<p>GLOBELTRAVELLER: I heard that you know a lot about IT. I have a few questions:
How does an civil engineering graduate get into the IT field?
What are the different areas that encompass the IT field. What are you working in currently?
What kind of qualifications can help you get in the industry?
What is the current job market situation for IT?</p>
<p>alchemist007: There is no way in hell I’m moving to India. </p>
<p>strengr: Do you think other areas of civil engineering have more promising job prospects? Like Environmental, water resources, or transportation?</p>
<p>I am going to use the accredited curriculum requirements from the computing branch of the ABET to display what is needed course-wise to make the transition to Information Technology (IT) and Information Systems (IS). BOTH areas (IT & IS) asks students to cover:</p>
<ul>
<li>fundamentals of a modern programming language (read: object-oriented)</li>
<li>fundamentals of data/information management (read: database systems)</li>
<li>fundamentals of computer networking/data communications (read: computer networks)</li>
<li>fundamentals of systems analysis/design/architecture (read: software engineering)</li>
<li>fundamentals of the role of Information Systems in organizations (standard course)</li>
</ul>
<p>Additionally, Information Technology (IT) asks for:
fundamentals of information assurance and security (networks, cryptography)
system administration and maintenance (UNIX admin, Windows Admin, DBA)</p>
<p>In a typical IT/IS program, each of those areas have their own course.
In a typical Computer Science program, those areas are covered in programming languages, operating systems, database, computer networks and cryptography/error-correcting codes courses.</p>
<p>To transfer to IT/IS from another engineering major, either:</p>
<p>a) Take the equivalent courses from the computer science department while you are an undergraduate
b) Take the equivalent courses from the IS/IT department while you are an undergraduate
c) Obtain a post-graduate certificate in IS/IT (usually reserved for folks holding a BA/BS degree)</p>
<p>I would say that the HOTTEST IT areas are information assurance, Java development and database systems (Oracle or SQL Server). Unix/Linux development and administration is right up there too.</p>
<p>I currently specialize in the database systems area.</p>
<p>getting an MBA for a student like the OP would open his eyes to experiment in areas other than engineering, including marketing, finance, public finance, accounting, the management of start-ups, valuations, non-profits, etc etc…</p>
<p>and this is exactly what would help this particular student that, at the moment, is unhappy with his engineering education and where it is heading.</p>
<p>An MBA will probably not help the OP because he does not have a career.</p>
<p>MBAs and MPAs work best for people who are already a few years into their career and and whose organizations have potential opportunities for them.</p>
<p>Andrewsky, true, it is better to have work experience before going to business school, however, if your review each of the better MBA schools they do accept students without work experience, who then pursue successful careers. In fact, an MBA can be used by a student with a pure engineering education as an avenue to shift gears into an area that is NOT engineering, which is the OP’s goal.</p>
<p>JohnAdams, the only nonsense I’m seeing is coming from you. Please share with us your experiences and your education. I’m guessing you are still a kid in school with zero experience. Correct me if I am wrong. I have a BS and MS in mechanical engineering and years of work experience. I can tell you that getting a MBA, especially with no work experience, is not going to solve any of the OP’s problems. I am going to assume that he would not go to Harvard business school and the point I am making is that most MBAs are from lower ranked schools and don’t carry nearly as much weight as some people on here would like to believe.</p>
<p>I stand by the assertion that sinking more money into a degree that is likely not very useful with no work experience makes no sense. My suggestion would be to try and get some work experience in different areas and industries. You do realize that degreed engineers can get hired as consultants, in sales, contracts, finance, program management, etc. If the OP does not like the technical side of engineering, there are many other avenues to take and positions like these that by no means require a MBA. I know many technical and non-technical managers and I can’t think of one that does have a MBA. After working for a while, if the OP decides that there is a certain area of business that he wants to focus on, then perhaps a MBA is appropriate with some work experience. </p>
<p>Engineering education and engineering work are very different. Everyone gets sick of engineering while in school. Engineering in industry is a totally different experience. I understand that the OP might question the idea of being an engineer. I think all engineering students have been there at some point. This is normal. This doesn’t mean that piling on more degrees will solve the problem. The MBA will always be a viable option after some work experience. If I was interviewing someone with a MBA and no work experience, it would be a red flag unless it was from a school like Harvard. </p>
<p>JohnAdams, I am speaking from experience and these are merely suggestions. I don’t appreciate some kid calling my suggestions nonsense. So please, share with us your vast experiences and credentials and why your opinion is superior to everyone else’s. If you don’t have experience to back anything up, then please just stop.</p>
<p>Well, I stand with ME 76 on the MBA issue. Getting an MBA or a JD in today’s job market without any work experience is just asking for trouble. </p>
<p>But reading what you guys have posted, you make it sound like that I’m just burned out at the moment. Also, a lot of you say engineering school =/= engineering work, which makes me think that I should at least do one internship in the field before calling it quits. I was a research assistant for a bit but I hated it and made me realize I don’t want to go into academia. Maybe the professional side of engineering is better for me?</p>
<p>Which of these civil engineering fields would have the best job prospects right now? I’m equally open to all of them.
