Labor Market and Career Information

Computer Programmer
Deanne Biles

	Introduction "Sometimes I'll sit at my computer for two hours and can't figure out how to solve a programming problem," says Deanne Biles. "Then, the next day, when I'm driving to work, the answer will just come to me. That's how programming is for me and a lot of other programmers I've talked with." Programming is problem-solving. It's more than just writing code that says "do this if that is true." It also involves getting programming software to do what you want even though that software itself has "bugs" in it that you have to work around. This kind of problem-solving is where Deanne excels. It helps her perform her many duties at the Career Development Resources (CDR) department of the Texas Workforce Commission, a state agency. Since the department is small and operates as a semi-autonomous business, Deanne has to wear a number of hats. "If I worked at a big company, I might do programming only--writing code all day. A systems analyst would determine what the client needed and develop a plan that the programmers would implement. Then maintenance programmers would just fix the bugs created by the regular programmers. Database administrators would make sure that the information in the databases was accurate and accessible. Other people would provide technical support to the clients while network administrators would make sure that everyone's computers and were working properly," she explains. "Since CDR is so small, I do a little bit of all those tasks. Learning how to take on all those roles is one of the things that keeps my job interesting for me."

	What exactly do you do? I take raw data--information that our customers think is important--and I turn it into something useful and interesting, whether it's a website or a software application.

	What's the coolest part of your job? Seeing a finished product in use. When someone is actually using a software product that I spent several weeks or months working on, I think, Wow, I wrote that! It's not like finishing a school project where once you get a grade, the product can be thrown away, people depend on my work.

	What's your favorite part? Learning new things all the time. I would get bored if I had to do the same thing over and over but things change quickly in the computer field.

	How do people react when they learn what you do? They're usually pretty interested. Sometimes they want to see an example website that I've done. They also usually want to get their needs met--to see if I can help them with a computer problem they've been having! I don't mind though. It's like being a doctor. When you meet people they want to tell you about their physical problems.

	What's the part you like least about your job and how do you handle it? Not getting to do projects that I think are fun, such as website-related ones. I handle it by just doing what I'm given to do and waiting my turn to do the ones I think are more fun.

	How did you get involved in computer programming? It happened gradually. I never took any programming in high school, even though they offered it. I just thought it was too nerdy. When I got to college, I was interested in Management until I discovered it was sort of the joke of the business school. I wasn't sure what to take so I decided to take an information management class that would count toward the Management degree and a programming degree. The class was really difficult but I did OK in it and I thought I'd try another course. I didn't think I was cut out for programming but I ended up getting a programming job. It was while I was in the training classes at the job and saw that a lot of the other new-hires were having a lot of difficulty while I was coasting through the training class. That's when I realized that programming was for me. I really enjoy what I'm doing now but I don't know if I'll still be programming forty years from now. I still sort of wonder what I'll do "when I grow up." But at the moment, I like where I am.

	What surprised you about your job when you first started? That I was given so much freedom to do what I wanted to do--whether it be learning new things or setting my own schedule. You make your job what you want it to be here.

	What disappointed you? How drab our office is. There's not even anything on the walls. And sometimes I wonder whether I'm in the right job. I get paid decent for a state agency job but I know people who are recent graduates making more money than I do at some dot-com. I appreciate the stability of my job but sometimes I wonder if I should be moving up or out or something! It's hard not to compare myself with other programmers.

	Describe how you have fun at work. Cubicle World is not a quiet place; you can hear people around you on the phone or chatting with the person in the cube next to them. With such close and impersonal quarters, we tend to play pranks and bother each other--sort of like a little sibling rivalry sometimes. Sometimes you can be sitting there minding your own business and seemingly out of nowhere, something will come flying at you. So you shoot the rubberband or throw the ball or whatever back in the direction it came from, and for a while we'll have a little war of tossing stuff over the cubicles at each other. Sometimes we call each other's phones and hang up too. Other times we've hidden toy spiders or snakes in someone's cubicle to scare them; in their coffee mug seems to be a good little hiding place.

	How has your job changed over time? After I was here a year, I got promoted and even had some people reporting to me on a project. Mainly I took on more responsibilities. When I first started, for example, my supervisor would give me data and I would format it a certain way. Now he just gives me raw data and I have to clean it up before I start programming it. I do a little less actual programming now and a little more database administration.

	What will computer programmers be doing ten years from now? They'll be working on interactive web and mobile web applications with devices such as pagers and PDA's. Working on the software that runs those devices and the applications that people use directly.

	What are some of the most important skills and abilities needed for this job? Patience, problem-solving, logic, reasoning, the ability to see ten steps ahead, the way you do when playing chess. You need to be able to learn new software quickly and to teach yourself new programming languages.

	How much of that is learned and how much has to be natural aptitude? I think logic can be taught. Seeing steps ahead is harder to learn. I think you can be a programmer without these skills but they'll determine how quickly you can pick up new technical skills and how difficult your job is for you.

	What information do you need to keep up in your field and where do you get it? I need to know what new software is available and how other people handle the sorts of problems that I encounter. I get that information by surfing the web at sites such as Microsoft's Development Network and TechNet. I get newsletters online and in print. And I run problems by my coworkers--they're a good source of information.

	What advice do you have for people who want to enter this field? I suggest you surf the web, play around with software and do some research about programming. Build your own website--it will give you experience and let you see if you're really interested in the field. I also personally think it's a good idea to get a four-year programming degree.

	Why do you recommend a Bachelor's instead of a two-year degree? It really depends on your personality and your goals and even where you live. In some places, for example, a two-year degree is enough. In a city like Austin, though, which has a very well-educated population, you need a four-year degree to get the better jobs. A Bachelor's gives you more opportunities. A two-year degree is very hands-on. It teaches you how to do actual programming. A four-year degree, on the other hand, is more theoretical. It gives you the skills so that you can learn and teach yourself more easily. If you're a go-getter and want to move beyond being just a basic programmer, get a Bachelor's. It will let you get ahead in general. If you're not as motivated, a two-year degree might be best. There are always exceptions, of course. I work with a guy who is amazing and he just has a 2 year degree. He's pretty much self-taught after that.

	What do you wish someone had told you before you left high school that would've helped you with your career? I wish I'd taken programming in high school, where they offered it for free! I also think it was really important that I took a lot of math and science because they help with so many jobs. I went through Calculus in high school, for example. Math helps develop logical thinking.

	Quick Facts
	The Job in Brief
	Title:	Computer Programmer
	Description:	I develop software to help people make informed decisions about their educational and occupational futures.
	Education level required:	Bachelor's degree in Computer Programming
	Equipment used:	PC and, as a resource, the Internet
	Workload steady or fluctuating:	It fluctuates depending on where I am in the project development cycle, which goes from planning to programming to testing to fixing and then a lull after completion.
	Dress code:	Business casual
	Work environment:	Office, laid-back

	Demands on Worker
	Works hours (time and duration):	40 hours a week. It varies depending on what kind of company you work for.
	Travel involved:	Score: 2 (1=never; 5=very often)
	Average stress level:	Score: 3 (1=none; 5=a lot)
	Amount of teamwork needed:	Score: 3 (1=none; 5=a lot)
	Level of self-motivation required:	Score: 4 (1=none; 5=a lot)

	Labor Market Information
	Employment outlook:	N/A
	Typical Texas salary:	N/A