4 answers
Shane
Student
3
Questions
Updated
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What companies are the best to work for in computer engineering
I am interested in this topic because I wanna become a computer software engineer
I am in grade 11
I know how to code in python and javascript a little bit.
#coding
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4 answers
Ankur Gupta
Lead Data Scientist
1
Answer
San Francisco, California
Updated
Ankur’s Answer
Hi Shane!
It's great that you're considering a career in computer science. I am sure you'll be very successful.
There is a large market for computer scientists & engineers out there. Here is one way to categorize your prospective employers.
The Giants
Examples: Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Salesforce, Twitter
These companies have a more grueling interview process but they offer stable employment, good compensation, and for the most part adjustable work-life balance. The downside is that giant companies move slowly, have a lot of red-tape internally, and less freedom to break things.
The Would-be Giants
Examples: Airbnb, Lyft, Uber, Stripe, Instacart, ...
These companies have either recently gone public or are about to. They've got a proven business model. They offer most of the same benefits as the giants, perhaps a smidge less stability, compensation, and work-life balance. However, you may get more freedom and choice in what you can work on.
The Startups
Examples: Calendly, Grammarly, or one of the many many companies. See https://www.crunchbase.com/discover/organization.companies/af8500fdfc525b16d23f43ebae48c29a for more examples.
These companies are just starting. They may not even have found a product-market fit yet. There's no guarantee that they will succeed. Startups can close down overnight. These companies offer unstable employment, poor cash compensation (but possibly lots of stock options that would be useful only if the company is successful), and poor work-life balance. The benefits are that you can build with nearly unlimited freedom. It's a fun environment with minimal or no redtape.
The Transplants
Examples: McDonalds, Target, Walmart
These are established companies in a non-tech field but are now realizing the importance of CS. These companies start entire new divisions of computer scientists and engineers to improve their operations (think Walmart offering personalized recommendations on their website) or launch/acquire new products (eg: Walmart's jet.com). These companies offer the same benefits as the Giants but the work culture is often very different. You may find that computer science is not at the core of these companies. Computer science may be a necessary side-show to their main business. If their venture into computer science is not worthwhile, you may have to leave.
It's very difficult to decide which companies are the best in general or even for one person. The best-ranked company you join can be terrible if your coworkers and your manager don't get along with you and vice-versa. To an aspiring CS student, I recommend sampling many of these categories and then see which one works best for you.
Joining one of the Giants immediately after graduation means that you'll earn a good salary, learn a lot, but you may also get tangled in the redtape and never feel like you got the freedom to make new things. If you're more of a disruptive engineer, you need freedom to make mistakes. Joining one of the startups gives you that freedom, at the cost of poor salary, job instability, and lack of good mentorship. You're free to make mistakes but there may be no one to guide you and teach you the correct way.
Try out many companies, don't stay at one place for too long. Once you've sampled enough, you'll know what matters to you. Maybe you value freedom more than money or maybe you want the stability of the Giants over the freedom of the Startups. It's as much learning about the companies as learning about yourself.
Good luck!
It's great that you're considering a career in computer science. I am sure you'll be very successful.
There is a large market for computer scientists & engineers out there. Here is one way to categorize your prospective employers.
The Giants
Examples: Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Salesforce, Twitter
These companies have a more grueling interview process but they offer stable employment, good compensation, and for the most part adjustable work-life balance. The downside is that giant companies move slowly, have a lot of red-tape internally, and less freedom to break things.
The Would-be Giants
Examples: Airbnb, Lyft, Uber, Stripe, Instacart, ...
These companies have either recently gone public or are about to. They've got a proven business model. They offer most of the same benefits as the giants, perhaps a smidge less stability, compensation, and work-life balance. However, you may get more freedom and choice in what you can work on.
The Startups
Examples: Calendly, Grammarly, or one of the many many companies. See https://www.crunchbase.com/discover/organization.companies/af8500fdfc525b16d23f43ebae48c29a for more examples.
