Continuing Education Advice & Career Thread

[The Saltman]

So as you guys know I've been absent a lot lately. This is due to a lot of things but mostly due to going back to school, switching careers and having a family.

I thought this thread would be a good thread to have and stickied.

I'll start off first: I've been changing my mind in my career path and finishing education. I'm in the software industry but I'm an account manager and not a developer for the time being. I am finishing my degree in computer science and want to transition to a developer / programmer role. I hear the developers here don't make as much as others do in the industry.

What do you guys recommend I do?

[Scrumtrilescent]

Become a bioinformatics developer and I'll give you a job tomorrow.

[Ja Rhule]

I majored in Accounting, Finance and International business's and now I'm fulltime huddler.

[Floppin]

So as you guys know I've been absent a lot lately. This is due to a lot of things but mostly due to going back to school, switching careers and having a family.

I thought this thread would be a good thread to have and stickied.

I'll start off first: I've been changing my mind in my career path and finishing education. I'm in the software industry but I'm an account manager and not a developer for the time being. I am finishing my degree in computer science and want to transition to a developer / programmer role. I hear the developers here don't make as much as others do in the industry.

What do you guys recommend I do?

 

My mom started as an entry level programmer for Lowe's about 15 years ago at a base salary of 40k, she's now a senior project manager making north of 150k a year. 

 

I'm not sure if that helps any. 

[davos]

Programmers across the board can have solid careers.  I like to think it's all about getting the right "in" with a company you like rather than targeting a whole field.  Identify, pursue, persistence.  That's awesome you decided to get the degree.  It can only be beneficial.    

 

I graduated with a landscape architecture degree but couldn't find anything in the field.  Been in entry-level sales jobs but hate sales with a passion.  I'm just not a salesman but don't know what route to take.  Applied to grad school and will find out if I got in this coming week and would be off to Denver in the fall.

 

If not, I don't know what the hell direction I want to go.  I'm a very project oriented person and don't want to be in a salesy type corporate bs situation anymore but for some reason those are the jobs that keep popping up.

 

  

 

 

[natty]

So as you guys know I've been absent a lot lately. This is due to a lot of things but mostly due to going back to school, switching careers and having a family.

I thought this thread would be a good thread to have and stickied.

I'll start off first: I've been changing my mind in my career path and finishing education. I'm in the software industry but I'm an account manager and not a developer for the time being. I am finishing my degree in computer science and want to transition to a developer / programmer role. I hear the developers here don't make as much as others do in the industry.

What do you guys recommend I do?

 

What do you mean by that?  Do you mean at your company?  Being in IT transcends all industries.  

 

Going strictly by job title then I'd say yes, developers make the least amount of money.  But it's all about experience, the more you have the more money you make.  If you have 10-15 years of experience it doesn't matter if you're a developer or a dba or a sys admin, you're probably going to be making about the same amount of money.  After a while your degree means very little.  

[Jackofalltrades]

I'm about to pursue computer/digital forensics.

[The Saltman]

What do you mean by that? Do you mean at your company? Being in IT transcends all industries.

Going strictly by job title then I'd say yes, developers make the least amount of money. But it's all about experience, the more you have the more money you make. If you have 10-15 years of experience it doesn't matter if you're a developer or a dba or a sys admin, you're probably going to be making about the same amount of money. After a while your degree means very little.

Ya being at the company. It's a great company just was wondering from things I heard. I don't actually know so sticking with the company and gaining experience seems my best bet. Thanks

[natty]

Ya being at the company. It's a great company just was wondering from things I heard. I don't actually know so sticking with the company and gaining experience seems my best bet. Thanks

 

Sounds you are in a great position if they'll put you right into a job coding.  I struggled a LOT finding my first job but since then it's been smooth sailing.  

 

Make a habit out of going to dice.com every once in a while to check out what the job market is looking like.  It also helps when considering what technologies you should learn(ex.  my boss wanted me to look into various nosql dbs and I narrowed it down to mongodb and cassandra.  Either would work equally as well but mongodb has about twice the job listings on dice...I think you can guess which one I recommended :) ).  

[Panthro]

Think and design your own apps

[SCP]

Become a bioinformatics developer and I'll give you a job tomorrow.

Does any of that poo you just mentioned need to be sold?

[The Saltman]

Sounds you are in a great position if they'll put you right into a job coding. I struggled a LOT finding my first job but since then it's been smooth sailing.

Make a habit out of going to dice.com every once in a while to check out what the job market is looking like. It also helps when considering what technologies you should learn(ex. my boss wanted me to look into various nosql dbs and I narrowed it down to mongodb and cassandra. Either would work equally as well but mongodb has about twice the job listings on dice...I think you can guess which one I recommended :) ).

Ya I'm hoping once my degree is finished that will happen. Already starting to get to know the programmers and stuff so I think as long as I work hard and people like my work; I think moving to a position in the programming dept shouldn't be as hard as if I was a new hire.

[Paintballr]

Was thinking of going back to school myself...

I've worked since I've been 16, mostly retail/food. Went to CPCC for a year and a half just going through the transfer program thinknng it was the thing to do.

Fast forward now, I'm 25, been a Store Manager for Starbucks for two years now. I was a Sales Supervisor for 3 years before that at Best Buy, and before that was a Assistant Manager for 2 years at Starbucks. My question is, is it worth the time and effort to go back and get a degree? I already for 50 hours a week easily, and during holidays 60+. They offer "tuition support" but need to maintain my job etc. I feel like I'm stuck in the same career path and can't change due to lack of degree or skills in other jobs. Anyone with more experience or situation like mine would be awesome.

[Jackofalltrades]

I have 11 years on you and can easily say not going to college and getting a degree is one of my biggest regrets.

They just open so many doors.