yes Posted May 23, 2003 Share Posted May 23, 2003 what careers, or rather jobs, have a good balance between working independently and interacting with people? i'm majoring in computer science, and this issue didn't bother me until i got a full-time job in the field - i spend 99% of the time by myself... and while i do enjoy working on my own, something more than a meeting once a week would've been great. i guess i didn't notice before because studying is a totally different lifestyle. of course it doesn't help that most people in this office work from home. i could also work from home, but that limits possible interaction even more. i'm just thinking that perhaps this isn't a good career for me, and perhaps I should do another major... on the other hand, it's entirely possible to seek interaction in the evenings and on weekends, which I do, but so far it doesn't feel like enough... moreover, after spending the whole day alone, it's sort of difficult to come out of the shell ... Please share your experiences! -yes =) Link to post Share on other sites
Bill Posted May 24, 2003 Share Posted May 24, 2003 Computer Science is a career that does not allow independence if you work for a company. If you work on your own, you can develop your own programs and such, thus being independent. There are but a few careers where you have independence and are allowed to express your creativity. I chose a major where I could attain both independence and creativity. I'm a senior in Electrical Engineering. I do not recommend this major. It is extremely difficult and has changed much from previous requirements. You could use your computer science degree in a smaller company, where independence and interacting with people would be much higher. If you want to be in a big company, be prepared to design specific code for only a part of a program or project. You will be assigned to a cubicle. Job security is a major concern in this case. I know this because I have a friend that works for HP. Link to post Share on other sites
jessicakicksbut Posted May 24, 2003 Share Posted May 24, 2003 What you can do instead of changing majors, or taking up another major, is to use your computer science knowledge toward a career providing software support, such as technical support in a manufacturing environment. I know these jobs exist, since I work in this sector. Also, if you enjoy interacting with others, maybe you should consider a job in sales, such as business to business software sales for a larger company. Link to post Share on other sites
Ryan Posted May 24, 2003 Share Posted May 24, 2003 I graduated last June with a degree in computer engineering. I had a few offers from a few places. I ended up taking a position with a Navy research lab. I interact with a lot of people on a daily basis. In the engineering field, it depends on where you work. Some positions and/or companies will have you alone or with a small team cranking away as a code monkey. Other places will give you varied tasks and opportunities. You have to look around and evaluate your options. There are definitely places that can allow you to stay in the computer sciences while having a social aspect. Also, don't get confused about this creativity aspect. The creative part of engineering ANYTHING is in coming up with novel solutions to everyday problems. EE is no more or less inherently creative than CS. It depends on the mind behind the task. I don't recommend getting mired in IT or tech support. Your interaction will become a burden rather than a cooperative endeavor since most interactions will be people wanting you to do something for them. Link to post Share on other sites
Author yes Posted May 24, 2003 Author Share Posted May 24, 2003 I also asked around, and it seems like most offices are a LOT more lively than where I work now, and people have no trouble having social breaks. Definitely not changing majors, like you said. As for IT/tech support, I doubt I can do that, I'm more interested in research-style CS jobs... As for creativity - CS totally has room for that, whether you're in a company or self-employed. The good news for me is that my part-time job is at a more social place, so i'm looking fwd to spending some time there. thanks for your replies! -yes Link to post Share on other sites
Bill Posted May 25, 2003 Share Posted May 25, 2003 EE is no more or less inherently creative than CS. That is so wrong. In the engineering field, it depends on where you work. Some positions and/or companies will have you alone or with a small team cranking away as a code monkey. Maybe COE, but not EE. COEs are being hired right now as coders. EE is a hardware oriented major. I don't recommend getting mired in IT or tech support. Your interaction will become a burden rather than a cooperative endeavor since most interactions will be people wanting you to do something for them. I worked in IT before. There's a lot of interaction between coworkers for cooperation. I had many projects to work cooperatively with other employees. Link to post Share on other sites
Ryan Posted May 25, 2003 Share Posted May 25, 2003 That is so wrong. It's quite right, actually. You have a problem and a set of tools/skills to solve that problem. How you go about it depends on your resourcefulness and........creativity. No subject is inherently creative. It is flawed to attempt to rank abstract subjects. Maybe COE, but not EE. COEs are being hired right now as coders. EE is a hardware oriented major. I was focusing the discussion on the realm at hand, namely computer science. I'm well aware as to what all 3 disciplines entail and what they can continue to do as a career. When I was in school, I had the blind notion that my future job would just be a continuation of my schoolwork. That's not what happens. You shall soon learn how the lines blur. Link to post Share on other sites
Bill Posted May 25, 2003 Share Posted May 25, 2003 You shall soon learn how the lines blur. I'm quite aware of what happens in the industry. Right now, I know I will be working in high power applications. How do I know this? I already checked. I have visited the places. You seem to make a generalization that my college and your college are alike. This is wrong. I am at a college where there is a total of 330 people in all majors and all classes. Classes are taught from people in the industry that the class is about. The classes are designed to teach practical things as well as the theoretical. Link to post Share on other sites
Ryan Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 I'm quite aware of what happens in the industry. Right now, I know I will be working in high power applications. How do I know this? I already checked. I have visited the places. Sounds very much like what I said to myself. I am at a college where there is a total of 330 people in all majors and all classes. Sounds like a trade school.....so yes, it would not be the same as the university I attended. Classes are taught from people in the industry that the class is about. Well that's ODD, most of my professors came from industry as well. The classes are designed to teach practical things as well as the theoretical. You mean you have labs too? No way! Seriously, it's time to deflate the ego. What you are doing and where you are doing it is not the be-all and end-all of engineering. There are a lot of people doing a lot of diverse, interesting, and creative things with their various engineering backgrounds...whether it be mechanical, electrical, aeronautical...or software. Link to post Share on other sites
Bill Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 Sounds like a trade school.....so yes, it would not be the same as the university I attended. Wrong. It's a university. It's a major university. I'll let you figure out how that is possible. You mean you have labs too? No way! I'm not talking about labs. Well that's ODD, most of my professors came from industry as well. I said in, not came from. Link to post Share on other sites
jessicakicksbut Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 Will you ENGINERDS stop debating already!!! Link to post Share on other sites
Author yes Posted May 26, 2003 Author Share Posted May 26, 2003 not while bill's around. he's crazy about his school! remember the time he posted all the courses he has taken and the ones he's yet to take? that's OK, many people are school-patriotic. they grow out of it later... -yes Link to post Share on other sites
Ryan Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 I'm at the point where I really don't care. This has gotten way off-topic and is not useful to anyone. This will be the final word on who has the bigger "academic penis." If anyone wants to continue the game of trying to one-up, I will delete the posts. Yes - I was thinking that you may want to explore some of the more fringe (for lack of a better word) areas of computer science, like AI and bioinformatics. There are often multidisciplinary teams that coordinate to apply engineering capabilities to other scientific areas. I don't know if anything like that would be to your liking, but I thought I would mention it. Link to post Share on other sites
Author yes Posted May 26, 2003 Author Share Posted May 26, 2003 wow, right on the money! i am specializing in AI, and it's a fascinating field. I was just =( last week because of lack of social interaction... but it's natural for the summer - all the students are away, and profs are going to a billion conferences. thread closed! =) -yes Link to post Share on other sites
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