What vocational training do I need to study to become a programmer?

Many of the programmers I know are programmers without having studied a career strictly related to computer science. The truth is that programming is not something exclusive to computer scientists either. And it is also true that not all computer scientists program.

And although it is one of the most stereotypical activities, where people expect to find lonely guys with their tracksuit hoods up, throwing lines at the crack of dawn in a room full of Lord of the Rings or Star Wars posters, with a lot of dark ambient playing in their headphones and little social life, the reality is that there are many reasons to say categorically that anyone who sets their mind to it can learn to program, that the world of programming is not the preserve of a select few and that a development team can learn to program more easily, the reality is that there are many reasons to say categorically that anyone who sets their mind to it can learn to program, that the world of programming is not the preserve of a select few, and that a development team is more productive when its ranks are made up of motley people with different tastes and different points of view who may not know who Frodo Baggins is. Steve Jobs once said that "everyone should learn to program, because it teaches you to think".

What professional training qualifies you to become a programmer?

You can obtain the necessary skills to develop applications and program with different programming languages by studying higher education courses such as Multiplatform Application Development (DAM) or Web Application Development (DAW), among others.

In them you learn to program with different languages such as Java, C#, SQL, JavaScript and PHP, and learn to identify and become fluent with HTML, CSS, XML and other markup languages, which can be of great help to make your applications work on any device and send and receive data from any platform.

On the other hand, as a programmer I think it is very important to have knowledge about databases and SQL, as in most software development projects it is required to interact with data in some way and that is why, in ESIC, we give special importance to it.

SQL is the language used to interact with relational databases, which are the most common, and knowing it will form a strong foundation on which to build a large number of applications. It will also help you understand and manage other types of databases.

In addition, knowledge of databases will allow you to better understand how data is organized and stored in a system and how it relates to each other. This will help you design better applications and optimize their performance.

In these training courses you will first learn to understand the methodology of programming, the logic that leads to the creation of an algorithm to perform any operation. You will understand how important it is to plan, gather information, weigh the possibilities or outline the processes to be followed before throwing a single line of code. Later, you will be introduced to learning the syntax and morphology of various programming languages and, before you know it, you will be developing useful and functional software.

Career opportunities for a programmer

There are several professional opportunities to study a higher level training cycle in DAM and DAW:

• Software developer: Design of web, mobile or desktop applications, video games, artificial intelligence systems or management systems.
• Systems analyst: Design, implementation and maintenance of computer systems.
• System administrator: Configuration, optimization and maintenance of computer systems, as well as network and system security.
• Database Technician: Implementation, administration and maintenance of databases.
• Researcher: Research and development of new technologies in the field of computer science, both in academia and in business.

 

Is there a possibility of entering a university degree after completing the cycle?

It should not be forgotten that by studying a higher level training cycle in DAM or DAW, you will be recognized credits to complete subjects at university (between 60 and 120 ECTS).

You will be closer to completing different university degrees related to computer science, such as the degree in Computer Engineering, which provides a generalist training in computer science with special attention to the design, development and maintenance of computer systems; the degree in Information Technology Engineering, which focuses on the application of information technologies to different fields such as business, industry, health, etc.; or the degree in Information Systems Engineering, focused on the design, development and management of information systems for decision making in organizations and companies.

You can graduate in Computer Science, which provides a generalist training in computer science, design, development and maintenance of computer systems; or also in Computer Science or Software Engineering. There are other university degrees in which you can obtain credits after passing a higher level training cycle in DAM or DAW.

In summary, the higher education cycles in DAM or DAW are a very good option for those people who want to get into programming, to continue studying at university or to use the knowledge acquired and turn it into a profession with many possibilities in the complicated world of work.

We recommend that you keep up to date with the latest trends and acquire the right knowledge on what to study to become a data programmer. I invite you to take a close look at the Ciclo Formativo de Grado Superior en Diseño de Aplicaciones Web and the Higher Level Training Cycle in Multiplatform Applications Design..