How to get my foot in the right door?
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I've known how to program for a while but I went to college to get something official on paper. I'm going to be graduating in spring of next year and I am wondering what is the best way to get in the computer fields I am interested in. What I am interested in: -Artificial intelligence -Scientific stuff (simulations, ect...) -Embedded programming (specifically controllers for equipment/devices and to a lesser extent other embedded programming) -Other graphics related stuff (CAD/CAM, games ect...) What I am not interested in: -Business programming (keeping business records, accounting ect...) Other areas like web programming depend on how related the are to the stuff I've mentioned already. Anyways I've been looking at the jobs on craigslist and it seems like the ones that sound the least desireable are the most common and when I do see an interesting job they often have requirements like 5+ years experience. My question is for those of you that are in the fields I like. I was wondering how you got your foot in the door and what is the best way to get into those fields? Am I likely to find any entry level jobs in those areas or am I just going to have to bite the bullet and take one of the others till I get some job of experience. Forgot to ask what languages do you recomend learning? I know C/C++, vb.net and have done some assembly. thanks, Mike
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I've known how to program for a while but I went to college to get something official on paper. I'm going to be graduating in spring of next year and I am wondering what is the best way to get in the computer fields I am interested in. What I am interested in: -Artificial intelligence -Scientific stuff (simulations, ect...) -Embedded programming (specifically controllers for equipment/devices and to a lesser extent other embedded programming) -Other graphics related stuff (CAD/CAM, games ect...) What I am not interested in: -Business programming (keeping business records, accounting ect...) Other areas like web programming depend on how related the are to the stuff I've mentioned already. Anyways I've been looking at the jobs on craigslist and it seems like the ones that sound the least desireable are the most common and when I do see an interesting job they often have requirements like 5+ years experience. My question is for those of you that are in the fields I like. I was wondering how you got your foot in the door and what is the best way to get into those fields? Am I likely to find any entry level jobs in those areas or am I just going to have to bite the bullet and take one of the others till I get some job of experience. Forgot to ask what languages do you recomend learning? I know C/C++, vb.net and have done some assembly. thanks, Mike
Im not sure at about the right job sort of thing, but if you are doing stuff for Embedded programming then learning assembly and C/C++ would be a place to start :)
Lloyd J. Atkinson "Logic will get you from A to B, but imagination will take you everywhere" - ALbert Einstein I look at Microsoft, and turn to my poster on the wall saying: "Bang head here in case of stress".
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I've known how to program for a while but I went to college to get something official on paper. I'm going to be graduating in spring of next year and I am wondering what is the best way to get in the computer fields I am interested in. What I am interested in: -Artificial intelligence -Scientific stuff (simulations, ect...) -Embedded programming (specifically controllers for equipment/devices and to a lesser extent other embedded programming) -Other graphics related stuff (CAD/CAM, games ect...) What I am not interested in: -Business programming (keeping business records, accounting ect...) Other areas like web programming depend on how related the are to the stuff I've mentioned already. Anyways I've been looking at the jobs on craigslist and it seems like the ones that sound the least desireable are the most common and when I do see an interesting job they often have requirements like 5+ years experience. My question is for those of you that are in the fields I like. I was wondering how you got your foot in the door and what is the best way to get into those fields? Am I likely to find any entry level jobs in those areas or am I just going to have to bite the bullet and take one of the others till I get some job of experience. Forgot to ask what languages do you recomend learning? I know C/C++, vb.net and have done some assembly. thanks, Mike
Getting your foot it the door is tricky. Experience is key. There are graduate programs around where companies take on fresh graduates for a year, then off the best permanent jobs. Start looking now as these often fill up early. Go to the careers fairs at your college. If you can't find something that way, the more experience you can show the better. Consider joining open source projects and contributing code to them (or start your own open source project). This can go on your CV. I used to think like you, but I realised that it's actually programming I enjoy, not specifically what I'm writing. I'm now writing software for a manufacturing company to schedule jobs, track production, produce reports - General business stuff really, but I really enjoy it. Yeah, ok, I don't get to write any cutting edge AI, or graphics, but it's still fun. I play with AI ideas in my spare time at home. If you a really dead set on finding something cutting edge, maybe consider doing masters/phd courses. (Do courses like this for the enjoyment of the course though, don't expect them to further your career too much, for a career, experience is more important that high level qualifications)
MikeMarq wrote:
Forgot to ask what languages do you recomend learning? I know C/C++, vb.net and have done some assembly
Forget VB it's only used for business apps (culture[^]). For the areas you are interested in stick to C++ (or consider transferring your vb.net knowledge to c#, they are close enough that you won't have much difficulty, particularly as you have C++ knowledge anyway). C++ and Assembly are probably more relevant in embedded stuff and high intensity graphics (cad/cam/games).
Simon