What is an entry level programming job?

[sathenzar]

I have been programming since I was 11, taking it more seriously at about 14 (I'm 25 now). I can work with C#, WPF, php, xml, as well as mysql (I'm going to not list basics such as html, css, etc since the that's a given if you design web sites). I can do some asp.net but realistically I couldn't do it professionally if someone just said "well, design xyz systems" as I could with C# wpf/forms applications.

To sumerize why I am writing this post, my friend just got his 2 year degree and u helped him all through it no problem and was wondering what do you need to know to get an entry level programming job and work your way up?

[Krome]

Entry Level = Bend over and prepare for entry :p

 

10 PRINT "I'M A NOOB"

20 GOTO 10

 

lol lots of silly meanie on Neowin

 

[seta-san]

Haha, speaking of spaghetti code, recently I looked back at my codes when I was younger.  And holy cow every other line was a goto statement.

 

See, my undergrad degree is in physics and my grad degree was in construction engineering.  Never had a day of formal training in programming.  I picked up everything myself.  So, back then, my favorite line of code was a goto statement.  It just seemed so convenient back then.  It wasn't until years later that I showed my sample code to a co-worker (for a short time, I worked as a programmer), and his head almost exploded.  I was like "what wrong?" 

 

Heck, my code nowadays still don't follow any of the rules that they teach you in school.  I don't comment at all.  For my sake, I put everything in blocks and all my methods and variables are named in plain language.

 

my code follows most all the rules. there is no reason to use a goto-statement unless you are doing really low level stuff and optimization is more important that readability.

[livingenzyme]

my code follows most all the rules. there is no reason to use a goto-statement unless you are doing really low level stuff and optimization is more important that readability.

I know there is no reason to use a goto statement.  But remember that I was never formally trained.  Never took a class in programming.  Everything I know is 100% self-taught.

[Active.]

Same. Self documentation.

 

When I come back to my code I almost never need to read my comments because my naming convention is quite natural-language-esque.

 

Ideally your code should readily reveal what you are doing and your comments why you are doing that.

[simplezz]

I know there is no reason to use a goto statement.  But remember that I was never formally trained.  Never took a class in programming.  Everything I know is 100% self-taught.

goto has its place. I find it useful for doing common cleanup that would otherwise be repeated multiple times in a function. If done correctly, it can make code cleaner and more efficient.

 

That being said, it's often misused and abused. Which is mainly where all the horror stories come from.

[livingenzyme]

Ideally your code should readily reveal what you are doing and your comments why you are doing that.

In some cases, yes.  I've written algos that are hundreds of lines long for complicated tasks.  Anyone who's ever programmed has done something like it.

[teriba]

You need a University degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering for any decent entry level job.

[Richard Grant]

my code follows most all the rules. there is no reason to use a goto-statement unless you are doing really low level stuff and optimization is more important that readability.

I used a goto once.

In a .bat script. then i deleted it.

Seriously.