Interested in becoming a programmer? Concerned that it might be too difficult to break into the field?

The good news is that you can complete programming training in a fairly short time and be ready to join the workforce.

But if you want to land great jobs and move up in the programming field, you will need a specific set of skills and characteristics.

You’ll also need to know how to handle a few challenges programmers typically face when trying to move their careers forward.

We studied industry data and spoke with some programming pros to get a sense of just how hard it is to get started in the field.

Here’s what you need to know.

Updated June, 2021.

Making it as a programmer analyst is about so much more than learning how to code.

This occupation demands a surprisingly broad skillset that ranges from IT mastery to creativity to communications to problem-solving to diplomacy to business savvy.