Is it really that hard finding a job in computer science?

I'm currently a Freshman computer science / math major.


Am I going to face lots of boiled competition finding a decent job after I graduate?

Is it really that hard finding a job in computer science?
I graduated in 2005 with a BS in Business Admin and an emphasis in Computer Information Systems. (Yes... you can laugh now at my lack of math skills!) Let me tell you about my experience finding a job first.





6 months before I graduated I started my own business doing independent contracting work on the side. I already had a full-time job plus school full time but I knew I needed "real life" experience so I bit the bullet and did it. I wanted to do database work so I used Guru.com and other sites to find work. Most of what I ended up doing was web site development, but I stayed away from strictly design stuff and got into doing programming with PHP etc.





Using that as leverage it still took me about a year out of school to find a job in tech. Part of my problem was that I was a non-traditional student so it was a career switch for me. I took a good-sized pay cut ($8,000 / year) to get my first tech job... predictably doing web programming!





I did not stop looking for a job though and I begged for opportunities to actually "program" at my first job... six months later I landed the job I currently have programming primarily in C# but also some Delphi mixed in with it.





My advice is two-fold: 1st, don't wait til you get out to start programming. Find something... non-profit, club, independent contracting... whatever to get your hands on some code. 2nd, don't stop looking for an opportunity... and it is just that... an opportunity. Once you get that opportunity work like crazy to prove yourself and good things will happen.





Now... one last thing... in some ways I wish I would have gone for Computer Science instead of Computer Information Systems. I find that CS guys have a better technical understanding of some of the more esoteric points of programming. On the flip side however, my business background has been very helpful so don't get so "heads down" in the code that you forget why you are writing the code. Proving to your future employers that you can understand the problem domain is likely to be an important part of your interviewing process. But at the same time... if you are a CS guy... promote that to your potential employers. Takes some brains to get a CS degree and brains are an asset every manager wants on his team.





Hope this helps!
Reply:You will have a hard time getting a job in the U.S. that makes it worth the educational investment unless you have connections. You would be better off playing the stock market instead of a professional job in the U.S. Just think how much cheaper it is in India or China to live. Why would even one company hire someone in the U.S. where the work does not need to be here.





I received my BSCS degree in 2000 and getting a job is impossible if you want to get paid what Indians and Chinese Computer Scientist get in buying power.





Jobs are always available, but can you afford to take it. You can do freelance and 1.20 per hour all day long and sleep on the street. That is not much of a job since McDonalds pays better. Just go to a freelance job bid site and you will see that programming and design have little value in the U.S.





Good info on what is really going on: http://www.programmersguild.org/





Pretend developers are doing pretty well right now. They are called "Evangelist Developers" like Joshua Bloch and such. Usually they write books and give presentations. Although, it's mainly a fame game.





So do what you love, but first make money so you can do CS if that is what you really want.
Reply:According to statistics I've seen, no. Computer-related jobs are in huge demand these days, because the majority of the population is not computer-literate enough for certain jobs like programming (without college training, that is). So, if you get a AS or BS in comp sci, you should be good.





Btw, I'm a freshman comp sci major myself. So, I'll be joining you in that workforce in a few years. :)

pollen