-Environmental
-Structural
-Geotechnical
-Transportation
-Water Resources</p>
<p>Regarding IT, looking over what GLOBALTRAVELLER said, it seems that having a computer science minor would suffice to get IT qualifications. Is there anything more I should do to get into IT? Also, how prone is the IT field to outsourcing?</p>
<p>BSChE Princeton University
MBA Stanford Graduate School of Business</p>
<p>work experience in Corporate Planning of major International Energy Company (reporting only to the 10 member Management Committe of the Corporation) and in one of
top Investment Banking Firms in the country in Corporate Finance and M&A and then one of the top hedge funds. Currently an Independent Investment Banker.</p>
<p>so</p>
<p>next time to accuse someone of having zero work experience, do some research before you make a fool of yourself.</p>
<p>oops, forgot something - I am one of those that went straight from undergraduate school to business school. By the way, as opposed to the OP, I loved the field of Chemical Engineering and received offers to work in the filed should I have decided not to get my MBA directly after undergraduate school.</p>
<p>and, of course, STOP YOUR NONSENSE HERE - the OP completely and absolutely hates engineering, so studying for an MBA allows him to review and test dozens of other areas that he could pursue in a small period of time (2 years), something that would be very very limited if he takes an engineering job directly from undergraduate school AS YOU ARE STRONGLY SUGGESTING.</p>
<p>I love it when people post all these wonderful credentials that we are supposed to just sit here and believe. Not trying to say that he is a complete liar. </p>
<p>The OP looks like he has put himself in an unfavorable situation. He hates his major. He has no motivation other than money, and he really only has one option other than sucking it up and going into the field he so deeply despises. It seems to me that there is no real clear cut answer here. If money is your issue, either of these options should suffice so there is no wrong answer here based on the one piece of criteria you gave us. Doesn’t seem to me like anyone’s opinions need to be imposed upon him/her here.</p>
True there’s no way of verifying, but nobody would be able to maintain that lie through 2369 posts consistently. There’s no reason to doubt the credentials.</p>
<p>And I am not saying that I am doubting them at all. I’m just saying that you have to look at all these post knowing that it is coming from an unknown source. So to me, the credentials, as great as they are, don’t mean near as much unless there is factual proof to back it up (which there isn’t and will never be).</p>
<p>there we go another attack from the incoming freshman at Texas A&M.</p>
<p>Do you want to take more time debating the comparison of the Texas A&M Chemical Engineering Department with that of Princeton’s as we did a while back?</p>
<p>Oops, forgot, you weren’t involve much in that debate, you only hurled personal insults as you are doing now.</p>
<p>Ok, I never attacked you. I seriously never did. I am just trying to point out that all this stuff about posting credentials is something you have to look at from a certain point of view. No attacks coming from me. Take it easy man.</p>
<p>people will find that if you are going to post much in a message board, the best thing to do is write the truth, otherwise it is going to catch up to you.</p>
<p>I stand by each and every one of my posts that I have ever written on this message board.</p>
<p>Somehow, however, I see that CC is now limiting the number of past messages that can be reviewed to 200, unless I pressed the wrong button.</p>
<p>aggie, I was viciously attacked and challenge to my creditials by ME76.</p>
<p>since my background is EXACTLY the type of background that can make comments to the OP in terms of what he should do, it is important to show it, particularly when a dunce like ME76 began with the insults that I have no work experience.</p>
<p>now regarding your insults, they were made when I was debating the quality of Princeton’s Engineering departments with the Harvey Mudd, Texas A&M, Illinois, Georgia Tech boys…you might remember a few months ago.</p>