What's the best way to get into computer programming for a college graduate already working in another field?

Question

I'm 27 years old and would like to learn computer programming

Answer 1

Depending on what your current field is, you can take programming courses, possibly in a community or junior college then find a company that makes programs for your current field.

Answer 2

I would say that from the time i started seriously programming in high school to the time that i was really good at it was five years.  It happened because i was obsessed with it, pretty smart, but constantly pushed the envelope. I always wrote things that expanded the kinds of things i could do.  But in the mean time, i picked up a mechanical engineering degree.  If you can show that you've done some programming in a previous job, you can typically get work doing that at your next job.

But when i got my engineering degree, i never once applied for any engineering jobs.  Perhaps that was an error.  But it was 1981, and there weren't that many computer science degrees offered yet (though my school offered one).  People were eager to hire an engineer, because they can do anything (which is true enough - just look at Star Trek, where an engineer makes a sub space radio out of bits of wire and rocks).  But at interviews, they'd say, "well you've taken some computer courses".  And i'd say, "well, just one - Lisp/Algol".  And they'd say, "well, you must have used computers in your engineering course work", and i'd reply, "no, only one engineering course i took required any programming at all, and it was maybe 50 lines of Fortran, and very simple, not even a loop."  And they'd hire me anyway, on the strength of my saying i could do what they needed.  I imagine it's different now.

Answer 3

STOP! WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T TAKE ANY COLLEGE COMPUTER PROGRAMMING COURSES!!!!!

Pretty much all college computer classes are out of date.  Try taking a class from microsoft or find a book showing you the type of programming you want to get into.  If you need help, call a friend.  

Answer 4

I don't know what you are into now and what kind of time you have to study, BUT...

If I were you, I would do some research first as to the kind of programming you might like to continue with.

Math is a MUST.

If you are into graphics, follow that end of it.

If you are more logical, be logical.

Music creation maybe?

Logistics perhaps?

Try a simple language for fun first, like BASIC or Visual Basic as it is quite English-like in it's make-up of commands.

If you become a super programmer, you might want to make tons of money and be a specialist in Assembler (Difficult to master as it has a lot of binary coding) with direct to register manipulation.

I could go on and on.

Play around, try some easy coding, then decide.

;-)