What to do during BCA?

There are lots of articles sharing information about what to do after completing your 3 years Bachelor of Computer Application degree. Here I want to share what to do while doing your BCA. As there is no proper guidance in Tier 3 colleges for upskilling yourself during the course. You can upskill yourself in these 3 years.

1. Try to learn basic computer and programming fundamentals. (Memory, CPU,

2. I/o devices etc.)

3. learn the concept of programming and start programming in C.

4. After getting comfortable with C. One can go for any object-oriented programming language. (C++,Java)

5. The next and most important step will be learning Data Structures and Algorithms.

6. learn about Operating Systems and Networking Concepts.

7. Also, you have to study the subjects based on your respective University

Now It will be the right time to choose a technology in which you want to learn more and grow your career. Try to search on google and Watch as many videos as you can see and the after making proper research you can choose the right path.

Here I am giving you some options with their roadmaps.

Career Options for BCA graduates

1. Technical Analyst

It is one of the most interesting job options after the BCA course. The responsibilities include:

1. • Executing IT procedures and systems to enhance efficiency.

     • Suggesting economical and cost-effective technological applications.

     • Predicting the fluctuations in the stock market from a keen technical point of view.

To avail better opportunities in the field, additional certifications like SQL and knowledge of MS office will be helpful.

• The key concepts and principles about trading and technical analysis.

• How to create a trading plan & strategies with a clear roadmap to profitability.

• How to start with paper trading and use a trading journal to track your progress.

• **IFTA Certification-**Member societies recognize that IFTA Certification represents the highest achievement and recognition by peers in the Technical Analysis community. The IFTA certification program is split into a professional certification, Certified Financial Technician (CFTe), and the Master level designation, Master of Financial Technical Analysis (MFTA).

1. Data Scientist

Data scientists are a new breed of analytical data expert who have the technical skills to solve complex problems – and the curiosity to explore what problems need to be solved.

• Programming languages: Data scientists can expect to spend time using programming languages to sort through, analyze, and otherwise manage large chunks of data. Popular programming languages for data science include:

  • Python

  • R

  • SQL

  • SAS

• Data visualization: Being able to create charts and graphs is a significant part of being a data scientist. Familiarity with the following tools should prepare you to do the work:

  • Tableau

  • PowerBI

  • Excel

• Machine Learning

• Big Data

• Get an entry with Data analytics Jobs

• Prepare for Data Science Interviews

  1. Web Developer

This job can be opted for by BCA graduates as a solid career choice and mainly involves creating and maintaining websites. Additional certifications and skills like JavaScript, HTML, PHP, and CSS are required to get better job offers in the field.

1. Choose a technology on which you want to work-

2. Frontend Development

3. Backend Development

4. Database

5. Version Control System

Build Projects

1. Choose a Technology

A full-stack development comprises front-end, back-end, and database management. Choosing a technology on which you want to work depends on individuals, requirements, and applications. Few technologies on which you can work and are trending:

A. MERN – The most popular and trending technology.

• MongoDB – A NoSQL database that deals with data.

• Express – A framework for NodeJS and handles GET, PUT, POST, DELETE functions.

• React – A JavaScript library for building User Interfaces, building single-page applications.

• NodeJS – An open-source server environment.

B. MEAN – The major difference between MERN and MEAN is MERN (written in JavaScript) works on React whereas MEAN deals with Angular (a framework written in TypeScript).

2. Frontend Development

Front-End is the UI (User Interface), it deals with the website’s overall appearance, on how interactive and dynamic it is. For mastering it, get clear with all the elements of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

• HTML (HyperText Markup Language) – Start with the basic application of HTML by creating a small website that includes all the elements. Play with tables, and forms, and try adding images and links to the website to make it more eye-catching which in return makes your work efficient. Click here to read about the conventions and best practices of HTML.

• CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) – If you’re a person who loves creativity, you must go through CSS. Using CSS, you can add colors to your website, give borders to the headings or paragraphs, build the navigation bar, play with the icons, font, and text, and many more things like that. Make the website responsive i.e., how it looks on different screen sizes. The most popular CSS framework used is Bootstrap.

• JavaScript – This is the programming language of the web. Learn about DOM (Document Object Model), and API (Application Program Interface) properly.
  4. Database

  The database is a collection of data from which we can manage data (store and retrieve). There are two types of databases: relational (SQL) and non-relational (NoSQL). Some popular databases are:

  • MySQL – These are relational database management system, store and manages data.

  • MongoDB – It is a NoSQL database; Finds key-value DB, graph DBs

  • VoltDB – It follows a relational pattern, they use memory to store data.

5. Version Control

When certain libraries are added to each application, it gets updated in a period which in turn creates a new version of it. Using Git is a very good practice if you’re working on applications. Git is an open-source platform where the entire code exists from the initial time. It is secure, flexible, easy to edit, and restores the code. It has repositories where all files including the codebase are saved and one can make changes according to the requirement. Anyone can collaborate and make changes accordingly.

A list of Version Control Systems are:

1. GitHub

2. GitLab

3. Beanstalk

4. Apache Subversion

5. Mercurial

Benefits of Version Control:

• It helps you maintain code.

• You can re-use it whenever needed.

• Saves the changes made.

• Provides evidence of all changes made.

• Improves performance of the web development.

• Collaborate and contribute.

Also, you should have good knowledge of HTTP/HTTPS, Linux commands, and DSA (Data Structures and Algorithms).

