I could make this topic pretty lengthy, but the
short answer to that question is passion
and opportunity. Like most IT folks, I have a passion for
working with computers. It began as a
hobby in high school (does anybody remember what a LAN party is?), was set
aside during my college years (no time!), and resurfaced in the years that
followed. Eventually I convinced myself
that beginning a new career in something I loved was worth pursuing.
There’s also tremendous opportunity available in
software development, in both the demand for jobs and the compensation
available. Software developers are
consistently ranked among the most in-demand jobs, and the pay range can be
pretty significant as well. It’s not
uncommon to hear about developers getting multiple job offers per month. Having a skill set that is in such high demand
provides great job security and gives you more flexibility to choose your
career path.
Once I made the decision to learn programming, the
next question to answer was “Where will I
go?” I rather quickly dismissed the
option of a bachelor’s degree. The
wonderful thing about computer programming is that, unlike many other
professions, having the appropriate skills matters much more than what type of
degree you have or where it’s from. I
knew that an Associate’s Degree would quickly provide me with the skills I
desired, so I knew a technical college was what I wanted.
An important aspect for me was flexibility; I
needed to be able to fit school in while working full-time. MATC provided the option of offering the entire
degree online. I could go to night
classes when able to, and take classes online when that wasn’t an option. I should also note that the cost of going to
a tech school is considerably less than going to a four year college. While this wasn’t a deciding factor in my
decision, it has certainly been a tremendous help.
