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How to pick a focus area in computer engineering
I am trying to find out exactly what I want to focus on in college #college #programming
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Steve Lewis
Assistant Vice President, Cybersecurity Team Lead & Technical Product Owner | Technical Lead | Public Speaker
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Steve’s Answer
As you take courses, you will get exposed to a lot of areas. This will help you to decide. The important thing is to find out what you like doing best and focus on that. Then, your job will be fun and not boring work.
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Weien’s Answer
Think about your career goals and what motivates you to be a programmer.
* Maybe you just want to make cool products and apps for real people. If so, you might want to explore front-end or full-stack tech, or even mobile (iOS/Android).
* Maybe the idea of organizing and sorting and optimizing information appeals to you -- and back-end software could be a great fit.
* Maybe you're not sure but you want to stay flexible with your options and go with a safe bet. I often recommend javascript as a popular and flexible language to start with.
* Have a dream job or dream company? Google the company and job you want, and see what the job postings are asking for. Oftentimes they'll be really specific about the skills and focus areas that they're looking for.
* Or maybe you just want to make a ton of money. If so, look at what technology is really hot and up-and-coming right now. For example, in 2021, with self-driving cars becoming more and more of a reality, it's a great time to be an expert at computer vision. :)
* Maybe you just want to make cool products and apps for real people. If so, you might want to explore front-end or full-stack tech, or even mobile (iOS/Android).
* Maybe the idea of organizing and sorting and optimizing information appeals to you -- and back-end software could be a great fit.
* Maybe you're not sure but you want to stay flexible with your options and go with a safe bet. I often recommend javascript as a popular and flexible language to start with.
* Have a dream job or dream company? Google the company and job you want, and see what the job postings are asking for. Oftentimes they'll be really specific about the skills and focus areas that they're looking for.
* Or maybe you just want to make a ton of money. If so, look at what technology is really hot and up-and-coming right now. For example, in 2021, with self-driving cars becoming more and more of a reality, it's a great time to be an expert at computer vision. :)
Updated
Tony’s Answer
I recommend taking a self-assessment, such as Myers-Briggs (https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/) which generates a four-letter "Personality Type". For example, mine is ENFP. There are 16 different personality types, and for each one, you can find successful Computer Professionals that took different aspects. For example, in developing web applications, some personalities prefer "Full Stack" meaning they like working both the visual aspects of the front-end graphical user interface, as well as the back-end database and business logic. Others prefer to be "Front End" developers and focus on User Experience (UX), graphic design, and fonts. And finally others prefer Back-End designing databases and business logic that perform the functions behind the scenes.