Thread: Jobs in Java & Other IT Sectors

I know several of us do, including myself. I didn't have to work very hard at all, honestly (other than being dirt poor straight out of college). I just put my resume up on monster.com, and a couple weeks later I started a new job in a new city. You might also want to check out our sister site, Java Programming Careers.

But your job-finding experience is going to vary depending on your skillset and your location. I've been working in Java since high school, and I'm located on the East coast of the United States (I work in Washington DC, where there are a ton of technology jobs). But I would have had a lot more trouble finding work in my hometown, since there aren't many programming opportunities in the middle of a damn cornfield!

Originally Posted by djl1990

That sounds promising. Im actually in the UK myself so i dont know how the Java workplace over here compare to that of the States.

I know a few of our members are from across the pond, but you might be better off going to a website like salary.com and searching for your location to see the demand for software engineers (or whatever job you want).

Originally Posted by djl1990

I asked this in another thread also, do you think the Oracle programmer certifications are a worthwhile addition to the degree im doing?

I don't have any strong opinions on certification. I've played with the idea of getting them, but it hasn't really affected me. I've heard good things and bad things about them. I'd focus on the degree first, and then after that, work on putting together a portfolio (work on that can start before you graduate). Then you can decide whether a certification will add much.

I work as a part-time software developer at Bank of Transilvany. I'm using mainly PL-SQL (Oracle) / Java / JavaScript ..but also other serveral languages as C#, ASP etc.

application context

Originally Posted by djl1990

Im wondering what actually is the nature of the programming and the tasks you carry out in your workplace.

Programming is pretty much the same from freshman year to the workplace: you're given a problem, and at first you have no idea how to solve it. Then you break it up into smaller pieces and hack away at them until they work. Some companies might approach the process differently, but that's the fundamental nature of programming.

Originally Posted by djl1990

At my uni we learn the basics of course, but all the tasks for assignments seem to just be for loops, if statements, do while loops etc.

Be patient. These fundamentals are absolutely required. If you're bored, use them to write a simple game, or check out Project Euler. You can't skip them.

Originally Posted by djl1990

Do these basics actually get used in a working environment.

Every. Single. Day.

Originally Posted by djl1990

What kind of programs do you get to write?

Right now my projects are to design and implement a GUI for modelling problems and solutions to flight problems (weather, etc) based on statistical analysis of a network. Pretty cool stuff. Previously I've been in charge of a GUI for a similar program, only using real data instead of statistics (one project looks 2 hours in advance, the other 24 hours). I've also been involved in taking apart a simulated annealing algorithm for flight path planning in order to find places it could be optimized.

But what you do is going to depend entirely on where you work. However, the fundamental problem-solving nature built on the fundamentals of programming will not change.