These companies are just starting. They may not even have found a product-market fit yet. There's no guarantee that they will succeed. Startups can close down overnight. These companies offer unstable employment, poor cash compensation (but possibly lots of stock options that would be useful only if the company is successful), and poor work-life balance. The benefits are that you can build with nearly unlimited freedom. It's a fun environment with minimal or no redtape.
The Transplants
Examples: McDonalds, Target, Walmart
These are established companies in a non-tech field but are now realizing the importance of CS. These companies start entire new divisions of computer scientists and engineers to improve their operations (think Walmart offering personalized recommendations on their website) or launch/acquire new products (eg: Walmart's jet.com). These companies offer the same benefits as the Giants but the work culture is often very different. You may find that computer science is not at the core of these companies. Computer science may be a necessary side-show to their main business. If their venture into computer science is not worthwhile, you may have to leave.
It's very difficult to decide which companies are the best in general or even for one person. The best-ranked company you join can be terrible if your coworkers and your manager don't get along with you and vice-versa. To an aspiring CS student, I recommend sampling many of these categories and then see which one works best for you.
Joining one of the Giants immediately after graduation means that you'll earn a good salary, learn a lot, but you may also get tangled in the redtape and never feel like you got the freedom to make new things. If you're more of a disruptive engineer, you need freedom to make mistakes. Joining one of the startups gives you that freedom, at the cost of poor salary, job instability, and lack of good mentorship. You're free to make mistakes but there may be no one to guide you and teach you the correct way.
Try out many companies, don't stay at one place for too long. Once you've sampled enough, you'll know what matters to you. Maybe you value freedom more than money or maybe you want the stability of the Giants over the freedom of the Startups. It's as much learning about the companies as learning about yourself.
Good luck!
Prashanth TM
20
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Prashanth’s Answer
Hi Shane,
I hope you’re doing well & wish that you have a great week ahead.
Am sharing information that I found online for your question.
1. Google
Working at Google is a dream come true for many computer science graduates. A survey by the Business Insider indicated over 52% of participants indicated the desire to work at Google. Google is one of the highest-paying employers in the tech space, but that’s just one factor that makes them a great employer. The relaxed atmosphere at work, healthcare and wellness services, flexible working, and retirement savings all contribute to making Googlers feel welcome at work.
2. Microsoft
Microsoft polled second in the same survey by Business Insider, with just shy of 32% of respondents voting for working at Microsoft. The pressure to deliver in tech is high but so is the input from companies to ensure employees perform at their best. According to an employee there, 'Microsoft values its employees. The culture also shifted in recent years from super individual competitor to making others successful, and teamwork, which reduced the stress level at work to low.'
Here are some of the great things about working at Microsoft:
- Fosters a culture of teamwork and collaboration
- Great leadership from the CEO
- Feeling of accomplishment and job satisfaction
- Great pay, rewards, and benefits
- Diversity and variety in the work people do
3. Apple
Coming in at number 3 is Apple with just over 20% of respondent votes. Apple is an amazing place to work – it offers great salaries and perks, just like most of the tech companies. There’s no doubt working at Apple can be demanding, but the perks and benefits make it worthwhile – as long as you're working in the Western offices and not in the manufacturing side of things.
The perks include:
- Generous healthcare plan
- Onsite fitness and wellness center
- Private pension plan
- Work-life balance
- Discounts on Apple products
4. Facebook
There is a high level of job satisfaction at Facebook, with the majority of employees saying they enjoy the opportunity to be ‘authentic’ while at work. Fun workspaces, ease of access to the CEO and free meals are just a few of the things employees enjoy about working at Facebook.
Facebook also offers employees the opportunity to play to their strengths, doing more of what they are good at. Employees are allowed to work on different projects, even moving into different roles within the company. This freedom of expression (within limits, of course) makes employees feel valued. Salaries are great, and Facebook also enjoys one of the highest retention rates within the industry.
5. Amazon
Working at Amazon as a computer engineer is a challenging but rewarding role. Not unlike other tech companies, the pace of technological development at Amazon is fast. Landing a job there is obviously hard – you must be exceptionally talented. So why does Amazon make it onto this list?
