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(Web Development) Programming Certificates
Hey Guys,
I always appreciate the input of LowEndTalk as I know there are many experts here.
I want to get better at programming for web development and not only that. I also want to be able to prove that I can without showing all the work I've done.
My current real experience only consists of TCL programming for eggdrops (Irc bots basically).
I did this when I was 16-17 and really enjoyed doing it. I want to get that satisfaction again.
So my question is:
What certificates are of good value to have in your pocket?
Which certificates do you have in this field and why did you go for this one?
Where did you get them?
How did it help you?
And probably the most important question:
What skill set is required to comfortably create pretty much any web app you want?
You might ask, why would you care about certificates when only the skills are important.
Well, I might as well get prove that I did it as a bonus. (Plus there's still one wall in my office that needs decorating)
Thank you for reading.
I'm looking forward to your answers as always.
Comments
I would look into Symfony certification. I may even get one myself if I can spare the time.
Certificates are unimportant when you got the skills,
For example:
Bill Gates never got a higher education than Harvard University and dropped out in his first year. But then again, I don't assume you have an IQ of 160.
I know, but as I said. I might as well get it if it's not much extra trouble.
You need no certification for being a web developer.
Of all the jobs I've applied for, all public job postings at both startups and large corporations I have never seen a certificate being a prerequisite.
A Computer Science degree may be required in some cases however it can usually be swapped out by 5-6 years of industrial experience and many jobs, especially startups, don't require this and will do it based on your ability and other experience (e.g personal projects, contributions to OSS etc.)
Programming languages for web apps used today (definitely not a complete list):
For startups:
* Node
* Ruby (with Rails/Sinatra usually)
* Go (upcoming)
* Python (with Django
For corporate:
* .NET
I'm seeing PHP being frequently less used and less asked for however you can always find jobs for it, especially maintaining old code.
Well if your in America there aren't any certifications for programming beyond a college degree in general; although companies do offer certifications for some of their specific technologies if you pay for and pass the course. However, programming is very much a skilled based profession, hence in order to be a credible or respect programmer you have to have a strong portfolio.
As for skills...
Many hate it, but if you have to know the language of the trade in you want to be acknowledged, http://i.stanford.edu/~ullman/focs.html , is a great and free book to read to help you concrete then language and the basic and formalized methods of creating programs in your head.
Other than that learn html5, Ruby, JavaScript, basic data structures, and some type of database system. That should be all you need for any webapp.
Lastly just start coding more, a lot more, contribute to opensource projects , create your own..etc no one is gonna believe you can do anything until they see that you've done it before.
It depends, so I wouldn't make a sweeping generalisation like that. You gain skills by studying for a certificate for example, skills you wouldn't acquire without formal training, and having a document that proves you have the skills you do helps in a lot of cases.
Speaking from the point of view of someone who has been accepted to Mensa with a score of 161 (the highest attainable on the test I took), I'd rather have certifications than a high IQ when it comes to looking for work. It's the certifications that will get you the interview
Although IQ may help you stay ahead of the interviewer when the time comes.
Hope this helps.
I completly agree with you, but I'm just saying, Bill Gates was really smart, and that's why he could make it without a proper education.
Get a degree
Got a marketing degree. Not worth anything. Do you suggest getting another degree?
Indeed I like to see the certification as my goal. If I got some goals it makes studying a lot easier for me.
Nice paintings and encouraging art > certs on the wall IMO.
I'm seeing a lot of love for node developers lately, but ruby is dead, scala isn't as busy as it used to be and most of the jobs I'm seeing are for php. Laravel framework in php is getting pretty hot.
Depends on what you're trying to achieve, sorry for the general answer. If you want to work in an office for a medium to large company, pieces of paper proving skills will probably help.
It sounds like you're quite set on learning a server side language so at least you have targeted something relatively specific. Maybe consider what things you'd be interested in developing to further decide what languages you need/want to know.
"Web Development" used to fit the bill 10-15 years ago... I've since went from 'making sites' to mainly programming/database work with emphasis on online marketing. If i was starting with a blank slate I'd program in C/C++ straight off the bat with GPGPU in mind. 'big data' and such... you'll be glad you did ;o)
One more thing. Can't remember the specific number, but only around ~25% of Internet traffic is 'web' based. Partly due to video streaming services but also partly due to mobile devices running apps. Worth bearing in mind for the future.
Web-based opportunities from what I've seen tend to like you to be familiar with particular frameworks.
A designer in my company was a psychology graduate. A developer I know has a business degree. Both are self learned of course. So I guess it is never too late to do what you really want to do.