I’m finishing up my degree in CS and I am starting to think about what job to do after school. I looked at the list of best jobs for CS majors and program developer was up there so now I m wondering what programs developers do? What kind of tasks are they expected to do? What companies do they work for?
Now that school is finishing up I wanted some advice on where I should start looking for work.
There should be many jobs available to you. Make sure your school’s career department (or whatever it’s called) knows that you are job-seeking so they can inform you of listings they receive. Also make sure you have a profile on LinkedIn that highlights your skills and any experience (internships, interests, side projects, etc. you may have). Employers offering entry-level positions in programming (software development) range from well-known companies like Twitter, Google, or Facebook to unknown start-up companies bringing a new application to market. Look everywhere (Indeed, Monster, Stack Overflow, etc.) and talk to your school’s career services center. Be persistent, and you will find something.
Twitter is layoff people. I wouldn’t apply there.
There are no “best jobs.” It’s a matter of finding a job that aligns with your interests. I liked doing 3D graphics and computer simulations, so any jobs where I got to do those were the best jobs for me.
View your first job as an apprenticeship and don’t expect too much out of it. If after a couple of years you’re bored, go elsewhere. Eventually. you’ll get a sense of the type of work you like to do.
In other threads you started you asked for help in application essays for Cornell and Columbia, and here you are about to finish your CS degree?
@4thfloor If you look at the OP’s threads more closely, you’ll see that they were applying as a transfer.
Program and software development is pretty much what it sounds like. You write code and design programs. Jobs for this are everywhere: private companies, defense contractors, start-ups, government agencies, etc.
Do you have a minor or a concentration? Many CS majors have concentrations in things like security or networking. There are an enormous amount of opportunities with a CS major beyond the developer role.
However, if you are looking at a developer role, you can do simple job searches and easily find openings. I’d recommend you work with your career counseling office and take advantage of their resume help as well as getting help with mock interviews.
For IT jobs, employers look at whether you have the right skills (Coursework, internships/co-ops, related job experience (help desk etc)) and if you have the appropriate soft skills since software development is a team effort.
Best of luck to you!