Welcome to the Java Programming Forums


The professional, friendly Java community. 21,500 members and growing!


The Java Programming Forums are a community of Java programmers from all around the World. Our members have a wide range of skills and they all have one thing in common: A passion to learn and code Java. We invite beginner Java programmers right through to Java professionals to post here and share your knowledge. Become a part of the community, help others, expand your knowledge of Java and enjoy talking with like minded people. Registration is quick and best of all free. We look forward to meeting you.


>> REGISTER NOW TO START POSTING


Members have full access to the forums. Advertisements are removed for registered users.

Results 1 to 4 of 4

Thread: Is my plan realistic?

  1. #1
    Junior Member AlekseyG's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    2
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Red face Is my plan realistic?

    Hello, everybody! Let me, please, explain a little story and ask for your opinion.

    I've got a long working story. I'm 41 and most of the time I've been working in Russian banking industry. I did a lot of installation work, performed a lot of support and sometimes been spending weeks or even months as a code writer. I studied C language, bash scripting, some PHP, a lot of SQL, Clipper and so on. I've got a several years been the CIO in a small bank. But the last time I worked as a pure programmer was many years ago.

    But now I'm going to change my life and my career once more. And I want to return to the programming again for several years. As far as I understand Jawa is the most requested programming language now. I did some studying of it, writing small programs and doing it very similar to the C language that I'm familiar with. It's quite easy for me. So, I'm ready to go farther.

    My goal is to obtain in 2 years the knowledge, skills and reputation enough to immigrate to the USA with H1B visa or to any other modern country.

    Let's say that shouldn't be concerned about money these years. Money would be a good add value, but not the main goal.

    I'm planning the following steps.

    First, study Jawa and get any good electronic certificate of knowledge. Which one is the best, by the way?

    Second, I take tasks online for low money to practice and obtain the portfolio. I also plan to write 2-3 Android applications for Google Play to prove my experience. Or even a web-based service and Android client for it. I can also participate in different open source projects. The main requirement is that I can demonstrate my results to my future employer.

    So, what do you think, guys? Is it a realistic plan? And would you give me some advice?


  2. #2
    Super Moderator
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    So. Maryland, USA
    Posts
    5,520
    My Mood
    Mellow
    Thanks
    215
    Thanked 698 Times in 680 Posts

    Default Re: Is my plan realistic?

    Welcome to the Forum! Please read this topic to learn how to post code correctly and other useful tips for newcomers.

    What you plan to accomplish in two years seems reasonable and having an online portfolio and/or blog or other activites to document your work and get your name out there are all great ideas. Beyond that, I'm not qualified to say how marketable that level of experience will be, whether it will support your plans to immigrate and/or find work in another country, and which certification you should get, if any.

    Some places require a degree - maybe a technical degree - to get in the door, while others aren't so picky. Perhaps you have that in IT already, but it's not clear. If not, you might consider getting a 2-year degree or an accelerated 4-year equivalent degree, but if that's out of reach, do the best with what you have and can learn in 2 years.

    Glad to meet you and best of luck!

  3. #3
    Forum VIP
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Posts
    1,676
    Thanks
    25
    Thanked 329 Times in 305 Posts

    Default Re: Is my plan realistic?

    To continue what Greg said, I imagine you already have a LinkedIn account. But if not, get one. Apart from its networking benefits, you can add any apps and web-based projects you have made to your profile. This will allow potential employers to actually see your work.
    From a toolset point of view, there is a reasonably large learning curve in the industry for java developers. You are probably familiar with, or at least have heard of, many of the commonly used tools since you've been in the industry. However, two topics I would highly recommend getting a feel for is Maven and JUnit. You will see many companies expect the use/knowledge of these two things especially. Most of the other things, you've probably already seen elsewhere.
    If a technical degree, like Greg suggested, is not an option, I would suggest you try to get certification from Oracle (I heard they are very easy to get). Your previous experience should prove you understand programming in general, while an Oracle certificate will prove you understand Java. The certificate is not usually recommended for those who just graduated college, because it is considered redundant, but in your case that certificate will probably help employers feel more comfortable with your perceived java knowledge.

    Between your previous work experience, the portfolio you plan on making, and an Oracle certificate, I imagine you wouldn't have much trouble finding work.
    NOTE TO NEW PEOPLE LOOKING FOR HELP ON FORUM:

    When asking for help, please follow these guidelines to receive better and more prompt help:
    1. Put your code in Java Tags. To do this, put [highlight=java] before your code and [/highlight] after your code.
    2. Give full details of errors and provide us with as much information about the situation as possible.
    3. Give us an example of what the output should look like when done correctly.

    Join the Airline Management Simulation Game to manage your own airline against other users in a virtual recreation of the United States Airline Industry. For more details, visit: http://airlinegame.orgfree.com/

  4. #4
    Junior Member AlekseyG's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    2
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default

    Thank you very much, guys, fit your answers in deep. Yes, I've got a master's degree in computer science (engineer). But it was 20 years ago, so it's only a formal piece of paper I think. Thank you again for your support also. I need these encourage words as much as any advice! So, hope, you will hear from me on this forum soon.

Similar Threads

  1. [SOLVED] Dorm and Meal Plan Calculator
    By Caffeine in forum Java Theory & Questions
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: July 3rd, 2014, 04:11 PM
  2. My Life plan(if in wrong section pelase move)
    By loui345 in forum Totally Off Topic
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: October 2nd, 2012, 12:47 PM
  3. Is this project realistic?
    By j4ze in forum Java Theory & Questions
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: June 26th, 2012, 01:34 PM
  4. Game Devlopment Plan Help
    By Chillers in forum Java Theory & Questions
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: March 18th, 2012, 08:54 AM

Tags for this Thread