6. Build Projects

When you’re all done with the theory part, do build some projects to be well-versed with full-stack development. You implement all the front-end, and back-end sides of a project along with database handling, then you get perfect in web development. As you build something, you get familiar with the technical concepts like how APIs connect the front-end to the back-end, how the database manages data, and various other steps followed during web development. Thus, cultivate a habit of building projects to become a successful web developer.

Difference between UI (User Interface) and UX (User’s Experience)

1. User Interface (UI)

It deals with how the users interact with the product/service. With a click of a button, the page should respond. The collection of framing of each element with which a user interacts with the web page is known as User Interface. It works on the overall appearance and responsiveness of the website.

Skills required as a UI designer:

1. Design principles

2. Style guides

3. Teamwork and communication skills

All the elements should be consistent and focus on the visual experience of a website. Responsibilities of a UI designer are – creating a visualization of screens, presenting ideas and design solutions, and maintaining documentation of style guidelines.

2. User Experience (UX)

It deals with the user’s experience with the product/service. From the initial point to the endpoint, it works on the friendliness of the website. Better the architecture and research of the website better are the UX.

Skills required as a UX designer:

1. Problem Solving

2. Curiosity

3. Understand audience mindset

It adds a connection between users and the business. Creating a wireframe (structural level design of a website) is a task for UX designers. The responsibilities of UX designers are researching, designing, innovating, and prototyping for a better user experience.

Start with the theory first then move to the practical implementation part. Web Developers will always be in demand no matter whether you work from anywhere. It is and will always be the best choice for tech-career growth. Go for it and be a fantastic web developer.

• Frameworks – It is a platform for building software applications. It includes programs, code libraries, and compilers which when brought together enable the development of a project or system. These frameworks make components reusable. Examples of frameworks are – React, Angular, Vue, etc.

3. Backend Development

The code that runs on the server, has logic to send the appropriate data from the client and receive it from the server. Also, it includes the database which stores all of the data of the application. It consists of three parts: a server, an application, and a database. Here, the code written by developers transfers information from the database to the browser. Code written by back-end developers communicates information from the database to the browser.

Skills you need to have to back-end developer: programming languages, frameworks, databases, servers, and API (Application Program Interface).

• Programming Languages – Back-end developers should know at least one of the programming languages like Java, Python, and JavaScript. JavaScript would be the best choice as this can be used in both the front-end and back-end.

• Frameworks – Frameworks are generally components or functions that are implemented to improve the performance of development. It includes the library of tools and modules that builds the architecture of a website. Several popular back-end frameworks are Express, Django, Ruby on Rails*, etc.*

• Database – Various DBMS technology should be known such as MongoDB, MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server, etc. It handles with storage and management of data.

• Server – A system providing data, services, or programs is known as clients over a network. They share (send and receive) the data/information between client and server.

• API (Application Program Interface) – It is a set of defined rules that enables communication or acts as an intermediary between two applications. Request from the user is completed by the response from the server.

Client-Server Architecture: This architecture is designed to understand the request made and the response received. Whenever there’s a request from the client-side for data, the server responds to that request. There comes, the picture of a database which is explained in the next step, that stores the information needed to be retrieved.

1. Digital Marketing

   With the digital marketing field growing with long strides, it provides a plethora of opportunities for BCA graduates. The roles and responsibilities include web content optimization, marketing analytics, and search engine optimization. Apart from BCA, hands-on experience with online tools is greatly preferred

2. Banking Sector

   Digitization of the banking sector has opened up banking jobs for BCA graduates that usually include technical roles. The applicants need to be thoroughly versed in finance, logical reasoning, and qualitative aptitude to ace the interviews for the job offers.

Cyber Security Expert

It is a much sought-after job for many BCA graduates with the job role concerned with networking, application, and maintaining data security using sophisticated software and tools. With a few additional certifications, the opportunities will open up even further.

1. Blockchain Developer

   You can earn lucrative salaries in this new yet emerging sector with additional online certification. The job roles usually involve dealing with blockchain technology tools such as Ethereum and Bitcoin protocols, Solidity, and Java.

2. DevOps Engineer

DevOps methodology focuses on better collaboration between the Development team and the Operations team. So, DevOps engineers are individuals who oversee the entire software development lifecycle. They are instrumental in handling the code releases, implementing CI/CD pipeline, automating various processes, and solving any issues that arise during the development, deployment, or maintenance phase.

Roadmap to Become a DevOps Engineer

• Learn how to use Git and GitHub to effectively manage your source code

• Enhance your workflow with tools like package management and Docker

• Automate your software development process with continuous integration and continuous delivery

• Master the art of container management with Kubernetes

• Explore cloud computing with AWS

• Use Terraform to implement infrastructure as code

• Monitor your systems and applications with Prometheus and Grafana

• Git, Docker Desktop, Minikube, Jenkins, AWS CLI, Terraform

Cloud Computing

Simply put, cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet (“the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.

It works on Pay as we go model.

What are the 4 types of cloud computing?

There are four main types of cloud computing: private clouds, public clouds, hybrid clouds, and multiclouds.

cloud service providers

Dominating the Cloud Service Provider (CSP) market are three hyperscalers: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

1. Quantum Computing

   Quantum computing is a rapidly emerging technology that harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that today's most powerful supercomputers cannot practically solve. The ability to tap into these new computational spaces could help researchers identify new medicines and treatments more quickly.

There are so many other things in which you can upskill yourself.

The main thing is that the more you search the more knowledge you will get.

I hope this can be usefull for student who are confused about upskilling themselves with their college studies.