Are just graduated programmers in demand?

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Swift-wp

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Hi.

I'm a first year B.Sc Computer Science student and was just wondering what kind of money i'll be earning once I graduate and find a job. Also are programmer's still in such high demand? Currently we are busy with Java.
 
you'll be looking at anything from R4,000 to R10,000 per month and even more, there's a whole lot of things that it depends on (skills, languages etc), and luck plays quite a significant role too.
and yes, programmers/developers are still in high demand - theres quite a major skills shortage in the field. go to www.careerjunction.co.za and do a search for developer jobs :cool:
 
I agree with imajin! Very much in demand but difficult to find 'good ones' ! Salary range above also seems about right to me.

What is more important now is not the degree (everyone has one these days it seems) but the results. You need to really push to get at least B (70% plus) average to make yourself really marketable.

PM me if you'd like me to put you in touch with a great intern/scholarship programme (runs nationally) I've heard about.
 
Starting salary should be around 7k. If you're bright and can catch on very quickly, you'll easily find a job in that bracket. But finding a good programmer is hard so don't be surprised if future jobs are difficult to get because some nitwit pretending he is l33t tainted your employers confidence in finding someone just out of varsity that can cope with the job.
 
There's plenty of work in programming. Out of personal experience one can look at R4000-R6000 starting out and probably go up to R10000-R13000 within the first year if you don't suck. Recently put my CV on PNET and received the first phone calls about 5 mins after hitting submit.
 
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I'm a java guy (bsc + 7 yrs), I get a call every other week from a 3 year old cv on career junction. The last offer I had was 55k, significantly more than I get now, but I love my job so I won't be moving...
 
diabolus said:
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/search.php?searchid=1649374

Well according to that ITweb survey , "the lowest of low helpdesk" gets R9500, and AVERAGE is R28k . So if you actually believe that, a junior BSC right out of university must at least get R15k+ [to actually get to that R28k avg].

Sound real? I think not.
Click to expand...
Well it doesn't sound real to me. Or at least that isn't how it was for me or other programmers I know. I work in Pretoria though and the guys in Sandton / Joburg North get paid more. Not interested in working there myself.
 
As i noticed in a previous thread, look at this chart...makes alot more sense.

http://www.itweb.co.za/surveys/salary/2007/tablesandgraphs.asp?what=jobfunction

According to that, average for a programmer/developer is R18k. Entry or lower level is R12k...i'd consider that to be an entry level salary [i started below that, but it's in the range what the new guys [with degrees] seems to start at. If you got a degree though, you move up much faster than the diploma/certificate equivalents [i.e. you might start at R12k, but be at R18k within a year or 2 if you know what you're doing] .

I think the chart is a good estimate of "market related salary" for those positions .
 
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I studied Bcom IT. I had programming courses, system analysis and design and Oracle database. I also had economics, financial and management accounting and several other Bcom subjects. I recently had an offer to work as a cost accountant for R30 000 per month. I'm still a student with only 3 weeks of experience on my CV. My academic results are not extraordinary but I am in the top 10% of the faculty. You can earn more as an accountant, having some IT skills will make you more marketable. You could specialise in accounting software packages. I finished my degree, I'm completing Honors now.

I used to love IT, but studying it is completely different than I thought it would be, I think doing it for a living would be even worse. I don't enjoy accounting either, it was the subject I hated most at school but now I'm used to it and it is better than IT. If you value money more than enjoying your job (and money makes me enjoy working, along with solving problems not related to IT) better find something else like accounting.
 
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I also would love to do computer science but stuck doing an environmental science degree which is also great I suppose...but I've always been fascinated by and loved computers...I just don't see any way out now I suppose...parents have laid down a considerable investment to see my through university. I suppose I can one day do a degree through UNISA or if luck is truly on my side get some sort of scholarship or bursary... It's such a Catch 22 situation...
 
Swift-wp said:
Hi.

I'm a first year B.Sc Computer Science student and was just wondering what kind of money i'll be earning once I graduate and find a job. Also are programmer's still in such high demand? Currently we are busy with Java.
Click to expand...

BEE, AA etc aside:

People with a brain and the ability to express themselves clearly will always be in demand. You certainly seem secure on both counts. :)

One word of advice from an "old man" - if I may?
Concentrate more on what you will *do* at first, and not on what you will earn.
My very first IT job was for R23.01 an hour - and I went in as low as the agency would allow (hence the ".01") - I so much as said that to the interviewer. It allowed me a foot in the door, and 18 months later I was a Lead Developer at another company.
 
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