With projections showing the direction that the world is headed, it will be wrong for a student of computer science not to have a marketable career. This article discusses the top 10 careers in computer science that are marketable as well as any other things that you should know.
Introduction
If this is you as a fresher still trying to know what to do, the first step to getting it right is to search for where the future is headed and tilt in the direction that is both profitable and offers the greatest return for your time. Since time is money, it will be most unfortunate for you to invest a large portion of your career in something that does not reward you for all the time you put in. So, if this is you reading this article after investing many years of your life in a career that leaves you unfulfilled, then you should honestly read on. The best time to learn something new was yesterday, the next best time is now.
What is computer science?
Computer science is the study of algorithmic processes, computational machines, and computation itself. As a discipline, computer science spans a range of topics from theoretical studies of algorithms, computation, and information to the practical issues of implementing computational systems in hardware and software. Although knowing how to program is essential to the study of computer science, it is only one element of the field. Computer scientists design and analyze algorithms to solve programs and study the performance of computer hardware and software. The problems that computer scientists encounter range from the abstract wh9ch is determining what problems can be solved with computers and the complexity of the algorithms that solve them, to the tangible which are designing applications that perform well on handheld devices, that are easy to use, and that uphold security measures.
How do you get a computer science degree?
If you aspire to get a degree in computer science, it is important to know that degrees require that you undergo some period of training before you start to implement the things you have learnt. The traditional way to get a computer science degree is to go to school for it. There are universities, colleges as well as other insitutions that have computer science programs tailored specifically for people who would like to know from the ground up what computer science is all about. There is a lot to learn in computer science and we are at the beginning of a new era where organizations asides educational facilities can issue professional certificates to candidates.
What can you do with a computer science degree?
You can start a career working with experts at the leading edge of business-to-business data services. There are opportunities within brands that span multiple industries, such as travel and aviation, precision agriculture, petrochemical data, and financial services. You will have the opportunity to become a valued contributor, learn to solve complex data problems, and embed yourself within a team. In an age where innovation is celebrated, a computer science degree should not go to waste when it is in demand. There are lots of jobs that people with a computer science degree can go into. This can be regular jobs as full-time staff of companies like Facebook, Google, Telcos, or some other startups or as freelancers do work on contract under specified agreements. There is a very long list of things that computer science majors can do. Limitations on what computer science can do are broken every year so it is up to you as a computer science major to decide what you would like to do and immerse yourself into it.
Top 10 Careers In Computer Science
10 – Technical Support Engineer
Technical Support Engineers are the set of people who solve technical issues. Your role as a technical support engineer is one where you are the first port of call whenever your clients or customers get themselves and their devices into a fix. Mostly, these issues are the types they cannot readily fix on their own, hence you. Breaking this further would mean explaining the different ways that tech support work. Technical support works mostly in two ways and they depend on whether your process is a Business to Business operation or a Business to customer one. With Technical support, there are the engineers who receive the complaints of customers and their inability to find their way around hardware and software issues. This implies that the first group of Technical Support Engineers basically do troubleshooting, which with the number of websites and apps that are popping up around the world now, will be in short supply. They help with things like passwords and “how to do its” for their clients who call in. When such a team receives a problem they can’t handle, solving which is beyond their scope, they raise a ticket and forward it to the next level technical support team. The next set of Technical Support engineers are the ones who understand the code and can provide workarounds to certain issues. This set of engineers could be developers or not, but they need developers to get things working fine. This set of engineers make an average of $73,000 per year.
9 – Systems Analyst
As the name implies, this set of scientists analyze systems. While the term can mean different things to different types of people and organizations. The systems analyst is the person who rather than build any systems, attempts to reveal specific problems and fix them. As a systems analyst, we usually talk to managers of various companies to determine the role IT plays in their organization or business. We then find cost-effective ways to add new equipment (or better ways of workflow) to the existing network. We design and develop new computer networks by researching, creating cost analysis, then we implement and configure hardware & software on the network. This set of engineers make an average of $80,000 per year.
8 – UX/UI Designer
UX/UI designers are the creators who are rsponsible for the digital experiences that make up our day-to-day lives; the people who make sure that these products not only look great, but that they’re also intuitive, accessible, and inclusive. According to a recent LinkedIn report, user interface designer is among the top ten jobs with the fastest-growing demand, showing a 74% month-over-month increase in job postings. This is no doubt due to the increasing demand for high-quality digital products and experiences, a trend we expect to see continuing through 2022. This career is very marketable as the world continues to experience shifts in working culture where in remote work is becoming the order of the day. The ability of UX/UI designers to work remotely will serve as a huge advantage when it comes to applying for remote jobs. This set of IT professionals make an average of $90,200 per year.
