career as a software developer

[wirate]

i am near to completing my intermediate(equivalent of 'a' levels) after which i have to decide my subject of further study.

i feel an appeal for software (i cant distinguish among sub-subjects :) systems analysis or administration. i dont know what they are.) when i tell my friends i'm going for software, they say it is saturated and i wont make much money. So i am in trouble wether i should take what interests me now or i should try to deviate my interest.

hope you guys have answers

[ibizatunes]

BITS = Business ICT System = generally business with IT system, so product development life cycles, IT management, with some techie stuff

100% IT Developers = will be hardcore techie stuff = all 100% computer based stuff, with a little business (if programming is want you want to do this course - not for me thought ;) )

System admin, will be system support, and IT help desk stuff, server and desktops etc

All area of ICT are short generally speaking, it inst a easy to get a first job currently due to the global money problems... but it will pick up!

I did BITS, i'm glad i did as now i run my own IT company and are loving every second of it, i don't think i would have been able to run it as effectively or as profitably if i just did pure IT, so do want make you happy!!

PS i earn x3 time all my programmer friends earn, so i wouldnt take your friend advice as the pinch of salt

[wirate]

so what should i do? BS in computer science?

[kpholmes]

can you explain more about BITS please?

[Johnsie]

You should do a degree in Software Engineering. There's more focus on software development than if you do Computer Science. Most big companies are looking for people with a degree but you can also do well in small-medium companies just be showing them that you can program.

[matthew.ball]

If you're interested in earning money, go the route of the BITS.

If you're interested in learning, do Computer Science.

At least here (Australia), Computer Science is very theoretical, more often than not it's essentially just mathematics (programming languages, formal methods, algorithms, AI, computation etc) - this is what I do, and it is awesome.

A BITS does some stuff like project management and resource management/requirements gathering, as well as a wider range of IT stuff (networks, databases etc). I started in a BITS, but I am more of a software developer, so the computer science was more appealing.

[*g!t5^_)*(H]

As an IT Analyst, having been software developer my recommendation is:

DON'T DO THAT !!!! Are you crazy ? Nobody will respect your job, and you will have to work with people who knows nothing about software development and pretends (or looks like) they are the best. You will become the lower part of the companies, who will only look for the profit you give to them in terms of your salary (better salary = more possible to lose your job), and it doesn't matter how good you are.

Please, please, please, focus on something more profitable.