How do I become a computer programmer?

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My son wants to become a video-game programmer or designer. What advice do you have?

This is a very common question. Particularly with video games, kids really enjoy playing them, and are often drawn to the potential of creating them as well. There's even a series of TV commercials that play on exactly that scenario.

I've hired a lot of programmers in my career. I've also not hired even more. So I definitely have some thoughts and advice.

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First, what'd I'd call the basics:

Learn to program, THEN learn to program games. I can't stress enough that it's the fundamentals that will serve you well over the long run.
"Listen to your heart. Good programmers love to program."
Listen to your heart. Good programmers love to program. Heck, that's true for any profession - it's the "do what you love" admonition. If after a while you find yourself dreading the work, perhaps it's not for you.
Program. Use any excuse. This'll be easy if you followed the previous point. There is simply no replacement for experience. That applies to the eventual resume, of course, but to your skills as well. The real world is full of lessons - find them. Use them.
Once you have some basic skills, get an internship, or a part time job, or a volunteer position, using them. It's everything I just said about the real world, but with a boss. Your career will include a boss - perhaps called "manager" or maybe "customer". If you intend to make money at it, you'll need to know what it takes to do what you love, even when others are telling to do what they want.

Some points that are very specific to video or computer game programming and design:

Programming video games is very very different than playing video games. Programming video games is much closer to programming an operating system like Windows, but with even more demanding customers. (If it's the playing that excites you, perhaps a test position is more interesting, especially if you're good at breaking things.)
Everyone and their brother seems to want a career programming or testing video games. That means you'll be entering a highly competitive market. Be prepared to do the work it takes to excel if you want to compete.

I really need to reiterate the fundamentals. Don't get hung up on what programming language or what platform ... programming is more about how you think than whether or not you can express your thoughts in C++ or Java, or on a Mac or a PC. "It's just another language" is something you'll hear from top tier programmers.

I've told people that HTML is a programming language, and I encourage its use, but be careful. Building websites is not the basis of a career in something as complex as video game design. If your passion turns out to be the web, then invest in some of the programming languages of the web: PHP, Perl, Flash, Javascript.

Take the programming classes you have access to. High school, Community College, Vo-Tech - whatever. Then go get yourself a Computer Science degree or a closely related Engineering degree. I have mixed feelings on whether you need a Masters degree.

My own pet peeve: PLEASE make sure you learn assembly language along the way. It won't make sense today, but it'll help you understand concepts and techniques that a lot of programmers today have trouble with. AND it'll help you write better code, and aid in debugging it as well.

There are so many skills that could help, I could go on. Math. Logic. English. Heck, verbal and written skills are areas that I wish I had spent more time and I would recommend strongly to anyone entering any profession.

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Recent Comments

35 Comments

Hey Leo,
I'd like to become a Computer Programmer. I have just left school and about to start college. I have no previous experience in programming but will learn it in College.
My concern is that I heard programming requires a lot of Mathematics...I'm not the best at Maths although I did pass my GCSE in Maths.
Do you think I should still try and become a programmer even though maths isnt really one of my strenghts?

Posted by: some guy at August 22, 2008 3:16 PM

leo pls can you help me, i am not a computer programmer thou i do have an amazing idea for a computer programme for athletes. i belive if i can get my idea of the grnd it will be HUGE. but i have only that, ... my idea i havent got the knowledge an skill to take it any further and do not know where to go to get the advise i need. pls help many thanks chris humphries

Posted by: chris humphries at September 9, 2008 2:56 AM

I HAVE NO COLLEGE DEGREE ... IS IT A MUST?? CAN I GO TO A CAREER COLLEGE AND HOW LONG IS IT REQUIED??

Posted by: ELIOR MAIMON at September 28, 2008 12:49 AM

i guess i have a question, or more accurately, a request for advice...
a long time ago i was very into MUDs... especially once i discovered building...
what i really loved about building was being able to code all sorts of different things, and kind of create life out of text and code... i loved being able to think out of the box and finding new challenges to chew on. i loved the problem solving aspect of it, and i was surprised to learn that you could be creative with computer code... it wasn't just number crunching at all... eventually, over time, i came to resent that i had to ask the MUD administrator to code new things for me every time i wanted a mob to do something really cool and unique... i wanted to be able to do this myself... and finally i came to appreciate just how limitless the world of computer code can be... i was intrigued... i bought a bunch of those books that are supposed to teach you C++... unfortunately i could never get the compiler to work and my computer ended up crashing (totally unrelated to the compiler) and i kind of forgot about my desire to learn to code...
recently i got a new computer and the thought has been creeping back into my mind on whether to go to school for programming and pursue it as a career...

