<p>Typically what do computer scientists and computer engineers do on a daily basis for work? I'm a cs major and I'm just curious as to what the typical job description for a cs major is, so if anyone has any experience info, feel free to share :)</p>
<p>Can't really say because it depends on many different factors. There is no <em>typical</em> CS job. CS is a very broad degree that can get you working in many different areas:</p>
<ul>
<li>IT</li>
<li><p>You can be working with databases here</p></li>
<li><p>Software Engineering</p></li>
<li><p>You can be working with Microsoft to create the next operating system utilizing your knowledge in your Operating Systems class</p></li>
<li><p>Or, you can be working with Adobe on the next product family doing testing/analysis </p></li>
<li><p>Embedded Software Engineering</p></li>
<li><p>You can be working with defense contractors</p></li>
<li><p>Research (theoretical)</p></li>
<li><p>Maybe work for Bell labs doing research? That doesn't really have a description, only a field in which you work.</p></li>
<li><p>Web Applications</p></li>
<li><p>You can be working with the next Web 2.0 company or creating websites for potential clients using latest web programming langauges</p></li>
</ul>
<p>It all depends.</p>
<p>Undefined did a nice job giving you a view of the field. I can tell you what I, personally, do. I'm not sure I would call my job typical.</p>
<p>I work at a small (fewer than 100 people) defense contractor that specializes in applied artificial intelligence research and development. I've been working there as an entry-level software engineer for six months, since I graduated.</p>
<p>I spend most of my time designing software systems and components, implementing them in code, and designing and writing tests. It is innovative engineering research - funded by research grants from the Department of Defense - though the amount of innovation that I am personally doing is small, because I am new. I read various technical journals which are circulated throughout the company, and take classes to continue my education (which the company helps me pay for) so that I will have a stronger background and can do more innovative stuff.</p>
<p>I occasionally help on quality assurance for other projects. For example, I did system and usability testing for an expert system for psy ops planning.</p>
<p>I serve on various groups internal to the company. I am a member of two advisory groups for different "best practices" in software engineering, and I am part of our modeling & simulation study group (since my current project is on modeling & simulation).</p>
<p>I also help with "proposals" - DoD research grant applications. Because I am new, this round (there are about four a year for our main grant program) is the first time that I have helped with proposals, and I am not that involved...I am the second author on one proposal. I am doing the literature review (on the theory and statistical mechanics of complex networks) and some of the writing, it looks like, and planning the proposal in general with its first author.</p>
<p>thanks for the replies!</p>