Job Responsibilities
You would need a time machine to truly get a taste of the so-
called Dot Com era. I was a computer science graduate with a
very slight amount of web development moonlighting under my belt
and was picked up before graduation by consulting company. My
company proclaimed to specialize in ERP planning and
installation, custom development, web development, application
porting, and a few other broadly defined areas. Any particular
industries? Sure. Anything IT relate, anything manufacturing,
non-profit orgs, stodgy good ol boy companies, and, our
favorite, well-funded startups.
If you're thinking, Gosh, that sounds like just about
everything and anyone, then you are right. If you had money, we
had a way for you to spend it. Ever heard of a Positive NPV
Project? I hadn't either. The term sounded like the sort of
bureaucratic buzzword that slows down other companies and would
cheapen our hi-tech glow. Others that we discouraged clients
from considering were value and cash flow generation.
AFterall, this is IT, the new economy! Of course you can't
measure the performance of these projects against old Brick and
Mortar metrics. Just shutup, write the check, and wait for our
next excuse as to why we didn't have your project done on time.
Yeah, the Dot Com days are over, thank god. However, it is still
very difficult to pull off a project on time and on budget while
consistently meeting the client's expectations. After sticking
my big toe in the IT consulting cesspool for a couple of years,
I took a Lead Tech job at a more traditional company. There I
had responsibility for pitching web-based service ideas to
clients, producing mockups that they could relate to, and
ultimately planning development, managing contractors, and
meeting with clients to ensure that the person writing the check
got what they expected.
I like to think of a software developer??s job as being the tool
that allows someone with no earthly idea of what it takes to
create a business solution to create a business solution; one
that considers users first and satisfies requirements to the
end. Picking the right development firm means that you will have
concrete facts about usability, performance, and cost to help
you accurately justify (or shoot down) a particular software
solution. Being the right developer means that you know what you
claim to know and you are methodical. Your company and others
depend on hiring known quantities, be that and you are well
on your way to being a great developer.
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Job Requirements
Frankly, I resented having to work with people that did not have
formal training in computer science. It bothered me when I
mentioned ERD, context switching, or linked list and the person
stared at me like I grew another head out of my shoulders. I was
not an education snob, but you need to at least know the lingo
of the business you are trying to practice. Imagine the wrath a
lawyer would face in court if a judge used one of the many
cryptic legal terms and the lawyer returned a blank stare.
I am pursing an MBA currently and have taken my finger off the
pulse of IT, but I would venture to say that it is maturing much
like its engineering cousins into a field where you need one of
a few certain degrees. That said, you can get by without a
degree at all for now, but don??t be surprised if one day you hit
a glass ceiling. I would recommend first a computer science
degree, electrical engineers and computer engineers are
practically equally qualified for development roles, with MIS
and CIS graduates shoring up the end of uniquely qualified
applicants.
Your career path will likely take you into the business side of
the business within 3-5 years. This may mean project management,
sales, or somewhere else entirely. Personally, I didn??t like
working for other people. Call me arrogant, but I can do better
than any project manager I have worked for and I intend to put
myself in a position to prove it. By the way, I highly recommend
the MBA track, but only after a few years in the business. It
helps open up doors to the rest of the business and can be the
centerpiece of your exit strategy from the software business if
necessary.
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Uppers
I changed from engineering to computer science because I couldn??t take the
only-one-right-way mentality. Plus, engineering is meticulous and there is zero
room for error. This is fine for some and I am grateful every time I drive across
a bridge and it doesn??t crumble beneath me, but it engineering was not for me.
I found in computer science the freedom to use mistakes as a learning tool, to
possibly create new ways of doing things, and to receive instant recognition of
my efforts. There were no regulatory codes in place for building an application
correctly as there is for a bridge or aircraft engine component. (Maybe there
should be!)
As a highly skilled technical worker, you can easily develop an idea into a
business or leverage your skills as a consultant. Other professions can do this,
of course, but IT people that possess any kind of people skills can go far. IT
problems are ubiquitous and quality help is not.
Lastly, formal computer science/engineering lays the educational foundation for
other interesting careers. Add an MBA and become a CIO, CTO, or a valuation
analyst in hi-tech. Add a law degree and become an IP attorney, something that
requires a science or engineering undergrad.
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Downers
I have one major gripe about the industry and I??ve already
alluded to it previously:
The projects are seemingly always mismanaged. This is probably
because of the newness of evaluating and implementing such
projects, but it??s a nightmare sometimes. If you like
perfection, if you like to see things done right, you will be
constantly irritated by the great ideas that get abandoned and
client expectations that go unmet.
Another concern, not so much a gripe, is that there is a
tremendous amount of outsourcing occurring these days. The
profession is being commoditized and salaries are suffering. You
can??t blame free market economics, but you don??t have to like
the effects!
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Lifestyle
Social events ?? I had a great time. Thank you to all the well-funded startups
that paid for our weekly company parties, the dart boards, the bagels and donuts
every morning! Thanks to each and every one!
How is social time now? I??m not sure. The company I worked for later was a human
services company and we had Christmas parties and the usual.
Diversity/Culture ?? You??ll be working with a lot of (other?) Indians and Asians.
If you are a computer science student then you know this already. People from
different cultures operate differently, you??ll figure it out. To put it short, I
had a lot of fun.
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Compensation
1999: I was in the south where salaries are a bit depressed, but
I started at $50k with 15% bonus and left two years later with
$60 and 20% bonus. Total compensation was usually around $70k
and I was happy with that.
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Advice to Jobseekers
Get the right kind of education and make sure this is something
you literally hop out of bed in the morning and are excited to
do. Most developers are introverted (understatement of the year)
and don't assume leadership willingly; if they do then they are
heavy handed about it. Learn how to communicate, cope, and
motivate.
Good luck.
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