Hi Prashant, This kind of message is difficult to answer since I do program but use it as a part of my job and these days as a hobby.
So following are my few queries. 1. What basic skills they need to have? PL] A lot would depend on the kind of program they want to write. 2. How they can test themselves whether they can do programming or not? PL] Are you going to test yourself before becoming a scientist? It is all about the ability to learn. Do a short course in the subject or read a book on programming. 3. Any preliminary exam / test they can give to test their logic development and basic program development skills? PL] I do not know. Try solving a real world problem for yourself. For instance, if you track expenses in Excel, try to write a macro to remind you to warn you if you are going over your budget. 4. You have option to go for programming training at training institutes like N I I T, Aptech, etc. or you can do it from NAB Karnataka, NIVH, GTL, etc. what we can suggest considering factors like fees, duration, market recognition, course content, training quality, etc. PL] I don't know. However, it is best to go for a university degree since programming, like any maturing profession is becoming organized. 5. What about communication skills, English, Maths knowledge? PL] It is all dependent on the programs you are writing. Good communication skills are crucial since you will need to advocate for yourself in any job. 6. Students and their parents spend huge amount in enrolling them for programming course from private institutes but is it worth? PL] It is better to get industry experience and strong references and then gain industry credentials. I cannot comment on institutes. 7. What is a current status on getting break into programming job? Many IT companies do prefer engineering and computer application degree as entry criteria. and what about accessibility at work place for differnt programming situations, remote servers, GUI development, sharing terminals, team support, seniors / colleague awareness, etc. PL] Good questions but I cannot comment on any trends. I suspect accessibility would vary from project to project. Try to join companies that work on multiple platforms so that if one platform becomes inaccessible, then you have some scope for being shifted to another project. 8. What you will advise these students in general? PL] In general, get some experience first. Try working on active open source non-disability related projects so that you can showcase your skills. There are also online market places such as rentacoder.com where students can sell their skills. A job is not the only way to go. Pranav To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
