No Work Experience in Computer Science | About to Graduate | Panicking
February 7, 2016 6:48 PM Subscribe
I'm completing a Computer Science degree. Graduation is this May, and I'm really worried about finding an entry level job. The main reason I'm worried is I have no work experience in Computer Science and I have no idea whether I am currently "hire-able."
Rather than working internships in the field I'm studying, I've been working a reasonably well-paying job that I got from a friend. On the up side, I'm debt free and have enough money saved up to comfortably afford one more year of college -- including living expenses. On the down side, I have no idea how to sell myself in an interview, and my current job is ending in the next few months.
I've got questions:
-The university offers "concentrations" in Information Security, Video Game Development, or Bioinformatics. Would staying in college another year to complete a "concentration" actually make it easier to find a job?
-Is there any sort of additional certification that would make me standout in general?
-If I'm building a portfolio to show what I can do, then do you have any general recommendations?
---
Additional Details:
This isn't my first time being in a situation like this. I already have a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I graduated in 2010 and passed the the State Certification to become an Engineering Intern (EI). I struggled to find work in part because the BP Oil Spill negatively impacted the Oil and Gas Industry which is where most of the jobs were.
My Computer Science senior electives were:
-Computer Security
-Web Development (Using Ruby on Rails)
-Data Models and Database Systems
I'm really stressed... I feel like I don't currently have any very marketable skills. I need to calm myself down. Any advise you have would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your time.
Rather than working internships in the field I'm studying, I've been working a reasonably well-paying job that I got from a friend. On the up side, I'm debt free and have enough money saved up to comfortably afford one more year of college -- including living expenses. On the down side, I have no idea how to sell myself in an interview, and my current job is ending in the next few months.
I've got questions:
-The university offers "concentrations" in Information Security, Video Game Development, or Bioinformatics. Would staying in college another year to complete a "concentration" actually make it easier to find a job?
-Is there any sort of additional certification that would make me standout in general?
-If I'm building a portfolio to show what I can do, then do you have any general recommendations?
---
Additional Details:
This isn't my first time being in a situation like this. I already have a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I graduated in 2010 and passed the the State Certification to become an Engineering Intern (EI). I struggled to find work in part because the BP Oil Spill negatively impacted the Oil and Gas Industry which is where most of the jobs were.
My Computer Science senior electives were:
-Computer Security
-Web Development (Using Ruby on Rails)
-Data Models and Database Systems
I'm really stressed... I feel like I don't currently have any very marketable skills. I need to calm myself down. Any advise you have would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your time.
Doesn't your university offer some help with job placement? A career center? An advisor in the department? A job fair? They would be places to start.
posted by procrastination at 6:51 PM on February 7, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by procrastination at 6:51 PM on February 7, 2016 [6 favorites]
A portfolio is as important if not more important than internships. Go make something.
Additionally, you can absolutely do a post-grad internship before entering the job market. Go find one or get help from your university finding one.
posted by DarlingBri at 6:51 PM on February 7, 2016 [5 favorites]
Additionally, you can absolutely do a post-grad internship before entering the job market. Go find one or get help from your university finding one.
posted by DarlingBri at 6:51 PM on February 7, 2016 [5 favorites]
You’re stressed because you don’t know if you’re hireable. Another year of concentration won’t give you new information about that, so you’ll spend the year continuing to be stressed. Long-term stress is bad for you.
You should instead find out if you’re hireable by attempting to get hired. Go apply for jobs, talk to hiring managers, spend some time in the engineering meat market, and put your stress out of its misery.
posted by migurski at 6:54 PM on February 7, 2016 [3 favorites]
You should instead find out if you’re hireable by attempting to get hired. Go apply for jobs, talk to hiring managers, spend some time in the engineering meat market, and put your stress out of its misery.
posted by migurski at 6:54 PM on February 7, 2016 [3 favorites]
You need to spend your last year in school getting a part-time job doing something related to your degree, or take a semester off to get an internship. Internships for CS majors generally pay very well so you really don't have any reason to not pursue this. There are a lot of CS majors out there who are going to have a competitive edge because they did get internships, which gives them resume padding as well as interviewing experience. Go get some of that yourself.
source: I have a CS degree and work for a big company that hires CS majors.
posted by joan_holloway at 6:56 PM on February 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
source: I have a CS degree and work for a big company that hires CS majors.
