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Seeking a computer career in 5-8 years... help me research!



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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, Jan 20 2020, 6:57 pm
I'm in my 40's, and have always had flexible jobs/businesses so that I could put being a mom first. In a few years, my youngest will be old enough to be home alone.

My current business is very successful B"H, yet I'm pretty much maxed out. I'm the highest price in my industry for miles around, and have lots of clients. However, it's an intensely physical business, and I wonder if I'll have the physcial stamina to keep this up as I get older.

Therefore, I'm looking for a new career. Preferably one that is a desk job.

I'm reasonably good at computers, and would like to study a field that is lucrative, as our family's expenses are mounting as the kids get older.

How would you suggest I research the computer industry?

How can I foresee which areas are least likely to become obsolete in 5-10 years?

How can I "dip my toe" into various computer courses, to see which ones I'd be the best at?

How can I discern which areas will require an advanced degree versus a Bachelor's? I have a BA in a general subject from when I was young.

Thank you very much!
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shanie5




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jan 20 2020, 8:09 pm
cyber security is supposed to be a great field.
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flowers12345




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 21 2020, 6:50 am
The field of "computers" is very broad! I suggest you try to narrow down what aspect specifically you think you might be interested in.
Try looking into:
-Computer programming [What all those geeks at Google do]
-IT [more of the physical aspect of computers, troubleshooting computer problems]
-Cyber security [making sure that computer systems are safe from hackers etc- only one aspect, it has many more!]
-Web design [exactly what it sounds like - either designing only the way the website looks, or also writing the code to make it look that way]
-Graphic design [a little different than the other ones I wrote but it's still computers-related and if it works for you it's a great field!]

For most of these you will need a BS in computer science - or graphic design if that's what you want to do [unless you want to do freelance, of course, in which case all you need is any random course/training]
For some you may need a master's also but I have found that in this industry companies tend to put more emphasis on what you can do rather than on how many degrees you have, and if you're good they'll take you no matter how long you were in school for.
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Rappel




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 21 2020, 7:20 am
The tech industry right now is breaking into a new field called quantum computing. Once they figure out how to effectively use this technology, it's going to be a watershed moment for many programmers. Those whom understand it and can create good algorithms for it will be crowned king, and everyone else will wash out.

So if I were you, I would start tracking the hows and whats of quantum computing now, before it gets too complex. It's pretty math heavy, but one way or another, it will change the future of computing.
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amother
OP


 

Post Tue, Jan 21 2020, 10:21 am
Rappel wrote:
The tech industry right now is breaking into a new field called quantum computing. Once they figure out how to effectively use this technology, it's going to be a watershed moment for many programmers. Those whom understand it and can create good algorithms for it will be crowned king, and everyone else will wash out.

So if I were you, I would start tracking the hows and whats of quantum computing now, before it gets too complex. It's pretty math heavy, but one way or another, it will change the future of computing.


This sounds very interesting!

Are there any specific websites or forums you can recommend, where I can learn more, or should I just Google around?
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amother
OP


 

Post Tue, Jan 21 2020, 10:24 am
flowers12345 wrote:

-Computer programming [What all those geeks at Google do]
-IT [more of the physical aspect of computers, troubleshooting computer problems]
-Cyber security [making sure that computer systems are safe from hackers etc- only one aspect, it has...


Thank you Flowers!

These are 3 areas that highly interest me! I definitely do not want to do any kind of artistic design stuff; I’ve dabbled in that.

My main concern is potential for high income. I think that I can get good at anything that I study intensely. Are there any websites or courses you’d recommend where I can dip my toe into these industries to see what I’d be best at?
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amother
Cobalt


 

Post Tue, Jan 21 2020, 11:04 am
I would set up a conversation with the head of the computer science department at a college you might attend with a reputable department. We sat in on the comp sci presentation at YU's open house this year, and the professor was very forthright about what each path is, what is required for it, current average income, and which paths lead to jobs that will be obsolete in x number of years.
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Bleemee




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 21 2020, 11:10 am
amother [ Cobalt ] wrote:
I would set up a conversation with the head of the computer science department at a college you might attend with a reputable department. We sat in on the comp sci presentation at YU's open house this year, and the professor was very forthright about what each path is, what is required for it, current average income, and which paths lead to jobs that will be obsolete in x number of years.
Great tip. What did they predict will be obsolete?
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Rappel




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 21 2020, 11:14 am
amother [ OP ] wrote:
This sounds very interesting!

Are there any specific websites or forums you can recommend, where I can learn more, or should I just Google around?


