Paths in Computer Science

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I only switched to the computer science major last year. When I made the switch, I had no idea what was in store for me in terms of potential paths for me with this major. I had always thought that a computer science degree meant working as a software engineer in a big tech company. As I got more and more involved, I realized that there is so much more out there than what I previously anticipated. So, over the last couple of months, I have delved deep into what is possible in tech in order to best decide what I really want to do after graduation.

In order to fully immerse myself in industry, I had countless coffee chats, participated in fellowship programs, and joined organizations that helped me to discover what was out there.

Paths in Computer Science

Roles

There are plenty of roles for computer science majors. Though there are various different titles for roles in computer science, they often overlap depending on the company and team. This is especially true at smaller companies whose employees take on a wide variety of tasks.

Software Engineering- When you think of a computer science degree, you probably also think software engineer. That’s because software engineering is the most popular and direct path for computer science majors. What isn’t commonly known though, is that there are various different types of software engineering positions, and the responsibilities can differ a lot based on the role. Here are some potential software engineering roles:

• Back-end Developer- Back-end developers work more on algorithms and applications to meet technical requirements for platforms. They often write the code that you don’t immediately see that runs in the background. You may not think about how the platforms you’re using work, but you wouldn’t have a need for many platforms without the back-end.
• Front-end Developer- Front-end developers are responsible for what a user sees. They often work closely with designers to improve usability. Many engineers who are both technical and visual often enjoy front-end development.
• Full Stack Developer- Full stack engineers are cross-discipline, meaning that they work on the whole package. They often work both on the back-end and front-end of things, as well as understand how to connect the back-end to the front-end.
• Mobile Developer- Mobile developers work on mobile apps, ensuring a great mobile experience for users.
• Web Developer- Like mobile developers on mobile apps, web developers work on web apps, ensuring users have a great experience on the website using web services.
• DevOps Engineer- DevOps engineers bridge a gap between software engineers and IT operations. This role requires broad technical knowledge and ensure that the engineering experience is smooth.
• Quality Assurance Engineer- QA engineers track the progress of a product and test the product to ensure that it meets standards and is ready to move onto the next phase.
• Cybersecurity Engineer- Security engineers test for threats to the company’s systems and develop solutions to defend against hackers, malware, insider threats, and other forms of cybercrime.

Product/Project/Program Management- Product/Project/Program management is a role that is becoming very popular amongst computer science majors. They work closely with both the engineering and business teams in order to facilitate progress on projects and ensure the team is moving on the right path given user needs. At various companies, these managers are often categorized into technical or non-technical, depending on the company's needs and team needs. Computer science majors often have the technical experience to empathize with the teams and knowledge to make management decisions with a better idea of what it takes to build the products they propose.

• Product Manager- Product managers are known as the “CEO” of a product or a feature. They are the intersection of business, design, and engineering. Some of their responsibilities include developing user personas, identifying pain points, feature prioritization, and road mapping with the engineering team.
• Project Manager- Project managers work on execution more than ideating. They focus on breaking projects down into smaller tasks that are more manageable. These roles are more prevalent in large companies and helpful for teams with big tasks.
• Program Manager- Program managers are a manager for the program. They are an integral piece of the engineering team and focus on managing code, handling error cases, and how things are implemented. They are highly technical and have a good grasp of all of the code in the grand scheme of a project.

Design- Design is important to any technology company. No matter the use, it is important to have a design team to ensure easy usability and good design.

• Product Designer- Product designers focus on designing easy-to-use intuitive products. They work with product managers and try to design what users want to use.
• UI/UX Designers- UI/UD Designers focus on creating mock-ups and combine usability with great design. They make things that work look nice and enticing.

Data- We are in the age of data. Data is often seen as the most important tool to bettering ourselves and the companies we work at. During a time when every piece of data is recorded, companies want to take advantage and learn from user feedback, experience, and flow. As a result, companies now rely on teams of people studying, organizing, and presenting company data to make decisions.

• Data Scientist- Data scientists are most like statisticians. They work with large amounts of data and creates predictive models in order to present findings in a usable way.
• Data Analyst- Data analysts are most similar to business analysts, helping other people internally understand data and presenting it in a digestible way. They often mark trends and interpret them.
• Data Engineer- A data engineer uses computer science to process datasets. Their responsibilities often include coding in order to clean up and organize large amounts of data.
• Quantitative Analyst- A quantitative analyst helps companies make financial decisions. This role typically requires financial as well as technical knowledge and experience. To create quantitative models, computer science knowledge is especially helpful.

Industry

Big Tech- Big Tech has become more than FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google, also known as the Big 5). Starting out in tech hubs like Silicon Valley and Silicon Alley and being platforms that rely on the Internet and technology, big tech is the most obvious industry hiring computer science majors. Here are some of the subcategories of big tech to consider working for!

