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Hi fellow computer geeks i was wondering which of the 3 fields are easier to get a job in Miami from best to worst.
the reason i ask is because i am currently transferring to FIU to continue my studies and i have to choose one of the 3 as my mayor, however i am undecided between the 3. I currently have 2 years of Computer Engineer which was done overseas and that is the evaluation that Josef Silny gave for me.
I have completed classes such as Physics and Calculus, and then learned C, C++,Visual Basic, and PHP across 4 classes of Programming. I also did 2 Classes of Database where i used Access and MySQL and have done my homework in Networking and Operating Systems over the last 18 years.
why am i telling u this u ask?
well the reason is because based on everything i have learned over the last 18 years (since i was 12) i can pretty much major in any of the 3 careers though i have more preference towards Hardware and Networking so Computer Engineer and IT would be better for me.
based on my understandings of the three my preference would be:
Preferred: Computer Engineer (i like hardware, and networking but i miss out on Database)
Second Preferred: IT (i like analyzing and logic, database, networking, programming is okay aswell but i prefer hardware over programming)
Least Preferred: Computer Science (i like thinking and the logic aspecs and there's some things in this career that i like but i was not a fan of science in school. Chemistry and Physics was okay but hated Biology)
however i would hate to complete a degree and find out that i would have to move to another city or state because that degree would have less job openings in Miami as opposed to one of the other two.
like i said i can go with any of the three but i prefer the one with the most jobs so i don't have to relocate from Miami.
who knows i may do 2 of the 3 when it's all said and finished but i gotta finish one first and i have to figure out which to finish first. perhaps i might be able to complete Computer Engineer quicker since i already have 2 years recognized on the evaluation but that all depends on which classes FIU wants to accept from my transcripts so i have to treat all 3 careers as having the same amount of time required to complete until i find out which classes they will accept.
Computer Science > Computer Engineering > IT in that order
Computer Engineering & IT are fields that do not pay as well as they used to due to supply and demand. Software is the way to go. It has much better job prospects & pay than the hardware side.
However, FIU doesn't have a very good Computer Science program in my opinion. In fact, it's pretty bad overall.
Either way, be prepared to take lots and lots of math classes as those will be required in abundance.
i honestly thought CS was going to be the worse one of them all for jobs as opposed to IT and CE.
i mean if CS is bad at FIU i can just stick with CE but perhaps i can look at maybe going to MDC for CS if it's better than FIU.
When i saw CE at FIU i saw that i can concentrate on Networking and Cyber Security so things like Forensics is something i really want to learn aswell.
i honestly thought CS was going to be the worse one of them all for jobs as opposed to IT and CE.
i mean if CS is bad at FIU i can just stick with CE but perhaps i can look at maybe going to MDC for CS if it's better than FIU.
When i saw CE at FIU i saw that i can concentrate on Networking and Cyber Security so things like Forensics is something i really want to learn aswell.
No way. Software is the future.
When I was growing up, I was always told, "computers are the future." Then they became the present. Then, people would say the same thing about the internet...then about email...then about smartphones / apps....etc.
Now, people are saying the same thing about coding. In the future, coding will be as ubiquitous a job requirement as knowing about computers, the internet, email, apps, etc. It's taking over all industries. You can't even be a taxi driver without being affected by coding (Uber). It's reshaping society as we know it.
Even DBAs (Database Administrator) that in the past only had know the hardware side have to learn how to code nowadays. Example: SQL, NoSQL, etc.
Re: the hardware side. Everybody & their mama is MCSE certified. 15-20 years ago, it was a different story. You're a little late to the party on that one. It's hard to stand out with the glut of techs nowadays, but not everybody knows how to create apps.
MDC does not offer bachelor degrees in Computer Science yet, but it is growing fast. It was just a community college till 2003.
I honestly would not recommend going to Miami if you're looking into studying Computer Science. According to this U.S. News & World Report ranking, the University of Florida ranked #92 in the country in Computer Science:
That is the highest ranking school in Florida for CS. Now, I don't know what your grades are like, but I would highly recommend you do some very careful research in picking a school as that is also a very personal decision. Don't just pick one in Miami because you want to enjoy the weather and the beach. Get your education & career in order first. All that other stuff will still be there when you arrive.
When I was growing up, I was always told, "computers are the future." Then they became the present. Then, people would say the same thing about the internet...then about email...then about smartphones / apps....etc.
Now, people are saying the same thing about coding. In the future, coding will be as ubiquitous a job requirement as knowing about computers, the internet, email, apps, etc. It's taking over all industries. You can't even be a taxi driver without being affected by coding (Uber). It's reshaping society as we know it.
Even DBAs (Database Administrator) that in the past only had know the hardware side have to learn how to code nowadays. Example: SQL, NoSQL, etc.
Re: the hardware side. Everybody & their mama is MCSE certified. 15-20 years ago, it was a different story. You're a little late to the party on that one. It's hard to stand out with the glut of techs nowadays, but not everybody knows how to create apps.
MDC does not offer bachelor degrees in Computer Science yet, but it is growing fast. It was just a community college till 2003.
