Smells like Bean Spirit

Many friends of mine got confuse, when they were graduated from the university. What are we going to do know? Where will we work? In which field? Good questions. It is a little bit astonished, but many of them didn’t want to work as programmer. “Programmer? That is my last choice!”, said one of them. The job like database administrator, network administrator or even like IT Staff are more preferred. (There are certainly many people, who choose the jobs not-related to IT at all). Is Programmer a poor job? Here are the most common programming careers :

1. Programming Computer Games
   Is this the most popular programming topics? Many great programmers don’t automatically master this programming. It needs beyond the programming skill. You should learn many skills like mathematic or graphic programming. Most computer games are team designs. One team may design the game rules; another team does the actual programming; another creates the graphic backgrounds and animation; and still another gets paid to play the
   latest games to look for bugs and offer suggestions for making the games more exciting (and, hence, more profitable for the publisher). The most common language which you need to learn to write a computer games is C/C++. Nowadays you should also consider to learn and use a game engine, particularly if you work in a company.
2. Animating with Computer
   Computer animation isn’t just for creating animated characters to shoot or blow up in video games. Programmers also use computer animation in virtual reality, training simulators, and Hollywood special effects (because blowing up a computer-animated building is easier than building a mock-up of an existing building to blow up). Computer animation can range from creating lifelike images for TV and movies to creating multimedia presentations for business, to making cartoons and animated films. If you like to draw but want to become more than just an artist, combine your knowledge of graphics with programming and help design new graphics-animation programs, create virtual-reality simulators, or work on the next Hollywood blockbuster’s special effects.
3. Encrypting Data
   What you do is making (and breaking) encryption. Encryption is the art of converting plain-text information into unreadable garbage (which often resembles tax forms or legal documents) so that no one but your intended recipient can read it. Then, by using a secret password or code phrase, the recipient of your encrypted message can unscramble and read it. The art of encrypting data involves plenty of math (usually focusing on prime numbers). If you plan to pursue a career in encryption, earn some graduate degrees in advanced mathematics and practice your C/C++ programming skills. Then get a job working for the military, a defense contractor, a software encryption publisher, or a security agency such as the National Security Agency.
4. Web Programming
   To get a start in Internet programming, teach yourself HTML; start playing around with an Internet programming language (such as JavaScript); sharpen your Windows XP, Linux, or Unix operating system skills; learn more about accessing databases by using SQL; and play with Web servers such as Apache (which often comes free with Linux). The popular web programmings are J2EE, PHP, ColdFusion, Ruby and ASP(.NET). The development of this field grows really fast.
5. Fighting Computer Virus
   Every year. every month, or even every day the virus and the anti-virus compete to be the front position. That is the endless competition. Although most virus writers create viruses for their own amusement and entertainment, a small minority actively write destructive viruses as an intellectual challenge. Because malicious programmers, such as virus writers, are always around, programmers who can create and update antivirus programs can always find work. To learn more about computer viruses, study assembly language along with VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), the macro programming language that Microsoft uses in its Office suite. Most viruses and antivirus programs use assembly language to create small, fast programs that can directly access the actual computer hardware.
6. Hacking for Hire
   Hackers (their crime is curiosity) are often extremely skilled (or extremely patient) people who enjoy the technical challenge of breaking into computers. Although breaking into computers is technically illegal, your chances of getting caught increase immensely the moment that you start causing damage. Rather than risk getting thrown in jail because you can’t resist playing around with computers, consider the alternative challenge of trying to outwit the hackers themselves. As a computer-security expert, you can work for the government to help track down malicious hackers, or you can work for a corporation and help keep hackers out of a company’s computers. By working as a “good” hacker, you get to face all the technical challenges of hacking while getting paid. Plus you get to experience the thrill of working on the side of law-enforcement agencies to track down hackers around the world.
7. Working on an Open-source Project
   To get valuable programming experience that impresses big companies, consider participating in an open-source project. The whole idea behind an opensource project is to get programmers to contribute to the development of a single project, such as the Linux operating system or the GNOME user interface for Linux.
   Working on an open source project not only gives you instant credibility (providing that you actually contribute something useful), but it also gives you valuable experience in working with a real-life programming project. While other programmers may get shuffled into entry-level positions working on boring projects that nobody really cares about, you get to work on something that can give you pride and a sense of accomplishment.
   The prestige of contributing to an open-source project can later help you find a better-paying job, or it can serve as an amusing hobby. Either way, opensource projects give you a chance to prove to the world what you can actually
   accomplish with your programming skills.
8. Programming for a Specialized Market (Niche-Market)
   One problem with programming classes is that they teach you how to write programs, but they don’t teach you how to put your skills to practical use. Most companies use computers, so try to combine your knowledge of programming with another field. Who’s better qualified to design and write medical software, for example, than a programmer with a medical background (or a medical professional with a programming background)? Sports fanatics combine programming skills with enthusiasm for sports to design horse race-handicapping software; health professionals design nutrition and diet software; and lawyers create special legal software.
   Practically every field faces unique needs that general-purpose software (such as spreadsheets or databases) can’t solve. That’s why professionals hire programmers to develop custom software.
9. Sharing Your Skills with Others
   Become an expert in any field, and you can teach others your unique skills. In addition to the obvious teaching positions in schools, training others to use popular programs such as Microsoft Word, Lotus Notes, or C++ programming is a lucrative business. Training professionals travel around the world, conducting classes for corporations who want to train their workers to use a variety of programs in hopes that they become more productive. As a trainer, you get to see the world, meet people, and see for yourself how many different ways Holiday Inns can design the inside of a hotel room.
10. Selling Your Own Software
    There’s no cheaper way to go into business for yourself than to develop and sell your own software. Unlike restaurants or bookstores, you don’t need a large amount of space or an extensive inventory. You (simply) write a program and sell it electronically across the Internet. The most popular way to test-market a program is through shareware distribution: You give away copies of your software and ask that people send you money if they find it useful. To encourage more people to send money, your program must prove useful and work reliably.
    If your program doesn’t appeal to the average computer user, try selling it to a niche market instead. In addition to niche markets for stock brokers, law-enforcement agencies, or restaurant owners, you can also find niche markets that target specific computers, such as the Palm or PocketPC handheld computers. You can turn your programming skills into your own business with the right computer program. And if you like programming, what other job lets you stay home all day, play around with your computer, and still get paid for it in a business all your own?

OK, those are the opportunities. On which career are you?

Reference : Beginning Programming for Dummies - Wiley Publishing