BECOME PROFESSIONAL IN PROGRAMMING

                                          BECOME PROFESSIONAL IN PROGRAMMING
                                   

PROGRAMMING  refers to understanding standard codes used to train the computers and using it to develop software.

A simple and easy way to become pro in this is that.
"PRACTICING THE CODE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF TIME IN REAL TIME"

First step is deciding to become a programmer.
Since you already did that, the main step would be to keep yourself motivated to become an awesome programmer that you have always wanted to be.

Now, first of all start with C language as this will make your basics very strong for learning more advanced languages. Also make you mathematics logic very very strong.

Practically implement each thing that you learn. That is the only way to become a good programmer. Practice.

After learning C, learn some object oriented concepts by learning C++.

You don't need to become an expert in C++. Just learning the object oriented concepts would be enough.

After that jump to java. And be an expert in it. Start with core java, then learn advanced java and J2EE.
Learn java based technologies like spring and hibernate.

And bang!You are a good programmer now !!

Good luck mate !

FOR MORE INSTANCE

To become a professional programmer, you most often follow a general pattern of steps:

1. Figure out what you wish to achieve with programming in general
2. Make yourself a solid plan for learning the skills you need
3. Work towards your goal step by step
4. Build practical projects of your own as you go (Practicing is everything!)
5. Research job openings to find out what companies are looking for
6. Create a stellar web developer portfolio where you solve those problems for employers you want to work for
7. Nail your interview with thorough preparation and by practicing your problem-solving skills
8. Land your first developer job!

Let’s look at some of the most important steps separately.

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1: FIGURE OUT WHY YOU WANT TO LEARN PROGRAMMING

This first point is by far the most important thing you need to consider.

Why are you interested in learning coding?

Try to be aware of and analytical about the reasons why you wish to learn programming. I don’t mean that you need to spend days or weeks figuring this out. But take some time and make sure you know what’s motivating you.

Once you figure out what your “mission” is, you will know what steps are necessary to achieve your goal.

Remember that learning programming is a process that will tie you up for a long time. And things will not always go the way you plan, trust me.

Hence, you need to be able to find your motivation over and over again. You will need at least several months or even years to reach your goals.

Let’s look at two different scenarios here. These two are the top reasons I’ve heard why people want to start learning coding.

REASON #1: I’M IN IT FOR THE MONEY

These days, becoming a developer can give a nice boost to your pay check. Right now, skilled programmers are some of the most sought-after employees worldwide. And also some of the highest-paid ones, too.

Thus, using all the resources out there to teach yourself how to code could really change your life. As an added bonus, working as a programmer or web developer could give you more freedom in life when it comes to working remotely, for instance.

And the best part is: it’s easier than ever to learn digital skills online nowadays, so your timing couldn’t be better.

REASON #2: I THINK CODING IS COOL – I’M GENUINELY INTERESTED

If this is the case, then congratulations! You will most likely keep going even when times get rough and achieve your goals in the long run.

Perhaps you’re trying to learn how to automate stuff at work. Believe me, there’s a ton of things you can do to speed up your work with Excel, for instance.

Or maybe you’re using a simple mobile application and you’re not quite happy with its features. Learning how to program your own mobile app isn’t as difficult as you might think.

So whatever your reason is, just be aware of it. Having a clear idea of what is driving you to learn coding will help you stick to your learning routine. If you’re not quite sure about your long-term goals, it’s really easy to slip out of your practising schedule.

What matters the most is that you learn coding in a way that keeps you motivated. You will find the right way to achieve your goal once you know why you want to reach it in the first place.

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2: KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO CREATE WITH CODING

This step will mainly determine the skills you need to learn in order to achieve your goals. Therefore, give it some thought before you start choosing your first programming language to learn.

With seemingly endless possibilities, coding can be used to the most diverse projects. You can start by thinking about the following questions:

• Are you interested in creating websites?
• Or would you rather build mobile applications?
• How about some data analysis and visualization?
• Or developing games or software?

Whatever it is that you wish to create, just be mindful about it. Of course, you could simply start learning a programming language for the sheer fun of learning it. However, your approach to learning would be completely different.

When you already know what sorts of problems you wish to solve with programming, learning it will definitely be a lot easier. When you’re learning about a specific topic, you can already have an idea about what you’re going to need that skill for in the future. Therefore, you will be more focused and pay more attention to what you’re learning.

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3: CHOOSE THE RIGHT PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE

Once you have a clear goal, you come to the next question: what do you need to learn to be able to reach it?

So knowing what you wish to create is a problem you need to solve. And a programming language offers you the tools to solve that problem.

If you’re interested in web development, for example, you would learn a selection of the following languages:

• HTML and CSS
• JavaScript
• Python
• Ruby
• PHP

The first three languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) are used for front-end development, meaning that they determine the look and feel of a website, for instance. These languages are the basic tools you need to learn in order to become a web developer.

For a kick-start into learning HTML and CSS, you can check out my review on HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites by Jon Duckett. It’s a beginner-friendly book that I really enjoyed – highly recommended.

— See also: Recommended HTML and CSS Courses for Beginners

— See also: Recommended JavaScript Courses for Beginners

The latter three (Python, Ruby, PHP) are used in backend development. These languages are responsible for the logic and the different functionalities.

