Computer Jobs

[anwiyayoukhanna]

I'm soon to start college and I've decided that I want to prepare myself for a computer-related career. I'm not sure exactly what I want to do, but from what I've read I should be working towards a degree in Computer Science. I figured many people on this forum work with computers. If you do, and you don't mind, what do you do exactly and how much do you enjoy it?

[Disco-Stu]

LOL. Working "with a computer" is pretty much every job on the planet now. Computer Science is going to put you into an engineering job (code monkey, basically) that pays alright, but can be dead-end unless you've got some business in you too. A lot of people lean towards a CIS degree (computer information systems) and become IT gurus. This is basically a watered down CSE (computer science engineer) with a business school degree. You'll learn a lot more about databasing and software applications rather than just tons of code and schematics. A lot of us opt for Multimedia design degrees on this forum. It's more of the "computers + art" thing. You can learn 3d modelling, graphic design, and a couple scripting or programming languages.

It all really depends on what you enjoy doing! Get a head start now by trying to learn some code. It will help IMMENSLY in college. The classes that teach you programming are really just safe nets. You'll need to use it on a regular basis in order to pick up anything useful in class. Otherwise you're just following tutorials and not learning anything.

[SlowRoasted]

what do you want to do with computers? code? teach others? design? sell computers? hardware? software? networking? tech support? There are so many different areas. I guess start off by deciding what exactly you want to do with them. Once you figure that out I would go get some books from the bookstore on the topic and start reading them. Get ahead of the game so that you are one of the class nerds. May sound bad, but a lot of the time professors will pay extra special attention to nerds and teach them stuff beyond the scope of the class.

[anwiyayoukhanna]

There is so much I love about computers I'm not sure what I want to do. I wouldn't mind software engineering since I like to learn about programming. However I like hardware too-my dad used to make custom computers for people he knew and he taught me some of that, I thought it was very fun and interesting. I also know about creating websites/graphics so I'm also interested in design. I'm not really into teaching but I wouldn't mind it.

[ya3]

Be an IT Guy :)

They get paid heaps.

Y'know...
"Hey, the computer's not working!"
"Call the IT Guy!"

:trout:

[blindlizard]

Here is an interesting article about the fall of computer science in America http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3520606

I have a CIS degree (not CS). I was like you and didn't really know where I wanted to go in the industry. I started out with a small systems integrator company where I wrote code to make clients legacy systems talk to the new systems we were selling them. My role was 1/2 presales (doing presentations of our software) and 1/2 writing custom code on a per client basis. From there I went to a large Human Resource Consulting compay (had like 5000 employees). Here I wrote in house web applications so that the consultants could collect and view healthcare data. Then I did some consulting work (didn't work for anyone) and made about 2X what I was making working full time somewhere. Now, I and a friend I met in college started our own company. The business part of my degree helped me a lot, not only to run my own company, but to write business applications that require you to know things like accounting.

Here is the deal, if you want a job or to start your own, I would say go the CIS route. Now, if you want to be innovative and create the next Google then go for CS. If you do go the CS route, do yourself a favor and minor in something. You need to be well rounded to make something usefull. Maybe get a English minor and create a Google like thing that can index and search audio and video....I am waiting for someone to make that!

[Lord Rahl]

I was offered a job as a apprentice to my uncle who was a computer and electronic engineer. Of course at first I htought this sounded great, and I decided I was gonna take it while going to college and get a masters degree in this area and become like him. But I decided that though the pay is great and I would enjoy it. Its not what I really wanted to do. I wanted in in another area in field of computers. So I gave that chance up. He moved on and got a even better job with a company that pays like crazy and he has a company car that is built like a damn tank. The computer industry is great in pay, but keep in mind that it becomes stressfull. Some people even think it's one of the biggest industries that people join and leave because of stress related problems. Hourly problems to even straight up hard thinking. It all comes down to your tollerence. Is it really worth it? The equivelence of $40 or > an hour.
Disco-Stu, not everything is involved with computers in jobs nowadays. And some of the ones that do only require minor knowledge in computers like basic operation.
anwiyayoukhanna, you don't have to worry about choosing a career right off when entering college. The first year everyone pretty much takes the same thing. Basics that make sure you got what it takes for math, history, etc. So relax, now rush in your choice. Whatever it is you choose though, hope it turns out well for you. :cowboy:

[Lord Rahl]

Here is an interesting article about the fall of computer science in America http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3520606
Wouldn't put to much into tnto believing that article. Just about all career choices have articles about their decline. Most of all, America. But Americans have a habbit to write and take notice only to the bad things in life. Look how most of history clas is made up of the first president impeached, or how the white man destroyed the native americans, etc. Negativity is treated like its glorified, always the most fixated thing in the news industry. Nothign makes a good story like a juicy problem.

[anwiyayoukhanna]

CIS stands for computer information systems, then what does CS stand for? Sorry I went to http://it.acronymfinder.com/ but then I got a ton of results for CS and I didn't know.

My dad worked as a software engineer for EDS for about 7 years then he moved to Comerica bank where he is still an engineer and he's worked there for about 8 years. I wouldn't mind working for a corporation but I eventually would want to start my own company. I've thought of having my own computer/electronics store, but, I become discouraged sometimes by bigger buisnesses. As a consumer myself, I never shop at small computer stores; in fact I would much rather go to a Circuit City, CompUSA, or Office Max. Well I think I'm getting off topic, but out of curiosity, what does your company do blindlizard?

[blindlizard]

CS = commputer scince

I own a staffing company. My business partner has been in the staffing field for years and we got to talking. The staffing industry is very paper based. And those companies that do automated things, do so with disconnected systems. Like they use Quickbooks for payroll, but they have to have someone enter all the faxed in paper timecards into Quickbooks. I built us a system that automated just about everything. We don't do paper timecards (unless a client wants us too which some do). We have a web based system where temps fill out their time online and their supervisor (our client) approves or rejects it. This data gets pumped right to our payroll company and checks get cut. Our payroll guy spends about 2 hours doing what other companies spend 8 to 16 hours doing.

Also, in addition to the staffing (but related), we do IT consulting...focusing on deveopment. With my contacts from my consulting days, we "become" the development group for companies that don't have one. The first company that I talked about in my post before (the systems intergrator), they still sell systems to clients which is their core business. They have a bunch of engineers that know networking and servers and all that stuff. These guys go to the client and install these new systems. Every once in a while the client needs something customized. They come to us and we put together a team of developers to do the work. This way they can offer custom solutions to their customer without having the expense of full time developers. We do this transparent to their clients. To their clients, we are the systems integrator's full time employees. My title there is "Development Group Manager". :) I even carry their business cards with my name on them...right behind my business cards.

[G]

Computer Science is the broadest computing degree i.e. their are more module choices to choose from in the 2nd and 3rd years....thats what I'm doing :)

You need to deiced exactly where your interest is in computers e.g. do you like programming or would you prefer to learn about network systems etc? the choice is yours:)

[ramie]

I studied software enginnering, its good, covererd not just programming but HCI, database systems, web, multimedia and network enginering......

[Vexir]

Is it possible to do CS and get a business degree? (I am still unsure of all the degrees you can get and in what order)

[krnmikel]

also i have another question, what degree would you need for things such as working with networking/servers, i guess more around the computer hardware area.