posted by joan_holloway at 6:56 PM on February 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
I dunno what kind of job you are currently doing, but in most industries, true work experience trumps internships. And if it's a friend, you're guaranteed a good reference, right? These are good things.
posted by BrunoLatourFanclub at 6:58 PM on February 7, 2016
posted by BrunoLatourFanclub at 6:58 PM on February 7, 2016
What is this "reasonably well-paying job" that you already have? Does it involve computers or technical problem-solving in any way, shape, or form? If so, the problem is connecting the experience you already have to work you want, not starting from zero.
posted by yarntheory at 7:00 PM on February 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by yarntheory at 7:00 PM on February 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
I had zero experience and no internships beside my job installing software and doing basic IT support when I graduated with my bachelor's in Computer Science in 2012. I was immediately hired (even before grad) by a company that liked to get kids right from school so they could train them and they didn't have any existing bad habits. Go try to get a job, I think you'll be okay.
posted by possibilityleft at 7:04 PM on February 7, 2016
posted by possibilityleft at 7:04 PM on February 7, 2016
Can you get something up on github? Maybe some class work or maybe some side project type stuff, I think this will do wonders for having a portfolio that you can refer to later on and in an interview. Don't worry about only having a few months of work up there, better that than nothing at all.
posted by z11s at 7:17 PM on February 7, 2016
posted by z11s at 7:17 PM on February 7, 2016
What kind of coding do you want to do for the next 10, 20 years?
Chances are you don't need thousands of dollars worth of hardware to get into that field any more, just time and energy.
Pick a job listing you would want to apply for, and apply for it.
If you get the interview, honestly express your enthusiasm for the field/position/work.
If you don't, look at the qualifications they posted for the position, and tackle them on your own.
IME, BS in CS is 10-20% of the battle towards getting a great industry job. 50 +/-% is who you know, and the rest is your skills, and both of these areas are yours to expand now.
posted by Heywood Mogroot III at 7:23 PM on February 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Chances are you don't need thousands of dollars worth of hardware to get into that field any more, just time and energy.
Pick a job listing you would want to apply for, and apply for it.
If you get the interview, honestly express your enthusiasm for the field/position/work.
If you don't, look at the qualifications they posted for the position, and tackle them on your own.
IME, BS in CS is 10-20% of the battle towards getting a great industry job. 50 +/-% is who you know, and the rest is your skills, and both of these areas are yours to expand now.
posted by Heywood Mogroot III at 7:23 PM on February 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Three thoughts:
- Find your self a job counselor! You need to understand all of the marketable skills that you already possess so that you can help an employer see them.
- If you don't have all the standard skills compared to your classmates, be prepared to work much harder to find an employer that is a good match for you. Also be prepared to network like mad - it is personal connections that will get the interview that will let you show off your own unique mix of skills. My story: I graduated from a very prestigious business school (yay me!), with no real work experience (boo!), an undergraduate degree in a nontechnical major (boo) during a recession (boo) It took me longer than most to find a job but I found a great one that I really enjoyed. It was an off-beat position. Since the manager knew he to train whoever he hired, he didn't care about my lack of experience, he just liked by personality and intelligence.
- The question with the certifications is not just "will it help me find a job" but "will it help more than a year of work experience" Similarly, if the certification jobs pay better, do they pay enough better to make up for the lost income and experience of not working during that year.
posted by metahawk at 7:29 PM on February 7, 2016
- Find your self a job counselor! You need to understand all of the marketable skills that you already possess so that you can help an employer see them.
- If you don't have all the standard skills compared to your classmates, be prepared to work much harder to find an employer that is a good match for you. Also be prepared to network like mad - it is personal connections that will get the interview that will let you show off your own unique mix of skills. My story: I graduated from a very prestigious business school (yay me!), with no real work experience (boo!), an undergraduate degree in a nontechnical major (boo) during a recession (boo) It took me longer than most to find a job but I found a great one that I really enjoyed. It was an off-beat position. Since the manager knew he to train whoever he hired, he didn't care about my lack of experience, he just liked by personality and intelligence.
- The question with the certifications is not just "will it help me find a job" but "will it help more than a year of work experience" Similarly, if the certification jobs pay better, do they pay enough better to make up for the lost income and experience of not working during that year.
posted by metahawk at 7:29 PM on February 7, 2016
Best answer: A few years ago I was literally you, and I know exactly where your head is at. I didn't have a single technical internship under my belt when I graduated college (I worked my summers in a neuroscience lab). I was hired right out of school by Google, pretty much entirely on the strength of my portfolio - and basically that entire portfolio was assembled my senior year. If you know web development with Rails, you have an eminently marketable skill. Like, one of the more marketable skills out there right now. Doubly so if you also know javascript. Take a deep breath, you've got this.
