In order to make a living as a programmer, unless you can seriously wow your
potential employers with raw ability, it's difficult to make any real money
unless you have a little piece of paper that says "Look what I can do!"
I've been programming in PHP, Perl, ASP, Java, Visual Basic, C and C++ to
some extent for the last seven years, but aside from a 1-year certification
in VB that has since expired I simply haven't been able to afford a
certification course. The also only offer your standard Computer and
Information Science degree here at the University of Delaware, nothing in
Web.
Here's something to do, though: most of the major universities I've looked
into do *not* offer a Web Development degree. Lobby to have it added, but
in the meantime look to your local community college or technical college.
They more often than not WILL offer courses and ultimately an associate's or
bachelor's degree in Web Development. More and more are offering courses in
open source solutions because the world appears to be getting over it's fear
of free products ("if they aren't charging for it, it can't be that good"
mentality). Certifications/degrees are not only just the difference between
getting and not getting certain jobs, but for the ones you can get it's also
the difference between $25,000/yr and $75,000/yr unless you really *are*
God's gift to programming.
Take care,
Mike Frazer
"Chris Lott" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
[EMAIL PROTECTED]">news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
> Computer science is considered an engineering discipline in most
> institutions. And I think that's good... we need people out there to
develop
> OS's, create database servers, etc. PHP can be effectively used in this
> curriculum, but C seems a lot more to the point.
>
> The place where PHP could (and should) make inroads is in the web
> development curriculum that is generally split off from the formal
computer
> science programs. I think that split is a good thing even if it is made
for
> the wrong reasons... and while one can quibble about "real programmers"
and
> such, these programs that encompass web design, web mastering, systems
admin
> and networking are the real ground for advancing PHP.
>
> Many institutions, like the one I teach for, are entrenched in ASP and
Java
> because that is understood by administrators as "a good thing to do" and
> because it is often easier to find instructors with these skills (or at
> least the certifications). But there are inroads being made. I have
> typically taught web design, internet and networking. Now I finally am
> getting a chance to teach a PHP/MySQL class as part of the web development
> curriculum (finally as in we finally found good instructors to take the
> other courses so that I would have time).
>
> Also, these programs are typically staffed by a cadre of aduncts. If you
> have PHP skills and teaching skills and you can basically donate your
time
> for the peanuts that are offered (and the fun of it), there is a place for
> YOU to help promote PHP.
>
> Someone else remarked that certifications would advance PHP. There is
> something to that, particularly in the corporate marketplace to USE it.
More
> often, in my experience, PHP is slow to be adopted in the corporate
> environment because MS is so entrenched, and because MS' firm
establishment
> on the desktop means hiring MS people, who naturally promote and hire
other
> MS people, and administrators often equate using other technologies with
> abandoning their desktops.
>
> Certification has an equally negative aspect, though, unless stringently
and
> particularly administered and granted, which would defeat the marketing
> ends.
>
> c
> --
> Chris Lott
> http://www.chrislott.org/
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