Engineering Software Engineering Bachelors and future employment

[Hierophant]

In two years, if I decide to go into software engineering, would the outcome be bad?

I guess I would like to understand what the community here thinks about this, specifically factors relating to demand of the majors, outsource-ability, over-saturation and so on...

What do you guys think about getting a Comp Sci. Degree or Software engineering degree?

 

[analogdesign]

They are very much in demand in the moment. They were not in demand about ten years ago. Things change.

Most jobs out outsourcable but there is a lot of demand for good software engineers right now. Like all booms, I'd bet the current boom will eventually turn to bust. I have no idea when that will happen but maybe things will still be booming in two years and you'll be able to get a good job.

Try to be the best software engineer you can and be open to relocation because my understanding is there is much, much more demand for software engineers in California, for instance, than nebraska.

 

[Hierophant]

This seems like a viable option for me then. Do you anything about Vancouver's tech scene?

Thanks!

 

[analogdesign]

I do not. I've heard that BC is strong particularly in Game programming and VFX but I don't have any specific knowledge, sorry.

 

[homeomorphic]

The world is becoming more and more dependent on computers and the internet, so I don't see the computer science boom slowing down soon, and I've seen various projections to that effect by other people. Of course, the internet/computers have been generally on rise all along, so maybe I'm wrong. It's better to have your bases covered and prepare well in advance for the job search, just in case. I suppose what could happen is that people like you might be so well incentivized to pursue it that the market demand will be met and it won't be in quite as high a demand.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/26...-see-the-highest-it-job-growth-come-2020.html

 

[JasonRoberts]

Definitely a Comp Sci. Degree over a Software one. More employment opportunities.

 

[Hierophant]

Definitely a Comp Sci. Degree over a Software one. More employment opportunities.

So then, say a combination of something like computer science and Machine learning, would you recommend that?

Thanks for all the comments, I really appreciate it!

 

[preceptor1919]

I do not. I've heard that BC is strong particularly in Game programming and VFX but I don't have any specific knowledge, sorry.

vancouver has EA. I am also thinking about Software engineering.what is the difference between computer science and software engineering?

 

[analogdesign]

vancouver has EA. I am also thinking about Software engineering.what is the difference between computer science and software engineering?

In theory computer science is more geared to research and the theory of computation, while software engineering is more geared to the application of engineering principles in the construction of large software systems. In practice they are so mixed up that the different terms are pretty much meaningless with respect to a degree. The best programs I've seen are computer science programs that are in the college's school of engineering (like for example at Cal, MIT, and Stanford). Then you'll have a good grounding in math and physics as well as computer science and software engineering techniques. You'll most likely have a lot of opportunity after that.

 

[JasonRoberts]

So then, say a combination of something like computer science and Machine learning, would you recommend that?

Machine learning is just a small part of Computer Science. I know it sounds nice, but you will have to learn a lot of Math and Algos, at a theoretical level, before actually implementing it. You can use right now tools from MATLAB to use a neural network in just minutes. But understanding what is really behind the tools is what separates a good engineer from all the average ones.