Computer Programmer

Today, all three of the traditional sectors of the economy—agriculture, manufacturing, and service—are experiencing technological displacement, forcing millions onto the unemployment rolls” (“End of Work”). However, there is a sector of the economy that is steadily increasing. The knowledge sector which contains entrepreneurs, scientists, computer programmers, etc. is expected to absorb some of the millions who will be jobless in the upcoming decades. “About 455,000 jobs in 2004” were occupied by computer programmers (bls.gov). A person who is fond of becoming a computer programmer should have a basic understanding of the nature of its work, the education and/or training required, and its current employment status.

A regular day in the job of a computer programmer consists of “writ[ing], test[ing], and maintain[ing] the detailed instructions called programs, that computers must follow to perform their functions” (bls.gov). Their tasks can be as simple as creating a program that can be written in an hour or as complicated as a complex mathematical formula that may require more than a years worth of work. Programmers write programs according to the specifications determined by computer software engineers and system analysts. Then they test the programs by running it themselves, making sure that the program produces the desired outcome and that there are no errors. If an error does occur, the programmer must make the appropriate change until it produces the correct results. This process is referred to as testing and debugging. Programmers may continue to test and debug the programs throughout the program’s life. They also “update, repair, modify, and expand” their existing programs in an effort to maintain and modernize the programs (bls.gov). These tasks are achieved during a 40-hour week for most programmers. However, hours can be long and overtime required as emergencies and deadlines arise. Most programmers work in offices in comfortable surroundings but some work in government offices, hospitals, and educational institutions. The situation that programmers are positioned into is greatly influenced by their level of education and their previous training.

People who pursue a career in computer programming normally possess a “bachelor’s degree in computer science, mathematics, or information systems” (calmis.ca.gov) and are generally skilled in programming, critical thinking, problem solving, etc. Programmers should be skilled in complex problem solving and be able to identify the problem and to develop and implement proper solutions. For example, programmers should be able to “configure an operating system to work with different types of hardware” and facilitate the operating system “to best meet the need of a particular organization” (bls.gov). Although the required skills for computer programming vary from each specific job, the demand for specific skills is typically influenced by the changes in technology. Attaining certain achievements will improve a computer programmer’s chance at acquiring a desirable job. For example, programmers who possess a certificate in a language-specific