Leaning on your community for advice
One of the things I love most about THAT Conference is the focus on community: people of all ages, from all backgrounds, and from many different locations are welcomed and encouraged to participate. It’s a community built on the premise that more voices in the conversation is always a good thing.
A few months ago I wrote a piece titled “On Mentorship” in which I praised the idea of mentoring as an immensely rewarding experience. Everyone in our community benefits when we commit to helping each other.
In that post I talked briefly about a (relatively) new feature LinkedIn offers called “Career Advice”, and since activating it I’ve had a number of college students reach out to me.
I think it’s absolutely amazing that I’m receiving these messages from college students I’ve never met. I don’t know if their counselors or professors are encouraging them to use this feature — but I really would have appreciated this advice back when I was in school.
I wanted to take a moment to address one of the more common questions I am asked. Keep in mind these are my own opinions, but I want you to comment or respond below with your own advice!
Hi Arthur, I’m a college freshman studying CS. I’m looking to get insight into getting a head start in my career in the tech industry. What sorts of side-projects should I do? Is a GPA important? How do I maximize my learning and experiences?
Is a GPA important?
In my experience, your GPA as a college Computer Science student is almost entirely irrelevant. In fact, depending on your areas of interest a 4-year degree isn’t even required to break into the tech industry. I don’t think I’ve ever once been asked what my GPA was, and to go even further, I don’t think the name of your school matters a lick.
But let’s put this question into some context: you’re a college student looking for an entry-level job in the tech industry. What kinds of jobs are you even qualified for? What are those job interviews like?
Unless you’ve already managed to score an amazing internship, you probably won’t have any prior relevant work history — so I’d expect you will be looking at junior programming roles, QA positions, IT help desk and support, and similar opportunities. Having your 4-year degree will certainly be helpful during the application process (some companies require them, and in others they’ll help you earn a higher starting salary), but no company is really going to care about your GPA.
I do, however, suggest that a strong understanding of your Computer Science curriculum will be far more valuable in a lot of job interviews. Tech companies like Facebook and Google are notorious for giving applicants difficult technical interviews, despite the fact you’ll never actually write a binary tree or linked list on the job. Having a solid GPA might be an indication that you learned those concepts well, but I doubt anyone will ever ask you about your GPA.
Are you considering a Masters Degree or Ph.D.? My advice is to steer clear of spending your time and money on those advanced degrees until you have a much better idea of what areas of the tech industry you are passionate about. Very few jobs (particularly the entry-level ones you’ll be qualified for) require these advanced degrees, and it’s unlikely your starting salary will come anywhere close to offsetting the cost of your additional education.
What sorts of side-projects should I do?
This is a bit of a loaded question, because it depends entirely on what you’re interested in. The tech industry has so many different kinds of career paths, and new areas are constantly being explored.
The best advice I can offer you is to really think about what you find interesting. Web applications? Blockchain? Robotics? Artificial Intelligence? Cybersecurity? A specific programming language?
Once you identify your passion, you should see if any Meetup groups exist in your area. Finding like-minded individuals will be your best opportunity to get a head start in the tech industry, because you’ll inevitably hear about job openings and side projects.
I would also recommend searching GitHub for any open-source projects that you find interesting (or that you currently use). Many projects are actively looking for fresh blood, and there are usually easy opportunities for contributing by simply updating documentation or fixing little bugs. Having an active GitHub account can certainly be a valuable leg up!
Finally, one of the best ways to find a side-project is to simply solve your own problems. Even if other open source projects already exist, you can tinker on your own solutions to build your online resume.
How do I maximize my learning and experiences?
The best part about being a college student is that you don’t yet have a ton of responsibilities, so you’re mostly available to explore different opportunities! However the worst part about being a college student is not having a lot of expendable income… so here’s a quick list of ideas to help you expand your view of the tech industry:
- Meetups
- Check out BrightTalk for some free technical webinars
- Follow people relevant to your technical interests on Twitter
- Public Slack groups (like THAT Conference)
- Hackathons and community tech events (like Chicago Code Camp)
- Reach out to local community groups, schools, non-profits or religious organizations who might appreciate any help.
Most importantly, don’t wait for learning opportunities to be handed to you; seek them out and volunteer to take them on. The hardest part about getting started in the tech industry is simply getting started!
Conclusion
Finding a community in which you feel accepted and safe is one of the most important things you can do as a professional. You will be exposed to more opportunities for growth, and you’ll have a network of professionals to lean on when you have questions.
Do you agree with my advice for these college kids? What would you say to them? I can’t wait to hear your responses!
