Today computers play a very important role in life. They help store tons of information, make hard jobs easier, make research easier, get information on several subjects, etc. Computers are basically hardware and software. As a career I want to program software. Below I will describe why I want to program, what I know about it, why I think I will be a good programmer, how much a programmer earns, and what is required to be a programmer.

     There are many reasons to become a programmer. One reason is that I get to use my imagination and create whatever I want. Another reason I want to program is the joy of knowing I created something that�s useful. The next reason is because I can learn a lot about math, science and many other subjects just by programming.

     I am still learning programming. I know that it is essential to learn c++ and Java and I do know some visual basic. Visual basic is a visual environment programming language, which is basically windows based, but you also program code in it. Visual basic is in my opinion one of the easiest languages to learn, which is why I chose it. It's always good to start with something simple then build on to something more complex. For example, learning basic (not visual basic), then maybe Pascal, then c++, then Java (which would be easy to learn once you learned c++). I will now talk about c++, mainly about compilers, assembly, and machine code. A c++ compiler takes the c++ code and compiles it into assembly then into machine code. A computer can read machine code directly.

     I think I would be a good programmer for several reasons. One reason is I already have some experience in programming. Another reason is that, when I want to, I can be a hard worker. I also would be a good programmer because I used computers for many years, and I learned a lot about computers. I also have a lot of help from my brother.

     A programmer gets several different salaries. A beginning salary of a programmer is about $22,700, but an average salary of a programmer is from $30,700 to $52,000. The highest salary is about $65,200 or more.

     Different employers require different things for a programmer to be hired. Most employers require a bachelor degree, but some will take a 2-year college degree or certificate. 10 percent of programmers have a high school education or less. 20.9 percent have 2 years of college. 9.6 percent has an Associate's degree. 45.2 percent has a Bachelor's degree. 14.2 have a Graduate degree.

     Overall I think programming is fun, and I would be a good programmer. I know some visual basic, even though I don't want to do it as a profession.