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I hope you know what you are getting yourself into when you say that you want to be a programmer. Yes programmers can make some big bucks but I know several guys that hate it. They spend hours looking though thousands of lines of code to find a stupid comma or something that somebody forgot to put and is messing up the program. Plus, programmers are kind of a dime a dozen and it is becoming a lot more prevalent now and days for companies to outsource thier programming needs to places like India.

Another field that you might consider is IT Security. I am an IT Security Engineer and I love my job! Basically my job revolves around networking and hacker prevention type of stuff. It is cool because the best type of person to protect against a hacker is a hacker. For that reason, my job sent me to all the schools and training. I was able to achieve certs in Network+, Security+, and even CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker). I also have an AS in Computer Systems, a BS in Information Systems Security, and I am working on a Masters in Information Security Management.

One of the big reasons that I would recommend the Security field is that security is something that all companies need and cannot afford to skimp on (even in a recession). For that reason, the Information Security Jobs usually pay very well! You can work in any industry. I did Computer Security in the Military, then for a defense contractor, and now for a cell phone company. I even entertained offers from companies like Little Debbie, Wells Fargo, and even the NSA.

Another reason that I would recommend the security field is simply that it is fun. I think its fun to learn about all the various vulnerabilities and tactics used by hackers. Its is also fun to be able to intercept and read network traffic or even be able to crack peoples accounts and passwords. It is cool to go through official training on how to do something that is normally illegal. I tell people that I am Certified Ethical Hacker and they get kind of freaked out!

Just my thoughts.....