Here are a few reasons:
- Health and wellness is at the top of the agenda, just like many tech companies – as long as you work in the office and not in the warehouse
- Offers employees stock options
- Financial security through great pension plans
- Other perks including supporting a work-life balance
Job applicants face high levels of competition in all the companies mentioned here. The work and dedication you need to put in just to get an interview shows the caliber of software engineer these companies look for. Once you are in, though, the opportunities and perks you can enjoy are worth the hard work.
Source: https://newengineer.com/advice/the-top-computer-engineering-companies-1219310
Hope this answers your query
Good Luck 😊
Prashanth TM
I hope you’re doing well & wish that you have a great week ahead.
Am sharing information that I found online for your question.
1. Google
Working at Google is a dream come true for many computer science graduates. A survey by the Business Insider indicated over 52% of participants indicated the desire to work at Google. Google is one of the highest-paying employers in the tech space, but that’s just one factor that makes them a great employer. The relaxed atmosphere at work, healthcare and wellness services, flexible working, and retirement savings all contribute to making Googlers feel welcome at work.
2. Microsoft
Microsoft polled second in the same survey by Business Insider, with just shy of 32% of respondents voting for working at Microsoft. The pressure to deliver in tech is high but so is the input from companies to ensure employees perform at their best. According to an employee there, 'Microsoft values its employees. The culture also shifted in recent years from super individual competitor to making others successful, and teamwork, which reduced the stress level at work to low.'
Here are some of the great things about working at Microsoft:
- Fosters a culture of teamwork and collaboration
- Great leadership from the CEO
- Feeling of accomplishment and job satisfaction
- Great pay, rewards, and benefits
- Diversity and variety in the work people do
3. Apple
Coming in at number 3 is Apple with just over 20% of respondent votes. Apple is an amazing place to work – it offers great salaries and perks, just like most of the tech companies. There’s no doubt working at Apple can be demanding, but the perks and benefits make it worthwhile – as long as you're working in the Western offices and not in the manufacturing side of things.
The perks include:
- Generous healthcare plan
- Onsite fitness and wellness center
- Private pension plan
- Work-life balance
- Discounts on Apple products
4. Facebook
There is a high level of job satisfaction at Facebook, with the majority of employees saying they enjoy the opportunity to be ‘authentic’ while at work. Fun workspaces, ease of access to the CEO and free meals are just a few of the things employees enjoy about working at Facebook.
Facebook also offers employees the opportunity to play to their strengths, doing more of what they are good at. Employees are allowed to work on different projects, even moving into different roles within the company. This freedom of expression (within limits, of course) makes employees feel valued. Salaries are great, and Facebook also enjoys one of the highest retention rates within the industry.
5. Amazon
Working at Amazon as a computer engineer is a challenging but rewarding role. Not unlike other tech companies, the pace of technological development at Amazon is fast. Landing a job there is obviously hard – you must be exceptionally talented. So why does Amazon make it onto this list?
Here are a few reasons:
- Health and wellness is at the top of the agenda, just like many tech companies – as long as you work in the office and not in the warehouse
- Offers employees stock options
- Financial security through great pension plans
- Other perks including supporting a work-life balance
Job applicants face high levels of competition in all the companies mentioned here. The work and dedication you need to put in just to get an interview shows the caliber of software engineer these companies look for. Once you are in, though, the opportunities and perks you can enjoy are worth the hard work.
Source: https://newengineer.com/advice/the-top-computer-engineering-companies-1219310
Hope this answers your query
Good Luck 😊
Prashanth TM
Nikhil Mascarenhas
RTL design Engineer
5
Answers
Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
Updated
Nikhil’s Answer
Hi Shane !!
Thank you for the question. As my friend Atul pointed out you need to decide between computer Engineering or Computer Science. I am a Computer Engineering graduate . Computer Engineering graduate focus more on Hardware aspect of Computer Engineering while Computer Science graduate focus on software. Software here could mean a variety of things. It could be the operating system, Application, Middleware, Firmware , compilers
The language that you need to learn for hardware roles is different from computer science roles. Also hardware engineering cycles are at a slower pace. HW engineering does not make product release as frequently as SW engineering does.
