Member Avatar for elbiociq

To get an answers to my questions, I need to tell you about my profile. Computer Programmer Analyst old fashion (D.O.S. environment, not windows). Languages:
Pascal, C, MS Cobol, Clipper, Turbo Basic (C++ but no experience programming), Oracle.
The questions are: What should I study in the field of IT that put me in the market the sooner the better and start making some money. What should I study? The quicker and the easier. I've seen what they've been asking like ASP.NET, C# (C-sharp), VB.NET, HTML, JAVA, SQL, PHP, Delphi, Web Development, Visual C++, Visual Basic, Pearl, Database Administration. I've been thinking of Visual C++ and Visual Basic. I would appreciate your sincere suggestions. By the way I'm doing the transcripts and going to school to get the High School Diploma (I only need .75 credit to get it). After that I'll enroll for the Associate's Degree in Information Technology.

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Given the goal of getting paid sooner while building long-term stability, treat this as a two-track plan: short-term, practical skills you can show in 8–12 weeks; and long-term, deeper credentials and specialization.

Short-term: focus on one modern, high-demand toolchain you can use to deliver real work quickly. Learn the basics, learn version control (Git), and build 2–3 small, completed projects that solve concrete problems (automation script, small service, or a migration/clean-up task). Publish the code and short writeups so employers or clients can evaluate you. While you pursue those quick wins, apply for entry-level contract, temp, or support roles that value demonstrated problem-solving more than formal titles—these get you paid while you continue learning.

Long-term: is right that a four-year degree helps, but it doesn’t have to block progress now. Complete the remaining school requirements, then layer on a focused specialization (cloud fundamentals, cybersecurity basics, or a software-engineering track) and certifications that match local demand. Use the degree to open doors while your portfolio and work experience make you competitive for pay increases.

On Assembly: ’s point about low-level understanding is valid for embedded systems, tooling, or reverse engineering, but it’s not required to get into paid developer or operations work quickly. Learn low-level concepts later if you find a niche that needs them.

Next steps for immediate action: pick one stack, complete a short project, publish it, and start applying. Keep school on track. Combine quick wins (paid gigs) with steady credential-building for the best chance of both income and career growth.

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Member Avatar for Ancient Dragon

You seem to have your head together and are doing the right things. Stay in school and get a bachelor's degree from a 4-year college or university. Programmers today are a dime a dozen and you need to make yourself stand out from the crowd. Getting a 4-year degree will help you do that.

What should you study? Depends on your interests, but most people limit their studies to just a couple languages or so. You know the old saying -- Jack of all trades, master of none. Don't put yourself in that situation.

Member Avatar for FreeBirdLjj

I have a suggestion:if you want to analyse programs,you may study Assembly Language(asm),because that's the foundation of analysis.

Member Avatar for elbiociq

You seem to have your head together and are doing the right things. Stay in school and get a bachelor's degree from a 4-year college or university. Programmers today are a dime a dozen and you need to make yourself stand out from the crowd. Getting a 4-year degree will help you do that.

What should you study? Depends on your interests, but most people limit their studies to just a couple languages or so. You know the old saying -- Jack of all trades, master of none. Don't put yourself in that situation.

Thank you very much for your sincere feedback.

Member Avatar for elbiociq

I have a suggestion:if you want to analyse programs,you may study Assembly Language(asm),because that's the foundation of analysis.

Thank you very much for your thoughts. I prefer to develop in a high level programming language without having to complicate my life.

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