7 – Software Developers
Behind all sorts of computer programs is a software developer. They make programs, apps, and systems all things in-between. According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), developers in this sector are responsible for designing computer or mobile applications. The nature of their work is largely focused on creating for consumers. This involves understanding user needs, developing software solutions, monitoring performance, and modifying programs as needed. The need for software developers is expected to grow even faster and there are many factors why this is so. Those factors can include threats to computer security that may require investment or the loss of already invested funds, better management of health care, and competition over who gets to build the next social app first. This set of IT professionals make an average of $86,000 per year.
6 – Network Security Engineers
As far as networks and internet security breaches go, these engineers are a company’s first line of defense against unauthorized access from outside sources and potential security threats and cyber attacks. Network security engineers are responsible for the provisioning, deployment, configuration, and administration of many different pieces of network and security-related hardware and software. These include firewalls, routers, switches, various network-monitoring tools, and virtual private networks (VPNs). As today’s world becomes increasingly more dependent on the Internet and mobile computing to accomplish so many of our everyday tasks, the issue of security becomes more urgent. As a result, this boosts the demand for more Cyber Security engineers. This set of engineers make an average of $115,197 per year.
5 – Software Engineer
Software engineers are computer science professionals who use knowledge of engineering principles and programming languages to build software products, develop computer games, and run network control systems. Software engineers have extensive knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and they apply engineering principles to software creation. By applying these engineering principles to every stage of the development process, from requirements analysis to the software process, they can create customized systems for individual clients. When working with a client, a software engineer will typically analyze the client’s needs, then design, test, and develop the computer software in order to meet those needs. They are experts in computing systems, software structure, and recognizing the limitations of the existing hardware. This set of engineers make an average of $106,500 per year.
4 – Mobile developer
A mobile developer creates software for mobile devices and technology. Whether for an Android, Apple or Windows platform, a mobile developer must learn the software development environment and programming languages for their chosen platform. Mobile developers are the IT professionals responsible for designing, building, and maintaining mobile applications. Depending on their platform specialization (and how employers refer to them), they may think of themselves as Android developers, iOs developers, app developers, or mobile app developers. Mobile application development is similar in many ways to traditional software development, but app developers have to think about many more hardware specifications and configurations because their products need to work the same way on devices that can be very different. This set of IT professionals make an average of $115,820 per year.
3 – Data Scientist
Data scientists are analytical experts who utilize their skills in both technology and social science to find trends and manage data. They use industry knowledge, contextual understanding, skepticism of existing assumptions to uncover solutions to business challenges. A data scientist is someone who knows how to extract meaning from data and interpret the same, which requires both tools and methods from statistics and machine learning, as well as being human. Data scientists spend a lot of time in the process of collecting, cleaning, and munging data, because data never comes refined. This process requires persistence, statistics, and software engineering skills. Skills that are also necessary for understanding biases in the data, and for debugging logging output from code. It is the work of the data scientist to discover patterns to this data and build models and algorithms around what has been observed. This set of IT experts make an average of $122,000 every annum.
2 – Development Operations Engineer
Development operations engineers have in-depth knowledge of operational issues and technology and are tasked with studying and observing functioning systems and recording the performance results. They are also responsible for configuring operational priorities, determining project objectives, and developing operations solutions by defining, studying, estimating, and screening alternative solutions. A Development operations engineer must know how to manage the IT infrastructure that supports software code in dedicated, Multi-tenant, or hybrid cloud environments. They might have to provision resources, select an appropriate deployment model, the direct testing protocol to validate each release, and monitor performance after release. This set of engineers make an average of $122,000 per annum.
1 – Software Architect
Wikipedia defines a software architect as a “software development expert who makes high-level design choices and tries to enforce technical standards, including software coding standards, tools, and platforms.” Architects make high-level design choices based on their programming experience. An architect has thought through all the aspects of software, just like an architect that builds a house. Software architects take care of such significant aspects as functionality, performance, resilience, reuse, comprehensibility, scalability, security, technology constraints, and tradeoffs. This is a very marketable career in computer science because it involves a lot of other sciences, business, and interpersonal management skills. This set of IT professionals make an average of $139,500 per annum.
Conclusion
Time and demand shape the future of many marketable careers. The easiest way to survive them all as a computer scientist is to adapt to the wind of change as they sweep along. Predictions all lead to the need for computer scientists and IT professionals for the development of technology, be it 6G or Quantum computing. Read more.
References
Recommendations
The future of computer science is the automation of repetitive tasks and other tasks that require speed. The future of computer science is the creation of system that make life easier to live and this facilitated by creators and those listed within this article. Marketable skills with regards to computer science are the ones that offer computer scientists the opportunity to create and develop products that make people’s lives easier.
