Career

clickherebaby · 2020-07-12T14:12:38+00:00

If I was you I would stay your current path.

When I was 18 I was interested in getting into the programming career field. Why? Because it's a great field. It pays well, a lot of the work can be done remotely, and within 5-7 years in the field you could be making six figures a year. Moreover, more programming jobs are opening up every year. I think last year something like 500k programming positions went un-filled in the US alone. That is NUTS.

But, in the end I ended up not pursuing the career field because I didn't want to sit behind a desk all day.

That is now one of my biggest regrets. I wish I had stayed the course and gotten into programming. I won't go into detail about what I did instead, but I chose a career path that was much more physically demanding/paid significantly less. I am now nearing my mid-20's and am making a pivot back to programming and am self-teaching myself the full stack web developer package (HTML, CSS, JS, SQL, PHP, etc).

Think of these things in the long term. It's easy to say now "I want to work outside and get my hands dirty." - But, when you're 30, have back pain, neurological issues, gastrointestinal issues, and are struggling to pay your medical bills, you may think differently. You may then think, "Man, I really wish I could be inside an air conditioned building making 6k a month."

Just some food for thought.

DCHitsDiff · 2020-07-12T14:14:52+00:00

Math and computer science majors have recently been getting scooped up by the Finance industry. Look into it, see if it is something you are interested in. You'll def make more money in Finance.

Also - you probably will never know exactly what you want to do. I'm 2 yrs out of college, still no idea. The only thing I do know is to keep improving myself.

Network your balls off. Learn about every industry and every potential exit opp you have after you graduate.

Your STEM major(s) will get your foot into the door at a ton of great companies. Once you're in, it's the social skills/calibration and execution that elevate your career, not your technical abilities. So develop both.

maltesefalcon4321 · 2020-07-12T18:37:30+00:00

If you are good at it, stick with it. 3 years out of a good college with a CS degree I’m working normal 8 hour days 4 days a week in fintech for 120k a year (before bonus). Not many other educational paths get you paid as fast with such a reasonable amount of time expected from you

bruiser18 · 2020-07-12T17:00:53+00:00

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bottled_butts · 2020-07-12T17:33:37+00:00

IT Security consulting. There simply arn't enough bodies to do all the jobs required. I know 26-27 year old that have been offered Sr Mgmt security positions at 190k after 5-6 years in.

Mister_Long · 2020-07-12T18:38:43+00:00

I'm 24 and graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering 2 years ago from a university. Throughout college, I worked as an engineering intern every summer to gain experience so that I could get a good job out of college. My experience as an intern was somewhat depressing as I would work at a desk every day surrounded by other guys that were old enough to be my dad. It sucked because I had nothing in common with them and the work I was doing was not fulfilling. I was of the same mindset and wanted desperately to switch to a career where I could be more active.

I decided to finish my engineering degree and see if I could tolerate working behind a desk every day after graduation. I quickly got a job working for an automotive company designing aftermarket parts for cars. To my surprise, most of the other engineers I would work with were around my age and were intelligent, physically fit and charismatic. Great guys to be surrounded by that made day to day work enjoyable and fun. I also changed my mindset about wanting to be active as a part of my career. I learned that people who engage in physically laborious jobs are too tired and drained to do much else outside if their work. Most of these guys don't have the energy to take the gym seriously and pursue more active hobbies. Working a job where I'm primarily behind a desk allows me to work in comfort while managing my diet and rigorous exercise routine well. I believe that working a more sedentary job allows you to be in better shape than if you were to work a physically demanding job, although there can be many exceptions to my observation. That is if you put in work in the gym after your job every day.

I also realized the value in using my gift of creativity and design to create some amazing products in the industry. Being in a position where you can innovate and create new things has turned out to be amazingly rewarding and satisfying. I think it is a wise decision to finish your degree and shoot for a job where you like the work and people. I'm glad I took the path that I did and if I ever want to change career paths in the future, I will have an engineering degree and resume to back me up.

