Career Paths for Programmers 开发人员(软件工程师)职业路线

developer.*2006byJohnBennett,Jr.Page1of6Originalauthorownsandreservesallfuturerights.Reprintonlywithwrittenpermission.developer.*CareerPathsforProgrammersbyJohnBennettJr.IrecentlyinterviewedforaBusinessAnalystpositionwiththeCIOofalargemulti-nationalsoftwaredevelopmentfirm.Thismanwasinchargeofthecompany’sworldwideIToperations,includingoffshoredevelopmentprojects,forwhichhewassearchingforqualifiedBusinessAnalysts.TheinterviewquicklybecameacasualconversationaboutcurrenttrendswithintheITservicesector,howthecompanywasplanningtotakeadvantageofthosetrends,and,mostimportantly,howIcouldfitintothoseplans.ItwasduringhisevaluationofmyskillsthatIaskedhowIfitandwhetheritwastechnicalorbusinessskillsthatweremostvaluabletohisprojects.TheCIOsummeduphisadviceaboutmycareerpathwithonesmallsentence:“Stayonthebusinessside.”Businessskills,inthisCIO’sview,weremostimportanttohisfutureprojectsandtheindustryasawhole.Hisreasoningwasthathecouldtrainanyoneinthetechnicalskillsheneededforaproject,butfindingthosepeoplewiththenecessarybusinessskillstoguideanITprojecttosuccesswassomethingthatcouldnoteasilybeobtained.Hewentontosaythathefounditdifficulttofindpeoplewhocouldcommunicateoneventhemostbasicoflevels.Iaskedifmybackgroundasadeveloperwouldhelpingettingabusinessanalystjob,andheconcededthatalthoughit’snotarequirement,itcertainlywouldhelpmattersaslongasIcouldprovethatIwasn’t“tootechnical.”HiscommentsareconsistentwiththetrendthatallUS-basedprogrammershaveobservedsincethelate1990’s:globalsalarycompetitionamongstprogrammers,andagrowingviewinbigbusinessofprogrammingasacommodityskill.It’shardtocompetewithadeveloperinRussiaorIndiawhocanworkforafractionofwhatImakeminusbenefits.TheCIOmanagedtoreaffirmthesubtle,butmajor,shiftfromtechnicalskillstobusiness-technicalskillsintoday'slabormarket.Igaveweighttohisviewpointsincethepeopleinhispositionarethetrendsettersofthetechnologyindustry.Theyaretheoneswhosetthedirectivesforacompany’sITneeds,andoften,therequirementsdesiredforthehigher-payingpositions.developer.*DeveloperDotStar.comdeveloper.*2006byJohnBennett,Jr.Page2of6Originalauthorownsandreservesallfuturerights.Reprintonlywithwrittenpermission.IdidalittleresearchandfoundthattheUSBureauofLaborStatisticsOccupationalOutlookHandbookpredictsthatcomputersystemsanalystsareexpectedtobeamongthefastestgrowingoccupationsthrough2012.TheHandbookdescribesasystemsanalystassomeonewhomayplananddevelopnewcomputersystemsordevisewaystoapplyexistingsystems’resourcestoadditionaloperations.Itdescribesacomputerprogrammerassomeonewhowritesprogramsaccordingtothespecificationsdeterminedbysystemsanalysts.(Thebookdoesnotseparatelylistbusinessanalystasanoccupation.)AccordingtotheHandbook,intheUSsystemsanalystsheldanastounding487,000positionsin2004(upfrom468,000positionsin2002)comparedwith455,000jobsin2004forcomputerprogrammers(downfrom499,000in2002).TheHandbookalsostatesthatemploymentforcomputerprogrammersis“expectedtogrowmuchmoreslowlythanthatforothercomputerspecialists.”AndrecentestimatesbytheEconomicPolicyInstitutehaveputthenumberofjobsbeingoffshoredatapproximately330,000to500,000jobs.About100,000ofthosewerefull-timecomputerprogrammingjobs.ThekeytomaintainingagoodemploymentoutlookinIT,itseems,istomoveoutofprogrammingandupintomorebusiness-orientedITpositionssuchassystemsanalyst,businessanalyst,projectmanager,orsystemsarchitect.However,acomputerprogrammercan’tjustdecidetobecomeasystemsanalystorprojectmanagerovernight.Thejourneytakestimeandrequirestherightamountofexperienceandlearningtobesuccessful.MakingtheShiftSoyou’veseenthestatisticsandwatchedasthejobsinyourmarketslowlydisappear.Youwanttomovemoretothe“businessside,”butyoudon'tquiteknowhowtodoit.AsI’lldescribenext,makingtheshiftcanbedoneon-the-jobbygainingmoreresponsibility,polishingupyourproblem-solvingskills,andusingcreativityinyourwork.IbeganmyjourneyintosystemsanalysisanddesignbyacceptingmoreresponsibilitiesthroughouttheprojectIwasonwhenthingsprovedtoooverwhelmingformysuperiors.Igraduallyacceptedmoreoftheprojectmanagementandbusinessanalysisresponsibilitieswhentheopportunitypresenteditself.Forexample,IwouldwalktoSuzyinaccountingandworkoutanewenhancementwithherone-on-oneratherthanwaitformymanagertodoso.Overtime,asmymanager’sconfidenceinmyabilitiesgrew,theseresponsibilitiesbecameapartofmyjob.Itwasn’tlongbeforeIbecametheProgrammerAnalyst,andultimatelytheProjectManager,asnewpositionswerecreatedtofulfilldemandforourwork.developer.*DeveloperDotStar.comdeveloper.*2006byJohnBennett,Jr.Page3of6Originalauthorownsandreservesallfuturerights.Reprintonlywithwrittenpermission.Whentheneedarises,Irecommendwalkingtotheenduseryourselfandworkingwithherone-on-one.Yourmanagerwillberelievedwhenhediscoversthatyouarecapableofcommunicatingwithhisend-users,identifyingtheirissues,andresolvingthoseissuesbeforetheyarebroughtupintheweeklymanager’smeeting.EventhebestITmanagersneedasubordinatewhoisvisibletotheuserswhotheycantrusttogetthejobdone.Ifamanagerisslowlyfactoringhimselfawayfromtheday-to-dayworkingsoftheproject,welcomeit.Thehighervisibilitythatyoua