i know that was really long rant, but i guess basically my question is this:
would actual computer programming be as interesting to me as building on my old MUD was? i mean, am i deluding myself in believing that just because i had so much fun creating mobprogs and ifchecks and whatnot i would probably enjoy tackling programming languages?
my goal here really is not to get into game programming neccessarily, i really just want to learn programming for its own sake, and i don't want to spend a bunch of money on school and throw myself into it only to be disappointed and find that what i thought computer programming was was entirely off the mark...

did that make sense? i could really use some advice on this... thanks so much!!!

Posted by: jenn at November 1, 2008 11:44 PM

ok i am 12 and im sure you have heard of the game runescape. Well i was great at that game when i played. So anyways i love to create computer games and stuff so i wanted to create make my own game like runescape but way better and better graphic system. i was going to get a car and than get a job and than save up for the $2000 gaming computer and start it out on there. Your advice has helped me greatly. And i look forward to making it so i can make money off of it while im out there doing whatever i want. Like pyrotecnition or anything like that because i was going to make it a 24\7 server with a high detailed graphic system.

Posted by: matthew at November 11, 2008 1:30 PM

I'm currently enrolled at a community college for the past 2 years now. I first enrolled to become a computer programmer and I still thrive to be one. But since I've been in college for 2 years now I've only been able to take three programming classes because of all the required classes that students are forced to take to fulfill there needs to get a bachelors degree. I'm fairly close to getting AAoT( Assosiates of Arts Transfer Degree, the reason I went with art instead of science is because Science requires you to take more Science classes not computer science)

I was really looking for some advice on what I should do. I was recently talking with my father about Apprenticeship's since he's a mechanic and did an Apprenticeship with an old family friend to become a mechanic and then my brother did the same thing with my dad to become an mechanic. Anyhow we were talking about apprenticeships and he asked me why I didn't ask my uncle about being an apprentice under my uncle when I had the chance. The only reason I didn't ask because it never crossed my mind that my uncle was a programmer other then a CnC programmer but supposedly he is an all around programmer.

So my question is. Are Apprenticeship's recognized by company's?
Since its basically have experience in the field

Do you think I should stick it out in college and finish my degree

I'm struggling in a couple of classes if why I'm a bit sketchy currently such as physics. But all around I'm a 3.0 student.

I apologize for the long winded question. Just have many things on my mind and no one to really talk to about them.

Unfortunately there's no clear answer. I would have steered you at the science degree earlier on, and suggested you complete that. Given where you're at, if you're "fairly close" I'd finish it (looks better on the resume than bailing near the end). But I'd be looking for any way I could to get experience in the field. Not all companies recognize "apprenticeships" per se, but most do recognize and value honest experience; the more the better. (Typically the term "internship" is actually somewhat more common, but amounts to the same thing.)

Best of luck,

- Leo
13-Nov-2008

Posted by: Ian Canida at November 12, 2008 12:10 PM

i want to study computer science will i have a knowledge of programming.

Posted by: joshua musah at January 3, 2009 3:02 PM

i undergo a computer training for a year in one of our colleges, and really i found programming to be interesting to learn.Can i learn it hear ?

Posted by: Tijjani at February 20, 2009 1:31 AM

I read the information regarding the future world in the Software Development field. But I am more interested in the Game Development field poker site as well as in robotics. I consider myself as a fantasy person with a dream of inventing ideas and turninng them into reality. Would a career in game designs/development be suitable for me || web/Business Applications based upon my personality?

Posted by: poker site at March 25, 2009 6:11 AM

I'm 13 years old, and my dream job has always either become a doctor, or a computer programmer. I'm fairly smart in class, and get better grades than most kids I know. I saw a form which included the requirements needed to become a computer programmer, and what they do. I see that they create computer games, and learn to code, and find problems within the computer. After looking closer, I found out that computer programming is for me. I was wondering what I could to inorder to improve my skills in coding, and animating things using codes. If you respond, I'd really appreciate the word you've given me, and use it for the future. The requirements were completing high school, and going to university for 4 years. Then getting the bachelor's degree, and completing Computer Science in school. If this is true or not, please respond. Thank you for your time. Regards~Michael

Posted by: OMG at June 24, 2009 6:18 PM

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