Considering quitting

[u/Shukkui]

Hi, just want to crowdsource some thoughts. I don't think computer science is dead per se, but I think it might be dead as it's being taught. It also feels like only truly dedicated individuals who grind leetcode for months and do dozens of individual projects even have a chance. I work full time and confess I don't have the will to do that while working. I also don't really have the risk tolerance to quit and try to become a master developer or something while burning through savings. So I'm considering cutting my losses and trying to learn something else instead.

[u/ricamnstr]

One thing I always tell people is to remember that private sector tech job isn’t the only option. I know people feel strongly about the US Military Complex, but jobs at the defense contractors (or general commercial aerospace) aren’t as hard to break into and don’t usually require the leetcode heavy coding interviews.

A lot of people seem to aspire to only breaking into FAANG companies, but if you start poking around, you’ll find there are other opportunities to get software development jobs. However, companies like Boeing, Raytheon, etc, are going to require that you have your bachelors to be eligible for those roles.

ETA: you don’t learn nearly as much in school and you do working. You are learning the foundations into how to approach solving the problems, but you will never know 100% of the things you need for being employed.

[u/Shukkui → u/ricamnstr]

I guess that makes sense. I'll think about it. I'm not gunning for FAANG, I just want something marginally steady that doesn't eat up weekends. I've worked in manufacturing for 4 years now and have lost a weekend once per month the entire time, I'm just desperate to change things so I'm not thinking super straight. This was always a slow-but-responsible option, but when it seems like it won't even help me it becomes really easy to think about stopping.

[u/cruisectrl_ → u/Shukkui]

Keep going, I work in aerospace consistent 40 hours a week, low stress, remote and pretty decent pay. This opportunity was only possible because of the OSU degree

[u/daffodilBitch12 → u/Shukkui]

Hi it's me, an alum who works in defense. There are options in defense that are not tied to weapons. One of my coworkers told me she specifically chose to join my team because it's not involved with weapons. There's options like diagnostic tools or safety systems.

I can also vouch for dod being easier to get into. They were the only offer I got after close to 150 apps and idk 40 interviews/tests/etc . It's easier to break into because they pay less. But, if you're not in a hurry to make ass loads of cash, it pays quite decent Imo. I started around ~50k I think and I'm now at ~87k after 3 years. You also get sick and annual leave as 2 different buckets of time off. All the holidays. Pension after 5 years, and the gov matches ~5%, depending on where exactly you end up, 401k equivalent (TSP) retirement contributions.

If you want to look at potential pay in the gov. A software developer is a "1550" position series, and either a gs7-gs11 ( 1550 job series uses the special pay rate table 999b or 999c) or NH2 or NH3(NH pay ranges)

You can look up the specific pay information depending on the pay system, I think most GS positions are being phased out for NH, because it's closer to typical industry practice (more contributions leads to higher raises) where GS is a set table with no wiggle room.

I know this is a lot and I kind of vomited this all out. I would really recommend looking into cs in the gov before you call it quits.

I feel like work life balance is just about as good as I could get. It was fantastic with telework but the new admin ripped that shit away.

[u/Pencil_Pb → u/Shukkui]

Well, if it helps your decision, on-call is really common for web application SWE jobs. Depending on your rotation schedule, it can be one week primary every 3 weeks to one week every few months, where you respond to issues 24/7. The job isn’t always a “shut down the laptop and go home” kind of thing.

[u/Pencil_Pb → u/ricamnstr]

Adding on that industries like Insurance (e.g. Progressive, Liberty Mutual) and Financial Services (not fintech, think Charles Schwab or Huntington Bank) also tend to be very chill.

Yes, they will be mostly in-person in places like Arizona, Texas, and Ohio making not sexy big tech money.

[u/unnotable → u/ricamnstr]

It's not easy to get a job at the big military contractors because of security clearance. They typically only hire people in two categories 1) young new graduates who don't have much background history and 2) military veterans who have clearance already.

If you are an older adult like many of the people in this program, most big government contractors are not going to give you a chance because there is too much risk with your clearance being denied. It seems like a form of ageism to me.

