Programming career questions, please help?

Question

I have been programming for about 2 years now. My last (and first) programming job was doing vb.net windows apps and asp.net web apps. I left the job because there was only one other developer there to learn from and I REALLY want to be around experienced developers and where there are more opportunities for growth. Anyways, I have been at my new job for about 3 months. I get very frustrated because I am doing little or no programming, and am basically just doing tech support (analyzing and debugging code). There are a lot of great developers here but I am just not going the path that I want to be going. When I interviewed for this job, I bombed. I couldn't answer any simple programming questions, and that is why I am doing what I am doing now. They didn't want to give me a developing position, so they basically created this position for me. I would really like to go somewhere where I can be a programmer. I am just not confident about interviews because I feel like I can't answer any technical questions. Also, what can I do to really further myself? Should I read as many books as possible? What is the best way to advance and learn and get great at programming? How do I learn how to answer technical interview questions? I do my own little projects outside of work, but just for fun. The positive about doing what I'm doing, is that I get to look at a lot of good code, and it helps to understand what it is doing.

Thanks in advance!
Adam

Answer 1

If I read you correctly, it's not just one interview but that you continue to lack confidence and haven't made enough progress in your technical knowledge.



For myself (and for I think most of my colleagues), analyzing and debugging someone else's code is a great learning experience. Although it can be annoying and frustrating at times, too.



Perhaps the best route for you would be to stick it out, but to remind yourself that every analytical exercise is a learning experience. And when you run into something you don't understand, or something you think could be done better, that is the perfect time to (a) read and research alternative approaches, and/or (b) discuss the issue with the "great developers" that you do have handy in your current job. If done well, one of them would probably be happy to serve as an informal mentor to you. If you keep doing that, you may end up both learning more and impressing the developers enough to get a better job at the same place.

Answer 2

i'm uncertain, yet as right away as I checked on a nz governement information superhighway website, it stated that webdesigner is around NZ$40k/365 days or so, its no longer that lots, programming i've got have been given heard it would desire to earn 200k/365 days after a three month path, yet i particularly doubt that. i'm attempting to do a working notebook or pc pathway too, i'm doing an training administration situation in highschool and became recommended that a information superhighway website i made became extremely stable, and that i diden't attempt stressful on it in any appreciate. so i'm in basic terms making information superhighway pages to prepare.

Answer 3

hey there!..that's a tough one...let me share to you my experience hoping that it will help you think bout the two possibilities of your decision...my first job was in Financial Industry as a registered broker, but i resigned not because I'm not happy but it's a need..now I'm here in Info Tech industry, troubleshooting Internet and Networking issues w/c i think completely diff rent from each other ryt?...but decide in this way..leaving your company because you haven't attain what you ought to do is a good reason, but think of it the second way the main reason why you are in that position is because you mess up your interview..so why not prove to your current officers that the interview itself is not a basis for giving you that position..



patience is a virtue.."