Is computer programming a good job/field to get into?

I am thinking of going into a field that has to do with computers and technology and I was wondering what the pros and cons of it are and how long should I plan on staying in school lol. I know my cousin ended up going to school for almost 7 years because she switched her major.

Is computer programming a good job/field to get into?
I love being a programmer, I cannot imagine doing anything else. I love the constant challenge of new problems to solve, and the need to find a better solution.





One thing that turns off alot of people from the field is you constantly have to keep learning new technology.





I know a lot of out of work CoBOL programmers that love to blame outsourcing yet fail to accept responsibility for not leaning newer technology.





I remember back in school they senior faculty were all CoBOOL, CoBOL, CoBOL. They werent saying that when I showed them my first offer letter I received and accepted a week before graduation. Happened to set the schools record for first job being more than double the former first place, and about as much as the dean of the college made. And it was doing C development on Windows 3.1. Thankfully I have not had to to touch CoBOL since I escaped the internship they placed me in, finding the oldest CoBOL shop they could find to put me in. There is something wrong with being in your early 20s and the computer they have you writing code for is 2 years OLDER than you are.





Most companies I have worked for in the last decade have tried outsourcing. And found it just does not live up to the promises, and that the old enginerring addage is true...





Better


Faster


Cheaper





You can only pick two.





Now days about half my work is fixing code that some oursourced developer wrote that may have almost known the language syntax(yes, I said almost known it) but had no clue about how to write good performing and easy to update code. Design patterns......forget then knowing much less using design patters. I would settle for them that just know you really do need to close your data readers.
Reply:Yes, but Id recommend going into it with a gaming or medical specialization - like bioinformatics. Also if you have interest in math and science, look into computer or electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, biotech, genetics, which would also have good job prospects.
Reply:Programming, itself, is no longer the career it once was. More and more of it is being outsourced overseas.





But if you are doing computer work that HAS to be local, such as setting up networks or closely consulting with other professionals who are using the systems you can do well.
Reply:Programming: ok if you are comfortable with not seeing a lot of people in your work day. I would edge toward System adminstration if I were you. More lively.
Reply:The money is great, but 100% of the time you have to be "on-call" to fix problems that occur at night. Most businesses run the programs you wrote after hours, like from midnight to 6:00 when volume is light. If something goes wrong, they will call you.
Reply:I went to school for 4 years and I'm in the computer/technology field. I am a programmer, and I love the work. It can be quite rewarding, in the financial sense, and it's a field that will likely not go away or decrease in demand in the future. I actually have a friend who never went to college, and he's doing the same thing I am. But he has a wealth of experience.





Cons - it can be tough sitting here in front of a computer screen all day. You have to be sure and make an effort to exercise, because this is a sedentary job.
Reply:bad things about it....





~stuck in front of computer all day....





~bad for your eyes





~monotonous.....and you dont get to get out of your office!
Reply:Only if you really have a passion for it. Lots of programmers are being laid off and off shoring is occurring a lot. I tried it but just got so tired with it (C). You get good money but its hard at times.