-The university offers "concentrations" in Information Security, Video Game Development, or Bioinformatics. Would staying in college another year to complete a "concentration" actually make it easier to find a job?
Nope, employers really aren't gonna care. What you studied or how you studied it doesn't matter all that much. The Information Security focus in particular might be helpful, but you should really only do it if you're definitely interested in security because you'l be pigeonholing yourself in to doing that kind of work.
-Is there any sort of additional certification that would make me standout in general?
Certifications in software engineering are generally considered to not be worth the paper they're printed on (IT is a different animal; if that's the direction you're interested in I'll let people who know it better give you advice there).
-If I'm building a portfolio to show what I can do, then do you have any general recommendations?
Just build things. Build lots of small web apps. Put all the code on github (if you don't have a github account, get one immediately and put it on your resume. That's your portfolio).
The key, primary, most important thing for getting jobs in tech is being able to demonstrate a track record of getting shit done. Employers don't really care what you studied or how; they care that you can actually write code. Internships are one way to demonstrate that track record, but you can demonstrate it via a portfolio just as well.
Also: Doesn't your university offer some help with job placement? A career center? An advisor in the department? A job fair? They would be places to start.
Unfortunately, unless you go to an engineering school (and even then one with an especially strong CS department), the career center will be basically worthless. Hiring in CS is very different than hiring in a bunch of other fields, and the advice I got from my career center did not apply to my situation in the slightest.
posted by Itaxpica at 7:43 PM on February 7, 2016 [9 favorites]
-The university offers "concentrations" in Information Security, Video Game Development, or Bioinformatics. Would staying in college another year to complete a "concentration" actually make it easier to find a job?
Nope, employers really aren't gonna care. What you studied or how you studied it doesn't matter all that much. The Information Security focus in particular might be helpful, but you should really only do it if you're definitely interested in security because you'l be pigeonholing yourself in to doing that kind of work.
-Is there any sort of additional certification that would make me standout in general?
Certifications in software engineering are generally considered to not be worth the paper they're printed on (IT is a different animal; if that's the direction you're interested in I'll let people who know it better give you advice there).
-If I'm building a portfolio to show what I can do, then do you have any general recommendations?
Just build things. Build lots of small web apps. Put all the code on github (if you don't have a github account, get one immediately and put it on your resume. That's your portfolio).
The key, primary, most important thing for getting jobs in tech is being able to demonstrate a track record of getting shit done. Employers don't really care what you studied or how; they care that you can actually write code. Internships are one way to demonstrate that track record, but you can demonstrate it via a portfolio just as well.
Also: Doesn't your university offer some help with job placement? A career center? An advisor in the department? A job fair? They would be places to start.
Unfortunately, unless you go to an engineering school (and even then one with an especially strong CS department), the career center will be basically worthless. Hiring in CS is very different than hiring in a bunch of other fields, and the advice I got from my career center did not apply to my situation in the slightest.
posted by Itaxpica at 7:43 PM on February 7, 2016 [9 favorites]
Not knowing the details of the other job, I'd say you have some advantages. You have work experience in general, which is always good over someone who doesn't. Also, unrelated work can be an angle into places. If your job was in 'A' field, then you have an advantage in any CS job related to A. But also don't forget, you also have a great shot in any 'A' job where a CS degree might help. Then when you throw the Mech E background in there, you have all kinds of branches to explore.
That's kind of how I've got all my promotions over people who were either more linearly trained for it or older than me. Move sideways, then triangulate the two experiences to be uniquely qualified for a third thing.
posted by ctmf at 7:45 PM on February 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
That's kind of how I've got all my promotions over people who were either more linearly trained for it or older than me. Move sideways, then triangulate the two experiences to be uniquely qualified for a third thing.
posted by ctmf at 7:45 PM on February 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Pathways. I know many people that got on with the feds straight out of university.
posted by LoveHam at 7:51 PM on February 7, 2016
posted by LoveHam at 7:51 PM on February 7, 2016
Of all the majors one can pick, computer science is one of the best in terms if entry level jobs. You can apply to a staid Fortune 500 or a startup or anything in between. Information Security and Analytics / Bioinformatics are both good places to focus on, but instead of another year at college why not apply for entry level positions and, if you get hired, for a regular position or an internship, you're getting paid to learn something while establishing your job experience.
posted by zippy at 7:53 PM on February 7, 2016
posted by zippy at 7:53 PM on February 7, 2016
1. Maybe for bioinformatics, otherwise probably not. Game development in particular is a competitive industry and I'd advise against getting into it just because it was on the menu.
