Jobs designing systems?
July 30, 2011 7:04 AM Subscribe
New career sought: designing and analyzing complicated systems; designs that will get made (but not by me) and aren't just in computer-land -- with variety and some independence while working. I'm essentially an ex-academic looking for something "alternative", as they say. I just don't know what jobs are out there.
I finished a MS in ecology two years ago and have been teaching part-time. I have a lot of skills and interests, and always jump around; hence the need for variety. My thesis work was building computer simulations of ecosystems. I liked much about research, but I'd like to design things people see or use somehow...plus better job prospects than the tenure-track job search.
Besides science, I've done Web and graphic design as a side job, and am actually interning now (without pay!), with the thought of exploring information design. I like that I'm directly making things, but there's not enough hard problem solving. Plus, my degree means little, so I'm starting out on the bottom, so I have some reservations.
Those jobs-seeker questionnaires always ask you what you'd do in your free time. I design games. Have since age 5. Sadly, one-man development of computer games is tough, so I do board games and such now. But that's about my ideal career: research some area, build a little model system -- thinking about all kinds of interactions and dynamics -- and then find a way to present it to people. But you can't make a living at game design per se, so I'm looking for something having some of the same features of scientific research or game design. If they dealt with ecology, that might be nice. I match the meyer's-briggs INTP type fairly well (it's a godo shorthand if nothing else): I want variety, challenge, and independence; and to concentrate more on finding solutions than implementing every detail myself.
I have a bunch of skills, but of course not extensive experience with them: some programming, general computer skill, graphic design, writing, research, etc, etc. I need to get moving on something new fast. But if necessary, I could undertake (paid) internships or get a second MS at the nearby U.
Suggestions?
I finished a MS in ecology two years ago and have been teaching part-time. I have a lot of skills and interests, and always jump around; hence the need for variety. My thesis work was building computer simulations of ecosystems. I liked much about research, but I'd like to design things people see or use somehow...plus better job prospects than the tenure-track job search.
Besides science, I've done Web and graphic design as a side job, and am actually interning now (without pay!), with the thought of exploring information design. I like that I'm directly making things, but there's not enough hard problem solving. Plus, my degree means little, so I'm starting out on the bottom, so I have some reservations.
Those jobs-seeker questionnaires always ask you what you'd do in your free time. I design games. Have since age 5. Sadly, one-man development of computer games is tough, so I do board games and such now. But that's about my ideal career: research some area, build a little model system -- thinking about all kinds of interactions and dynamics -- and then find a way to present it to people. But you can't make a living at game design per se, so I'm looking for something having some of the same features of scientific research or game design. If they dealt with ecology, that might be nice. I match the meyer's-briggs INTP type fairly well (it's a godo shorthand if nothing else): I want variety, challenge, and independence; and to concentrate more on finding solutions than implementing every detail myself.
I have a bunch of skills, but of course not extensive experience with them: some programming, general computer skill, graphic design, writing, research, etc, etc. I need to get moving on something new fast. But if necessary, I could undertake (paid) internships or get a second MS at the nearby U.
Suggestions?
Best answer: I've worked in positions very much along these lines, and one of the hardest things about jobseeking, for me, was just knowing what sort of job titles to look for. There's a huge variety, but these are probably the most common:
Systems engineer. Very general term. Some agencies, for example, just call everyone a systems engineer; but as a field, it's fairly specific, end-to-end project development.
Information architect. These tend to lean toward web development these days, but generally speaking, it's creating an overall data architecture in a specific domain, and a scheme for storing and serving that data in an appropriate way.
Ontologist. Sometimes 'semantic ontologist.' An ontologist identifies the elements within a specific domain, then sits down like some giant nerd and articulates their various attributes and relationships to other elements, basically like a big old relational diagram. This is like data modeling, but in my experience, data modeling tends to be lower-level, usually working in an existing framework; whereas the ontologist is the person who creates and defines the framework.
In the wild, there's a lot of overlap and these job titles are often used almost interchangeably; but they all involve fairly high-end, conceptual work, and are generally not focused on implementation. (The smaller the company, the more likely you are to do implementation as a general rule.) But maybe look around at job listings under those and similar titles, including variations on information or systems and designer, developer, modeler, or architect; and for coursework or studies of cognitive modeling, ontology, etc., to get a feel for the field, such as it is.
And this kind of stuff needs done in just about every vertical industry that would use any kind of intelligent system.
I am an old, so a younger person might have more recent suggestions, but I'd recommend looking for some of Philip N. Johnson-Laird's books on mental modeling and cognitive systems for a general introduction to the ontological stuff to see if it strikes your fancy. And if you ever get a chance to study or explore computational linguistics at any level, go for it. That's the first thing I found in college that really sent shivers down my spine. There's not a lot of work in that field specifically, especially if you don't have a PhD, but it's very much high-level ontologizin', so the experience and knowledge is very applicable to other fields.
As I said, some of the biggest hurdles working in that field are in identifying and quantifying what you do, and finding people who need that done. The field itself is a little bit fuzzy, really, so the job titles and responsibilities can tend to be fuzzy, too.
And good luck. It's a big fat pain to find these types of jobs and people get really bored and impatient when you try to explain what you do, but the work itself more than makes up for it.
