Related Career Categories

• Computer Programmer
• Computer Security Specialist
• Computer Support Specialist
• Computer Technician
• Data Analyst
• Help Desk Technician
• IT Manager
• IT Software Developer
• IT Specialist
• Network Administrator
• Project Manager
• Software Engineer
• Software Manager
• Software Quality Assurance Specialist
• Computer/Systems Administrator
• Systems Analyst
• Web Developer

School and Career Surprises: Tips From People on the Job

Career: "I expected my profession to be full of a bunch of introverted folks. The truth is IT has all types of people working in it and is very diverse. I think I look more forward to dealing with the people I do on a daily basis than doing anything else."

Career: "What I am surprised is that the industry of IT is not an industry for only 'geeks'. In order to be successful, one needs well rounded quality in -- marketing, presentation, writing, negotiation and sometimes financial background to have a very successful career. When I am working on my job, I constantly facing the challenging to convince the task to be done in the right way, and I have to sell that idea, justify them with data, and document / communicate the specification in written form or orally. All of these, requires something outside of my immediate major."

Career: "Although a degree in any flavor of IT will help you break into the field and get a job, it is not necessary. Many employers are more interested in certifications i.e. security +, network +, CCNA, CISSP, MCITP, etc. Often times individuals with these certifications and no degree are valued equally or above a college graduate with no certs."

Career: "I was really surprised at how I had to constantly study, research and keep myself up-to-date in this field. Computer Science is constantly evolving with new versions, products, upgrades, new technology etc. If I don't stay on top of my game, I will be outdated in no time at all. So, I have to really make the effort to keep all my certifications in order and stay current. It is very challenging but it is also lot of fun."

Career: "I was surprised at the creative aspect of being a programmer. It's not always so cut and dry. You have to use your imagination a bit to take pieces of the multitude of code libraries and make them work for your needs. You can get very creative with aspects of iteration to write efficient code. I'm also surprised at the lack of code commenting. It drastically helps projects and all those involved to comment your code thoroughly. Another surprising aspect of coding is that you become involved in online coding communities and share your knowledge. This involvement very much helps in not getting stuck in reinventing the wheel."""

Career: "I was able to start my career while I was still in college. There is not as much upward mobility as I thought. I get paid much more than I expected."

Career: "I always assumed programmers were rather solitary workers. I was surprised by the amount of interaction at the workplace in this line of work."

Career: "I was surprised with the lack of creative freedom software engineers are given. My classes had given me the perception that software engineers needed to be open-minded and creative."

Career: "I was surprised with simultaneously how much attention is paid to quality of code and how little effort goes into formally testing it. Code is obviously expected to work well, but there aren't always things in place to enforce that."

Career: "I was surprised that most of the classes I took in college weren't relevant, although the skills I learned (how to learn a programming language on my own, etc) were. For my job, knowing different programming languages is far more important than the theoretical knowledge I was tested on."

Career: "I have been surprised how the level of interpersonal skills have grown in my industry over the past 10-15 years. Software engineers used to be able to hide themselves in a cave and work hard almost alone. Now high levels of daily collaboration, this has been advantages to me as I am a lot more outgoing then my typical co-worker."

Career: "I am surprised how far communication with coworkers will get you when dealing with computers. The general public generally sees programmers as people who sit in their cubes by themselves all day, but that is not the case at all. A team atmosphere is necessary for a productive software developer company."

Career: "The main thing that I was surprised with was how outgoing everybody was in my profession. I didn't think a lot of people would have good interpersonal communication skills, because this field is known for having a lot of introverts. I went in with this expectation, but it quickly changed as I found out you need good communication skills with your co-workers and customers."

Career: "I was surprised how important problem solving skills are in a software engineering job. Its not just programming, it's attacking the problem in the smartest way! I was surprised about how quickly you can grow in this field, specially if you put your point of view on topics clearly out, and its okay to disagree with more senior employees/manager. Let the code speak for you!"

Career: "The fact that very little I learned and practiced had immediate relevance to real world work. Software engineering is a continuous learning process and college/university only provides the basic foundation on which to build. Being able to write a 1000 line program does not mean one can automatically maintain several million lines of code."

Career: "I was surprised to find out how many different areas I would be a part of as a software engineer. As a software engineer/web developer, I need to be able to handle complex algorithms, server side technologies, and even graphical user interfaces."

Career: "I was surprised just how little what you learn in school matters once you get into the field. What matters more than the specific techniques is learning how to learn, meaning how to learn a new language or technique fast. I was also surprised just how boring it is. When you're in school you get a lot more opportunities to work on your own projects. In the field, not so much."

Career: "I am surprised to find that the more complex areas of my education are rarely used, and it is the more basic fundamentals that are most often utilized. Complicated problems sometimes arise but on a day to day basis it is primarily quick and relatively simple."

Career: "I was surprised how often technology changes and how time consuming it is to keep current in my career. There also seems to be a tendency for companies to want to hire inexperienced engineers and pay them less than more senior people."

School: "I was surprised at how much I still needed to learn after college. UNO taught me a lot about the skills I needed for my career, but there are so many other specific things to my job that I needed to learn hands on."

Career: "I was surprised most that my job actually had a lot of customer service aspects to it. I was thinking I would be working on computers all day, but in fact I interact with customers everyday."

Best & Worst Things About This Career

"Because I am self-employed, I don't always have a steady income. I can charge more per hour than an employee would make, but I have to pay for my own health insurance, social security, and vacations. So freelancing is not for the faint-of-heart. On the other hand, I work when and where I want to. This allowed me to attend a lot of our daughter's daytime school activities as she was growing up. I also get a lot of job satisfaction, seeing products I helped design go into the marketplace and sometimes win awards. I have been granted seven US patents and have several more pending."

"Working in software development can be a lonely experience for many, but as a consultant, I get to work closely with the client, conducting meetings to gather requirements and to train them. While my work is primarily independent, I get this additional benefit of working with others. On the other hand, working with a client can be frustrating if they become belligerent or difficult. You have to learn to keep your cool and to think on your feet. But it's the kind of experience that you can apply to any situation, even in your personal life."

Tips for Succeeding in This Career

"My combination of degrees in two different fields (EE and CS) has been very useful for my career. Our daughter took my example and got degrees in two different fields also (a Bachelor's in Psychology and a Masters in Nutrition) and discovered the same thing. Studying two different (but related) fields will give you an edge up on others who have pursued one field. I also got a little work experience in between getting my BS and MS degrees, and found that it helped me focus a lot more in my graduate studies."

"I recommend getting either a Computer Science or Computer Engineering degree if you want to go into a technical field. Most people come in with degrees such as Information Science, so if you have the Computer Science/Engineering, you'll have an advantage. Your background will be stronger. I also recommend taking a course in writing, because you will have to document much of what you do. Clearly communicating your ideas will make your job less frustrating"