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How can you increase your chances of finding a job in your field of study after college?
I’m a junior in high school pursuing computer science. I’m wondering if it’s a waste to go to college if it’s not guaranteed to find a job in the subjects I would have worked on for 4 years or so.
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Ravleen’s Answer
Nothing is ever guaranteed, but there are many ways to increase your chances of getting a job after graduating from college. Going to college is also not a waste if we look at how much college graduates out earn high school graduates; take a look at these wage gap statistics: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cba/annual-earnings
The best thing I did to improve my chances of employment in my desired field was to have an internship every single semester, including the summers. I know this isn't feasible for everyone, but I highly recommend at least 2 internships before graduating.
There were semesters where I even worked for free, but often times I was able to find a paying internship. You don't have to intern at big, well-known companies either. Smaller organizations like non-profits or local businesses will provide you with more hands-on experience than you realize. As someone who has hired in the tech industry, I am more interested in the skills you have obtained versus where you have interned.
So I recommend applying to a wide range of internships every semester and volunteering with local orgs that are related to computer science. These two things together show dedication and will dramatically improve your chances of landing a job.
Create a resume with the help of your school's career center.
Make a LinkedIn account.
Apply to a variety of internships using LinkedIn, Handshake, and Indeed. Google local companies and reach out to see if they have intern openings.
Recruiting often starts the fall before you graduate, attend the career fairs to network with recruiters.
The best thing I did to improve my chances of employment in my desired field was to have an internship every single semester, including the summers. I know this isn't feasible for everyone, but I highly recommend at least 2 internships before graduating.
There were semesters where I even worked for free, but often times I was able to find a paying internship. You don't have to intern at big, well-known companies either. Smaller organizations like non-profits or local businesses will provide you with more hands-on experience than you realize. As someone who has hired in the tech industry, I am more interested in the skills you have obtained versus where you have interned.
So I recommend applying to a wide range of internships every semester and volunteering with local orgs that are related to computer science. These two things together show dedication and will dramatically improve your chances of landing a job.
Ravleen recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Josh’s Answer
Hi Ari!
Great question. I have done thousands of interviews and hired many, many people. Some of them are hired for the degree they studied for, most did not. That is okay.
If you really want to get a job in a specific field I recommend finding the entry level jobs related to it. You have to put in some work that might feel unfulfilling, but if you persevere, it will pay.
Also, I would encourage you not to get upset if/when you have to get a job outside your major. I will say that I did this and it was upsetting at first. However, what you have learned is not limited to one job/field… you learn skills, how to interact with people, what it means to be creative. All of these are “transferable” skills and can apply to most fields.
Ultimately, don’t limit yourself to a single job/field, unless that is 100% what you want. Rather, use what you have learned beyond the basic knowledge of the field in other roles that can lead to success and purpose.
Hope this helps!
Great question. I have done thousands of interviews and hired many, many people. Some of them are hired for the degree they studied for, most did not. That is okay.
If you really want to get a job in a specific field I recommend finding the entry level jobs related to it. You have to put in some work that might feel unfulfilling, but if you persevere, it will pay.
Also, I would encourage you not to get upset if/when you have to get a job outside your major. I will say that I did this and it was upsetting at first. However, what you have learned is not limited to one job/field… you learn skills, how to interact with people, what it means to be creative. All of these are “transferable” skills and can apply to most fields.
Ultimately, don’t limit yourself to a single job/field, unless that is 100% what you want. Rather, use what you have learned beyond the basic knowledge of the field in other roles that can lead to success and purpose.
Hope this helps!
Updated
Andreina’s Answer
I work in the tech field and 8 out of 10 of my co-workers are software developers. What I have learned from working with them is that most of them started out doing internship programs and working on personal side projects. When applying for a job as a developer, they will ask for your GitHub username (this is basically your portfolio of work) and they will check out what kind of languages you have been working with (Java, Python, C#, etc) AND what you have contributed to the open-source community. This is WAY more valuable to them than a college degree. In interviews for these kinds of roles, it is definitely more show than tell of what you know.
So my recommendation is to start early and look for projects that you are interested in volunteering and collaborating/contributing to. I know that you are still in high school, but you can take courses online for a really low cost that will introduce you to all the basic concepts of computer science and will give you a great advantage when you go to college. I recommend the ZRM Academy. I took the complete Web developer a few years ago (more front-end) but there are back-end and full-stack courses that are really the best out there. https://zerotomastery.io/courses/?category=development
Here is also a quiz to help you find courses that align with your interests https://zerotomastery.io/tech-career-path-quiz/
Hope this helps!
Best of luck!
So my recommendation is to start early and look for projects that you are interested in volunteering and collaborating/contributing to. I know that you are still in high school, but you can take courses online for a really low cost that will introduce you to all the basic concepts of computer science and will give you a great advantage when you go to college. I recommend the ZRM Academy. I took the complete Web developer a few years ago (more front-end) but there are back-end and full-stack courses that are really the best out there. https://zerotomastery.io/courses/?category=development
Here is also a quiz to help you find courses that align with your interests https://zerotomastery.io/tech-career-path-quiz/
Hope this helps!
Best of luck!