There is also system level engineer who has a broader focus. They design the product at system level. This involves interaction with customers . They try to fit your (company's)product into the customers system. Its a new and up-coming field. Dig into this
There are also embedded programming engineering. I would categorize it as a SW engineering, but you need in-depth knowledge of HW as well. You don't need to design HW. you need to know how it works. I would advice you to google these terms and see if you like what you read.
I would suggest taking classes/courses in each of the 3 sub-fields I have highlighted above. Give yourself time to understand the work and see if this is what you really want. Oh and don't worry. Its not hard to switch between any. its not easy either. With hardwork it can be done. I have friends who at a late stage were able to switch between roles.
All the best my friend.
Think what interests you the most ? Do you like programming a lot. then Computer Science is the best approach
Do you like to design chips/ hardware then go for computer engineering
Thank you for the question. As my friend Atul pointed out you need to decide between computer Engineering or Computer Science. I am a Computer Engineering graduate . Computer Engineering graduate focus more on Hardware aspect of Computer Engineering while Computer Science graduate focus on software. Software here could mean a variety of things. It could be the operating system, Application, Middleware, Firmware , compilers
The language that you need to learn for hardware roles is different from computer science roles. Also hardware engineering cycles are at a slower pace. HW engineering does not make product release as frequently as SW engineering does.
There is also system level engineer who has a broader focus. They design the product at system level. This involves interaction with customers . They try to fit your (company's)product into the customers system. Its a new and up-coming field. Dig into this
There are also embedded programming engineering. I would categorize it as a SW engineering, but you need in-depth knowledge of HW as well. You don't need to design HW. you need to know how it works. I would advice you to google these terms and see if you like what you read.
I would suggest taking classes/courses in each of the 3 sub-fields I have highlighted above. Give yourself time to understand the work and see if this is what you really want. Oh and don't worry. Its not hard to switch between any. its not easy either. With hardwork it can be done. I have friends who at a late stage were able to switch between roles.
All the best my friend.
Nikhil recommends the following next steps:
Hi Nikhil, can you share names of companies that computer engineers end up at? It would better address the student's question
Gurpreet Lally, Admin
There is a plethora of companies in the US that hire computer engineers. Listing all is not possible
The well know names are google, FB, Amazon, Nvidia, INtel, AMD , Microsoft , Qualcomm , NXP, ON semi, ADI, Texas instruments
Don't go behind big names to select a career. Select a career first , be good at it, Big companies/firms will come for you
Nikhil Mascarenhas
Atul Bhankharia
Sales
477
Answers
Mount Laurel, New Jersey
Updated
Atul’s Answer
You need to know the difference between Computer Science and Computer Engineering.
The latter also focuses on hardware and electrical engineering. This field is not easy but nothing comes easy in life and you have to work hard. I have seen many kids dropped out of Computer Engineering and got transferred to a degree where the knowledge of EE is not required.
Assuming you still want to pursue the Computer Engineering field, you will have lot more choices than a pure Computer Science major. For instance: Companies like Intel, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Broadcom, Amazon, Google, and many companies that make physical products or chips could use your degree beyond computer programming skills.
If you acquire a Computer Engineering degree and looking to do only software development - you can work for any company from Fortune 500 to startups in CA and WA where a significant number of startups are there. If this is your preferred path - stick with a Computer Science degree.
The latter also focuses on hardware and electrical engineering. This field is not easy but nothing comes easy in life and you have to work hard. I have seen many kids dropped out of Computer Engineering and got transferred to a degree where the knowledge of EE is not required.
Assuming you still want to pursue the Computer Engineering field, you will have lot more choices than a pure Computer Science major. For instance: Companies like Intel, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Broadcom, Amazon, Google, and many companies that make physical products or chips could use your degree beyond computer programming skills.
If you acquire a Computer Engineering degree and looking to do only software development - you can work for any company from Fortune 500 to startups in CA and WA where a significant number of startups are there. If this is your preferred path - stick with a Computer Science degree.