Could this combination of Open University courses and an SCJP

Discussion in 'Scripting & Programming' started by jo74, Oct 4, 2009.

  1. jo74

    jo74 Byte Poster

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    ...be of any 'use' when applying for a programming/developer job in the near future?

    No luck with this posting in the training and development forum so I'm trying my luck here :biggrin

    Just out of curiosity, and to fill a few minutes on a Friday afternoon, I was wondering whether the following OU courses plus a programming cert (SCJP), would help me find a (programming) job or whether I should wait until I gain an HND equivalent (a couple of more courses would be required over '10 - '11) or even the degree itself.

    M263 Building Blocks of Software (theoretical course in programming)
    http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergr...ourse/m263.htm

    M255 Java course
    http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergr...ourse/m255.htm

    MST121 & MST121, both Maths courses.
    All the courses apart from MST121 are level 2 (second year level)

    Or would it just be seen as an incomplete degree?
     
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  2. dmarsh
    Honorary Member 500 Likes Award

    dmarsh Petabyte Poster

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    Being able to program and being able to demonstrate that both on paper, in an interview and on the job are what counts.

    First to get to the interview you need to get the interest of recruiters and hiring managers, qualifications, past projects, experience all come into play here.

    You could get involved in open source or take part in things like google summer of code etc.

    Qualifications are another way of proving yourself on paper, as well as primarilly allowing people to train, build skills and competence. A HND or foundation degree is usually the minimum academic qualification worth going for related to programming in the UK.

    MST121 & MS221 will get you an OU Maths Certificate qualification which you can list on your CV.

    The SCJP certification is likewise a qualification you can list on your CV.

    The OU offer many Java related courses, if you are just starting out they may help you prepare for the SCJP but are not essential. The SCJP is possible through self study alone.

    I would really be looking at using the OU for at least a foundation degree if you are going to take more courses.

    Look at these :-
    Foundation Degree in Computing and its Practice
    BSc (Honours) Computing and Systems Practice
    BA/BSc (Honours) Computing and Mathematical Sciences
    BSc (Honours) Computing

    You can also get credit for some certifications or previous qualifications.

    My degree really helped me land my first programming gig, some people manage fine without one, but in a tough market its all about impressing the recruiters.

    My main complaint for jobseekers would be the OU is very much a long term process for most people (5+ years), local colleges may be able to help you obtain a foundation degree more quickly and easily. You can then maybe get a job and 'top it up' using part time study like the OU.

    Many companies are also looking for specific skillsets, they may not be interested in generic skills or the Java platform, programming covers a whole ecosystem of technologies and languages as well as industries and applications. So a HND and Java is just one way into a programing role. There is no set route for everyone, because the roles themselves can be very different.

    I am just comming to the end of MS221 and hope to gain an OU Maths Certificate qualification myself this year, I already hold a HND and BSc (Hons) in computing and the SCJP, SCJD, SCWCD, SCBCD, SCEA amongst other qualifications.

    Feel free to PM if you have any questions.
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2009
  3. dmarsh
    Honorary Member 500 Likes Award

    dmarsh Petabyte Poster

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  4. jo74

    jo74 Byte Poster

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    I don't fancy those end of course reports of 3000 and 2500 words :ohmy

    Plus I've enough on my plate with my current OU courses.

    There used to be student reviews of these courses on the OU's website and with regards to the first two, they weren't that positive.
     
    Certifications: A+, N+, Sec+
    WIP: CCENT, CCNA

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