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All I see is people talking about CS degrees and almost no mention of Software Engineering degrees, which is what I'm getting. My college offers CS as well but I shouldn't have any trouble landing a job with a sweng degree right? I feel like I'm pretty qualified. fwiw the school is Penn State
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Mar 17, 2011 00:51
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Otto Skorzeny posted:How does the Sw. Eng. degree at Penn State differ from the CS degree? There are folks out there wary of sweng degrees because at some places they take time away from necessary foundational coursework and rigor in general to focus on essentially religious issues like methodologies and OO dogma or whatever, but that might not be the case in the land of Joe Pa. We have almost all of the same computer-based foundational courses and I think the sweng guys are expected to take more physics and a few intro business/econ classes while the cs guys just go crazy on math. Upper level stuff seems to be either broad project design and architecture theory, nitty-gritty QNX C programming or software testing, while the CS guys get into more hardcore databasing and web-dev technology, which we only touch on. We're also expected to know the basics of circuit design and architecture although I doubt I'll ever use any of that once I'm in the Real World. We're also both expected to be proficient at algorithms analysis and data-structures. Sorry if that's jumbled up, there's a ton of overlap between the two of us. I guess the tl;dr is swengs put more emphasis on project design and the process of making a full-fledged program with a team with lots of emphasis on proper documentation and planning, while the cs concentrates more on a wide variety of fields and high-level math. Necc0 fucked around with this message at 01:58 on Mar 17, 2011 |
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Mar 17, 2011 01:55
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Pweller posted:My impression is that a Software Engineering degree will have a heavier focus on actual software development, methodologies, design patterns, maybe using particular frameworks and languages. Whereas CS leans more towards theory, calculus, statistics, algorithms, etc. Pretty much, yeah. quote:Unless there is a SE program that is part of an actual Engineering faculty, which I've never heard of. Seems that area is covered by Computer Engineering, which shares many courses with CS but with more focus on electronics and hardware, and other engineering coursework. It's ABET accredited so I guess I'm good.
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Mar 17, 2011 03:11
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Cheston posted:
Respectful for where you live now or respectful for Boston? Remember that's one of the most expensive cities on the east coast right now.
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Jul 28, 2015 22:00
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Illusive gently caress Man posted:I'm sitting in google lobby waiting for recruiter now. I think i'm gonna regret not coating my entire body in antiperspirant. Here goes first interview of my life. Oof. They can be pretty tough interviewers in general let alone for a first timer. Good luck. Just pretend that they're classmates asking for homework help.
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Aug 12, 2015 16:14
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Spiritus Nox posted:So I graduated from college yesterday with my shiny new Comp Sci degree and, while I have some plates spinning, I don't have a job yet. I was thinking I'd study up on web development, since we did almost none of it in my curriculum and it seems like the sort of thing that both constitutes a gaping hole in my knowledge base and shouldn't be excessively difficult to get a basic competency in. At first blush,The Odin Project seems like a good place to start, but I was wondering if anyone on here had any feedback on that site or recommendations of other places I might look for free/cheap resources on web development. Have you not had any internships or gone to any job fairs yet? The fact you're graduating without a job already lined up is kind of odd. To be helpful yeah that site should be fine but just be aware that most shops use c# or Java so always try to frame anything you learn into either or both of those languages.
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Aug 17, 2015 04:46
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Spiritus Nox posted:I just need to get my foot in the door and get some experience at a place that isn't lovely. Don't hold your breath on that whole 'isn't lovely' part. Unless you get really lucky your first job or even jobs will probably be crap. Finding a good employer is a skill in of itself and being able to spot red flags during an interview is something that only comes with experience. Most entry-level jobs have very limited autonomy and you'll generally be seen as disposable. Half because you won't be allowed to do anything besides grunt work and half because they expect you to pick up and quit after a year or two anyways. So yeah, just don't be too picky or get your hopes too high when getting started and you'll do fine. Once you have a few years under your belt you'll have a much clearer vision of not only what work you want to do but the exact work place you want to do it in.
