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Advice for someone going into tech. (discuss.tchncs.de)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I recently decided to go back to school and get a job in the tech industry. I'm looking at cyber security but I'm not looked into that decision.

What degree would you recommend someone to pursue?
What field would you recommend after graduating?
What would you tell someone to avoid at all cost?

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Something you're at least vaguely interested in and don't mind doing.
Something you're at least vaguely interested in and don't mind doing.
Blockchain, because it's a scam that is rapidly disintegrating.

No one else can tell you what you should pursue. I didn't know what I did or didn't like until I tried a few things and figured out what aspects of them I like and what aspects were not for me. For instance, I don't like frontend programming and I absolutely hate dealing with external clients. I do something more like data engineering, which a lot of people find deadly boring but I find perfectly satisfactory.

The other thing that's been really important to me is decoupling my career from my self-worth. My job is not the most important thing about me. My job is something I do so I can get paid enough to do the things I actually want to do. I don't need to LOVE my job. I need to like it enough to mostly not dislike having to do it 40 hours a week. For me this means I don't find the work boring, I work with nice people, I mostly don't have to do things I HATE (e.g. client presentations), and I'm not doing anything that conflicts with my values (e.g. I wouldn't work on blockchain, or law enforcement projects).

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I've been in tech for 30 years now and this is the really key advice. I've know several people who were very good developers but fundamentally do not like the process of software development. And they are completely miserable because of that. It's great if you can find a job you love working at but that requires a lot of luck. Having a job you generally enjoy and it gives you enough money to do the hobbies that you really love then you are doing great.

On what degree to get, most of the time, outside of your first or second job, if a company cares about your degree more than your work experience then they are probably not somewhere you want to work.

All that said, anything security related will stay relevant as will as cloud system admins/engineers/architects. If you want a tech role that will last, doing something that is about designing and maintaining systems rather low-level implementation will server you a lot better.

Also, @[email protected] what are you talking about? Blockchain is super useful for money laundering and blackmail and committing fraud and bribery and and... ok maybe not the best area to try and build a career in.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I'm older, so I'm not looking to love my job or make a lot of money. I want something that I can be proud of and just like you, I will not sacrifice my values for money. Did that and I hated myself for it. I'm just looking for something that won't take 10 years to have a good work/ life balance but also doesn't have me suck dick behind the 7-11 to make rent.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

It all depends on where you want to go. I used to work in an IT department where most of my coworkers had non-tech degrees. Heck I only have a 2 year degree in software development. I also know people with computer science degrees that can't find jobs in the field. There really isn't a best path here. Heck, a lot of folks in low level IT support roles are just people without much training, but an interest in computers.
It all depends on you. If you aren't sure about something, maybe watch a few videos on a platform like PluralSight or Lynda.com. There are often labs or projects for you to start getting your hands dirty. Depending on where you live there might be places like FreeGeek that take volunteers to do support work, which in and of itself could get you a foot in the door of the tech industry. There are also a number of games on Steam that give you a rough idea of the work that each field entails.
Again, it depends on you. At this point in my life I'd avoid working for a FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) style company or a start-up. However, that's not because there is anything inherently wrong with working for those types of companies, I just value my time outside of work.

The most important advice I can give is to try to meet people in the field. Locally you will likely have events called User Groups (you can look on Facebook or Meetup.com) where people who are interested in different technologies will share what they know. Get to know people. Ask questions even if you think they're obvious or dumb. Tech skills will help you keep a job, soft skills will help you get a job.