I am currently a rising senior with one semester left at the University of Michigan. I major in biology currently, but last year, I decided to switch from neuroscience to computer science. At the same time, I was still taking biology courses as I decided to also pursue a biology degree. Eventually, I went from pursuing a double major, to bio + a cs minor, to just bio, but now I realized that I was only in bio because I’m good at it. When I pursued computer science, I knew what I wanted to do after college with that. Because I have of financial reasons, I have determined to finish my bio degree next semester, but still pursue a computer science career. What can I do over the next year, both in my final semester and after I graduate, to make my resume look more compelling?
The nice aspect of the computer industry is how diverse it is. You really don’t need a degree in anything specific to break into a programming career as long as you have some proficiency in a language. 90% of programming/IT jobs don’t even require math. You’re actually in as good a place as any other applicant as long as your resume focuses on your strengths. Having a degree in biology actually puts you at a decent advantage for IT jobs at hospitals, healthcare companies, clinical research, and universities. Those industries are big on data analysis, so knowing SQL and statistical tools like SAS would be worth its weight in gold over the next semester or two. Healthcare is in high demand right now.