[ale] Re: [OT] [long] [ale] guess I am screwed, eh?

[Tom Wiencko]

Depending on what you want to do with the rest of your life, you
may want to consider changing majors.

In my 25 years of experience in the field, I can sadly say that the
best coders were not people with CS degrees.  Nor were the best
designers.  Nor the best analysts.  The best of the best in these 
areas were invariably people with other types of degrees (interestingly
enough, a lot of math and psychology majors) who learned computer
skills in addition to their main interest.  They typically have a 
much better grasp on the fundamental concept that we are trying to
solve problems here, not invent a more beautiful hydroflopix.

The only cavaet here is if you really want to get into the science
part of CS.  There is, and will remain, a demand for people who can
build a better database system, come up with new image processing
algorithms, design faster/better/whiter/brighter stuff (in the tool
category mostly) to use to solve other problems.  If that is your
plan, you had better start thinking about advanced CS degrees now.
The movers and shakers in the technical end of the CS field in many
cases have an impressive list of PhDs next to their names.

Don't plan on being a CEO or other executive type with only a CS degree
to show.  Don't plan on getting a premier job as a programmer just
because you have a CS degree.  More likely you will end up as a 
system administrator or PC technician.  Sad to say, CS degrees,
especially at the undergraduate level, do not well prepare you for
heavy-duty computer science work.

The general direction of the industry is to push day-to-day coding
activities down to entry level, many times in off-shore low cost shops.
This is where a lot of ordinary business related development takes 
place.  As this sort of work becomes more and more a commodity, you
probably do not want to bet your career on it.

If you get a more generally useful degree, in some engineering
discipline or business, with a strong background in computer use in
that field, I believe you will be much better served.  Some of the
best computer people I personally know got degrees in math or 
engineering, and learned a lot of computer skills along the way.  With
that kind of background, you can either pursue the interests of your
major, or easily slip into a computer related position in just about
any area.

My own case is not unusual.  I went to Georgia Tech, and came out as
an Electrical Engineer.  But in 25 years, I have done almost no
electrical engineering, but a lot of computer work.  That work has been
in technical fields (process automation, computer simulation of complex
networks), general business (inventory A/R, A/P, G/L, order management),
computer networking (protocol development, design and implemenation of
nationwide networks), database development (more different types than
I could mention here), as well as lots more.  In 25 years, nobody ever
asked me for a CS degree, CS certifications, or any other formal 
computer training background.

The nice thing about the first two years at a place like Tech is that
there is virtually no difference between the various majors.  Everybody
takes the same basic courses.  So you have a while to look around, 
get familiar with the territory, and if you deem fit, change tracks.

Turns out, I did that too.  I went to Georgia Tech to become a 
nuclear engineer.  Best thing I ever did was to get into the Co-op
program, and got a job in the industry.  I soon found out that 
nuclear engineering was not only not what I thought it was, but also
learned (back in the late 70's) that the tea leaves did not bode well
for that career.  So I switched majors in my second year, and never
looked back.  Interestingly enough, I got a lot of my initial training
in computer skills working in that nuclear engineering co-op job.  I 
cannot say enough good things about getting into the co-op program
and getting a good look around before you decide what to do with your
life.  It takes extra time, but the experience and the industry contacts
are invaluable.

Good luck.

Cade Thacker wrote:
> 
> Considering that I am one week into my BS of CS at Georgia Tech, I guess I
> am screwed because of this article. Why oh why did they not published this
> thing a week earlier. ;)
> 
> http://newsfactor.com/perl/story/19136.html
> 
> Is the CS degree(any reputable college) still relevant for the masses? We
> will always need people to create compilers and OS stuff, but how many do
> we need? You don't really need a CS degree to be a medioce(sp?) Java
> programmer(just look at some of my co-workers ;). In thinking about this,
> is it kinda like lawyers? We always say we have too many lawyers, but
> schools are still pumping them out en mass.
> 
> Would this topic be different if we live someplace else like New Enland or
> Silicon Valley?
> 
> Well damn the torpedos, I am going for it anyway ;)
> 
> <snip from article>
> "Pretty soon, we'll start to see CIOs having fewer techies on staff," he
> said. "The rest will be business analysts, project managers -- those kinds
> of people."
> 
> Programs To Pursue
> 
> As a result of these and other IT changes, high-tech workers may want to
> take a few business and management courses to supplement their
> technological acumen, according to analysts. One educational path that
> could be rocky is the tried-and-true B.S. in computer science. As Craig
> Symons, vice president of IT management at Giga Information Group, told
> NewsFactor:  "A bachelor's degree in computer science would be overkill
> for most people. Computer science is now really a major for those who want
> to go into computer hardware or software engineering."
> 
> Symons added that people who are interested in creating applications would
> be better off in either a certification program or a business program with
> a focus on information systems.
> 
> </snip>
> 
> sigh...
> 
> --cade
> 
> On Linux vs Windows
> ==================
> Remember, amateurs built the Ark, Professionals built the Titanic!
> ==================
> 
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-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Wiencko                                              tew at wiencko.com
President - Wiencko & Associates, Inc.                    (404) 255-2330
Telecom Consulting & Project Development -- Wireline, Wireless, Internet

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