How to become a professional programmer without having a computer science background?

Hey i wanna know that how to become a better professional programmer if i dont have any computer science background in college or university...i hav a commerce background and i know little about some languages like Vb,C,Pascal but i want to be at the top!..really hav a dream of being a great programmer who knows all!..i need help!!

How to become a professional programmer without having a computer science background?
As the first poster says, find a company willing to train you. At your stage, you are not expected to know a lot, but if you show strong aptitude, companies will be interested.





I guess I should warn you, however, that most of the work you describe, i.e. building a system from the ground up, gets outsourced nowadays to overseas companies, where the programmers get paid much less. Developmental programmers used to command a lot of respect. Not anymore.
Reply:find a company that will hire you and train you apply as a trainee
Reply:you know ... you can master lots of things.. and be very good..but


you need that piece of paper behind it to give you the ticket to be entitled to a job


you need school of somesort...


there is no easy way with out it..besides see how easy it would be for you to go ..you know so much already..


try challenging the first and second year exams... maybe start 3rd year
Reply:Me too, why would I help my competition? Your best chances of that happening are to go back to school my friend, and don't come out EVER! But unfortunately that won't make you any money which somewhat diminishes knowing it all.





Seriously though unless you know a guy who knows a guy that knows a guy thats the CEO of Microsoft then you are most likely going need a degree that at least has the word programmer/programming in it.





The degree I'm about to start entiled Programming/Application Development for instance. Once you get your degree then you find classes on extra languages you wish to add to your vocobulary and read lots of books.
Reply:I would start by reading this book: http://www.amazon.com/Code-Complete-Seco...





I do agree with the other posters that getting a job without the degree isn't easy. It's not impossible, though. A sick building chased me off campus after 3 years.