2. Almost definitely not. This might get you through HR at big companies but nobody cares otherwise.
3. Be on GitHub. Put a personal project there, and/or find a Ruby gem or something that has some issues and submit some pull requests. Documentation and simple bug fixes make great resume fodder, especially if it's a project someone reviewing an application might know about. Be on Twitter, follow the thought leaders in your areas of interest and don't be afraid to engage and ask questions.
Re: marketability, a few years ago you could get a job in most decent-sized markets just because you knew Ruby, and those days of white-hot trendy technology are probably over for now. But in said markets, there are still more jobs than there are enthusiastic and engaged technologists; having a handle on what topics a particular community is talking about and some thoughts on what constitutes good software, along with a few tangible contributions to point to, will likely be enough to get your foot in the door.
posted by substars at 8:14 PM on February 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
2. Almost definitely not. This might get you through HR at big companies but nobody cares otherwise.
3. Be on GitHub. Put a personal project there, and/or find a Ruby gem or something that has some issues and submit some pull requests. Documentation and simple bug fixes make great resume fodder, especially if it's a project someone reviewing an application might know about. Be on Twitter, follow the thought leaders in your areas of interest and don't be afraid to engage and ask questions.
Re: marketability, a few years ago you could get a job in most decent-sized markets just because you knew Ruby, and those days of white-hot trendy technology are probably over for now. But in said markets, there are still more jobs than there are enthusiastic and engaged technologists; having a handle on what topics a particular community is talking about and some thoughts on what constitutes good software, along with a few tangible contributions to point to, will likely be enough to get your foot in the door.
posted by substars at 8:14 PM on February 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Nthing the "go build something" suggestion. I've been in the process of hiring recent college grads for a dotcom company you've heard of, and you're definitely competing against people with all kinds of internships and whatnot. I wouldn't bother with certifications... unless they're for something really specific and it's related exactly to the field you're going into, it's not going to matter. I'd much rather see work experience than anything.
That said, I'd rather see your code than anything. It would definitely benefit you to get some stuff up on Github. If you could demonstrate that you know Javascript stuff in more than a cursory way -- node.js and some frontend framework like Ember or Angular, you'd be pretty set to find an entry level job. We're having a heck of a time finding those people, even at a basic level.
Also, for what it's worth, we started screening people via Hackerrank... so bone up on some of your factorial / palindrome / basic algorithm kinda stuff. I'm not convinced at all that ability to do those kinds of problems has much to do with one's potential success as a developer, but, for lack of a better way to weed people out, that seems to be the method we're using for now.
posted by ph00dz at 8:19 PM on February 7, 2016
That said, I'd rather see your code than anything. It would definitely benefit you to get some stuff up on Github. If you could demonstrate that you know Javascript stuff in more than a cursory way -- node.js and some frontend framework like Ember or Angular, you'd be pretty set to find an entry level job. We're having a heck of a time finding those people, even at a basic level.
Also, for what it's worth, we started screening people via Hackerrank... so bone up on some of your factorial / palindrome / basic algorithm kinda stuff. I'm not convinced at all that ability to do those kinds of problems has much to do with one's potential success as a developer, but, for lack of a better way to weed people out, that seems to be the method we're using for now.
posted by ph00dz at 8:19 PM on February 7, 2016
Knowing Rails and databases is sufficient to get you a first job doing web development. That should give you both the experience to get the next job and a feel for where you want to go in the future in the field.
posted by Candleman at 8:24 PM on February 7, 2016
posted by Candleman at 8:24 PM on February 7, 2016
I don't think I have a lot to add at this point, but wanted to include myself in the "there are plenty of companies looking to hire jr developers right out of college", camp. When I last worked on a rails project I was lucky enough to work with folks who were on the rails core team and even there we were happy to hire people who had never worked before let alone with the framework.
posted by phil at 8:25 PM on February 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by phil at 8:25 PM on February 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
You're going to be fine. If anything try to scare up an internship asap, or start building a portfolio, and/or open source contributions.
posted by rhizome at 8:28 PM on February 7, 2016
posted by rhizome at 8:28 PM on February 7, 2016
Don't worry, you're fine. Plenty of places want fresh meat to sculpt the way they want.
