Computing jobs in the UK
Author
If you''re not living in the UK this won''t make much sense.
Right some background on my situation.
I''m at Durham University studying Natural Science (you get to choose up to 3 sciences to study). I graduate in a year and should get a 1st or 2:1, and my degree will list the subjects Maths, Physics and Computer Science. The compsci side included courses on c++ and java, but also OO theory like design patterns, reuse and all that jazz.
I''ve also been programming on & off since I was about 8. I''m proficient in C,C++ & Java (also know some basic & fortran, + SQL & html)
1st Question:
Will the fact my degree is not in CS affect my changes of getting a job in computers?
2nd Question:
What kind of IT jobs actually are there? I know programmer (game/serious) and network manager, but what else? I want to program, but not necessarily just that. While I love programming games, apparently pay is much lower. Could I find a serious IT job that''s easy and pays well and develop games on the side - network manager springs to mind.
3rd Question:
Just what do IT people get payed in the UK
ie game programmers, serious programmers etc..
John 3:16
Hi.
1) No. I have a Joint Hons degree in Biology & Comp Sci.
2) the IT market is depressed and so whilst there are jobs out there they are few & far between, and the starting salaries are depressed compared to 18 months ago. (I know as I am trying to move jobs)
3) Can''t comment on game programmers as it is a hobby with me. I work with microprocessors and design / build / meet with customers to board level and my salary is > £30k and I have a load more benefits (fully financed car, etc)
Having said that, in my company I am one of the top earners for SW and I do work long hours / travel a lot.
To get my first job I needed to provide some examples of software I had written. As it was a visualisation job they were more interested in what I could do with graphics, so all I can say is unless you have a specific area of IT you want to get in to, try to get a range of experience and put together a portfolio of porgrams / abilities for your interests (you say network mangler, can you configure firewalls, build PC''S. How up to date are you with security knowledge (Do you use PGP for example). Can you set up and run Apache / PHP on a windows box, design websites. (it may even be worth hosting and running a website for a friend or local club to get experience as most businesses need admins that can also control / admin web sites.)
Thsese are just a few ideas and thoughts, take them with as much of the dead sea as you wish to. Feel free to contact me off list if you want to talk some more.
Bp.
1) No. I have a Joint Hons degree in Biology & Comp Sci.
2) the IT market is depressed and so whilst there are jobs out there they are few & far between, and the starting salaries are depressed compared to 18 months ago. (I know as I am trying to move jobs)
3) Can''t comment on game programmers as it is a hobby with me. I work with microprocessors and design / build / meet with customers to board level and my salary is > £30k and I have a load more benefits (fully financed car, etc)
Having said that, in my company I am one of the top earners for SW and I do work long hours / travel a lot.
To get my first job I needed to provide some examples of software I had written. As it was a visualisation job they were more interested in what I could do with graphics, so all I can say is unless you have a specific area of IT you want to get in to, try to get a range of experience and put together a portfolio of porgrams / abilities for your interests (you say network mangler, can you configure firewalls, build PC''S. How up to date are you with security knowledge (Do you use PGP for example). Can you set up and run Apache / PHP on a windows box, design websites. (it may even be worth hosting and running a website for a friend or local club to get experience as most businesses need admins that can also control / admin web sites.)
Thsese are just a few ideas and thoughts, take them with as much of the dead sea as you wish to. Feel free to contact me off list if you want to talk some more.
Bp.
1: No. Your skills and experience are what potential employers are interested in. Skills are best shown with demos, not bits of paper. Most CompSci courses in the UK are rubbish anyway IMHO and the IT industry knows it. Besides which it is often advantageous to have knowledge of other subjects when programming. If you needed to code an application which analysed ecological data and projected likely future developments then knowledge of natural sciences would be an advantage.
2. hmm. Not sure, really. I''m only interested in 3D simulations. Games, of course, but I would be happy coding simulations for research/education projects. If you have no moral objections to it you could try and get a job writing VR battlefield simulations to train soldiers. This is essentially game programming but for much more money
3. Well these figures are essentially guesses and it varies wildly anyway but to give you an idea...
games programmer:
start: 20k
3yrs : 30k
5yrs : 40k
10yrs: 80k +
bussiness applications programmer:
start: 25k
3yrs : 35k
5yrs : 50k
10yrs: 100k +
operating systems programmer:
start: 30k
3yrs : 50k
5yrs : 70k
10yrs: 150k +
embedded systems programmer:
start: 30k
3yrs : 60k
5yrs : 90k
10yrs: 200k +
If I''m way off with any of these estimates somebody please correct me. Embedded systems programming (and OS programming sometimes) carries the extra responsibility that lives may depend on your code e.g. the software that runs the autopilot on an airliner. Thus it is harder and pays better.
Geocyte Has Committed Suicide.
2. hmm. Not sure, really. I''m only interested in 3D simulations. Games, of course, but I would be happy coding simulations for research/education projects. If you have no moral objections to it you could try and get a job writing VR battlefield simulations to train soldiers. This is essentially game programming but for much more money
3. Well these figures are essentially guesses and it varies wildly anyway but to give you an idea...
games programmer:
start: 20k
3yrs : 30k
5yrs : 40k
10yrs: 80k +
bussiness applications programmer:
start: 25k
3yrs : 35k
5yrs : 50k
10yrs: 100k +
operating systems programmer:
start: 30k
3yrs : 50k
5yrs : 70k
10yrs: 150k +
embedded systems programmer:
start: 30k
3yrs : 60k
5yrs : 90k
10yrs: 200k +
If I''m way off with any of these estimates somebody please correct me. Embedded systems programming (and OS programming sometimes) carries the extra responsibility that lives may depend on your code e.g. the software that runs the autopilot on an airliner. Thus it is harder and pays better.
Geocyte Has Committed Suicide.
Author
All very well saying OS programmer etc, but there can''t be many people writing OSs at the moment (apart from all the free ones).
And does MS employ codeers in the UK?
What jobs would be likely to provide me with programming but not only that - I find something that needs solving and write code to solve it for example. Rather than being someone''s code monkey!
John 3:16
And does MS employ codeers in the UK?
What jobs would be likely to provide me with programming but not only that - I find something that needs solving and write code to solve it for example. Rather than being someone''s code monkey!
John 3:16
quote:Original post by d000hg
All very well saying OS programmer etc, but there can''t be many people writing OSs at the moment (apart from all the free ones).
And does MS employ codeers in the UK?
Two words: Embedded processors.
quote:
What jobs would be likely to provide me with programming but not only that - I find something that needs solving and write code to solve it for example. Rather than being someone''s code monkey!
Programming lead, software engineer - but you need a few years of experience to get those, typically. But once you get beyond a Jr position, you shouldn''t be a ''code monkey'' anymore.
Alternately, get an IT or programming job at a very small company... they don''t have enough employees to have seperate people doing the designs and the implementation work.
quote:Original post by d000hg
1st Question:
Will the fact my degree is not in CS affect my changes of getting a job in computers?
Hell yes! I''m surprised everyone else is telling you something different. Almost every computing job I look at these days requires a computing-related degree plus some experience.
Now, it''s not -impossible- to get a job without that degree, but are your chances ''affected''? Damn right they are. Gaming jobs may well look at demos, but other places will invite you to interview based on experience and qualifications.
Regarding the money, if you love something, isn''t it worth taking a minor pay cut for it? 2/3 of a lot is still quite a lot. Geocyte posted pretty accurate figures.
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