I honestly would not recommend going to Miami if you're looking into studying Computer Science. According to this U.S. News & World Report ranking, the University of Florida ranked #92 in the country in Computer Science:
That is the highest ranking school in Florida for CS. Now, I don't know what your grades are like, but I would highly recommend you do some very careful research in picking a school as that is also a very personal decision. Don't just pick one in Miami because you want to enjoy the weather and the beach. Get your education & career in order first. All that other stuff will still be there when you arrive.
i am a Miami Native and leaving Miami to study is not an option for me as i have my family and i want to be debt free therefore living on a campus is not an option either. therefore my options are limited to FIU and MDC as they are all i can afford as UM is too expensive.
i am considering doing CE and IT at FIU at the same time so i can get both degrees at once.
Last edited by wilmer007; 12-13-2015 at 11:42 PM..
i am a Miami Native and leaving Miami to study is not an option for me as i have my family and i want to be debt free therefore living on a campus is not an option either. therefore my options are limited to FIU and MDC as they are all i can afford as UM is too expensive.
i am considering doing CE and IT at FIU at the same time so i can get both degrees at once.
A common dilemma for Miami natives. Only having FIU or MDC as your choices for higher education. In this case, I would recommend going to FIU, but taking the lower level prerequisite courses (math, science, history, etc.) at MDC due to the lower costs. However, at MDC, make sure that you only take the courses that FIU requires for your specific major. You don't want to take math, science, etc. courses at MDC only to find out later on that it's not required for your specific major.
Remember, not all majors require the same math, science, etc. courses.
Re: not wanting to go into debt. Are you planning on working & paying for everything upfront while going to school?
You said you were "transferring" to FIU. What school are you transferring from?
yes i would be working and paying off the classes right then and there.
i was studying over seas since i was only paying $187 per month over there.
as for taking lower level prerequisite at MDC i was thinking about that but since FIU is better than MDC i figured i would get more out of my education by taking those classes at FIU rather than MDC.
yes i would be working and paying off the classes right then and there.
i was studying over seas since i was only paying $187 per month over there.
as for taking lower level prerequisite at MDC i was thinking about that but since FIU is better than MDC i figured i would get more out of my education by taking those classes at FIU rather than MDC.
Ok, then. You should:
1) See what courses FIU accepts from your transcripts.
2) Speak to an adviser. This is always a pain in ***** with the Computer Science department since you have to make an appointment & I believe the last appointment is at 3:30 pm Monday through Friday. I don't think they have weekend appointments, but double check to make sure. Anyways, the advising office's hours definitely do not cater to working people.
Then, you'll have 2 options:
1) The software side: Major in Computer Science, which will offer you the best job opportunities after graduation. Be prepared for lots of math classes. You'll pretty much have to teach yourself programming though since their programming classes are sub par in my opinion. If you can do C & C++ like you said you have, then this should not really be a problem. You'll need to learn Java though. The other programming languages you'll need to learn depend on what area of programming you want to specialize in. Luckily, FIU does have great connections with large companies & that should help you get a good job after you graduate. See their Career Services department regarding this (I would wait no later than a year prior to graduation to get with them).
2) The hardware side: Major in either IT or Computer Engineering. I wouldn't do both. That is kind of overkill. For this career, you'll need to get your certifications, which ones depend on what you want to specialize in. However, like I mentioned before, the career prospects are not nearly as great as they are in the software side. They in just too much competition right now.
Very important: Keep your grades & GPA up. It will be very difficult to do this since you'll be working the whole time, but it's doable.
well it's kind of a bummer that i have to do CS and not CE since i prefer hardware over programming anyday as programming can be stressful and requires alot of focus but i guess i have no choice in other to land a job that pays more and is less competitive so i guess i'll have to Major in CS.
i did see that CS at FIU was being blacklisted but that was a few years ago, has that improved now because i would hate to do CS (which is my least preferred due to programming) and then come to find out that companies black list CS FIU grads.
also perhaps i can get both CS and CE and be able to manage both the hardware and software aspects.
well it's kind of a bummer that i have to do CS and not CE since i prefer hardware over programming anyday as programming can be stressful and requires alot of focus but i guess i have no choice in other to land a job that pays more and is less competitive so i guess i'll have to Major in CS.
i did see that CS at FIU was being blacklisted but that was a few years ago, has that improved now because i would hate to do CS (which is my least preferred due to programming) and then come to find out that companies black list CS FIU grads.
also perhaps i can get both CS and CE and be able to manage both the hardware and software aspects.
This is why CS pays more.
I don't think FIU's CS department was ever good. Where did you see that CS grads were being blacklisted? Just curious. If that's true, then that would mean that companies have noticed how bad it is. That's why I recommended going elsewhere for school.
It's good you want to be financially responsible, but I wouldn't worry too much about graduating with student debt if you major in CS. A CS degree from a good school pays for itself.
If it was a different major, I might say differently.
Either way, if you're not interested in programming, why pursue it? It's tough to stay motivated for something you're not interested in.
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