Starting career in IT...what should I expect? (alternative, employers, jobs)
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Will be starting new career as software engineer in two weeks. Spent the last 8 years as a teacher.
Would love to see if any of you in IT could offer advice for a newby that will help ease my transition into the field and help me to maximize my time as an Software Engineer. I really want to excel and make the most of this opportunity.
Would love to hear about some of the challenges that many of you face the first two or three years in the industry. Do's, Dont's....Any advice or insight would be very appreciative.
I've worked in IT (sales) for almost my entire career. The key to success in this quickly changing field, is to stay current on the technology (continuous learning and training). It may mean classes in the evening, weekend, etc
I read a lot and keep abreast of the latest changes in my industry, so I've always been employable and the target of recruiters (that's a different story for another day).
All my friends who began "hardcore" Software Engineering jobs after graduating college called it quits after about 1-1.5 years. One became a Data Scientist at another company, the other went back to school to get a PhD, the other joined a startup company.
All my friends who began "hardcore" Software Engineering jobs after graduating college called it quits after about 1-1.5 years. One became a Data Scientist at another company, the other went back to school to get a PhD, the other joined a startup company.
It seems like they wanted to be more hands-on. Software Engineering is such a soft-skill job. Someone who wants to code or be in the action would certainly get tired of being a software engineer. I guess the take-away is to make sure you get a job that is interesting to you.
All my friends who began "hardcore" Software Engineering jobs after graduating college called it quits after about 1-1.5 years. One became a Data Scientist at another company, the other went back to school to get a PhD, the other joined a startup company.
If I recall correctly, you're in your 20's? If so, this is a trend among the twenty-somethings and happens in all fields in that age group.
But nice of you to bring sunshine to someone else's thread.
USAMathman, congratulations and good luck. Beyond the switch from teaching, I think the transition from a school to a corporation might raise questions, so if you have any, be sure to post them.
It depends on the role and what you want to do in the future.
A game programmer has a way different life and career trajectory than a guy working in avionics for a DoD contract shop or a javascript whiz working at Pinterest.
It all involves a lot of sitting down. I would suggest getting into some form of hardcore exercise to try to stave off the physical decline. If free junk food is provided, don't eat it. Have a plan for early retirement. Most regular joe software engineers are done by their 40s, and definitely done by 55.
I started off as a developer, but ended up doing software testing and QA. I talked with some fellow software testers who said they prefer interacting with more people, working with customers, and that the work is still great in terms of pay and opportunities (you're not going to be making $150K or even perhaps $100K, but it's still not too shabby). Another one said he did years of programming and development. It was too much stress for him, which made it less enjoyable. For the long run, I'd say make sure you have alternative plans set up.
It varies from person to person, but consider getting certs, and doing projects on your own to expand your skillset. Some people swear by certs, and getting a masters. Others say they're worthless, and that they can just ride experience (of which some people do have that solid). I'd say find a middle ground that works. Getting certs and education without the experience and knowledge doesn't really help as much, but certs and education can be used as tie breakers for HM. Some jobs, like government and private sector may require them, even if in theory, you don't really need them.
And one quote I'm fond of... "The only constant is change".
Quote:
Originally Posted by rzzzz
It depends on the role and what you want to do in the future.
A game programmer has a way different life and career trajectory than a guy working in avionics for a DoD contract shop or a javascript whiz working at Pinterest.
It all involves a lot of sitting down. I would suggest getting into some form of hardcore exercise to try to stave off the physical decline. If free junk food is provided, don't eat it. Have a plan for early retirement. Most regular joe software engineers are done by their 40s, and definitely done by 55.
Microsoft provides free drinks and snacks (none of them particularly healthy). I've talked with coworkers who came from such environments too. One of them shared such an environment. It seemed odd that we were getting all this free stuff, but then we lost work in a short time, so go figure. The free, unhealthy stuff IS evil. Another story... My dad used to be a marine engineer. He met a German engineer who would just eat beer and chocolate. It's anyone's guess that he's quite overweight.
Always read programming blogs or forums or something. Anything. Keep up with the latest trends. Don't ever let yourself become stale or pigeonholed in an outdated technology - unless you have a compelling reason to do so. Learn on your own time if you have to. That looks good to employers.
Invest in some learning materials like Pluralsight or Safari books and periodically use them to keep your mind current. In many cases, software engineering jobs don't last forever. So if you keep current, it would not be a big leap to land a programming gig since those seem to be more abundant than true software engineering.
As you start your IT career, just remember- there are only 10 kinds of people- those who understand binary, and those that don't.
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