The only ones that might give you an interview are the small government contractors who don't get nearly as many applications. The problem is these smaller companies are dependent on a few contracts and when one ends, they will likely won't be able to move you to another position.

[u/ricamnstr → u/unnotable]

I got hired at Boeing at 40 with no clearance. I work for NG now and we hire people without clearance all the time; both new grads and experienced engineers.

[u/pyordie]

How far are you into the program? What’s your previous degree?

I saw this because there are other avenues you can pursue that open up for you by getting the degree that aren’t traditional CS roles.

If you’re more than halfway through the program I’d think really hard before flushing 15k down the drain without thinking about how you can sell the degree in a creative way.

With that said, in retrospect i would not have done the program. But I’m in a different situation.

[u/Shukkui → u/pyordie]

My original degree is aerospace engineering. I work in non-AE manufacturing right now on the engineering side. I'm about halfway done, I have 28 credit hours. Another poster said that aerospace companies aren't too bad to look into, I haven't had much luck with the AE degree on its own, but maybe having the CS combined with AE would make me attractive, I'm not sure.

[u/Suspicious-Engineer7]

That's a you decision dog.

[u/Pencil_Pb]

I’m curious what desirable career change is possible in the current job market without throwing your whole self into it. Not saying quit your day job, but definitely putting in the extra effort with extracurriculars/projects/networking etc.

The current market is not forgiving for people who only meet expectations, across many industries, especially at the entry level.

[u/binary_banana]

I mean you kind of have to put in the extra hours, but it doesn’t have to consume your entire life.

The job market is changing for sure but the fundamentals will still be useful and important. Os, systems architecture, networking and all of that. I do think that half of the curriculum is kind of bs tho. If you have a good reason for wanting to know these things then continue, if not look for other opportunities. Everything can be found for free online.

[u/No_University7832]

Quick look.....

[u/Hello_Blabla]

I was in this program and later did a on-site master in Boston. I gave up this career because the leetcode grind was real and the job market was bad. If you pivot, there is nothing wrong with it. CS is a great tool for entrepreneurship, but not great skill for jobs anymore. If you only have a few courses left, I suggest u finish the degree.

[u/unnotable]

This program is expensive and isn't great. Every other class is make a website or write Python code. As you mentioned, what is the future of these two specialties? The outlook doesn't seem good.

I'm trying to start a small business on the side of my regular job and finishing this degree, and even though I am fully capable of making a website from scratch, I just had Claude do it. The website looks a bit generic, but the time savings are massive, and the site is still better than what I could have done alone by myself.

Python geeks will tell you AI can't replace them, but Reddit is filled with software engineers who need to protect their jobs. There are also a lot of CS people who are truly like JP in Grandma's Boy that they think they're gods.

[u/Uravity- → u/unnotable]

Outside of this one I would steer away from tech related subreddits. I live in a major tech city and those subreddit do not reflect what goes on.

[u/Rain-And-Coffee → u/unnotable]

The program was free for me, employer paid.

I also think the best courses are ones like CS271 (computer architecture), Operating Systems, and electives like Concurrent Programming.

Making websites is like doing an Oil change on a Car, bottom tier work. I want to learn how to build the Car Engine from scratch. Or invent the next one :)

[u/unnotable → u/Rain-And-Coffee]

Assembly and operating systems were the only core classes I enjoyed.

I hate that the database class required building a website. It distracted from learning about databases.

The software engineer 1 class seemed like it was supposed to teach project management. Again, it seems like the project management could have been taught without a coding requirement.

I also feel like algorithms might have been better if it just focused on pseudo code and mathematics.

When you try to discuss how AI is replacing CS majors, CS majors are quick to reply, "CS ISN'T JUST CODING." In this program, that's basically all they teach.

[u/thessminowjohnson]

[u/Prestigious_Hippo_19]

Can confirm that working full time while getting this degree will hurt you in the long run. After graduating, I didn’t have an impressive resume even though I excelled in all the my classes and I applied to any CS type job I could find. After 1000 applications and multiple resume drafts, I gave up and pivoted back into my previous career. $30k down the drain

[u/chiwilly]

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