I am considering my options for a career out of college, and I am looking at a career in computers, gaming design, or computer security. I would like help in knowing what steps I can take out of high school.

For any career regarding technology, your focus should be on programming, math (especially statistical analysis), and time management.

Certainly a focus on CS during college will be tremendously helpful, but there are also many free resources online for teaching yourself. These range from college courses through Coursera, to things you can do at your own pace such as Khan Academy.

The key is (and will be throughout your career) finding a way to be self motivated, and to show that you have a willingness to take on large tasks, never say "that's not my problem," and a desire to learn more about whatever it is you are working on.

Advanced mathematics will help you in all of these fields, by the way. Whether it's graphics engines, cyber security, data analysis, game systems design (game design is largely data and spreasheets), or any other programming, the more advanced math you know, the better.

Working in gaming was the best decision I made. I loved computer science, and working in games has been super fun, and pays well (albeit it is not as stable as some other software engineering fields if you are engineer you will not be looking for a job for too long). In terms of steps to take, I would look up some online tutorials for unity3d (very easy to learn game development software) and make yourself some very simple games.

Hey John,

It is nice to see that you are giving this good thought at this point in your life. I was in a similar situation to you when I was your age with interests in PC gaming, computer and network security and wanting a good, stable higher paying job in the field.

While I still enjoy some gaming from time to time, I chose to keep that as a hobby that I can enjoy by winding down playing a good title. If you think you will enjoy software engineering, writing and analyzing code and troubleshooting that code then game dev may be a better option for you. However, it will probably be more difficult to find a job you enjoy in this field just going by what I have seen in my own searches over the years. Certainly look into this still as times are changing and things like E-sports are becoming more popular and will continue this trend over time. Do note though.. I have heard that software engineers tend to take their work home with them much more than the IT administration side of things so just keep this in mind and ask questions about this. Do your research.

That said, I chose to dive into the technical side of things, designing computer networks, managing and scaling them, securing them and all of the other duties that go along with a Network Engineer role.

I started out by getting a help desk job doing more simple things like end user support. I fixed issues people encountered using applications like Microsoft Office, the Windows Operating System and other business applications. I also worked on their computer hardware and replaced parts for them like their hard drive or laptop screen. This is pretty much considered an entry level job and there is usually a plentiful amount of these positions available. Once you do this for a couple years and prove your abilities, you should be able to move up the ladder, whether it is in the same company (if they have treated you fairly) or if not you move on to the next employer. Regardless if you stay with your employer or move on, make sure you take on more responsibility and keep your integrity with your superiors to prove you are the best at your job. This matters if you want to move up. Keep track of your accomplishments at work by recording milestones (I update LinkedIN when I complete something to make sure I dont leave it out on my next resume update).

Eventually you will move up to a position like Network Engineer / Senior, which is a high paying job in itself (60-120k avg range also depending on where you live, experience, certifications, negotiations etc) but this is also usually the path people take before they transition into the Security side of IT so you are not limited. You need to understand how computer networks function to know how to secure them, the same with securing anything. To stop a hacker, you need to have the knowledge of the hacker.

Personally, my next step in my career will be a Security Engineer / "Ethical Hacker". The whole idea of what this role does has captured me ever since I was about 13 years old. I had no idea what to do to get to this point at the time, but I knew there were stepping stones and so I started at the bottom when I came of age. Also, this role can potentially reach much higher compensation than that of a Network Engineer.

I've left many things out because it is hard to summarize something like this.. but I hope this answered your question or at least gave you an idea of what to start considering. If you have any follow up questions after reading this please let me know.

Regards,

Nick

Security is definitely a long-term bet, while technology may change the problem remains the same - someone wants what you have. If you are not sure yet, I recommend applying some thought to what you enjoy most and getting some experience in problem solving and critical thinking. Those are skills which could help no matter what you choose!

Hi,
Good question...I think anything you do in the Computer/IT field will pay you well after college and some experience. I work for one of the larger computer manufacturing companies in the US but I am in sales/sales support. I would suggest learning as many different areas in IT(information technology) that you can...networking, computer security, software development and now an area in IT that is growing is Cloud Computing. As you take different courses in college, you will start to see where your interests are and then you can narrow down your job search once you graduate.
Good luck! :)

Most tech related fields are not going anywhere anytime soon so they are all good in terms of stability, as for pay it depends on where the job is. You're not going to be living paycheck-to-paycheck for sure but depending on where you are working the cost of living can be drastically different and the pay does not always scale appropriately. For example the SF Bay area is extremely expensive to live in so a much larger portion of your take home pay is going to go to cover cost of living compared to say living in Seattle, while pay would be relatively similar.
One thing to keep in mind is that for the longevity of your career it would help to get an actual degree in Computer Science or a related field rather than just certification since a CS degree can be used to apply for multiple different jobs and not just a subset of the ones available for someone with a very narrow specialized certification.

Hi John,

The current hottest topics in tech is security and data science. Neither of these fields is going anywhere in a long time and can be quite lucrative. It sounds like you have a firm foundation in math and engineering as your focus for your career, which is going to benefit you in whatever role you choose, but my best piece of advice is to follow the career path that feels right for you and that gives you fulfillment, beyond just monetary compensation and job security. Explore different things in college, and figure out what excites you and how you can make a meaningful contribution to that field. I don't know any people that are truly happy in their careers just being able to pay the bills on time and not get fired, so do something exciting!

Hope this helps!

Cameron