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Getting started in IT / Programming: Tips and Advice.

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  • 06-12-2012 7:12pm
    #1
    BigAl81
    Registered Users Posts: 1,116 ✭✭✭


    Hey,

    A friend of mine is looking to get into IT so I sent him the details below. This may be of some help to some other people so I have posted it here. The tips below are based on my experience working as an IT consultant on multi-million dollar projects around Ireland for the last 5+ years.
    Just a few tips if you want to get into IT. Learning to program is probably the best place to start. There are many different programming languages, but I would recommend Microsoft .NET C#. C# is very similar to Java, C++ and there is also a web development part to it called ASP.NET.

    It's not easy to learn and there is a bit of a steep learning curve, but with some persistence you can do it. I would say you would need 3 to 6 months of regular study at a minimum to get going, even up to a year of study, it's such a broad area with lots and lots to look at. After that you could look at sitting a Microsoft Exam and you would be a qualified programmer then!

    To help you start here are a few tips.

    You will need a development environment in which you will write your code, install Visual Studio Express using this link
    http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9709939

    Great free videos from Microsoft for C# beginners! Watch all of these and try and write some code as you go if you can!
    http://channel9.msdn.com/Series/C-Sharp-Fundamentals-Development-for-Absolute-Beginners

    Free Stanford university courses (not much there yet, but a database class starting Jan 15th that might be interesting). You can register here.
    https://class2go.stanford.edu/db/Winter2013/preview/

    After watching the videos, a book is probably the way to go, there are literally 1000's of books, but this is a good place to start.
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-Visual-2010-Step-Package/dp/0735626707/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1354816351&sr=8-2

    There are plenty of online forums where you can ask question when you get stuck, sign up here, and try to do a good but of googling for any problem you might have, then ask a question here...
    http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/csharpgeneral/threads

    Also, paid videos for around 20 quid a month here, very good, huge library, absolutly worth checking out. I think they do a 10 day free trial.
    http://www.pluralsight.com/training

    Easy as that!!

    Remember it's not an over night thing, you could set a goal to do a Microsoft exam at the end of 2013 for example.

    For some motivation, here is a .NET job for about 100 grand a year...
    http://jobview.monster.ie/Senior-Net-Developer-Job-Dublin-City-Centre-Dublin-Ireland-116637770.aspx

    Good luck!

    Go Team!


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    #2
    PrzemoF
    Registered Users Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭PrzemoF


    I'd also add python, C and programming for android / linux. Much easier to start, zero cost and it's a less frustrating for a beginner as you can dig in the code wherever you want and as deep as you want which is not the case with closed libraries/APIs.


  • Options
    #3
    ChRoMe
    Registered Users Posts: 2,021 ✭✭✭ChRoMe


    PrzemoF wrote: »
    I'd also add python, C and programming for android / linux. Much easier to start, zero cost and it's a less frustrating for a beginner as you can dig in the code wherever you want and as deep as you want which is not the case with closed libraries/APIs.

    C is less frustrating?!? LOL


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