Whether you’re considering a career change or are just embarking on a career path, computer programming and its advantages might be the career you seek. Because computers are so common in the 21st century, you don’t need to look far to find a job in the computer programming industry.
Pay is probably the biggest advantage of working as a computer programmer. Computer programmers, who write computer code that enables a computer to perform certain tasks, work in almost every industry you can imagine, including the engineering, educational and medical fields. Computer programmers work under an assortment of titles, including system analyst, Web programmer and application programmer. According to the Indeed website, starting salaries in the computer programming field in January 2012 range from $59,000 to $112,000 per year. Some companies that do not employ computer programmers are willing to contract their services for as much as $100 to $400 per hour, according to Ask IT Career Coach, a career informational website.
If you opt to pursue a career in computer programming as a freelance contractor, you needn’t lease office space or chain yourself to an etched-in-stone work schedule. Computer programming is a career that can be performed from anywhere you can carry a laptop computer and that gives you access to the Internet. If you are employed by a specific company as a computer programmer, you are also typically given a lot of flexibility to complete jobs from home or to maintain less-than-regular work shifts, as long as the projects you are assigned are completed on time.
Ask IT Career Coach reports that entry requirements for computer programming are low, which means you don’t need to embark on a four-year college degree path to get into the profession. Some computer programming training programs can be completed in just six months. In many instances, motivated individuals have taught themselves the skills and computer languages needed to land a job as a computer programmer. Although a college degree in computer programming is likely to give you the upper hand in the job market, many employers do not require a degree.
Job security is an advantage enjoyed by most computer programmers. Computer technology advances at a fast rate, keeping the demand for computer programmers at a high level. If ever you lose your job as a computer programmer, chances are you won’t be without a job for long. In essence, as long as society relies on computing technology, there will be a demand for computer programmers.
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