I think what you want to do is show that you gained understanding at school and can translate that into working on clean code that could go into production.
Put something you like up on the internet using source control (like Github, Gitlab, your own site).
1.) It shows you can use source control, which everybody uses.
2.) It shows you have some code.
Just some random thoughts out of the back of my head from past interviews:
Have you done a code review? What would you do with a code review?
Have you wrote tests / done Test Driven Development? Good unit tests let a team be very agile, and keep the QA people from pointing out tiny mistakes.
Can you tell me the difference between ruby -c and ruby -wc and why the latter is much better than the former?
Show that you have picked something up, and used it. Don't tell me you're an expert and then flub the entrance question, have humility. It's a really complex and wide field.
Have you had anything about working a development method (Waterfall, or some sub-sect flavor of agile)? Understanding the basics of the "religions", but don't drink the Kool-Aid.
Have an open source project you love or use? Write a blog post about configuring it, or heck, contribute to an open source project, via documentation, or actual code. That'd make you stand out.
Unless one of those concentrations in particular interests you, I would skip it.
Figure out what you want to do and set a portfolio like that, and send resumes in that direction. It may not (heck, I can guarantee) be what you want in 5 years, but start somewhere now. Life is full of 2nd, 3rd, 4th acts.
If you can put up some RoR, or a site, that is great. Make a website for a store down the street, or a church, or your cat.
And Javascript never hurt anyone, that gets everywhere.
-Current senior software engineer and former engineering manager of a agile software team.
posted by nickggully at 8:30 PM on February 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
I think what you want to do is show that you gained understanding at school and can translate that into working on clean code that could go into production.
Put something you like up on the internet using source control (like Github, Gitlab, your own site).
1.) It shows you can use source control, which everybody uses.
2.) It shows you have some code.
Just some random thoughts out of the back of my head from past interviews:
Have you done a code review? What would you do with a code review?
Have you wrote tests / done Test Driven Development? Good unit tests let a team be very agile, and keep the QA people from pointing out tiny mistakes.
Can you tell me the difference between ruby -c and ruby -wc and why the latter is much better than the former?
Show that you have picked something up, and used it. Don't tell me you're an expert and then flub the entrance question, have humility. It's a really complex and wide field.
Have you had anything about working a development method (Waterfall, or some sub-sect flavor of agile)? Understanding the basics of the "religions", but don't drink the Kool-Aid.
Have an open source project you love or use? Write a blog post about configuring it, or heck, contribute to an open source project, via documentation, or actual code. That'd make you stand out.
Unless one of those concentrations in particular interests you, I would skip it.
Figure out what you want to do and set a portfolio like that, and send resumes in that direction. It may not (heck, I can guarantee) be what you want in 5 years, but start somewhere now. Life is full of 2nd, 3rd, 4th acts.
If you can put up some RoR, or a site, that is great. Make a website for a store down the street, or a church, or your cat.
And Javascript never hurt anyone, that gets everywhere.
-Current senior software engineer and former engineering manager of a agile software team.
posted by nickggully at 8:30 PM on February 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
If you are ok with a job in a non-development industry, you should be fine with any job experience to show you're not an irresponsible lazy good-for-nothing. If you want a job at a top internet company, there will be crazy competition so of course a deep portfolio and a public internet identity would help. But if you're ok working for an insurance company or a bank or a medical device supplier, etc. and you interview well and have a decent degree (or two!), you have a decent shot at getting a job. Even some contracting houses that hire straight from school people just want someone responsible that they can pay relatively poorly to fill the bench.
Security and databases are both great skill sets for your resume for that type of job. You'll be shocked how many types of companies carry some sort of development team and how many contracting companies there are hiding in the woodwork. Having an ME degree AND a CS degree definitely shows you know how to buckle down and work.
You're about to go through a major life change. Being worried is very understandable. Don't let it get the best of you. Decide where you want to go and start interviewing ASAP.
posted by cmm at 8:31 PM on February 7, 2016
Security and databases are both great skill sets for your resume for that type of job. You'll be shocked how many types of companies carry some sort of development team and how many contracting companies there are hiding in the woodwork. Having an ME degree AND a CS degree definitely shows you know how to buckle down and work.
