iamacp.com – I Am A Computer Programmer
All about the daily work issues of a Java/J2EE Computer Programmer

Programming trends are always changing. A hot technology last year may not be a hot technology this year. Rapid change is the very nature of the industry. It can be very challenging and time consuming to keep up. I will discuss some of the ways you can keep updated with technology.

• Developer Conventions & User Groups: Keeping up date with the latest programming trends are great but there are offline ways to to keep updated. Attending technology groups and going to developer conventions are other great ways to learn about the latest programming trends. Meetup.com  is one site that you can find groups related to interests of your choosing.  Another advantage to attending these is that you can’t a chance to network with like minded professionals.

• Read: I highly recommend reading anything and everything you can about the latest programming trends This includes even if you never use the technology. Reading by far is the best ways to learn about technologies.  Reading multiple types of web sites including forums, blogs, and niche site are great ways to keep updated with technology. Reading books are good too if your interest in learning a technology. If you read industry magazines that’s another good thing to do. (although I prefer anything online since it’s usually more up to date).

• Watch Videos: Watching videos is another great way to learn about the latest programming trends.  There are many sites that contain videos about technology of all kinds. You can find videos discussing everything from new technologies to actual tutorials teaching you the technology.

Time is valuable and it takes time and effort to keep up.  Any time you spend keeping updated with the latest programming trends is well worth it.  Even if you just watch a short video or visit a blog regularly it helps  substantially. You become more knowledgeable about the industry than those that never do anything more than go to work and go home. There’s are just some of the ways that you can keep updated with the latest programming tends.

Having a backup plan is one of the most important thing any professional should do. This holds true  if your a technology professional or not. What would you do if you lost your job tomorrow? You should always do whatever it takes to protect your own interests at all costs.

If you think companies truly care about protecting there own employees interests your wrong. It all comes down to protecting the needs and interests of the company. You can easily be let go at any time and without cause.  When coming up with a backup plan you should ask yourself these questions:

• What would happen if you lost your job today?
• Would you be able to pay your bills?
• Would you have enough contacts to start looking for a new job immediately?

These are just some of the questions you should ask yourself when coming up with a backup plan.

Everyone’s experience if different.  I can’t stress that enough. On the job I have had quite a few experiences with people that just didn’t seem to get why people didn’t have the same experience as them. The best way to explain how different developer’s can have different experience is using the below 2 examples:

• 2 Java Programmers Have 5 Years Experience: One of the developers is mid level developer working for a financial firm. The 2nd end developer is a senior developer working for a gaming company. They both have 5 years experience so they both should be at the same level right? This is not  quite true. Let’s say  the 2nd developer attended a better college or just had a better understanding of key skills used in his company.  Many factors besides years experience go into what makes someones experience.

• A C++ Programmer With 20+ Years experience Gets A PHP Job and has a coworker with 7 years Of PHP Experience: Does this make the C++ developer any less smart then the PHP developer with more PHP experience? Probably not. I’m guessing that C++ developer would be performing like a mid level PHP developer within a short amount of time and be a senior within a few years at the most.

As you can see from the 2 examples above there are many things that go into a persons experience than just the # of years experience that they have. Factors such as education, if they have had professional experience in the same field or just the industry they worked in.  Never assume that there is something wrong with another developer just because they have had different experiences than you have.