<p>Hi all, </p>
<p>I am currently a senior undergraduate graduating this semester with my BS in Computer Engineering. I was just offered a very good entry level IT job at a Fortune 500 company in the Financial services industry. The starting salary is far beyond what I would expect as a undergraduate engineer with only a couple of internships under my belt. The company is fantastic so it sounds like a great idea, right? Well then why am I so hesitant....should I even be hesitant because seems like a very good opportunity.<br>
I just had a couple of questions:</p>
<p>Is starting in IT, starting off on the wrong foot? (Should I look for a specific engineering job)
Would this set me back? (great experience though)
What are the main differences between Computer Engineering and IT?
I eventually wanted to get my MBA and this industry falls right in line with the environment.</p>
<p>Can someone help me out?</p>
<p>Thanks everyone</p>
<p>I.T. is going to focus around the transmission, storage and retrieval of data. In actual coursework terms: database systems, operating systems and computer networks. The computer networks handle the transmission (sometimes encryption) of the data. The database handles the storage and retrieval of the data. Both networks and databases have to run over an operating system.</p>
<p>Now as far a computer engineering, probably the network area will be the area closest to using your computer engineering degree because you may be involved in signal processing and/or the design and development of the network components.</p>
<p>Now I don’t know about the make up of most CompE jobs but most software jobs for CS majors are in I.T.</p>
<p>For what it is worth, I have been in I.T. for 20 years and have always been employed and the money has always been very good considering that I do not do open-heart surgery, prosecute criminal cases nor have to go through the stress of wall street.</p>
<p>@globaltraveler</p>
<p>You do make a very good point and that is pleasing to hear. I guess my thoughts were based off of what I heard around my classmates and what I read on the internet. Whenever IT is mentioned around campus it seems like its laughed at around here, but I never understood why.</p>
<p>I actually had an additional question for you. With your experience out in the work force it seems like it would be beneficial to ask.</p>
<p>Say this position doesn’t work out and I am looking for work in 2-3 years. If I am looking for an engineering position, this experience cant hurt will it? Or will potential employers look at my resume and ask : “Well it seems like you have IT experience ,well do you have any engineering experience?” </p>
<p>My answer here will obviously be, well I have had a couple of embedded /software engineering internships.</p>
<p>So basically I am asking if it doesn’t work out will I end up being stuck?</p>
<p>IT is a huge field with many sub categories. </p>
<p>if your job is to go around and help people get microsoft office working, or install software on people’s pcs, it is not a good job. that is a perennial support role and you probably wouldn’t “go anywhere” within the organization.</p>
<p>if your job is to write software for the company’s latest and greatest products (sometimes also called IT), then it is a good job. if you excel, you would be a very valued member of the company and probably have great promotional opportunities. </p>
<p>the goodness of a job really depends on how close you are to affecting the bottom line. if you are IT support staff in a law firm, you are obviously not going to move up there. if you are a front-line IT consultant at accenture you have a bright future because you could eventually gain a reputation with clients and whatnot and become a team manager.</p>
<p>get it?</p>