Senior Computer Science student, will gpa affect my salary? (Atlanta: headhunters, employment)

[Jonatron5]

So long story short, i had a really bad year my sophomore year, long story short I went through a spell of depression and academic probation. I'm going into my senior year with a 2.11
back on track i beleive ill be lucky to graduate with a 2.5 my major gpa might be higher. Will my gpa keep me from getting a good paying job?

I know the tech feild and computer programming is experiencing huge demand, and its expected to increase.

Will i wind up working fastfood the rest of my life? Or will i get into the tech feild?

[Brian_M]

GPA doesn't matter in the real world. Heck, the degree is having less value with the passing of time too. But generally it's the simple matter of having a degree, no one will check your GPA.... they're going to check Google, FB, Twitter, etc... to see your online presence before they check a GPA.

When I got into IT in the 90's, it was as a college dropout and doing a call center (though a small one, 3 overnight to about 10 day staff) and I worked my way up to the top admin spot possible (again, small-ish 6-branch library system)... all without a degree or any certs. I left that position for a job move my wife needed and have been unable to get back into the field. Saturated is an understatement. It might be better in big urban centers, but I was able to move and find jobs before now it's looking more like needing to move TO a job. Odd swap to go from having headhunters bugging me to not even getting a return email.

You may well *NOT* get a job in your field right away, and without a doubt the first job in-field you find will be one were you have to pay dues... I do not envy those who must find work in the current environment (well, at least white collar workers, those going into the trades ~ welding, plumbing, electrician ~ are in more demand than ever it seems).

It won't be like this forever though. At some point the economy and employment will shake itself out for another boom cycle. Do what you must to hold on till then.

[Jonatron5]

@ brian.

Do you think 60 grand starting salary is reasonable in comp sci?

[Jonatron5]

My buddy got 70 grand starting out.

[flyonpa]

Yes 60-70K is a good/great Starting salary.

[Brian_M]

Lol, no. I never even made that much when I was a Gov contractor in DC for the Y2K "scare". Close, but never broke 60k. Maybe if you can get in with a Blue Chip (Intel, Apple, Microsoft, etc...), or one of the few startups that are still being funded. I think you'll be lucky to start out at $40k, and will Probably be closer to $30k and thankful to have a job ($14/hour). Careful as you look at numbers, benefits have Real value and you may find someone offering a higher "salary" but no benefits where your net is less than a place with a lower salary but better benefits.


I know people with 6~8 year Medical degrees (wife is a pharmacist in a training hospital) who aren't making 60k straight out of school. I know she only made in the $30's for the first few years.

Sorry, hate to be one to bear bad news. For reference, I've worked in Boston, NYC, Baltimore, DC, Phoenix, Atlanta and a handful of small/rural places throughout the Rockies. From international to Gov contracts on down to small one-office local companies. Maybe your experiences will be different from mine, better, and you'll find everything I've said to simply not be true. I hope so.

[Newsboy]

Keep photos of yourself guzzling beer and tequila or images of your private parts off the internet and you'll be fine.

[Jonatron5]

See this is what i fibd reaallly unbearable and distressing. One person posts and says thats reasonable and someone else says it isnt. I can handle being low paid, i just need to know arround what ro expect


@brian But you never had the advantage of a degree. Im hoping and praying that will make up the difference. And get me 55 entry level.

Im dead serious though one of my friends whose one year my senior got 70 out of college.

[flyonpa]

60/70 is VERY Good, (also unusual) Did he have lots of Certs? More of a Tech/Marketing job?

Some of the Tech/Marketing jobs if you land a big contract can have very good bonus/commissions. But his Base might be 40-50. But land a multi-million dollar contract you can be looking at a nice check from it.

Question is Next Year? Can he land another big contract?

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Jonatron5

So long story short, i had a really bad year my sophomore year, long story short I went through a spell of depression and academic probation. I'm going into my senior year with a 2.11
back on track i beleive ill be lucky to graduate with a 2.5 my major gpa might be higher. Will my gpa keep me from getting a good paying job?

I don't think it will matter much. Could depend on the company, but the degree itself is the critical part.

I got my BSCS a looong time ago (1987), and the company I was first hired by did check my GPA, but I have no idea how common it was then. Mine was 3.01 overall and 3.04 in CompSci, which wasn't that great, but one of the hiring managers commented that they preferred to see that over a 4.0 because it showed that I had a life outside of the classroom.