Graduated with a computer science degree, what now?

[wyvrn]

Originally posted by: Ameesh

Originally posted by: Jzero
I work in IT. When are CS snobs going to realize there is more to CS than just writing code?

like what, setting up software on somebodys laptop or maybe you aspire to be tier 2 tech support?

I've been working for a few years now as a developer and after putting some time in the trenches i am getting more reposnsibilities with regrds to the business side as well as the architecture side of the business. If you want to work at a software company but don't want to code forever you need to spend some time doing it. It gives you a very full foundation to build upon when you go and become a manager or an architect. Coding is not the end of CS its the beggining. I'm only 25 and i've worked on both the business side and the technical side of 40 million dollar contracts. I seriously doubt a majority of you CS flunkies out there (aka IS/IT/MIS/etc.) will ever have a pivitoal role in any major project at your company if you work in the technology field.

and trust me, I don't know any Developer who aspires to write code for 30 years in a cubicle, the ones that i do know who have been writing code for 10+ years are soo wealthy they could quit today if they felt like it, but they like what they do, and they like to drive the products they are in charge of into the direction they want to take them.

The Director of IT at one of the companies (large) I worked for was MIS/MBA. He had certs and did the IT support trenches work for quite a few years. They promoted him because he knew what he was doing. He never coded anything.

 

[wyvrn]

Originally posted by: rh71
For every "CS flunkie" MIS graduate out there who can't design a database or write SQL, there are those who can and work hard at it. There are those who know exactly what they are doing. There are those who intended not to do a CS degree simply because they do not like writing code 5 years their junior, but rather get a grasp of the entire business cycle and still integrate their IT knowledge/enthusiasm. I've done better than $40 million dollar contracts. That means nothing. I look at "MIS" and see it as a way to touch on all things you speak about, just starting from the other end and not having to reach as far as code. Frankly, I'm one of those who detest coding anything more than small web apps. Java or C interests me as much as politics or religion does. No thanks.

Saying MIS is synonymous with 2nd level tech support is likely equal to my statement about CS people doing nothing but coding for 30-40 years. There's tons of exceptions. I'll admit that.

Whatever the case, I don't think there's any place for CS people to belittle the MIS major as CS failures. The interest simply isn't the same in every case. Saying that would be ignorance. And I'm not even an MIS major.

I am an MIS major. I have straight A's throughout college, including my math and coding classes. I actually like designing algorithms and implementing code, BUT, it's only one of a larger subset of things I enjoy. I wouldn't dream of doing it full time. It's just not me. But MIS people have all sorts of value to an organization. They see both the technical and business aspects. Without critical business knowledge, any IT project will be a failure. Now you can either take a CS/EE guy and teach him business, or take an MIS guy and continue to teach him additional technical and business skills. Personally, I think MIS graduates are ahead of CS grads coming out of college when it comes to a "whole business" outlook. And when you are talking 6 sigma, Total Quality Management, and Enterprise Resource Planning, business knowledge is ESSENTIAL to the success of the project. That's the whole reason for the development of MIS field in the first place!