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Jose Baray
10/19/15
Dr.Smith
Career Research Essay
Computer Programming
What do you want to be when you grow up? one of the hardest questions you can
answer on a day to day basis. Many people know what they want to pursue and others like me,
are stuck in a blank area with potential careers floating around them. I, like many people, am not
sure what I want to be, but I am interested in computer science. The thought of creating
something to benefit people or even just make something that will bring hours of entertainment
is a wonderful thought. Computer programming is needed every single day, without it we would
not have apps on our cellphones or applications on our computer. I want to research the computer
science industry because the potential with a career in this industry in unimaginable. In todays
society computer science is one of the most sought after careers because of its range in pay and
the short time taken to get the bachelors degree requirement. There is a constant need for
computer programmers in todays work force. Having a computer programming degree enables a
person to pursue an endless amount of jobs.
The pay of a computer programmer can vary. There are many different wages, and they
all depend on what you may be working on. An example can be you could be working for
Microsoft and be developing a new program for their computers or just simply working on a
simple app someone wants you to develop. Those two jobs are on complete opposite ends of the

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pay spectrum and thats why the job can vary. Although the job wage can vary the yearly average
of a computer programmer is around $74,000 a year. This is good for an entry level job. The
average amount of jobs in this career in 2012 was 340,000 and that was growing 8% a year.
Adding 28,000 jobs a year to this career makes it one of the best to pursue because it will not be
difficult to find a job and previous job experience is not need to get a starting position in the
discipline.
Computer programmers write code to create software programs. They turn the program
designs created by software developers and engineers into instructions that a computer can
follow(Bureau of Labor Statistics). The responsibility of a computer programmer can vary
depending on your job; you can use the same example I used before with Microsoft. You may
have a lot more responsibility there than developing a phone app. What you may have to do as a
computer programmer is learn different programming languages so you can learn how to code in
those specific languages. The more languages you learn the easier it will be for you to find a job
or even do your job. Your main responsibility will be to write a program or update an existing
one. You can also add new functions to programs or fix bugs that people are experiencing to
make their time with the program more smooth and enjoyable. You can even create programs
that will help you write lines of code and will make your job a little more automated and easier.
A single project can take months to complete of can even take up to years to get finished.
Usually it is not just one programmer working on one project; they work in teams and divide
what they will do into parts, so you will usually have to work in groups.
Typically the requirements of a computer programmer are a bachelors degree. Usually
you get your bachelors degree in computer science and from there you can find a job
programming code. You may not need any previous work experience but it may help to show

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your employer that you are qualified to work for them. There have been some people that have to
schooling and they work in this field, usually they have learned languages on their own and they
have made programs that have got them noticed and hires for a company. There will be no on the
job training because all they training you would have got it through school, making this career
great because you dont have to wait after graduation to work. The growing industry will also
help you get a job because you will be in high demand.
I chose this discipline because I want to help people with daily life and I want to make
something that will impact someones life and eventually make it easier and more enjoyable.
Another thing is that this field is flexible; it can be turned into many fields with the correct
appliance of the degree and experience. The field is great for learning and expanding on the
knowledge you already know to expand your job and move up where you are working. I wanted
to pursue a career where my flexible skills were valued and I could help people. I chose this
career because the skills are very versatile. You can use computer science / data analysis in any
field so there are lots of opportunities not only to make money, but also for personal growth and
development. The field is constantly changing so there is always something new to learn, which
is good(Wong). After researching computer science I came to the conclusion that this is a career
I would like to pursue and make a living from.
There are many factors that make this career worth pursing, the high demand in jobs, no
need of work experience and the 70,000 average pay. The reason I wanted to research it is
because the many responsibilities and tasks that you have to overcome on a daily basis interest
me. The tasks are what make this job fun and having to interact with the team you will work
with. The growing field means that there will be many jobs by the time I will graduate and I
would love to be part of something that will revolutionize technology and help people with it.

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This job requires you to be able to work in a group and be independent all together. The industry
can also not be automated completely, there will always be a need for a computer programmer to
create the code for the automation if it ever becomes automated, meaning that the field will never
die.

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Works Cited
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition,
Computer Programmers
Ferguson, Andrew. "A History of Computer Programming Languages." A History of
Computer Programming Languages. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.
Wong, Sylvia. computer science degree. computer programmer. Email interview
US domectic Computer Science- Hambrusch, Susanne, Ran Libeskind-Hadas,
and Eric Aaron. "Understanding The U.S. Domestic Computer Science Ph.D.
Pipeline." Communications Of The ACM 58.8 (2015): 29-32. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 8 Oct. 2015.