So i want to pursue Computer Engineering, but..

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>My family is telling me to get out of it. I haven't tried it yet, as i am barely an entering freshman of UC San Diego as a Computer Engineer major. Well my family just thinks its a bad idea to go computer engineering or any engineering major for that matter because they keep telling me "ohh engineers get layed off, 1-2 years no work!" OR they would tell me that their friends keep telling them that they know engineers who are laid off and that it's hard to find a job..-_- So this concerns me.</p>

<p>As to what extent is this quotation of "ohh engineers get layed off, 1-2 years no work!" true? Even if i like engineering, i'm not sure that i'd like the likeliness of getting laidoff or job outsourcing.</p>

2

<p>The best thing about engineering is career security</p>

<p>The worst thing about engineering is job stability (or lack there of)</p>

<p>There are very few engineers who have worked for the same company their whole life. I've met a few who have, and I think the lack of variety makes an engineer stale, and more of a businessman. </p>

<p>Besides, engineers are dynamic, meaning they relish in change; implementing, improving, instigating changes... that's what we are and that is what we should strive to do. </p>

<p>Additionally, the ultimate goal of an engineer is to make themselves obsolete. If everything ran right, worked right, went off without a hitch you wouldn't need the engineer; the scientist could handle it.</p>

<p>Engineers ARE liabilities. When the ***** hits the fan the engineers are usually the first to go. No need to make something, improve a process, increase output or capacity, if you can't sell the product. Engineers do not necessarily make their company money, more so they save them money (but you can only save the money if it is there to be saved).</p>

<p>Regardless, and engineer is a career and not a job. You will be laid off, you will hold multiple jobs, you may even get fired despite being a good engineer. Any engineer who finds it hard to find a job in an up economy is not worth their salt.</p>

<p>So, tell your parents that it may be the case, that I will not have job security with this degree, but I will have career stability. Computer Engineers are in lots of fields, not just engineering. Couple the degree with an MBA and you are on your way to the CIOs office!</p>

3

<p>what would they rather you do?</p>

4

<p>
[quote]

The best thing about engineering is career security</p>

<p>The worst thing about engineering is job stability (or lack there of)

[/quote]

Geez...I've never heard of this before (career security vs job stability). Could you explain this to me? If possible with some example.</p>

5

<p>I think Japher is (rightfully) presenting a realistic scenario... maybe a little too realistic. But in the end he's right that an engineer should expect to have poor job stability. Needless to say, however, that many engineers do have stable jobs and have been working at the same company for more years than I'd want to. If job stability is a huge concern you can look into working for the government.</p>

6

<p>I think that a lot of us are skewing the stats just because we choose to not work for the same company for our entire careers... I've heard this about all types of engineering, and I'm not entirely convinced that most of the moving around isn't voluntary.</p>

7

<p>Your parents are wrong. Engineers have some of the lowest unemployment rates of any profession.</p>

8

<p>As someone who's known some very top people in the computer field who've been laid off (and even been laid off myself), I believe it is wise to take precautions, such as:</p>

<p>[ul]
[<em>]Minimize debt. Stay out of it, if possible.
[</em>]Be able to live for at least a year without income.
[li]Make sure people outside of your company know how good you are. Employ professional networking, blogging, participation in industry organizations, etc.[/li][/ul]</p>

<p>Five</a> things that suck about working in IT has more thoughts on the subject.</p>

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<p>ygb, those are good guidelines for everyone, engineers or no. Also should be mentioned that computer engineering is a little more stable than IT.</p>

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<p>In the article in question, IT is used as a generic term describing many types of employment in the computer field, including computer engineering.</p>

11

<p>Really? I didn't read it that way. It talked a lot about "on-call" and mentioned "working the help desk" and said that you have to train on your own dime... That's not the case, for both the programmers I know and the computer engineers I know. It briefly mentions "from developers to administrators to system integrators," and while "developers" sounds more software-programmer-ish, those are all pretty clearly IT fields.</p>

<p>Either way, it's a good idea to stay out of debt and plan for income unpredictability. Alexei Sultanov was one of the greatest pianists in the world until he suffered a stroke at the age of thirty-something about ten years ago and died several years later, penniless, leaving his wife to pay for his myriad medical bills. You really never know what's going to hit you, so it's best to be cautious.</p>

