What career possibilities might I have with this type of degree other than software engineering?
I feel your pain…. I have a BA in Computer Science and have been programming for 25 years. I’ve stayed technical and have avoided the management track with a vengeance, now I make less than I did 15 years ago. Software engineers seem to be dime a dozen these days.
One thing I’ve learned though is that programming is to software engineering like welding is to build a skyscraper. The offshore guys can program with the best of them, but deep knowledge of the underlying business problem, truly "effective" people and communication skills, analysis and design will all remain onshore close to the business users and not 12 timezones away.
Think about what domain or business experience you had and how you can help to solve their business problems. Or think of a new domain like Green Energy companies that might just be getting started.
Below are a couple of books I’ve found really helpful….
September 4th, 2009 at 9:29 am
There are lots of IT jobs with smaller companies. You’d be appalled at the hacks that are being paid big bucks to write programs in Access and set up printers. Almost every company needs IT now, and there is a big demand. My stepdad just got hired to modernize a company in Louisiana. He’s got all the basic certs, but he’s in his 60s. They’re paying him something like $45 an hour to do the basics. We’re talking about a website, a couple of databases, maybe setup a simple network.
And he doesn’t have your credentials…Imagine what you could get.
References :
September 4th, 2009 at 9:46 am
I feel your pain…. I have a BA in Computer Science and have been programming for 25 years. I’ve stayed technical and have avoided the management track with a vengeance, now I make less than I did 15 years ago. Software engineers seem to be dime a dozen these days.
One thing I’ve learned though is that programming is to software engineering like welding is to build a skyscraper. The offshore guys can program with the best of them, but deep knowledge of the underlying business problem, truly "effective" people and communication skills, analysis and design will all remain onshore close to the business users and not 12 timezones away.
Think about what domain or business experience you had and how you can help to solve their business problems. Or think of a new domain like Green Energy companies that might just be getting started.
Below are a couple of books I’ve found really helpful….
References :
"My Job Went to India (and all I got was this lousy book)" by Chad Fowler
"The Career Programmer: Guerilla Tactics….." by Christopher Duncan
"Smart & Get Things Done" by Joel Spolsky