A computer programmer, often also referred as developer, coder, or software engineer is a person who writes, debugs and maintains computer software that computers use to perform their functions.

Technical innovations in programming - advanced computing technologies and sophisticated new languages and programming tools - have redefined the role of programmers while elevating much of the programming work done today. The main job function of these employees is programming; programs vary widely, depending on the type of information needed. Although simple programs can be written in a few hours, other programs may require more than a year of work. Usually, several programmers work as a team under the direction of a senior programmer. As a software developer, your work could involve:

• • Designing computer controls for industrial and manufacturing machinery
• • Building administrative and financial databases
• • developing software for home entertainment equipment (known as embedded controls)

You would work closely with senior programmers and business analysts, and create technical plans to meet the needs of the client.

The coffee you drink every morning; the weather forecast you listen to on the radio; the cell phone charging in the cradle; they are all brought to us by computers. Computers are simply amazing. They perform so many of our daily functions that sometimes we're not even aware that they exist. It's only during a system failure that we realize how incredibly dependent we are on these amazing machines. How do they do what they?

Computer programming is part art, part science. Careers in this exciting field use both sides of the brain to help deliver amazingly complex programs that help bring us our coffee and weather forecasts. If you have ever considered a career in computer programming, you could not have picked a better time to start your studies.

You'll need to study if you want to make headway in this career. Even if you're pretty savvy with a keyboard, you'll still need various types of certification before most employers will take you seriously. This makes sense when you consider how competitive and advanced the world of computers is becoming. Thanks to the Internet, you now must compete with programmers from all over the world. Unless your skills are already advanced enough to take on programmers from India and China as well as San Francisco and New York, then you'll want to study up first. You'll thank yourself later.

Programmers typically work in offices in comfortable surroundings. Many may work long hours and weekends to meet deadlines or fix problems that occur during off hours. Telecommuting is becoming common for a wide range of computer professionals including programmers. Like other workers who spend large amounts of time in front of a computer terminal typing at a keyboard, they are susceptible to eyestrain, back discomfort and hand and wrist problems.

The employment of programmers is expected to grow about as fast as average for all occupations. The most plentiful jobs for both systems and applications programmers will be in data processing service firms, computer consulting businesses and software houses. But with rapid gains in technology and sophisticated software with the capability to write basic code, the employment of programmers is expected to grow much slower than that of other computer specialists.