• Entertainment- Companies like Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube have become a hub for entertainment. Streaming is not more popular than cable television and these companies have done it through fast-paced technology advancements and our increasing dependence on our computers and phones. Video game companies also rely on computer scientists, graphic designers, product managers, and more to succeed.
• Social- Most of us use social platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, even LinkedIn. These platforms serve different but similar purposes, and the fact that many of us use more than one of these platforms shows our intense craving for social interaction. These platforms are addicting because they play into our sense of FOMO (fear of missing out). Engineers work on algorithms to improve recommendation systems and add features that will make us stay on longer.
• Sharing Economy- Companies like Uber, Amazon, and Airbnb and features like Facebook Marketplace rely on the sharing economy to exist. The sharing economy has really taken off and become more mainstream due to the advancements made by these companies and in technology. Think about it, we’re paying to sleep in strangers' beds and for rides with other people. This dramatic shift in societal norms could not have happened without these tech companies.
• Fintech- The separation between financial companies such as banks and tech companies is becoming blurrier and blurrier, with more and more banks and financial service providers relying on technology to provide services and to gather data for future use. Fintech is booming, and they’re hiring computer science majors.
• Automation- It’s no secret that the scientists in Silicon Valley are working hard to make robots. From self-driving cars to infamously uncanny AI robots, technology is making strides in advancing artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Health- Though it isn’t as obvious as computer science majors in the technology industry, computer science majors are necessarily in healthcare. They often work as data analysts, software developers, and more in hospitals or research labs.

Government- There are several public sectors in the government that are always hiring people with technical computing backgrounds. Many of these sectors hire software engineers, data scientists, researchers, and more. Some of the most popular government sectors are:

• Law- In the public law space, people who are have technical computing backgrounds can be an asset when it comes to gathering intel and analyzing trends.
• Law Enforcement- On TV, we often see highly technical analysts working at government agencies like the FBI and the CIA. In real life, these people are just as critical to the important work that these agencies do.
• Financial- The Federal Reserves hires software engineers and data analysts to better gather useful information on the American economy in order to make the best decisions possible.
• Space- NASA hires software engineers, scientists, data researchers, and more to work on their wide variety of work areas such as climate research, space research, and expeditions.
• Health- Public health agencies are vital to tracking disease and keeping people as informed and safe as possible. Agencies such as the NIH and the CDC hire many types of different engineers, scientists, and analysts to run as efficiently as possible by leveraging technology.

Finance- Outside of fintech companies, financial companies that do not mesh technology into their core functions still rely on technology to make financial decisions and to provide financial services to their clients. Hedge funds, banks, and more are always hiring employees with technical backgrounds.

Education- Education platforms like Coursera and Khanacademy rely on technology to run and to educate the general public. However, schools and universities are also reliant on computer science majors to solve IT problems, to facilitate websites, and to teach computer science, which is becoming a very popular and more mainstream (not to mention often required) field of study.

Aerospace and Automotive- Companies like SpaceX and Tesla are mainstream technology companies just as much as they are aerospace and automotive ones, but other “typical” aerospace and automotive companies are also becoming more and more automated. Just like how our flip phones gradually became smartphones, our cars are becoming smart cars, and these companies are hiring people with technical backgrounds in order to compete in this quickly advancing technology space.

Non-Profits- The non-profit space is huge. While non-profits run very differently than corporations and for-profit businesses, many of them still rely on technology for a smoother progress in today’s time and for data that helps them to advance. As a result, a computer science major can also help you get into non-profits. This can also mean running websites and platforms.

Academia/Research- For those computer science majors who don’t want to go “in-industry” and into the workforce, there are always research labs who need your help making predictive models, writing programs, organizing data, and more. Otherwise, there is always the option to continue education in very different or similar fields. The skills you gain as a computer science major are versatile and can be applied to almost any graduate degree you choose. When you go through enough education, you can also go into academia and become a professor, passing on this information to others! Often times, people deeply involved in the field of computer science are various combinations of researchers, professors, and creators.

Conclusion

There are so many potential paths in computer science in terms of industry and role. It feels like every day, I am still learning more and more about career paths in this industry and continue to be amazed by the breadth of roles. If you are a computer science student who wants to look outside of software engineering, put yourself out there and I guarantee you will be amazed and find something out there with you.

With that being said, it is also important to recognize that a computer science degree is not the only way to get on any of these paths. A computer science degree is highly valuable and versatile in this day and age, but it’s not everything. Do what you love or at least what you can enjoy, and you will create your own path to wherever it is that you want to go.