NeuroBoss31 · 2020-07-12T20:01:39+00:00

Orthogonal point: computer science and programming are not the same thing. I could argue that many of the best computer scientists don't know how to program, and many great programmers never took a CS class.

salezman12 · 2020-07-12T20:19:37+00:00

Technology isnt just for nerds anymore. A lot of very...for lack of a better term normal people are into tech fields these days. So don't let that deter you.

bauhw · 2020-07-12T18:18:05+00:00

Did CS and had the same issue as you. A CS degree doesn't mean you have to program. I went into consulting, where my IT knowledge and softskill are used. Strategy, migration, project manager, tech study, there are a lot of things related to IT where you don't program/integrate

sportsdude523 · 2020-07-12T19:35:31+00:00

like everyone else has said, I too would recommend sticking with the degree.

maybe this appleis to you, maybe not. when i was your age i did have temptations to get into the rougher professions, etc. the idea of being outside and getting my hands dirty, feeling manly, projecting an image of manliness with the manliness image associatedwith my job title when i state my job title, yeah, that was all appealing. it made me feel like i would look cooler or have more life fulfillment.

but honestly, as you get older and realize different life things coming along, you'll realize a ton of that is bs. play to win. the best formula is good money and flexibility to have a good work life balance. CS degrees provide that. if it's a profession you enjoy somewhat and won't stab your eyes out on, id say stick with it, and dont fall into the trap of how some other careers are romanticized in many ways (ex..how tough and manly you look with xyz profession).

liberty1127 · 2020-07-12T20:51:39+00:00

Depends what you're interested in...you could get into some trades and make bank before investing that money into a business of your own or starting another career.

I've been in insurance, owned a retail business, did roofing, carpentry, remodels and moving. I am currently a contractor for a Household Moving company for Allied Van Lines.

You can make big bucks, but its a young man's game.

Ekhochambeer · 2020-07-12T15:00:45+00:00

[deleted]

masmiester · 2020-07-12T16:38:54+00:00

Get into fintech or something that combines your computing skills with finance. You should get big bucks increases quickly...

EnoughDforThree · 2020-07-12T20:15:27+00:00

From an anecdotal perspective, the Big 4 "Accounting" firms have good Cyber Consultancy practices. I've got to work on some Cyber Incident Response jobs which were really exciting. Especially around the pandemic, companies are taking their security seriously.

Plus, some of the most charismatic and driven men and women I've even met work at these places. Since most of the high level roles are essentially sales jobs too - you get to see another side of the IT Security world other than just dweebs.

It's really not for everyone though, but another avenue for consideration

throwawayandtossout · 2020-07-12T20:17:40+00:00

Really depends on what interests you and what you're open to doing.

I went into nursing and wouldn't have changed it for anything in the world. Decided to specialize and now making ~$xx,xxx/month. Best job in the US imo.

empatheticapathetic · 2020-07-12T21:36:52+00:00

Sounds like you need to do some shit irrelevant to your career just to get it out of your system. You probably have something in mind already. I did a worthless degree because I was sick of academia and needed to find a reason to exist.

IsaacShSe · 2020-07-12T21:53:16+00:00

Big tech, finance, cybersecurity.

henry589 · 2020-07-13T00:46:52+00:00

I have around 3 YOE and I’m making $300k a year in the Bay Area. $150k base salary. I’m also 26 years old.

Rent is $1650/month after splitting with a roommate.

Being a SWE is absurdly good money which I use to fund my degenerate activities.

I don’t even have to think about it I have enough money to go on vacation trips, eating out, going out etc. just don’t expect to buy a decent house here.

nikcufboomer · 2020-07-12T17:34:23+00:00

Do 4 years in the military. Be ready when you get out to immediately start GI Bill. Save 30% of what you earn the entire time. Do not spend it however tempting. Get out in 4 years with reliable transportation paid for and no other debts. Get in the best shape while you’re in and don’t get married or knock anyone up.

Grave_Heresy · 2020-07-12T18:01:28+00:00

You can basically go into any field with a CS degree.

It is your golden ticket dude. As far as working around nerds goes, who cares??? Bill Gates is a nerd. So is Warren Buffett and Mark Schmuckerberg. I'd say that's good company to keep.

youcantdrinkthat · 2020-07-12T21:03:32+00:00

You should add a minor in Biology, Statistics, something else with your Math and CS work. I am an ABD in Math (All But Dissertation) and wish I had added a more "real world" element to my education. It didn't make much of a difference since I got one of the coveted and rare tenured teaching positions but it would have helped immensely had that not worked out.

cluelessguitarist · 2020-07-12T21:58:27+00:00

Seems like you are at the right path, see what you are doing as a skill, dont worry about who is going to be business partners in the future(nerds got money better than no income scrubs), as you develop your options you will eventually know the right path, just have patience( im an accountant that didnt want to study accounting at 18, now that im 27 ,im glad i did, accounting is super nerdy but neccesary).

richasalannister · 2020-07-12T22:12:46+00:00

You could start there and move.up to project management, management etc.

I was listening to an Elon musk interview and the guy actually knows his computer science stuff.

Btw you could also teach on the side. (Start with me. What the hell is regex lol)

You could also freelance on the side.