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Aug 17, 2015 16:29
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Ithaqua posted:Do you mean "working remotely for an organization" or "working remotely as a contractor"? I did both a few years back (I work for a consulting organization, and many of my clients are remote). I highly recommend it. Only thing I can add to this: Force yourself to get out of the house on a regular basis where you can hang out with other people. Join some sort of social club or sport or ANYTHING. It's very very easy to fall into a rut where you have zero human contact for weeks or even months at a time and you suddenly find yourself with a crazy case of cabin fever.
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Aug 24, 2015 16:59
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Salary thread seems to be dead so I'll post it over here: http://www.datamation.com/careers/it-salary-2015-developers-to-help-desk-to-project-managers-1.html Wondering what you guys think about this. Accurate for you? Asking for a raise tomorrow? I'm in the 'asking for a raise asap' camp 
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Sep 2, 2015 03:23
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Cryolite posted:I was trying to come up with an answer to a potential interview question along the lines of "what's an example of something you'd prefer to use a tree for over a hashtable" and realized I'd say "something that can't be hashed but is comparable". However, I can't think of a good example of something that you absolutely can't hash but you could compare (or would just be better to compare). Are there good examples of this? I realize it's a vague terrible question and answer, but if you get the gist of the idea do you know of any examples of things you would prefer to throw into a tree over a hashtable when needing to do quick lookups? Anything that naturally has a lot of parent-child dependencies is better suited for a tree structure while things that are largely independent are better with hash tables. So say you have a page layout that has lots of sub-components recursively going down and want to be able to easily toggle settings on them. You could have a tree that stores read-only vs. read-write and could do things like set the root as read-only while one of the leafs is set to read-write. So effectively on the page only that child has read-write privileges. I'm only using this as an example because I ran into this exact scenario at work today but they implemented it exactly backwards  Necc0 fucked around with this message at 04:14 on Sep 2, 2015 |
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Sep 2, 2015 04:12
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As long as you're clear with them that you're not available until you graduate: now
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Sep 2, 2015 23:33
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Pollyanna posted:Christ almighty, gently caress that. I would go insane if that was my commute. I had an internship where I was getting these types of mixed messages and felt terrified of doing anything. They ultimately ended up firing me and I never thought I'd be so happy to be fired. Went right back to my old boss who hired me immediately + a raise from where I left.
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Sep 8, 2015 18:00
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Pollyanna posted:Yeah, don't take that job. I guarantee you it will suck. "Ability to travel" is a big red flag in any job posting. Not necessarily. If it's an actual consulting position it could be a pretty decent gig. They typically pay more though because not only are you constantly traveling but you have to eat any poo poo a client strains onto your plate with a big grin on your face. It's a great job though if you're the type of person who meshes with it. It'll be kryptonite if not, though.
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Sep 10, 2015 03:52
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Tech is already a fairly internationalized industry so any companies that toss your resume without further consideration are probably places you don't want to work for anyways.
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Sep 14, 2015 19:43
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Space Whale posted:Is there a good way to get a feel for the strength of a market besides indeed's count-of-jobs-with-keyword or Robert Half's salary guide by zipcode or metro area? I just found out a few weeks ago that the dept of labor publishes statistics on all sorts of professions and allows you to read individual reports based on a single metropolitan area. Their numbers are pulled from actual company reporting as well so they're pretty accurate. http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm
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Sep 17, 2015 17:07
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Siliziumleben posted:Is it a good idea to upload my résumé to sites like CareerBuilder and let the IT recruiting companies (CyberCoders, Robert Half etc.) contact me? From what I've read online, those companies' recruiting practices are shady at best, and I'm going to end up with a lot of irrelevant spam mail / calls. But I'm also desperate to find a job, so... The biggest red flag is after sending a recruiter a PDF of your resume they'll request it in .doc form. That's when you stop communicating with them. Some recruiters can me really great though. Just be aware that 95% of them are bottom-barrel-scraping scumbags.