— See also: Recommended Python Courses for Beginners

— See also: Recommended PHP Courses for Beginners

4: START SMALL, TRACK YOUR LEARNING

When you start learning coding, remember to be kind to yourself! Start at the beginning and set realistic targets for your projects. I know how it feels when you’re impatient about creating all sorts of awesome stuff, but try to keep it cool.

Pay attention at the beginning and really take your time to learn and understand the basics. That way you will build a stronger foundation for your future endeavors with coding.

As a beginner, you don’t need to aim for the stars. Just like a freshly-graduated engineer doesn’t know how to build the world’s tallest building, you don’t need to know how to create the next big search engine or social medium.

You don’t have to be the best coder in the world.

Therefore, try to come up with little motivations for yourself. Start with simple tasks, like writing a small program that only does one thing.

Then, while you’re writing one program, you will get an idea for the next one. This cycle is a learning process that is fueled by your curiosity alone.

Remember that intrinsic motivation I was talking about above? That’s exactly what’s happening here, too. You simply keep going because you enjoy solving little problems with coding.

With each problem that you solve, you are growing your set of skills and tools in programming. By reaching small targets one by one, things will start to come together. Then, slowly you will develop a skillset that will allow you to tackle bigger projects and solve more complex problems with coding.

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5: UNDERSTAND COMPUTER SCIENCE BASICS

How to start learning coding?

By learning Computer Science basics first!

When you learn how to code, you’re telling computers what to do for you. To get a better idea of what computers are capable of, I’d recommend learning the basics of Computer Science right away.

Understanding how computers work will make learning programming much easier for you. You can think of trying to drive a car but not knowing what will happen when you turn the steering wheel. That’s what it feels like to code your own programs and run them on a device you don’t understand.

For a more thorough post about the topic, check out Learning Computer Science Basics Before Coding.

The bottom line is that you will simply reach your goals faster when you’re familiar with the fundamentals of Computer Science.

RECOMMENDED COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSES FOR BEGINNERS

To help you out, here are a couple of online courses I can recommend for learning the basics of Computer Science if you’re an absolute beginner:

• Computer Science 101 – this is a beginner-level course on Udemy that will teach you everything you need to know about Computer Science in order to see quicker results while learning how to code.
• Computer Basics – this course at Team Treehouse is excellent for getting to know what Computer Science is all about and how computers actually work under the hood.
• Intro to Computer Science – learn the basics of Computer Science with this really well-structured and thorough course at Udacity. Throughout the course, you will code your very own simple search engine. As an added bonus, you will learn the basics of Python at the same time!
• Computer Science E-50 – this beginner-level course is taught at Harvard College. Needless to say, the professor does an amazing job with the course – and it’s free!

Simply browse through the courses and see which one seems interesting to you. They’re all great, so pick whichever you like and you’ll learn all you need to know for now.

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6: START AN ONLINE CODING COURSE

Ok, now you got a clear goal in your mind, you’ve chosen a programming language to learn, and you know a bit about how computers work.

Next, it’s time to actually start learning coding, finally!

Luckily, you will not have difficulties in finding enough resources online to get you started. Quite the opposite: the Internet is so packed with coding tutorials, guides, and courses that it’s hard to find the best ones out there as a beginner.

Here are a few great resources for you to start learning the programming language of your choice for free: 8 Great Websites for Learning Programming for Free.

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7: RESEARCH JOB OPENINGS TO FIND OUT WHAT COMPANIES ARE LOOKING FOR

This is an important step that’s often overlooked by beginning programmers.

My point is: if you want to become a professional programmer, you want to learn the skills to get the job you dream of.

The best way to find out exactly what you need to learn is to browse through job openings in your region. If there are a few companies you’d really like to work for, see if they are looking for developers right now.

Reading a few job descriptions gives you a good idea about the skills they are looking for. Those are the ones you should start learning asap.

The only way to get a job is to showcase your skills and demonstrate how you can bring value to an employer.

They are simply looking for someone who can solve their problems. So, show them how you can help them and the job will be yours.

Once you’ve done your research, you can continue learning the necessary skills and technologies for your dream job. Use whatever resources you find suitable and remember to build real-world projects of your own for your portfolio.

And again, remember that your portfolio projects should showcase those skills your future employer is looking for!

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8: START APPLYING FOR JOBS WHEN YOUR PORTFOLIO IS COMPREHENSIVE ENOUGH

This is pretty much what it all boils down to when you want to become a professional programmer.

As soon as you feel confident about your portfolio, start working on your resume and send out your first job applications.

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Ok this was a long answer, but I hope I managed to give you some helpful pointers on what to do in order to become a professional programmer.

The main point is: you’re not going to learn how to code by sitting down and saying that you want to learn programming.

Instead, your mindset should be more like this: you want to create something or solve a problem, and learning a programming language will be your tool for that.

Thus, coding itself is a journey, not a destination.

So try to be more aware of why you’re interested in learning programming. Simple as that. There are tons of great benefits from learning programming, even if you’re not aiming at becoming a professional programmer in the future. Once you have an idea of what you want to do in the future, you will find the right resources for learning.

Learning how to code is an amazing journey that can take you wherever you wish to go – at least career-wise. There are so many opportunities out there for skilled developers that you won’t run out of work anytime soon. Having learned web development really changed my life - and I haven’t looked back.

So, go out there, know what you want to do in the future and start working towards your goals!

You are a good programmer now !!

Good luck mate !