My real advice, be good with your money. Save and invest until you can retire at 30. Then you have "fuck you" money and can walk out of whatever job you don't want.

thrwy75479 · 2020-07-12T22:13:04+00:00

I have also been tossing up going into a trade such as electrician or mechanic since I enjoy fixing/making stuff, the only problem I see here is there is not a lot of career developement.

You could create your own company after a while, and grow it.

Pretty much I am tossing up between something that will eventually pay well if I dedicate myself to it but there is a chance I will want to blow my brains out after a few years or something that I will probably enjoy but doesn't pay as great and doesn't have much room for developement.

No matter what you choose to do, you'll eventually hate it. Perhaps not all of it, but there will be parts you don't like.

What you should try to aim for is power, and control over your life. Whatever path you choose, it should lead to successive increases in power, and doing something that matters to the company.

For instance, if you decided to be a cashier at a McDonald's for your entire life, as you age, it will suck, and it'll be directly because of the fact that you're not doing anything important for McDonald's, and you have little to no control over your life because you didn't earn much money.

Compare that to starting off as a cashier, moving up to store manager, then perhaps regional director, and perhaps an international representative for North America.

You could be making decisions that account for all operations across North America, and affecting the lives of thousands, or tens of thousands of people, which could potentially lead to gains in efficiency, or improved profitability summing to millions of dollars.

Making decisions with significant impact on the future will bring you immense satisfaction in the long-term.

Whichever path you choose, always seek to grow.

whlsky · 2020-07-12T22:33:15+00:00

K here’s the thing. Don’t plan for the “rest of your life”. Plan for the next five - ten years. Do what you wanna do right now and that you THINK you’ll still be interested in doing in five years. Don’t get into analysis paralysis on this one. It’s not marriage, changing jobs and fields won’t eat you alive if you do it smart

rad_dynamic · 2020-07-12T22:58:28+00:00

I am in my final year of CS.

Maybe think about about running your own business.

I've started my record label, and many skills are oddly transferable. Being able to make websites well that have IMPACT (rather than just existing with no purpose) has being able to give my label an edge.

Obviously, idk where I'll end up in 5 years after my degree. I'm pretty similar to you. But I think I'll always want that independence of running my own business, being my own boss.

Give it a go, think.. what interests you and what skills you have and how can you combine them into a single company that makes money? Literally write it down.

Mine were Music, DJing, social life, clubbing, graphic design and cs related skills. I put them into a single company. It's called self actualisation or something. Look into it.

Some companies may already adopt your values as a person, in which case, perfect, no need to start your own business. (I'm aiming for Ableton and Google TBH)..

I think the beauty with CS is that you can really choose the job.. don't be a cuck and let a job choose you. Get a good CV with some projects that have had impact. Again, a good way to do this is to start a business as a CS project.

A-Anon1337 · 2020-07-13T00:25:22+00:00

If I were you I'd learn red team security penetration testing, get the certs, start going to the prize pool hacks, then either do white hat work until you can start a company with regular clients or work for an established pen testing company.

Good money, challenging and changing work, actually useful, outside of the normal for computer science and low barriers to entry. Also massively in demand.

gonzbjj · 2020-07-13T00:26:56+00:00

You mention working with your hands, can I suggest you stick with comp sci and pursue an IT job, not programming? You can do a lot of hands on stuff (building servers, racking equipment, etc.) Also I feel it’s easier to get into a management in IT vs programming.

i-am-the-prize · 2020-07-13T14:34:13+00:00

do CS

remote work
easy on the body
high pay
you can go PM if you end up finding the coding tedious, after a few years, technician vs. manager is a choice you'll have.

do the physical/mechanical as your hobbies:

lots of mens clubs around engrg, shooting, cars; you want male friendships outside of work and outside of women
your hobbies will be a great diversion when different physically than your day job, and using "different parts of your brain"

xxx69harambe69xxx · 2020-07-12T13:57:38+00:00

what you want to focus on is the fact that the majority of people your age think the same thing. Maybe you go to a great school, and so everyone around you is a nerd, but most younger tech people nowadays are not nerds and are just doing it for the money

so the real question is, can you physically deal with sitting in front of a computer all day, and id ask, whats the alternative? Blowing out your back at age 40 from a physical position?

jackandjill22 · 2020-07-12T18:10:18+00:00

Hard to say.

Zombiespire · 2020-07-12T17:43:54+00:00

Weigh what is more important to you. Doing something you're passionate about, or job security and making money. Syria helped me realize people anxious about job security and money are cowards.

Title	Career
Author	Ekhochambeer
Upvotes	51
Comments	76
Date	July 12, 2020 1:40 PM UTC (6 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/hpuk2g/career/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/career.712795 https://theredarchive.com/post/712795

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