From those with no previous experience in programming, to those who are desirous of adding more programming languages to their portfolios, there has never been a better time to delve into software development. Outside of traditional education and pursuing a degree in computer science, the Internet is replete with resources that can give you a headstart on your path to becoming a developer. Sometimes, though, even a computer science degree may not be enough for you to qualify for a programming job. Nobody knows this better than an Internet blogger known simply as “Okepi” whose post “How to Become a Programmer, Or the Art of Googling Well” has recently been making rounds due to his (or her) unconventional path to getting a programming job at Google. According to the blogger, despite his having pursued at computer science degree in college, he really wasn’t at all prepared for a career in programming – it simply wasn’t what the program at his college was designed for; rather, the blogger notes that pursuing computer science at his college prepared him for research as opposed to actual development – more theory as opposed to application. In his post, he despairs at his own incompetence, envious of those who actually went to technical schools or whose computer science programs actually trained them to move into software development. It wasn’t until he became friends with someone with actual programming experience that he really pushed himself to learn how to get into development. After attending a hackathon with that friend and creating further connections with other programmers, he began to actively use various free resources on the Web, such as Code Academy. And, when he didn’t understand anything, he simply Googled it to learn more about how to do it. He shortly landed himself a internship at custom software engineering company, and in the end found himself with a programming job offer from Google. The blogger notes that, when it comes down to it, anyone can become a programmer, if they’re able to put in the effort and actually do what it takes to keep learning…to Google something when we don’t understand. Read the blog post “How to Become a Programmer, Or the Art of Googling Well” in its entirety.
