Can C++ get you a Job?
Yes, C++ is enough to get you a job. C++ is one of the most popular and widely used programming languages in systems programming. C++ developers are always in demand and having an in-depth understanding of C++ will open up a lot of opportunities.
Being a highly-skilled C++ programmer opens up many doors of opportunities. You will be able to build operating systems, compilers, embedded systems, search engines, server-side applications, mobile & desktop apps, games, AR & VR apps, web browsers, and more using C++ skills.
You also need to be familiar with Data structures, and Algorithms to increase your chances of getting a job, especially in big tech companies. Having a portfolio of your C++ projects will also be helpful to attract the attention of employers.
Having a solid understanding of C++ opens up windows of opportunities to work on world-class projects in different fields. Here are some of the opportunities and the types of jobs you can apply for if you have excellent C++ skills.
SYSTEMS PROGRAMMING
C++ was designed with an orientation toward system programming and embedded, resource-constrained software and large systems, with performance, efficiency, and flexibility of use as its design highlights.
Systems programming requires a great degree of hardware awareness. Using C++, you will be able to work on operating systems, telecommunication systems, embedded systems, control systems, industrial automation systems, device drivers, compilers, and more.
C++ developers can also work on Database software and web browsers, MySQL, Chromium, Opera, Firefox, and Yandex were all built with C++.
There is no better language for systems programming than C++. The average salary for a system programmer is $87,547 per year in the United States (indeed.com).
GAME DEVELOPMENT
C++ is the most popular programming language for developing games and game engines. There are many game engines that were developed using C++, some of the popular ones include Unreal Engine, Unity 3D, 4A Engine, CryEngine, Godot, Lumberyard, and many others.
C++ is also popular for game scripting, it is used in Unreal Engine, CryEngine, and many others. Having a good understanding of C++ can help you to develop powerful AAA games.
Some of the popular games made with C++ include Fortnite, Brothers in Arms, Golden Eye: Rogue Agent, Medal of Honor, Shadow Ops, Shrek 2, Star Wars, Spider-man 2, Batman Arkham City, DC Universe Online, Mortal Kombat, Transformers, Crash Bandicoot, and many others.
AUGMENTED REALITY AND VIRTUAL REALITY APPS DEVELOPMENT
You can also get a job as an Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality app developer. You can use the Unreal Game Engine to make AR and VR apps for Oculus VR, PSVR, and ARCore.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING
You can also work on artificial intelligence and machine learning projects using C++. There are a lot of machine learning libraries for C++ available, some of the popular ones include Caffe, Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit, MLPack, Shark, Gesture Recognition Toolkit (GRT), and many others.
These libraries are helpful for deep learning, artificial neural networks, classification, regression, forecasting, linear and non-linear optimization, algorithm development, and more.
C++ can also be used for artificial intelligence for Robotics. This allows C++ developers to extend their programming skills to Robotics.
DESKTOP APPLICATIONS
C++ is a popular language for developing desktop applications. You can use Windows Visual studio to make desktop apps for windows.
Some of the popular apps made with C++ include Adobe graphics applications (Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Fireworks, Premiere Pro, AfterEffects, etc.) OBS, MTorrent, Internet Download Manager, Unity build, Adobe Flash, Google Chrome, Shazam, Sublime Text, Earth3D, etc
MOBILE APPLICATIONS
You can also get a job as a native mobile app developer. C++ can also be used to develop Mobile applications. You can use a platform like Qt to develop C++powered applications.
There are also cross-platform tools available in Visual Studio that can be used to make C++ powered mobile applications for Android and iOS.
It can be seen that there are a lot of opportunities for C++ programmers to work on a wide scale and range of projects in different fields.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN C++?
C++ is not an easy language to learn, it is regarded as one of the most difficult languages to work with. It involves a lot of low-level programming and it requires a good understanding of the computer architecture.
With enough discipline and constant practice, you can learn C++ in 4 to 12 months to be able to build basic applications. Udacity has a C++ nanodegree program that takes 4 months to complete at 10 hours per week.
This program helps you to gain enough skills to build a route planner using OpenStreetMap data, write a process monitor for your computer, implement your own smart pointers, and a multithreaded traffic simulator.
But to be able to code at a high level and be able to work on systems efficiently, you will need more than 12 months of practice.
CONCLUSION
It can be seen that there are a lot of opportunities in different fields for C++ Programmers. C++ allows you to work on a wide array of projects. Ultimately, C++ is enough to get a job as a programmer, as long as you can invest your time in enhancing your programming skills.
You must also make sure that you learn Data structures and Algorithms. Most, if not all major tech companies require a good understanding of data structures and algorithms for many software engineering roles.