What it takes to become a computer programmer

A computer programmer in the corporate world. Photo:Courtesy

By Lydia Limbe

If you are one of those personalities that family, friends or schoolmates refer to as a computer geek, then being a computer programmer could be a fitting career path for you. A computer programmer is a person who develops computer software. The term, computer programmer, can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes codes for many kinds of software.

The term programmer can be used to refer to a software developer, Web Developer, Mobile Applications Developer, Embedded Firmware Developer, software engineer, computer scientist, or software analyst.

To pursue this career in Kenya, it is offered under Computer Science programme, a course that all the public universities offer. The 2011 JAB cut off point for the above-mentioned course was 47.1 mean aggregate points.

The subjects to concentrate on are Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, as well as one international language, which in Kenya is English.

Being a computer programmer is quickly becoming a career path of choice for many young people. The global advancement for technology has made the demand for software’s and applications huge, with more and more entrants getting into the computer-fed market following Google and Facebook.