Alan Skorkin has degrees in computer science and computer systems engineering and was lucky enough to land a good software developer job out of college. He continues to write code and get better at it, while also sharing his tips and views on the industry through his blog, Skorks.

Why did you decide to pursue this career field?
For me it was more of a pragmatic decision. I was always of a science/math bend in school, so when the time came to pick a university course to apply for, computer science seemed like a logical choice (one of several I considered) given the career prospects. It wasn't until I was already studying that I realized it was something I really enjoyed and was good at. After that, it was relatively smooth sailing as far as my university degree goes. I was also lucky to get into a good software developer job right out of the university which gave me a decent base for the rest of my career.

What type of preparation did you do to get into this field?
It is difficult to map out a path that will lead you to this field. I've seen people with almost identical backgrounds have totally different reactions to this field (love vs. hate). A decent math background certainly helps, and ability and desire to solve problems. The best thing to do is to try it out and see if you enjoy it/can understand it. It is very easy these days to get a decent beginners programming book and see if you can work your way through it, maybe even try a couple (of books). If you don't find it totally incomprehensible, that is certainly a good sign. After that, it helps if you get a computer science degree, but this is by no means a requirement as you can teach yourself everything you need to know if you're enough of a self-starter. Many companies will hire you if you don't have a degree based on the skills you can show. Bigger companies will usually want you to have a degree. It helps a lot if you can point people at code you have written, such as open source projects or simply personal projects that you have done.

What types of classes and projects did you have to do?
I have two degrees, a computer science one and a computer systems engineering one. If you want to do software, computer science is the basic degree you should be looking at. As I said before, you can get by without a degree, but it certainly helps if you have one, even if only because you will have one thing less to worry about and you won't be discarded sight unseen by more conservative companies.

How did your education help you in your career?
Depending on where you study, you can either learn much relevant information from your degree, or almost nothing that is directly applicable. The key in software development is self-study regardless of whether you have/are getting a degree or not. Find books to read, be curious about things you don't know, look at places like the Open Courseware Initiative or Khan Academy to improve your general education and give yourself a more solid background. This is not just true when you're studying, it is the key to your whole professional life in software. Be prepared to constantly and proactively learn something new for the rest of your life.

What was your career path like in this field? 
It all depends on what you want to do. Personally, I enjoy software development/programming for its own sake so at the moment I am going the route of the "master craftsman" which means I proactively seek out programming jobs and try to improve my coding skills. But there is room for people to do things like lead teams or move into management, just like with any other profession.

What types of skills is someone required to have to work in your position?
There is a whole array of professional skills that can be relevant depending on the company you work for and the work you're doing. You need to know a programming language or two (or three, the more the better), be familiar with basic computer science concepts such as concurrency and operating systems etc. If you're working with the Web, then things like networking and HTTP are helpful. This is just at a high level, if you zoom in there is a whole host of technologies you can be exposed to/familiar with. These can be specific to a language or specific to the area you're in. At a personal level, problem-solving skills are a must, ability to communicate is always valued, being the kind of person who doesn't give up easily.

What do you do on a typical workday?
I write code at work and go to meetings if I can't avoid them.

Do you plan to advance to another position within your career field? 
For the foreseeable future, I want to keep writing code and getting better at it, but you never know what the future will bring.

What type of person do you think is best suited for a job in your field?
This is difficult to answer. Do you enjoy problem solving, puzzles, electronics, science fiction, computer gaming, hacking? If so, then there is a good chance you might enjoy building software, but it is certainly not a guarantee, it is just that those activities tend to attract a mind-set which is well suited to software development. At the end of the day, the key ingredient is the ability to work hard for a long time to achieve your goals.

Do you have any advice for those who are looking to launch a career in your field?
If you can find someone good to give you some advice, definitely do so. The Internet is your best friend. All the best resources have been voted and reviewed countless times, and you no longer have to shoot in the dark. Find the absolute best books/sites/articles to study.