Is it worthwhile to learn programming right now? How long will it take to bcome an expert? Can 1 get employed?

I am 28 and would like to learn programming as a carriar. Do you think I can make it? What are the best steps/guidelines that I should follow?

Is it worthwhile to learn programming right now? How long will it take to bcome an expert? Can 1 get employed?
1. Is it worthwhile to learn programming right now?





Yes.


It is worthwhile to learn programming even if you only use it to express yourself artistically. As a programmer, you can think of a good idea and you can develop it into its executable form (software). It's worth learning the art of crafting software even if you dont think about it as a profession.





2. How long will it take to become an expert?





If you are true to yourself you will never feel like an expert. Consider that even the most important in software engineering minds of the century tells us that we are clueless in making software --far away from experts [ref1]. If you were to phrase the question differently, perhaps as "how long will it take for others to think I am an expert?" then the answer is, it depends on many things. Probably the most important of them is the domain you choose although developing a passion for it helps. Generally speaking the newest domains have the least competition and give the best chances for building fast the misconception that you are an expert. If you are after the top technical architect jobs probably 10 years of dedicated commitment could get you there.





3. Can I get employed?





Probably quicker and easier than in many other fields.


Specially if you are good but that doesnt seem to be a


requirement because the demand is high.





4. Do you think I can make it?





This gem by Daniel Allen that I found on the net will answer much better than I can. It's called the





"Three Virtues of Programming" [ref2]


LAZINESS: The quality that makes you go to great effort to reduce overall energy expenditure.





IMPATIENCE: The anger you feel when the computer is being lazy.





HUBRIS: Excessive pride, the sort of thing Zeus zaps you for. Also the quality that makes you write (and maintain) programs that other people won't want to say bad things about.





So ask yourself if you are lazy, impatient and have excessive pride.. if yes then probably you can :)





5. What are the best steps/guidelines that I should follow





Depends on your current knowledge of technology. Generally speaking, a good idea is to identify what you want to do and work out a plan to get there. Although a university degree wont give you even near the necessary knowledge and experience you need to get a good job in programming, it helps getting into interviews. It will also expose you to areas that you wouldnt have the inclination to learn by yourself. However true experience comes out of practice.





I suggest you try for a month to learn a programming language that has easy syntax, like java, and you decide after that if you like it or not as a career choice.





If you do decide to go ahead and start learning java you may find the following online tutorial useful


http://www.thanassis.com/java/java%20tra...





good luck :)
Reply:U need to get good books, u need to start in right way.





u need to know Assembly language.





then u can start with C. then move to C++, then to Java





u can sure bcome a expert, but will take time at least 3 years if u try hard.