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What are Computer Science Careers?
In Computer Science careers, you are learning about science of using computers to solve problems. This involves the designing of software (computer programs) and addressing basic scientific questions about the nature of computation. It will also involve many aspects of hardware and designing the large computer systems that form the infrastructure of commercial and government enterprises. Careers In Computer science will also have computer scientists. These scientists work in many different ways from your standard pen-and-paper academic work to programming work at the computer and collaborative teamwork. The final result in doing this extensive research is to solve problems.
What Computer Science is not. . . .Computer Science careers does not involve frequent use of software, such as spreadsheets (Excel), word processors (Word) or image tools (Photoshop). Many software packages are complicated to master (such as Photoshop or Excel) and it is true that many Careers in Computer Science depend on expertise in using such tools. However, computer science is not about using the tools and not about your expertise in computer games, writing content in websites, and the assembling of computers.
Information Technology vs. Computer ScienceWhile computer science careers have become a somewhat exact term as a field of study (like geology) while information technology (IT) is a somewhat more vague term. To most people, the term IT means “anything to do with computer.” Many business uses of this term refer specifically to their network and database administrators. An IT job could mean a sales job in a computer company, or a business manager overseeing the installation of software, or it could mean a network technician who installs fiber-optic cable. However, careers in computer science generally indicate a person with computer science training.
Other Question about Careers in Computer ScienceWhat is software?
What is programming? Programming is the intellectual endeavor of creating individual software programs. Part of it involves thinking (design, analysis), part of it involves coding (translating a design into instructions via a programming language such as Java or C++) and part of it involves testing (subjecting software to a battery of tests to make sure it works). Programming has been likened to mathematics (analytic thinking) to writing (artfully telling a story), to engineering (building larger software out of smaller software units) and to art (exercising creativity). The part of programming that is most easily identified in Hollywood depictions is coding, the process of typing instructions in a programming language (such as Java or C++); this involves the stereotypical hunching over a monitor, pounding at the keyboard and watching the software execute. Are Computer Science Careers mostly programming? Not in the least! In the beginning, it may seem that it is all about programming because it is the skill whose teaching we start with. However, most undergraduate curricula dedicate 3 to 4 courses exclusively to programming, leaving 10-15 other computer science courses.
What kinds of careers are open with a degree in Computer Science?Many people believe that a computer science career is all about programming. While it is true that most entry-level jobs after a Bachelor's degree involve programming, most people in this field eventually graduate to other responsibilities such as design, coordination, testing, planning and management. With advanced coursework and a Master's degree, you can work in an area of specialization that uses your advanced coursework. So if you want to work for a place such as Disney, you will be required to at least have 2 or 3 courses in computer graphics.
If becoming a Career in Computer Science isn't a good fit for you, you may want to consider one of these other Technology Careers . . .Other Information Technology Careers
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