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Sep 20, 2015 19:15
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Tunga posted:It's not like they know what you earn right now. Keep asking for more money until it's either worthwhile or they refuse. Pretty sure asking for even more money after they agree to a previous number is a way bigger dick move than just saying 'This work doesn't sound interesting'
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Sep 21, 2015 00:05
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Maybe I'm misreading what you wrote but I read that as just coming back to them with an even bigger number every time they say yes until they say no.
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Sep 21, 2015 01:15
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Siliziumleben posted:Should I even bother applying for a position where I meet all of the "minimum", but none of the "preferred" qualifications? Most of these are written by HR who have no idea what they're actually writing. Go for it.
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Sep 21, 2015 16:16
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ToxicSlurpee posted:But what if they ask for 8 years experience and previous history as a senior developer? Do I just send a resume anyway? Yeah like the above said your focus should be on lower 'ranked' openings but that's simply because you have a higher chance of hearing back from them. If you have the time it can't hurt to toss your hat in. Worst case scenario you get to experience a grueling interview and know what your objectives should be once you land a job more at your level. I only have a few years experience and have interviewed for senior / lead positions. One of them I actually came really close to getting the job because they were desperate, but now I know what companies are looking for from senior engineers.
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Sep 21, 2015 21:04
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Space Whale posted:What's a good ballpark for coming up with contract rates? I got suckered into taking lowball contracts for par with a salary for a long time, and now I wonder if it's 2x, 1.5x, 1.25x, or whatever. It really depends on the work you're doing, who your client is, and if you're working solo. Also you need to know how much value you're creating for your client and how much they'll be willing to pay for that value / what your competition will charge. So for example right now I'm working for a company that makes niche software that adds tremendous value to the companies that use it and we have no realistic competition. My billing rate is ~4x what they're paying me, probably closer to 3x when you include bonuses, healthcare, etc. But when I was working a contract for the federal gov't with a clearance with a fortune 100 tech company I was billing at about 7.5x. If you work in something more competitive, with clients not willing to shell out as much you'll probably be charging 1.5-2x. Ultimately there's no easy way to answer that question. I suggest lots and lots of research into your competition Necc0 fucked around with this message at 01:15 on Sep 22, 2015 |
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Sep 22, 2015 01:08
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Space Whale posted:Basically the company that wanted me to take this Codility test will probably not speak to me anymore. The division by nRepeats!*otherRepeats seems a bit hard to just come up with when it's one of four questions to do in 90 minutes. Unless these guys explicitly said they were looking for someone who was good with statistics in the job description whoever set up the interview is just doing this so he can smugly sit back at how superior he is to all the candidates. Probably someone you don't want to work with.
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Sep 22, 2015 03:16
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Space Whale posted:Basically Hired.com is what you make of it and I'd say it's roughly on par with stackoverflow, though so far I've had two companies reach out to me and being told "MY AVAILABILITY IS COMPLETELY WIDE OPEN" makes them just wring their hands instead of say "ok call you at $TIME." The correct answer to this question is: 'I can make time if I need to I just need at least 24-hours notice' or something like that. edit: vvv his is better vvv Necc0 fucked around with this message at 05:23 on Sep 22, 2015 |
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Sep 22, 2015 04:36
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Yeah as someone who's taken a counter-offer after putting in their two weeks: don't take a counter-offer after putting in your two weeks.
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Sep 22, 2015 19:09
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Wow the newb-help thread is picante today
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Sep 23, 2015 21:57
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Just got called in for a chat with my boss to discuss our department post-reorg. He wanted to know if I'd be ok with taking a few projects on my own when they come through next year. Hell yeah. Thanks a bunch, job-thread.
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Oct 5, 2015 15:18
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pr0zac posted:Not really a newbie question, but the conversation in here is already sort of around this so figure I'll ask for suggestions here. You could just bring it up with your boss that lots of other companies allow remote work and that you're interested in the same. Dunno how things work at Facebook but I feel like you're in a 'if you have to ask' sort of situation. We have 3/4s of our guys remote and will probably be hiring early next year if you're interested.
