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Benjamin Wickham
P. 6
1/18/16
Career Research Paper

In 1822, Charles Babbage created a difference engine that used interchangeable gears to
be programmed to create calculations. Many years later, electrical signals began to be used, and
the US Government created the ENIAC, a system that had to be programmed by presetting
switches and rewiring the entire contraption. Despite the fact it was a step forward, the sheer
enormity of rewiring the entire engine proved to be very difficult, and in 1945 John Van
Neumann created two concepts that drove us to the modern computer systems avalible today, the
shared-program technique that stated instead of having complex hardware that needed to be
rewired every time a new program needed to be executed, using simple hardware and giving it
complex commands would aid in the speed of computing. His second concept was called the
conditional control transfer, meaning that the computer will change the way it acts on logical
conditions, such as IF, THEN, and FOR loops, which determine how code will be executed (such
as IF this condition is true THEN execute this line of code or FOR as long as this condition is
true execute this line of code). This also allowed people to create libraries of code that could be
used and reused in a program. (Ferguson)
Once this system was created, people began to develop new types of systems and
languages that they could implement these ideas through. From FORTRAN to COBOL, LISP,
ALGOL, then finally to Pascal, and to C, the train of languages has grown and grown
(Ferguson). Today not only businesses and hobbyists use computers, but thanks to the work of
Bill Gates and Steve Jobs in the invention and popularization of the personal computer, all sorts

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of languages are in use, such as SQL, C#, C++, Python, Ruby, Go, and Java, all of which have
different forms and ways of implementing. To say the least there needs to be a lot more than one
person, in fact more than one type of person, to continue interpreting and controlling computers
in all of the different ways these languages have opened up. Hence the need for the computer
programmer and software designer.
Because of the sheer number of programming languages and applications thereof, the
simple fact is that the strongest skill a computer programmer has to learn, besides problemsolving necessary to use these languages properly, is the ability to learn quickly. In the job
market, the truth of the matter is that every single job on the market will want their employees to
use a different type of language in a different way, some of which that programmer wont know
completely, or at all, before being hired (Smith). Though most jobs would like their workers to
have at least a bachelors degree in computer science (Bureau of Labor Statistics), it is possible
to get a job in this field without one, as long as they are able to learn the code and perform on the
job (Smith).
There are two different related jobs that one could find themselves in while pursuing this
career. Though they are very similar, they have some very clear differences. The first is a
computer programmer and the second is a software developer. Those two jobs seem like they
would be interchangeable, but the main difference is that a software developer is in charge of
developing the concept and coordinating the efforts to create a project, while the computer
programmer is in charge of developing the actual code that will make up the program. A software
developer is more of a managerial position, though it does appear that they still spend time
working with code, or at least troubleshooting errors and bugs in the program (Smith). Being a
software developer is much more work, and many in the industry would rather simply be

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working with code, but the average salary does appear to be a lot more, at $97,990 per year
median pay (Bureau of Labor Statistics), while the computer programmer has less responsibility
and stress at $79,720 yearly wages (UtahFutures). It is likely that a person in this field will end
up filling both positions in their career unless they blatantly refuse to take the position of
software developer (as many do). To be in this career one needs to like a challenge, as each
different project will be a new problem not only they, but no one else has ever solved before, and
they need to be a problem solver in order to continue creating code that will allow them to
successfully achieve the things this company needs them to (Smith).
The average daily tasks of this job will look the same to anyone who doesnt understand
the complexities of code, but in reality will vary a lot. Oftentimes days will be spent working out
bugs in a program, then they will be developing a security system for a server the next (Smith).
Every day will simply require them to work to make sure that the underlying code to all of the
programs that they will be working on is functioning and creating new code to solve new
problems. Its a job that requires continual learning, as technology is evolving so rapidly in this
day and age. The company or organization these people work for will oftentimes be a company
that publishes software (Bureau of Labor Statistics), but the growing job market shows that they
will be needed in many different types of companies. Anything that deals with servers or internet
(which is almost any company in the world), will need computer programmers and software
developers. E-marketing and e-commerce, which have grown substantially and will continue to
grow, will end up being one of the biggest employers of computer programmers.
These kinds of jobs generally will have extremely flexible hours, and is one of the best
jobs for telecommuting in the market (UtahFutures). The only downside to these abilities is that
during sick days or vacation days if an employee is needed by the team (such as if they were

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working on a project that the team is having issues with), they will often be contacted and
helping the team as they try to fix the problem, despite having the day off (Smith). This may
make it difficult to separate work life from outside life, so it appears to be important not only for
an employee to care about their work, but also to choose work they enjoy, because much of their
life will be taken up by the job. Sometimes a computer programmer may be required to (in order
to get everything done on schedule) do outside research for the project outside work hours
(Smith). It will also mean spending a lot of time indoors, so it is important to remember physical
hygiene outside of work to assure a healthy lifestyle (UtahFutures). Also it is important to
remember that all work must be exact to assure no errors are losing the company time and,
therefore, money (UtahFutures).
In the United States alone, though, the outlook for this occupation is 17% from 2014 to
2024 (meaning it is expected that there will be 17% more jobs of this type in 2024 than in 2014),
which is 10% higher than the overall occupation outlook (7%) (Bureau of Labor Statistics). In
Utah there are about 5,010 jobs of this type and 210 annual openings of these jobs (meaning it
increases by about 4% every year), and was hence given a five star rating for outlook on
UtahFutures.org (UtahFutures). These jobs are on the rise, and, as mentioned before, will soon be
necessary to almost any major company or even any company that wishes to have an online
presence.
Overall, this career looks like it will be an excellent one to work in, and one I feel I
would be very comfortable in. It wont be easy, with learning a constant struggle and continual
practice, as well as a work life strongly intertwined to my daily life though the technology I will
aid in creating, but overall it seems like it is a career I will be able to be proud of because of all
the help it will give to developing and using computers and the internet for future generations

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and allowing companies to make the best use of this technology to achieve their goals and make
their mission statements reality.

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Works Cited
Smith, Eric. Personal Interview. 13 Jan. 2016.
"Summary." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, n.d. Web. 18 Jan.
2016.
"UtahFutures." UtahFutures. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Jan. 2016.
Ferguson, Andrew. "A History of Computer Programming Languages." A History of Computer
Programming Languages. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Jan. 2016.