts online. Then upgrade to Pro C# book and read that from cover to cover. The reality is the time you dedicate learning this you can easily focus on a degree. But once you feel comfortable that you feel you can actually create something of use you should offer your services to small businesses and start building a portfolio which you can showcase on github.

There are plenty of sites available to watch videos pluralsight, learnvisualstudio, learndevnow, start making different programs challenge yourself rinse and repeat. If you look they're are plenty of resources online. A buddy of mine chose to enroll in the software development program online at IT-Career-Coach its pricy but he likes it. I looked at it and its structured similar to a programming college class they give assignments and supposedly provide a mentor to help you. They're website sucks overloaded with articles crunched together.

But I'd personally recommend to knock out a CS degree if possible. Many jobs won't look at you without a degree but if you do a lot of side projects you can overcome that. In school you quickly learn that at the end of the day the programming languages may have difference syntax but they follow the same principals and the logic is always the same. In school you will learn how to structure, plan, and avoid spaghetti code.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.