In need of some career guidance...

Well, my first post in a while, but in any case, this is the situation:

I am 20 and halfway through getting a degree in music performance. After careful consideration, I have decided that this is not what I want to do for many, many reasons.

My intention is to pursue education in my other love: computers. I am self-taught to this point. I don't know any programming languages but did take some basic computer science in high school, and have built many systems myself and know the ins and outs pretty well. I would certainly call myself an enthusiast at the very least.

That said, I don't really know anything about what I should be looking into as far as majoring and the whole education process end of it. I was wondering if all of you guys who are actually doing things in our field could point the way a little bit.

The other concern is that I've been out of the whole "college education" thing for so long that I may have to take some basic classes again. I have smarts and am much more inclined with mathematics, but again I have to plead ignorance, and don't have a clue what to expect.

If it helps, this is the school I will be going to when I get out of Boston.

I realize my questions are vague, but I don't know how to be more specific about it at this point. So, help me help you... help me by asking me to clarify if necessary. Thanks.

Sincerely,

Odie

Having seen my sister waste years and untold energy pursuing a music performance degree, I agree that it is pointless. While some do make a living off of playing music, it is not something you can count on. Most that do make it do not do it on the strength of formal education, but rather plain luck or overwhelming genius and virtuosity.

As far as the computer side of things go, you must understand that your current computer interests are not related to a job that pays the bills. Everyone just assumes that the computers themselves will materialize and work, there is no career path for those that work on the PCs themselves, outside of the highly specialized and educated engineers that design the circuitry. Working on PCs at the component level is not valued by society, and will not lead you were you want to go.

There is a career in obtaining a computer science degree, and specializing in software development or networking and security. But understand that either is dependant on obtaining a four-year computer science degree, and working from that point to make yourself employable. And a CS degree is all programming. If you like to bang out code, this may be for you, if you don't I can tell you from experience it is not.

Also understand that convential IT and software development are very saturated job markets. You really need advanced degrees or certifications, continuing education/re-certification, and real work experience to compete effectively for the job opportunities that exist.

I will tell you what I tell everyone in this situation, and that is get a geography degree. People think geography is the process of learning states' capitals, but it is not. It is the mother of all sciences, and an indispendible analysis that was minimized for decades in this country, but recognized as the invaluable tool it is in the rest of the world. And with the advent of GIS, and the irrefutability of its worth, it is the fastest growing job market in this country as well.

GIS (geographic information systems) is the use of computers to model the world at large for analysis, visualization, and communication. At one point computers were only powerful enough to model small systems, like engine parts or an engine as a whole. Nowdays PCs are powerful enough to model the world at large, and it is a great field for the technically aware.

It's really hard to make out working on PCs these days, it is far more lucrative to use them. GIS jobs are abundant in any major metropolitan area. And even a masters degree in geography is simple compared to the hell I went through in electrical engineering. For more information about what GIS is and what it is used for, check out:

http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/gis_poster/

larva said:

As far as the computer side of things go, you must understand that your current computer interests are not related to a job that pays the bills. Everyone just assumes that the computers themselves will materialize and work, there is no career path for those that work on the PCs themselves, outside of the highly specialized and educated engineers that design the circuitry. Working on PCs at the component level is not valued by society, and will not lead you were you want to go.

Click to expand...

couldnt agree more, there are a lot of "computer builders, for a fee" that need to hear this.

Right. Well I wasn't planning on building PC's for a living.

In any case, what about engineering? Anybody do that or know anything about that?

Oh, and is a degree in IST useful? Where could I go from there?

Finally, larva, I admittedly laughed aloud when I read in your profile under occupation, "I build PC's."

I did from 1991 to early 2001. Used to be lucrative. I produced as many as 1500 complete PCs a year for several years for a store I helped found. I don't recommend it to anyone. My back failed in 2001 and I had three surgeries. I went back to school and just completed a 4 year BA geography degree focusing on GIS. I have a decent job prospect currently in my (rural) area, jobs in metro areas are abundant.

As far as engineering goes, it's a lucrative career... if you are willing to relocate to Singapore, China, parts or norther Europe, etc. Engineering is not done in mass in this country under avoidable circumstances. Jobs are tough, you must have advanced degrees in most cases. And advanced degrees in Engineering disciplines don't grow on trees.

In the end, if you are commited and motivated you an conceivably succeed at anything. Just understand that the most technical avenues you might choose as a result of your PC involvement are tough rows to hoe. You can make similar money with a far less hefty degree in geography, and use PCs to do it.