I'm only casually interested, so I'm not the one to ask, but I'd say Google is your best place to start. Programmers all over are theorising about how to use the lower/lowest quantum states, and I don't know if there is any central think tank for such discussions.
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amother
Cobalt


 

Post Tue, Jan 21 2020, 11:24 am
Bleemee wrote:
Great tip. What did they predict will be obsolete?


Off the top of my head, basic programming, but there was more. He was stressing systems and larger scale work, and after that I let dh who works in this field take over understanding things.
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amother
Lawngreen


 

Post Tue, Jan 21 2020, 3:03 pm
amother [ OP ] wrote:
Thank you Flowers!

These are 3 areas that highly interest me! I definitely do not want to do any kind of artistic design stuff; I’ve dabbled in that.

My main concern is potential for high income. I think that I can get good at anything that I study intensely. Are there any websites or courses you’d recommend where I can dip my toe into these industries to see what I’d be best at?


Try udacity.com or udemy.com. You can take courses for cheap or for free to see what the fields are all about. You can also use Codecademy or Khan Academy to learn the intro to programming and cybersecurity. Not sure about IT.
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amother
Pink


 

Post Tue, Jan 21 2020, 4:23 pm
Maybe try subscribing to some tech magazines like wired
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amother
OP


 

Post Tue, Jan 21 2020, 6:28 pm
amother [ Cobalt ] wrote:
I would set up a conversation with the head of the computer science department at a college you might attend with a reputable department. We sat in on the comp sci presentation at YU's open house this year, and the professor was very forthright about what each path is, what is required for it, current average income, and which paths lead to jobs that will be obsolete in x number of years.


Thank you very much!

Would your DH be open to doing a 30 minute paid phone consult with me? I’d really love to hear more about this!
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Jan 22 2020, 2:06 pm
OP here bumping this up for the Wednesday evening crowd! Thank you!
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amother
Emerald


 

Post Wed, Jan 22 2020, 2:23 pm
Have you ever programmed anything? You say that you're "good at computers," but it's unclear to me whether that means using a computer or programming on a computer.

If you haven't programmed anything, try to learn some programming in any language (commonly used languages include C++, Java, Python). If you're interested in Web development specifically, get your feet wet in HTML, CSS and Javascript. See how you like it and if you're good at it.

You're not going to be able to get into any of these fields (such as cybersecurity or quantum computing) without basic programming skills, so start there and see where it takes you.
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Jan 22 2020, 2:59 pm
amother [ Emerald ] wrote:
Have you ever programmed anything? You say that you're "good at computers," but it's unclear to me whether that means using a computer or programming on a computer.

If you haven't programmed anything, try to learn some programming in any language (commonly used languages include C++, Java, Python). If you're interested in Web development specifically, get your feet wet in HTML, CSS and Javascript. See how you like it and if you're good at it.

You're not going to be able to get into any of these fields (such as cybersecurity or quantum computing) without basic programming skills, so start there and see where it takes you.


Thank you very much.

I can do a bit of HTML and CSS, and have built several websites, so I feel that I would have a knack for it if I'd study it. I learned what I know with just a bit of Googling.
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ggdm




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Feb 04 2020, 12:39 pm
If you know HTML and CSS and like it, look for a course in Web development with JavaScript to see if programming is for you. Any free MOOC. I like Coursera, but it doesn't matter. I wouldn't pay, it's just to see if you like programming. Alternatively to JavaScript, Python may be a good choice, it is easy to start and there are many courses.

To see if IT/administration is for you, you should try to set up some IT infrastructure. Maybe your new internet, maybe some smart home stuff, maybe set up a webserver with Wordpress and a database on your computer (no real use). Just to see if this kind of task annoys you or challenges you.

In my opinion, what you need to be a good programmer is logical thinking, be structured and formal. For IT you need also structured thinking, but more problem-solving, detective skills. You need to be prepared to always learn new thing. The field is always changing and you will have to keep up. Which is one point that may more difficult for an older person.

Someone mentioned quantum computing. Unless you are very good in university-level math, I would keep out of it. Unless of course you find it fascinating and are willing to learn LOTS of maths!

Final thought: The field has very few focus on degrees, titles, certificates and all that stuff. If you can show that you know something, it is good enough. In my company there are many people who did not graduate in computer science.
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2gether




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Feb 04 2020, 12:45 pm
amother [ Cobalt ] wrote:
Off the top of my head, basic programming, but there was more.


Any more details?
Like what should us programmers do instead to not become extinct?
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