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Oct 7, 2015 18:24
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Doghouse posted:Also they have 2 weeks sick days. I've never had sick days, how do those even work usually? Do people just use them whenever but feel guilty about it? Just keep in mind that there's nothing wrong with taking 'mental health' sick days. Those days you wake up and absolutely can't be assed to do anything are valid excuses. It helps if you're one of those freaks like me who just never gets sick.
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Oct 9, 2015 17:49
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Guess there's something in the water because this just came in this morning:quote:Hi, If you're going for an Oscar you gotta be more subtle about it
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Oct 12, 2015 18:49
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Analytic Engine posted:Last minute question (meeting in one hour) If he's bringing compensation up unprompted I'm gonna guess that's a good sign. If it's a frank convo I'd be upfront with your expectations but don't mention leaving the company.
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Oct 15, 2015 15:59
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androo posted:I hope I'm not spending most of my time wrapping my head around their methods and a super-dated web framework. lol I've got bad news for you. Welcome to tech, kid. Anyways you should expect your first job or two to be garbage. Just use it to do a good job and gain field experience. Pay attention to things that you like and don't like, and why that is. When you hop jobs you'll be able to work towards what you want to do while minimizing the bullshit you can't stand. You might be one of the lucky ones who nails it first try but don't get your hopes up.
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Oct 15, 2015 18:00
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If they're a founder they most likely have a long-term vision and eagle-eye view of the company. Try to focus your questions on big things like where the company will be headed over the next 3-5 years, any big risks/opportunities on the horizon, etc.
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Oct 29, 2015 20:31
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Tomahawk posted:How easy/hard is it to jump to different languages in your career? I started off doing Rails stuff but my first job is doing PHP and it's really icky and I am find myself everyday wishing to go back to Rails or something more exciting/relevant. Contract work will be tough because they pretty much expect you to be working day one. Full-time jobs will be more forgiving as switching languages really isn't a big deal as long as you understand the fundamentals.
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Nov 2, 2015 00:11
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Someone repost that article about how in gathering a skill in the workplace your feelings of capability follow an oscillating curve that gradually tracks upwards. I have no clue what to google to find it.
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Nov 10, 2015 04:14
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mobby_6kl posted:
No but that's a good one as well. This was essentially a graph of time vs. skill and the overall trend is as you work in an industry your skill gradually increases. However there was also a 'perceived skill' line laid over top of it and it followed a sine wave that tracked the overall skill curve. So essentially you're constantly oscillating above and below the 'actual' line and as such have an almost manic-depressive cycle where you go a month of feeling like you're top dog and owning the hell out of your job and then collapse into a month of despair and 'oh my god I have no idea what I'm doing they're going to fire me shiiiiiit' and then back again
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Nov 10, 2015 14:57
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cheese eats mouse posted:What is it with recruiters asking for your range and when it's 10K under your asking price they still want to throw you into the ring? A recruiter wants to put me in for a job that's 5k lower than what I'm currently making and it's a way longer commute(additional 30+ miles a day) so more gas, wear and tear on my car, time, which would make want to ask for a little more to cover those expenses. All Recruiters Are Scum Until Proven Otherwise.
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Nov 11, 2015 19:20
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Swit I think you're having a stroke please get to a hospital
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Nov 22, 2015 16:20
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Pollyanna posted:Finally got an offer. I had an interview this morning that apparently went really well, and they offered me a position later in the afternoon. I had just finished interviewing with another company and you know what? I took it. I took the offer for a position where I do Clojure and Ruby dev with a boost in pay at a well-established company where they are just as excited as I am for me to be there and I feel perfectly goddamn happy with it. Don't want to seem like I'm pissing on your parade but don't let your guard down just yet. Don't believe anything is firm until the first check hits your bank account. You're 95% there though, congrats
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Nov 25, 2015 00:41
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Stop responding to him, please.
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Dec 2, 2015 01:41
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Does anyone have any experience with sales engineering? I've been in consulting since I graduated 3.5 years ago and from my very limited knowledge seems like something that would be more up my alley. Asking because an old classmate just hit me up today wondering if I'd be interested.
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Dec 3, 2015 01:28
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