Realistic job chances??

Drexel

Hi all.

I am currently starting to do a few java courses as programming is always something ive been interested in. Ive completed a basic introduction to java course and got on very well and liked it alot.

The two exams i plan to sit are, Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP) and the next step Sun Certified Java Developer (SCJD).

[HTML][/HTML]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Certified_Professional#Sun_Certified_Java_Programmer_.28SCJP.29

I also plan on doing a linux course to get to know that side of things a small bit. The qualification I plan on gettin out of this is Linux Professional Institute Certified - Level 1.

Provided I do well and pass this exams well would I actually be competent enough in java to actually get a job somewhere(if there is jobs!!), or would I need to do alot more courses?

I will prob be able to get a small bit of experience of programming in the job im in now once ive done the exams as they do a bit of programming in the company i work for.

Thanks

John_Mc

The company I work for (a solutions provider with a big name) are taking on Java developers at the moment. If this place is anything to go by then you won't have any problems.

Certifications do a good job of proving that you know your stuff, but I'd recommend working on some real life practical projects so you have a portfolio to show and discuss in interviews.

Best of luck

Drexel

Thanks for the reply john.

Its good to know that im not just wasting my time! Is there any other things you thing I should look into?

I was thinking maybe just knowing a small bit about SQL too as alot of jobs i see advertised are lookin for database knowledge.

For my portfolio do you mean writing my own program that I could take to interviews with me?? Im a long way off that yet but its good to know.

John_Mc

jonny666 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply john.

Its good to know that im not just wasting my time! Is there any other things you thing I should look into?

I was thinking maybe just knowing a small bit about SQL too as alot of jobs i see advertised are lookin for database knowledge.

For my portfolio do you mean writing my own program that I could take to interviews with me?? Im a long way off that yet but its good to know.

Yes nearly every real life project you work on will require a database of some sort, so you should definitely cover this. Relational database design and simple queries would be the minimum you would be expected to understand.

I'd also recommend learning structured data such as XML.

You can then start looking at web services which deliver data using Xml.

Don't feel overwhelmed by this. Programming involves constantly learning new technologies and techniques so you'll always have something to learn more about.

In terms of demonstrating your portfolio, in most cases just talking about the projects you've done is enough to articulate your skill set. If you're particularly happy with your code then you could even offer to send it to the interviewer afterwards, if they were interested

The point is - interviewers want people who like programming and technology. If you can get that across to them then you've a very good chance at getting the job.

Drexel

The point is - interviewers want people who like programming and technology. If you can get that across to them then you've a very good chance at getting the job.

That is good to know because i have a strong interest in it. Ever since my C64!

Thanks for the help John. I just wanted to know was I wasting my time and its good to know im not.

Hobbes

jonny666 wrote: »

The two exams i plan to sit are, Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP) and the next step Sun Certified Java Developer (SCJD).

SCJP will ask you questions which you won't need to know when developing, but is to make sure you have a broad knowledge of the Java language.

SCJD exam is a year project. You are given the exam details and you have to write the spec and everything.

Even if you were developing in Java for a number of years you are looking at 1-1.5 years to complete those exams.

So don't get discouraged. I'd recommend ignoring the the SCJD until you have passed the SCJP (can't sit it until then anyway).

Provided I do well and pass this exams well would I actually be competent enough in java to actually get a job somewhere(if there is jobs!!), or would I need to do alot more courses?

Sadly there are exam dumps out there that devalue the exams. So just the exam results isn't going to cut it. Nearly every place I know will test you (their own exam) to make sure you know the stuff. So taking shortcuts won't help.

So apart from the exam I would suggest working on mini projects or if you are competent enough examine an open source project and see if you can improve it for yourself.

Other thing to try is work experience. Talk to FAS (if unemployed).

Other things to study if you are going the development route.
- Source control. For Java the main ones are: Subversion, CVS.
- Project building. For example Apache ANT.
- Unit Testing.
- Agile development
- Common used patterns in development.

Trojan

A lot of software development is meta stuff, it's not all coding. If you're really lucky, you'll end up somewhere with a build engineer who will deal with all the hassle of different environments and setup, but you will still need to have some knowledge of it yourself.

+1 to everything Hobbes said, especially:

Hobbes wrote: »

Other things to study if you are going the development route.
- Source control. For Java the main ones are: Subversion, CVS.
- Project building. For example Apache ANT.
- Unit Testing.
- Agile development
- Common used patterns in development.

Each of these are things that are iceberg-like. Go learn the tip of the iceberg in several different areas: learn how to compile/run basic Hello World in 5-10 different scripting languages, and try put them under source code. Run a regression test that monitors output, then change the output and debug.

Drexel

Thanks for all the replys. Im gettin a bit ahead of myself here. Im just goina take it one step at a time and see where I stand.

The main thing is im not wasting my time.


Thanks for the help!!