Career

[NotAGolf]

Hi all,

I'm after a bit of career advice.

I graduated last year with a first class degree from Reading uni in computer science. I didn't really know what I wanted to do after I graduated so I took a gap year and traveled around the world.

I'm due back in a few weeks which means I'll be looking to get a job (not a good time i know!).

Trouble is I still don't really know what to do. I'm not great at programming but I do quite enjoy it if i'm working on something I find interesting and I do generally get the job done albeit in a bit of a roundabout way.

I tend to find I like programming if it's working on something "visual", I can't really explain it well but basically I like to see a result of my programming, I wouldn't enjoy doing somethng like number crunching, working on operating systems, neural nets. So that kind of puts me off working for any kind of bank, or someone like microsoft. I don't like anything involving the internet or networks either, so no web-design!

The kind of thing I do like to do is something visual. For example, my dissertation was to create a new moving map system for aeroplanes. So I used NASA data and OpenGL to create a 3D map of the Earth essentially.

I also am quite interested in marine life. I did some marine conservation work whilst traveling and it was the best experience i've had since being away, so I would love to maybe tie in that line of work with my computing, perhaps make some kind of animal tracking program or reef monitoring program using photos and other data to keep track of the health of reefs or something like that.

I did a module called visual intelligence as one of my modules which I also found very intersting (although quite tricky) so maybe something that could tie in with this.

Basically I was hoping for a few jobs that some of you may do or know of that might be something a bit different than going into microsoft/IBM/banking that a fair few comp sci grads do.

Sorry for waffling but any help or ideas would be awesome.

Thanks,
Martin.

 

[TheMagicPirate]

Games programmer? They seem to be in high demand and it would allow you to 'see' what your coding.

 

[NotAGolf]

I'm not into games really so don't think I'd go for that, unless it's really good money but I doubt that!

I have started playing about in Maya though, still wouldn't be interested in games related stuff but that might be interesting.

 

[V-Spec]

I think you just need to sit back for a few minutes and have a really good think about what you want to do.. Its difficult for us to suggest things because we can rattle off job titles until you "like the sound of that one!"

If you want to be really good at something, you've got to 100% up for it and willing to get stuck in, rather than being unsure and dabbling in a few things..

 

[Bakedgoods]

Microsoft don't just develop operating systems.

 

[Shicky]

I assume you didn't do a placement year? Generally that is the foot in the door most take. At this point I wouldn't be too downbeat on getting a career to stay in for the rest of your life, perhaps just take whatever you can get programming wise and with experience you'll be able to demand the more interesting jobs or move to a company based on marine research or something.

I know how you feel as im doing a comp science degree at a different uni and will hopefully graduate with a decent degree. But all I know with regard to 'what I want to do' is basically not sit on my ass 9-5......boy did I pick the right degree. Seem to have the same opinion of my programming skills as you do with yours.

As Wardie said above MS dont just do operating systems, MS and google are the companies I'd probably most like to get in because of the atmosphere. A friend currently working at MS loves it, working on video enhancements to MSN.

 

[Gman]

to be honest I would stop being so picky at this stage in your life. get your foot in the door doing something roughly on the track your wanting to follow. Then when you've built up some experiance then you can start looking into specific areas.

 

[D.P.]

Hi all,

I'm after a bit of career advice.

I graduated last year with a first class degree from Reading uni in computer science. I didn't really know what I wanted to do after I graduated so I took a gap year and traveled around the world.

I'm due back in a few weeks which means I'll be looking to get a job (not a good time i know!).

Trouble is I still don't really know what to do. I'm not great at programming but I do quite enjoy it if i'm working on something I find interesting and I do generally get the job done albeit in a bit of a roundabout way.

I tend to find I like programming if it's working on something "visual", I can't really explain it well but basically I like to see a result of my programming, I wouldn't enjoy doing somethng like number crunching, working on operating systems, neural nets. So that kind of puts me off working for any kind of bank, or someone like microsoft. I don't like anything involving the internet or networks either, so no web-design!

The kind of thing I do like to do is something visual. For example, my dissertation was to create a new moving map system for aeroplanes. So I used NASA data and OpenGL to create a 3D map of the Earth essentially.

I also am quite interested in marine life. I did some marine conservation work whilst traveling and it was the best experience i've had since being away, so I would love to maybe tie in that line of work with my computing, perhaps make some kind of animal tracking program or reef monitoring program using photos and other data to keep track of the health of reefs or something like that.

I did a module called visual intelligence as one of my modules which I also found very intersting (although quite tricky) so maybe something that could tie in with this.

Basically I was hoping for a few jobs that some of you may do or know of that might be something a bit different than going into microsoft/IBM/banking that a fair few comp sci grads do.

Sorry for waffling but any help or ideas would be awesome.

Thanks,
Martin.

PhD sounds appropriate. Developing tools for ecologists, as you said, monitoring reefs or rainforests, tracking animals. TBH, the interesting stuff would lie in not only visualizing this data but data interpretation tools, modeling behaviors, predicting ecological dynamics.

 

[SMN]

Job market is a nightmare at the moment. CWJobs.co.uk is my favorite for IT jobs, its pretty effective - along with Milkround.com