Getting started in coding

**TestMangler** · 2 November 2012, 08:54

Computer Courses - IT Training Courses - Computeach

There are 141,300 highly paid IT jobs
available every year … would you like one?
Here’s how to start a new career, progress in your current career
and have a more rewarding & financially secure future.

Sorry, couldn't resist. I completely lose my temper every time their advert comes on the TV.......

**Support Monkey** · 2 November 2012, 08:57

Originally posted by TestMangler View Post

Computer Courses - IT Training Courses - Computeach

There are 141,300 highly paid IT jobs
available every year … would you like one?
Here’s how to start a new career, progress in your current career
and have a more rewarding & financially secure future.

Sorry, couldn't resist. I completely lose my temper every time their advert comes on the TV.......

They probably need to knock the the 1 off the start of that figure and it would still seem a bit high

**cojak** · 2 November 2012, 09:18

Originally posted by filthy1980 View Post

Bit of advise sought please

have a friend who's going to be out of work in about 12months (call centre) whats to reskill in IT, he was thinking helpdesk support types roles, told him not to bother, he'd be better off learning how to code and maybe to specialise in Mobile app development

can anyone recommend any starter guides, books, forums other reading material i can point him to to help get him started, bearing in mind that he is pretty green to IT from an industry perspective

any help appreciated

ta

Yes, also tell him that he'll be pushing it to be skilled up enough to start earning in 12 months.

My massive changes of direction are planned over 24 months, and even then I'm a good way there.

He'd be better off considering IT Service Management. Problem Management is a good niche to be in within ITSM.

Not that your suggestion wasn't valid, but if he needs to be in a job/contract in a year it wasn't very realistic unless he has a real aptitude for the work. He can still learn the coding, but I'd tell them to review what he's learnt after 2 months and consider if he's going to get skilled up enough in the next 10. If he does, great. If he doesn't, seriously consider ITSM/ITIL.

**filthy1980** · 2 November 2012, 09:47

Originally posted by cojak View Post

Yes, also tell him that he'll be pushing it to be skilled up enough to start earning in 12 months.

My massive changes of direction are planned over 24 months, and even then I'm a good way there.

He'd be better off considering IT Service Management. Problem Management is a good niche to be in within ITSM.

Not that your suggestion wasn't valid, but if he needs to be in a job/contract in a year it wasn't very realistic unless he has a real aptitude for the work. He can still learn the coding, but I'd tell them to review what he's learnt after 2 months and consider if he's going to get skilled up enough in the next 10. If he does, great. If he doesn't, seriously consider ITSM/ITIL.

cheers for that,

i told him not to expect to walk into a job, but to learn to code in his own time, partly a selfish motive on my part as i could get him to develop a few plan b's i've got swimming around in my head, just wanted to point him at the right reading material to see if he's even got the aptitude for it

**RasputinDude** · 2 November 2012, 10:13

told him not to bother, he'd be better off learning how to code and maybe to specialise in Mobile app development

Did you just effectively tell a load of IT (and some others, yes I know) contractors that you reckon that your mate can start from scratch and learn their job in 12 months without any formal training?

**fullyautomatix** · 2 November 2012, 10:39

Dont take this the wrong way but being a contractor yourself I do not know how you could misguide someone of the prospects in a programming career for someone who is in a call centre and knows nothing about IT. It is this sort of cowboy behaviour that has resulted in programmers getting a bad name and low pay, anybody can learn in a few months so why pay top dog ?

Computer science ( including mobile app dev ) is a skill which starts with someone having a formal education in a college and painfully learning the trade for many years.

**NickFitz** · 2 November 2012, 10:54

Originally posted by fullyautomatix View Post

Computer science ( including mobile app dev ) is a skill which starts with someone having a formal education in a college and painfully learning the trade for many years.

Computer science, as taught in academia, is pretty much irrelevant to 95% of programming work in TRW.

Many excellent developers have no formal education in the field whatsoever, and there are quite a few developers that do have formal education but who are completely useless in a commercial environment, despite their finely-honed skills in whatever barely-relevant language the universities are basing their courses around these days. (Is it still Haskell? I remember that being big in academia in the mid-90s. Still never seen it used in the wild.)

**filthy1980** · 2 November 2012, 12:39

Originally posted by RasputinDude View Post

Did you just effectively tell a load of IT (and some others, yes I know) contractors that you reckon that your mate can start from scratch and learn their job in 12 months without any formal training?

not quite

actual advise was to get regular 9-5 job and learn dev skills in your time, with a view to specialising in Mob apps, because i think they'll be plenty of future demand there,

**The Spartan** · 2 November 2012, 12:47

Here's a thought get him to look at software testing, a lot easier to get into as there's a shortage of testers both permie and contract. He can pretty much do his ISEB straight away without having to be in a testing job though I would advise he read up on it. I personally don't think much of ISEB but a lot of jobs state it in the criteria.

Another good thing is he can skill work on his technical skills as it's a massive plus when it comes to automation and know how systems work.

Getting started in coding