12

<p>
[quote]
"ohh engineers get layed off, 1-2 years no work!" OR they would tell me that their friends keep telling them that they know engineers who are laid off and that it's hard to find a job..-_- So this concerns me.</p>

<p>As to what extent is this quotation of "ohh engineers get layed off, 1-2 years no work!" true? Even if i like engineering, i'm not sure that i'd like the likeliness of getting laidoff or job outsourcing.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Sure, engineers get laid off and have imperfect job security. But the fact is, everybody is subject to layoffs. Everybody (except maybe for tenured professors) has imperfect job security. As vblick asked, if not engineering, then what's the alternative? If you think engineering is bad in terms of career prospects, then just think of the liberal arts majors. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Geez...I've never heard of this before (career security vs job stability). Could you explain this to me? If possible with some example.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Job security is the security of employment at the same company forever, and perhaps with the same job. Career security, on the other hand, is the ability to switch employment among different companies when you want because you have highly marketable skills. </p>

<p>An example of the former would be, well, tenured college professors. Also, members of very powerful unions (i.e the West Coast longshoremen's union). Certain employment practices in countries such as France or Japan also qualify in terms of providing what is effectively lifetime employment. </p>

<p>Career security, on the other hand, would have to do with having skills that are in great demand in a wide variety of firms, for example, cracker-jack software development skills, or strong sales ability. If you have these capabilities, you can always find a job. It may not be with the company you want, the salary you want, or the location you want, but you can always find a job. </p>

<p>Personally, I far prefer the latter. I think most of us do. After all, how many of us really want to work for the same company, and possibly even doing the same job, for the rest of our lives?</p>

13

<p>
[quote]
As someone who's known some very top people in the computer field who've been laid off (and even been laid off myself), I believe it is wise to take precautions, such as:</p>

<pre><code>* Minimize debt. Stay out of it, if possible.
* Be able to live for at least a year without income.
* Make sure people outside of your company know how good you are. Employ professional networking, blogging, participation in industry organizations, etc.
</code></pre>

<p>Five things that suck about working in IT has more thoughts on the subject.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>IT is a VERY generic field. If a computer engineer is doing basic programing for a very shady company then yes their job is at risk. If a computer engineer is doing embedded software for a large hardware company then their job is very secure. Generally the more "prestigious" jobs are pretty secure. It also depends on the company you work for. Most companies in my area do not lay off engineers, in fact, they are almost always seeking more.</p>

<p>To the OP, your parents are wrong. Computer engineering is one of the best degrees you can get. You'll have the abilities to work in many different jobs. Probably more so than any other major (except maybe EE but that's somewhat similar). The engineers that are getting laid off are not in the right company or even right position. </p>

<p>If a company lays their engineers off you probably don't want to work for them anyway. Their are so many companies out there that will treat you very well and would not dream of firing their engineers. The key is finding the right place for you.</p>

14

<p>Thanks everyone for the helpful replies. I have had a deep passion for computers for a while now, so i thought it would be awesome to major in Computer Engineering. However, i had always been surrounded by the negative notion that while engineers do have high starting salaries, their job security is questionable.
And to instead go into the health care field (Pharm, Dentistry, physician..ect) But really i dont see myself as either of these three..
However, you guys have shown me the brighter side of engineering.
Yes, i think job security is the only thing that has ever cast doubts in my mind about engineering. </p>

<p>So now i'm more likely to keep my major as Computer Engineering ( unless, of course, i find that i'm just not "engineering" material =P).</p>

15

<p>
[quote]
Really? I didn't read it that way. It talked a lot about "on-call" and mentioned "working the help desk" and said that you have to train on your own dime... That's not the case, for both the programmers I know and the computer engineers I know. It briefly mentions "from developers to administrators to system integrators," and while "developers" sounds more software-programmer-ish, those are all pretty clearly IT fields.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>This is one of those areas where individual experiences may differ quite greatly. Even some Google and Yahoo software engineers are "on-call" - they are paged or called when something goes wrong with the software they write and are expected to handle it. Some companies are good with providing training for employees; at others, it's necessary to take one's own initiative to get training (where training may involve something "sophisticated" such as learning how to develop code for a particular OS or hardware platform, as opposed to certifications).</p>

