1. User Groups
1.1. How to find them
1.1.1. Skills Matter
1.1.2. Meetup.com
1.2. JavaWUG
1.3. LJC
2. What I am hoping to create is a tree diagram instead of a mindmap but this seems the best place to start. I am basically hoping to understand the different routes available to people within software. This is to help Grads and people coming in to the industry to firstly gain an understand of the options currently available to them, and secondly to gain an idea where those options may lead. I hope to eventually use this map or a similar one to be a starting point to much more information on each discipline
3. Types of companies
3.1. Product/Solution companies
3.1.1. Product is most important thing
3.1.2. Work will involve developing a product for the company to sell
3.1.3. Time to market is key
3.1.4. Marketing is mandatory
3.2. Non-IT Companies
3.2.1. e.g. Where the core business is not technology but needs technology to survive
3.2.2. e.g.
3.2.2.1. Financial
3.2.2.2. Media
3.2.2.3. Travel
3.2.3. Work will involve developing systems to improve the companies core business
3.3. Consultancies
3.3.1. Will work on different projects and industries
3.3.2. If there are no projects you are put "on the bench"
3.3.3. Generally have high levels of expectation
3.3.4. Money is high
3.3.5. Can involve lots of travel and working in various locations
3.3.6. Level of commitment to high quality solutions is a make or break
3.3.7. Good reputation is mandatory
3.4. Small Business
3.4.1. Do bits of lots of jobs. Not all IT-related
3.4.2. Need to get on *very* well with colleagues
3.5. One-Person or Self Employued
3.5.1. Responsible for everything from strategy to toilets
3.5.2. Often sell services such as consulting
3.5.3. Money sometimes good, sometimes non-existent. Can be tricky to ensure continuity of income
3.5.4. If you are ill you don't earn
3.5.5. May want to grow into a larger business
4. Understanding the industry
4.1. Open Source Software
4.1.1. Open Source Central
4.1.2. Source forge
4.1.3. GitHub
4.1.4. What Is Open Source Software
4.1.4.1. Open source software (OSS) is computer software for which the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under a software license that meets the Open Source Definition or that is in the public domain.
4.1.4.2. Projects created where there is not a perfect solution
4.1.4.3. Economic Model
4.1.4.3.1. Some projects are run as part time projects, people work in their spare time on them
4.1.4.3.2. Many companies support their developers to work on OSS projects that will be beneficial to their company
4.1.4.4. Politics
4.1.4.4.1. Licenses
4.2. Movements
4.2.1. Software Craftsmanship Movement
4.2.2. Agile Development Movement
5. Junior BA
5.1. Mid level BA
5.1.1. Project Manager
5.1.1.1. Senior Manager
5.1.1.1.1. IT Director
6. Penetration/Security Tester
7. Craftsman
7.1. Apprentice
7.1.1. Journeyman
7.1.1.1. Master
7.2. A new movement has begun in the development industry known as the "software craftsmanship". It was set up to create awareness for the problems that exist within the industry
7.2.1. Though the ultimate goal is to create software the craftsman movement uses different job titles to distinguish themselves
7.2.2. For more information visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_Craftsmanship
8. conferences
8.1. Devoxx
9. Podcasts
9.1. independent
9.1.1. The Java Posse
9.1.2. Software Engineering Radio
9.1.3. Stack Overflow
9.2. associated with one of the communities below
10. Technical Community
10.1. Professional Bodies
10.1.1. BCS
10.1.1.1. Website and Mailing List etc.
10.1.1.2. Journals and Publications
10.1.1.3. Members Events
10.1.1.4. Specialist Groups
10.1.2. ACM
10.1.3. IET
10.2. Online
10.2.1. Career/Role Specific Sites/Communities
10.2.1.1. Programming / Development
10.2.1.2. Testing
10.2.1.3. Architecture
10.2.2. Blogs and RSS Feeds
10.2.2.1. javablogs.com
10.2.3. Technology Specific Sites/communities
10.2.3.1. The Server Side
10.2.3.2. InfoQ
10.2.4. Domain Specific Sites/Communities
10.2.5. General Computing/IT Sites/Communities
10.2.5.1. Learning
10.2.5.1.1. DZone
10.2.5.1.2. Parleys.com
10.2.5.2. Problem Solving / Q&A
10.2.5.2.1. Stack Overflow
10.2.6. Social Networking
10.2.6.1. LinkedIn
10.2.6.1.1. Groups
10.2.6.2. Twitter
10.2.6.3. Facebook
10.2.7. Does anyone know anymore?
10.2.8. Programming Language Specific Sites/Communities
10.2.8.1. JavaRanch
10.3. email mailing lists
11. READ ME
11.1. What to do from here
11.1.1. Add branches to the tree
11.2. What is this
12. A career in software
12.1. School
12.1.1. College
12.1.1.1. University
12.1.1.1.1. Programming
12.1.1.1.2. Testing
12.1.1.1.3. Business + Technical
12.1.1.1.4. Junior Technical analyst
12.1.1.1.5. Supporting software
12.1.1.1.6. R&D
12.1.1.1.7. Consultant