confused as to what to major in

Career Opportunities & Internships Investment Banking
1

<p>Hey guys, I'm a new poster here but i've been lurking around for a while. essentially im faced with a pretty big dilemma as to what to major in. My options are:</p>

<p>1) Finance + Computer science
2) Accounting + Information Systems (will be on cpa track)
3) Finance & Info sys</p>

<p>There are valid arguments for each option and I've been having a really difficult time deciding. From a purely technical perspective, I think Finance + CS is a pretty tough combination to beat and I'm only 5 courses short of the CS major but here are my main concerns for option 1(Finance+CS):</p>

<p>Option 1: Finance + CS</p>

<p>1) Such a combo sets me up for a tech related job, and I'm def. worried about the rampant outsourcing as well as ageism (i heard in IT if ur >40, ur career's dead) that's going on in the tech industry. Just reading a few of the posts over at Dice.com are truly scary. I know a few ppl in IT who coincidentally are over 40 and who are unemployed and finding it really difficult to even land an interview. Secondly, while I enjoy programming, I certaintly don't want to be doing that 24/7 for a living. I want a job that combines both client interaction or at least equity market analysis that extends beyond just knowing how to code.</p>

<p>2) I would have to graduate in 5 years instead of 4. Is this an area of concern for employers and will this tend to haunt me forever into the future as they might view this as someone who is a slower learner?</p>

<p>From a lot of people i've talked to who work in the software industry, they tell me if you really want to learn programming, you could always pick up a book and learn it on your own. Don't major in computer science they tell me because the market is already saturated with CS graduates. They argue that there are almost no barriers to entry, making outsourcing a lot easier, which brings me to my next option:</p>

<p>Option 2: Accounting + Info sys (CPA route)</p>

<p>1) I'm personally not crazy about accounting and find accounting related jobs somewhat tedious and unstimulating. My main reason for considering this option however is because it allows me to take the CPA, which solidifies my credentials from a business knowledge standpoint. I'm thinking that having a CPA could not hurt, in the case that I ever find myself in a business/management position even if I'm not in a strict accounting job.</p>

<p>2)I've talked to a lot of acct professionals and they tell me if you are ever going to take the CPA, make sure to take the necessary classes to meet the 150 credit hour limit while your still in college because when your working full time, it is close to impossible to balance both studying/homework involved with the coursework along with a full time job. This makes me think that If i don't pursue accounting now, I will be essentially giving up the chance to take the CPA forever. </p>

<p>Option 3: Finance + Info sys</p>

<p>This would sorta be like the easy way out since it doesn't entail having to take extra credits or staying a fifth year. However, my main concern with this option is that Information Systems as a major is seen as being light/fluff on the technical side and I'm afraid that might affect my employability in more tech and analysis heavy roles.</p>

<p>As far as what careers im shooting for, Im really undecided at this point. I was originally thinking Ibanking, but we all know what's happening in that industry and who knows when it'll recover. Tech consulting or equity analyst roles definitely sound interesting as well. My primary interests are technology and business and a job that combines the both of them would be great. Any advice would be much appreciated as to which option you recommend I pursue. Thanks.</p>

2

<p>Do option #1.</p>

<p>The reasons you listed as negatives for CS (outsourcing, ageism, barriers to entry) are all bogus. </p>

<p>First of all, a good CS program will teach you the theory behind CS, and place much less emphasis on the language. (As you mentioned, anyone can learn a computer language, but it takes much more in-depth knowledge to be able to write optimal code for complex algorithms. That's why there are associates degrees vs. bachelors degrees). Whoever is telling you that CS majors from <em>good</em> engineering universities are losing their jobs to outsourcing does not know what he or she is talking about. They're most likely referring to the guy from Podunk Community College who learned how to compile a program that couts "hello world" in Visual C++.</p>

<p>For ageism, if you plan to be a programmer all your life (which is rare), then you're probably not going to do well past 40. However, given the fact that you want to do tech consulting or something similar to that, you should be fine. If you do become a programmer, you'll probably do that for a while before you become manager or reach some other level that requires more leadership and less programming.</p>

<p>And with the barriers to entry - yes it's true there's not much barrier to entry for computer jobs (seeing as a I run a business that outsources to India, I would know). That really shouldn't dissuade you from CS. There's a clear shortage of qualified CS majors in the US, so you have nothing to worry about.</p>

<p>Although options 2 and 3 are good possibilities, you don't seem nearly as thrilled about them. And if you don't like accounting to start with, you're not going to be able to "fake it" for the rest of your life.</p>

<p>So yeah, I vote you choose option 1.</p>

3

<p>Where do you go to school?</p>

<p>Don't waste your time with CPA unless you want to be a practicing accountant. Not sure why you'd even consider this if you already find accounting a bore.</p>

<p>If you go to a school like MIT you can study CS and try for ibanking, when things were good MIT was sending a third of their class to Wall Street.</p>