You're about to go through a major life change. Being worried is very understandable. Don't let it get the best of you. Decide where you want to go and start interviewing ASAP.
posted by cmm at 8:31 PM on February 7, 2016
My CS degree was 10 years ago now, so the economy was different in my favor, and I also got my degree from a fairly prestigious university, so YMMV, but: I also had literally zero work experience in anything CS-related, no GitHub, no open-source contributions, no hobby projects, nothing except coursework, and had similar worries that I wouldn't be hireable; once I started applying for development jobs I got drenched in great offers. So hopefully you will be too!
posted by anotherthink at 6:47 AM on February 8, 2016
posted by anotherthink at 6:47 AM on February 8, 2016
Response by poster: Thanks for your advice everyone. I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and time.
My take away is that I should definitely focus on:
1.) getting some of my code up on github so I can add that to my resume.
2.) trying to land an internship asap.
blob:
I'm in New Orleans, LA. Ideally I would not relocate.
LoveHam:
Thanks for suggesting Pathways -- I'm definitely going to look into that
ph00dz:
Thanks for suggesting Hackerrank -- I could use some extra coding practice
A few of you asked about my current job:
I work as a Claims Reviewer on the BP Settlement from the 2010 oil spill in the gulf. The job entails reviewing documents in order to determine the appropriate compensation for claimants who were affected by the spill. The closest I've come to using my education in this job is writing a few simple macros to speed up my reviews. No one at my office programs. If they did, then I would be beating down their doors and asking what they are looking for in their interns. I really like the company. Long term, I'd definitely have to move to stay with them. I am pretty sure they are only in New Orleans temporarily.
I definitely don't feel like I have a blank resume. I just don't know if what I have will help me start a career in computer science. Anywho...
I feel like I know where to focus my attention now. Thanks again.
posted by snickersnee at 4:07 PM on February 8, 2016
My take away is that I should definitely focus on:
1.) getting some of my code up on github so I can add that to my resume.
2.) trying to land an internship asap.
blob:
I'm in New Orleans, LA. Ideally I would not relocate.
LoveHam:
Thanks for suggesting Pathways -- I'm definitely going to look into that
ph00dz:
Thanks for suggesting Hackerrank -- I could use some extra coding practice
A few of you asked about my current job:
I work as a Claims Reviewer on the BP Settlement from the 2010 oil spill in the gulf. The job entails reviewing documents in order to determine the appropriate compensation for claimants who were affected by the spill. The closest I've come to using my education in this job is writing a few simple macros to speed up my reviews. No one at my office programs. If they did, then I would be beating down their doors and asking what they are looking for in their interns. I really like the company. Long term, I'd definitely have to move to stay with them. I am pretty sure they are only in New Orleans temporarily.
I definitely don't feel like I have a blank resume. I just don't know if what I have will help me start a career in computer science. Anywho...
I feel like I know where to focus my attention now. Thanks again.
posted by snickersnee at 4:07 PM on February 8, 2016
> I work as a Claims Reviewer
Unless you want to be a claims reviewer in the future, you should definitely try to find a CS job after graduation. Career paths are weird and it's pretty common to "lose out" on jobs in your degree-area if you have jobs in other industries for longer periods of time. There's lots of companies doing lots of interesting things; being in CS, you'll have the option to jump from company to company relatively easily (and improve your salary at the same time). Try some other ones out.
> code up on github
> start a career in computer science
Having publicly published projects will definitely help, but this is by no means a requirement. I'd say that MOST CS students don't have this, but still get jobs. If you want a more prestigious job (google, microsoft) then this is more important.
Lots of IT shops hire newly minted CS majors because you're CHEAP and not substantially worse than people with a few years experience.
posted by beerbajay at 2:56 AM on February 9, 2016 [1 favorite]
Unless you want to be a claims reviewer in the future, you should definitely try to find a CS job after graduation. Career paths are weird and it's pretty common to "lose out" on jobs in your degree-area if you have jobs in other industries for longer periods of time. There's lots of companies doing lots of interesting things; being in CS, you'll have the option to jump from company to company relatively easily (and improve your salary at the same time). Try some other ones out.
> code up on github
> start a career in computer science
Having publicly published projects will definitely help, but this is by no means a requirement. I'd say that MOST CS students don't have this, but still get jobs. If you want a more prestigious job (google, microsoft) then this is more important.
Lots of IT shops hire newly minted CS majors because you're CHEAP and not substantially worse than people with a few years experience.
posted by beerbajay at 2:56 AM on February 9, 2016 [1 favorite]
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posted by blob at 6:50 PM on February 7, 2016