Brad Davis
April 2, 2007
Mrs. Armstrong
Advanced English 10

Computer Programmer

   Coding, repairing, and maintaining computers – these are just a few of the daily activities that a programmer performs.  Programmers are people who “work in the field of electronic data processing.  They write instructions that tell a computer what to do . . .” (“Computer Programmers”; Encyclopedia 532).  The first civilian computer to help with the compiling of data was in the Bureau of the Census in 1951.  Data processing came from World War II.  It was impossible to keep up with so much data in time, so computers made it easier.  After the war, computers were put in government buildings and businesses (531-32).  Programmers have been working on artificial intelligence so that computers can make human-like decisions (“Computer Programmers”; Encyclopedia 532).  Understanding the career of a programmer involves understanding the nature of work, working conditions, and job outlook of the profession.

   First, a programmer produces code, tests computers and software, and takes care of the programs running on the computer  (“Computer Programmer” 96).  A programmer also has to monitor the computer's performance and has to be certain there is not anything wrong with the computer (Williams 22).  Programmers code in languages that are turned into assembly so the computer can understand it (Weigant 18).  There are many different programming languages that a programmer can use (“Computer Programmers”; The 98).  A few of the older ones are BASIC, Cobol, Fortran, Pascal, RPG, CSP, and C++.  C++ is still used often today.  A system analyst makes a list of program specifications.  The programmer follows that list that the computer has to follow in order to do its task.  Those instructions get coded by the programmer so that the computer can understand them.  A programmer has to look over the work request before he or she starts to program.  He or she has to predict the outcome as they plan and code
(“Computer Programmers”; The 98).  He or she also may have to load the printers with paper.  He or she has to keep data files organized (Williams 22).  Most programmers work in a nice office that is air-conditioned and dust-free.  He or she may need to travel to finish a project (“Computer Programmers”; The 101).  The average programmer have to work about thirty-three to forty hours a week (“Computer Programmers” Encyclopedia 534).  A programmer spends a long time in front of a computer.

   Second, a programmer should enjoy working with computers and understand how they work.  Programmers have to know how different devices work with each other (Spencer 46).  This means they also have to know how hard drives work and how other devices work with them (Spencer 46).  Many times a Bachelor's degree is needed to get a programming job (“Computer Programmer” 98).  A programmer needs a four-year degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or physics (Weigant 13).  Most companies look for programmers who know languages such as Java or C++ (“Computer Programmer” 98).  A future programmer should take any computer programming classes that his or her high school offers (99).  He or she should focus on courses such as math and science.  Many programmers are on a contract-basis.  They work for a while and then move to another company (98).  There are 499,000 jobs for programmers (“Computer Programmer” 98).

   Third, the average salary is about $40,000 for someone who has recently graduate college (“Computer Programmer” 100).  Programmers who do software-publishing make about $66,870 a year (“Computer Programmer” 99).  Programmers usually receive the same benefits as any other person (Williams 22).  They get a one week vacation the first year they are working with a company.  After two years, they get a two-week vacation (Williams 22).

   According to the U.S. Department of Labor, job opportunities should increase even faster than it already is (“Computer Programmer” 101).  Schools and businesses look for new software to replace what they already have (101).  Also, businesses need more programmers who can program things for data transfer with things such as wireless networks.  An advantage of programing in C, instead of other languages, is that it makes it easier to switch to C++ (Brain 1).  With those languages, one can understand and make code for many of different platforms (Brain 1).  A programmer only works with a small amount of supervision (Williams 24).  He or she is allowed to stray away from his or her work by checking personal emails and posting on forums (Interview).  He or she is allowed to dress casually (Williams 24).  He or she is also allowed to listen to music while they work.  A programmer has to keep doing the same tasks over and over.  He or she has to work for long periods of time.  He or she usually has to work on holidays as well (Williams 23).  A programmer has to deal with a large amount of stress they get pressured to finish a job faster (Weigant 14).  For a more serious matter, programmers can get things such as back pains, eye strain, and Carpel Tunnel Syndrome from typing all day (“Computer Programmer” 98).  If a programmer loves computers he or she looks past the disadvantages and enjoys the job.  As shown, programmers must be willing to dedicate numerous amounts of time and energy to typing code.  In order to truly understand the life of a programmer, one must understand the work he or she performs and the mindset he or she must have while on the job.