16

<p>
[quote]
IT is a VERY generic field. If a computer engineer is doing basic programing for a very shady company then yes their job is at risk.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Probably.</p>

<p>
[quote]
If a computer engineer is doing embedded software for a large hardware company then their job is very secure. Generally the more "prestigious" jobs are pretty secure.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Not necessarily. I would say that if someone has been doing embedded software for a few years, at a company where their talents are known outside of the company, they probably have career security, but not necessarily job security. This is because even at the large companies, poor market conditions can lead to job loss. Recent example: layoffs at Motorola because the iPhone and Blackberry have outperformed the Razr. Palm is another example (although it is not as large as Motorola). And I don't doubt that many of those folks got hired to work at places like Apple and RIM, but I suspect among other things, those folks' talents were known within Apple and RIM before they got there.</p>

<p>
[quote]
It also depends on the company you work for. Most companies in my area do not lay off engineers, in fact, they are almost always seeking more.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>They may not be seeking engineers in one's specialty, and it may require some time and effort to develop a new specialty, reacquire an old specialty, and/or find a position in one's specialty. Or they may be looking to hire people outside of the US (especially if they have offices outside of the US). In the meantime, the job seeker needs some money to live off of.</p>

<p>
[quote]
If a company lays their engineers off you probably don't want to work for them anyway. Their are so many companies out there that will treat you very well and would not dream of firing their engineers. The key is finding the right place for you.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Heh. Even Google lays off engineers. Lots of people still want to work there. Also, you make it sound as if layoffs are part of some evil conspiracy. Companies lay people off for all sorts of reasons. Among them, of chief concern nowadays, is a weak US economy with weaknesses spreading to other countries.</p>

17

<p>"ohh engineers get layed off, 1-2 years no work!"</p>

<p>Don't stop studying engineering for this reason.</p>

<p>If I were you, I would stay in engineering and see how you like it and if it is right for you. If you enjoy it, stick to it, otherwise you can always change later. Simply leaving because your parents know someone who got laid off is a bad reason for quitting engineering.</p>

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<p>You will always be most successful doing something you love</p>

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<p>
[quote]
And to instead go into the health care field (Pharm, Dentistry, physician..ect) But really i dont see myself as either of these three..

[/quote]
</p>

<p>To enter those fields, you usually need a bachelor's degree or at least a few years of undergrad study. While yes, it is true that you can get into pharm school with just 2 years of undergrad, and you can get into some med schools with just 3 years of undergrad, most successful applicants will have completed a bachelor's degree. For example, UCSF Pharm School only strictly requires 2 years of undergrads, but according to their FAQ, a 'large majority' of successful applicants will have bachelor's degrees.</p>

<p>Frequently</a> Asked Questions</p>

<p>Hence, if you are going to spend 2-3 years in undergrad to get into a health care profession anyway, you might as well finish the bachelor's degree to not only improve your chances of getting in, but also so that you have a backup in case you find that you don't like that health care profession. An engineering degree, if nothing else, at least offers you a solid backup career: far more so than a liberal arts degree.</p>

<p>The one caveat I would make is that if you are absolutely sure you want a health care profession, then choosing an easy liberal arts major (i.e. Leisure Studies, American Studies, General Studies, or whatever your school's 'gut' major happens to be), while still fulfilling your pre-health prereqs, will probably provide you with a higher GPA for less work and hence maximize your chances of getting admitted to a health-care professional school. But it's still a rather large risk in the sense that you may still not get into that school, and even if you do, you may find out that you don't like it and hence are stuck with what is a bachelor's degree that is not very marketable.</p>

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<p>That's funny. Its the opposite of what I have heard all the years from my parents, and my parents are engineers.</p>

<p>I live in the southern US, mom is a chemical engineer, dad is a mechanical engineer, and there is such a shortage here that it is not uncommon for starting salaries to go up 6-8% in any given year...even now while the economy is soft, engineering graduates are snapped up like hot cakes.</p>