On Thu, Oct 06, 2005 at 10:51:52AM -0700, nick velez wrote:
> Hello All,
> I seek your opinions.
>
> I come from a poor background. Growing up, I enjoyed learning as much as
> possible about everything. I would spend much of my time at the local
> public library as this was the only source of free education available to
> me outside of the public school system. It was there
> that I developed a love for technology, especially computers and
> programming.
>
> I am now a young man preparing for college. I want to factor in my love
> for technology and also ensure that the past never repeats itself so that
> my kids never have to go through what I went through growing up in a poor
> household. I want to give them more than I could
> ever have hoped for when I was growing up. I have two options that I am
> considering which can fulfill both these factors. These are as follows:
>
> Option#1: I can pursue a career in software engineering by obtaining a
> Computer Science degree. It is my understanding that this is a financially
> lucrative career option. But I ask myself: is this a stable career venue
> in today's job market? Am I correct in my
> financial analysis of this career option?
>
> Option#2: I can run my own technology-based business. But then, what
> degree would best compliment my hard work and determination? I can get a
> Computer Science degree and develop my business administration skills as I
> go along. Or, I can obtain a Business Administration degree and hire
> people with CS degrees to develop the company's
> technology.
>
> I am not seeking advice, but rather am interested in hearing your opinions
> on what you would do given these circumstances. What would you do and why?
> Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
>
<opinions type=random>
I think one of the biggest reasons for the "soft" computer job market
right now is that there were way too many kids a few years back who saw
dollar signs and got degrees, thinking there would be no end to the boom
in computers.
It looks like you're going to have to balance your personal desires with
your intention to avoid poverty for your kids. A tough choice.
I wouldn't give $50 for a business degree. A lot of HR departments put
an MBA down as a requirement, like it means something. But I'd take a
guy who's actually been in business all day over someone with an MBA.
Which is to say, if you just want to do well in business, skip the
business degree and pay attention in the companies you work for. Most of
the things you have to do in business are either easy to figure out, or
aren't taught in business school, or are taught wrong. OTOH, if you want
to work for a big company, and want a better "in" than the other guys
out there, get a business degree. Just remember, that business degree is
mostly just window dressing to impress HR departments.
As for a CS degree, I can't say with any authority. Everything I know
I've learn from books or actually doing it. I never took a single course
in computers. There are a couple of advantages to a CS degree, from
looking at people who have them: 1) they have encountered a broader
range of problems to solve in school than I've encountered in the real
world. 2) solutions to some problems may come more readily to them,
since they had to study all kinds of esoterica in school. Assuming equal
native talent and experience, I'd hire a guy with a CS degree over
someone who didn't have one, for that kind of work. But experience
weighs more heavily in my view.
Running your own technology-based company is ambitious. Working for
yourself can be scary as hell, and perhaps even more so for a
technology-based business. Most people haven't the guts, and even the
ones who do often fail. If you can pull it off, though, it's definitely
worth it not to have to deal with bosses and stupid company rules. OTOH,
if you run your own business, you get to deal with stupid customers and
inept vendors.
If you're going to run your own tech company, don't worry about a
business degree. It may look good if you want to present a business plan
to get financing. But by the time you get to that point, you're should
have a track record of success already, which should offset the lack of
business degree. Instead, get the CS degree. That way, you can look over
the shoulders of your employees. It also will make you more aware of
what's possible and impossible in your business, technologically. In
addition, that degree will go part of the way in earning you the respect
of your employees.
For success in business, _pay attention_. Business is almost entirely
common sense. Read about the guys who have succeeded in business, and
only listen to about half of what they say. And never follow any advice
or wisdom that conflicts with your common sense. And be honest. With
your customers, your vendors, and everyone else. Deliver a quality
product for a reasonable price (a little of that common sense).
Despite what I've said here, you can still get a good job in the
computer field. It depends on how good you are, how industrious you are,
how presentable you are, and how hungry you are. There's a lot to be
said for just being hungry. Persistence breaks through a lot of doors
that otherwise would be closed.
What would I do? I'd probably go with what you're interested in. I'd
work my butt off in school and get the CS degree. Meantime, I'd try to
find a way to get real world experience in the computer field. Of course
that's not what I actually did. I never had the patience with all the
goofy crap I had to learn and put up with in school. I could learn
anything I wanted to know by visiting the library, and learn it faster
than it would have taken me in school, with far less BS. But that's just
me.
OTOH, you could just go for a degree in history. ;-}
</opinions>
Paul
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