That would have made a lot more sense, I think, if I'd presented it in diagram form.
posted by ernielundquist at 8:58 AM on July 30, 2011 [4 favorites]
Systems engineer. Very general term. Some agencies, for example, just call everyone a systems engineer; but as a field, it's fairly specific, end-to-end project development.
Information architect. These tend to lean toward web development these days, but generally speaking, it's creating an overall data architecture in a specific domain, and a scheme for storing and serving that data in an appropriate way.
Ontologist. Sometimes 'semantic ontologist.' An ontologist identifies the elements within a specific domain, then sits down like some giant nerd and articulates their various attributes and relationships to other elements, basically like a big old relational diagram. This is like data modeling, but in my experience, data modeling tends to be lower-level, usually working in an existing framework; whereas the ontologist is the person who creates and defines the framework.
In the wild, there's a lot of overlap and these job titles are often used almost interchangeably; but they all involve fairly high-end, conceptual work, and are generally not focused on implementation. (The smaller the company, the more likely you are to do implementation as a general rule.) But maybe look around at job listings under those and similar titles, including variations on information or systems and designer, developer, modeler, or architect; and for coursework or studies of cognitive modeling, ontology, etc., to get a feel for the field, such as it is.
And this kind of stuff needs done in just about every vertical industry that would use any kind of intelligent system.
I am an old, so a younger person might have more recent suggestions, but I'd recommend looking for some of Philip N. Johnson-Laird's books on mental modeling and cognitive systems for a general introduction to the ontological stuff to see if it strikes your fancy. And if you ever get a chance to study or explore computational linguistics at any level, go for it. That's the first thing I found in college that really sent shivers down my spine. There's not a lot of work in that field specifically, especially if you don't have a PhD, but it's very much high-level ontologizin', so the experience and knowledge is very applicable to other fields.
As I said, some of the biggest hurdles working in that field are in identifying and quantifying what you do, and finding people who need that done. The field itself is a little bit fuzzy, really, so the job titles and responsibilities can tend to be fuzzy, too.
And good luck. It's a big fat pain to find these types of jobs and people get really bored and impatient when you try to explain what you do, but the work itself more than makes up for it.
That would have made a lot more sense, I think, if I'd presented it in diagram form.
posted by ernielundquist at 8:58 AM on July 30, 2011 [4 favorites]
But you can't make a living at game design per se, so I'm looking for something having some of the same features of scientific research or game design.
Yes you can!
I'd like to recommend looking into game design as a potential career. Specifically, you should look at systems design. I make very good money in this role. Your Masters project sounds directly applicable and you've made lots of games to use as resume pieces, so you are actually in a very good spot to get into that field.
As alternatives, I've found librarian science, urban planning, and product design or industrial design to hit a number of the same joys I get from my game design job.
But I want to reiterate... game design is a perfectly acceptable path for a lifetime career, and it won't necessarily leave you burnt out and broke.
posted by subject_verb_remainder at 1:31 PM on July 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yes you can!
I'd like to recommend looking into game design as a potential career. Specifically, you should look at systems design. I make very good money in this role. Your Masters project sounds directly applicable and you've made lots of games to use as resume pieces, so you are actually in a very good spot to get into that field.
As alternatives, I've found librarian science, urban planning, and product design or industrial design to hit a number of the same joys I get from my game design job.
But I want to reiterate... game design is a perfectly acceptable path for a lifetime career, and it won't necessarily leave you burnt out and broke.
posted by subject_verb_remainder at 1:31 PM on July 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks very much for the ideas, everyone.
I've seen instructional design pop up in searches, but had trouble learning what the day-to-day work is like. I'm sure there's variation, but what kind of place hired you, madred? What do you spend your time doing?
Ontology-work sounds very interesting! I've never heard the term as a title. The firm I intern at actually spends a lot of effort mind-mapping and organizing ideas, as part of high-level brand consulting. I'll look into those resources.
Game design...wow. I had sort of given up that fantasy career, figuring years of slave-programming in California were necessary. But maybe the industry has changed a lot? I almost fear to hope it's possible, but I greatly appreciate your recommendation, s_v_r. Can it be done outside a big city or silicon valley? I'm tied to one area for a couple of years. If there aren't companies in commuting distance, are there ways to prepare for a later shift? (Not sure I can pull off a game in my spare time.)
posted by JLMC at 10:04 AM on July 31, 2011
I've seen instructional design pop up in searches, but had trouble learning what the day-to-day work is like. I'm sure there's variation, but what kind of place hired you, madred? What do you spend your time doing?
Ontology-work sounds very interesting! I've never heard the term as a title. The firm I intern at actually spends a lot of effort mind-mapping and organizing ideas, as part of high-level brand consulting. I'll look into those resources.
Game design...wow. I had sort of given up that fantasy career, figuring years of slave-programming in California were necessary. But maybe the industry has changed a lot? I almost fear to hope it's possible, but I greatly appreciate your recommendation, s_v_r. Can it be done outside a big city or silicon valley? I'm tied to one area for a couple of years. If there aren't companies in commuting distance, are there ways to prepare for a later shift? (Not sure I can pull off a game in my spare time.)
posted by JLMC at 10:04 AM on July 31, 2011
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posted by madred at 7:32 AM on July 30, 2011 [1 favorite]