Career and Job
A student sent me an email: “I like your practical advices in the SEGVN website, particular the article “Why go to college?” however the current job market only needs testers and programmers, NOT software engineers or higher level positions. I understand that college education is important but I am still confused about my choice of finishing a college degree then go to work at the same job as people with six months of programming training. Please advise.”
My answer: “Please re read several old articles in the website. There is a big difference between a college degree and a vocational degree regarding a career and a job. If you only want a job then few months of programming training in C++ or Java would be sufficient to qualify you to work as a programmer. What would happen if few years from now the job market changes to another programming language such as Ruby or Ajax? Then you will have to go back and learn these languages. In this case, you are always reacting to the job market because all you want is a “job” NOT a “career”. With a software career, you will start as a programmer or tester but you will move on to other positions and continue to build a career based on your knowledge and experience. You will NOT work as a programmer or tester for long but you could be a project manager, an architect, a business analysts, a system manager or a Chief Information Officer (CIO). A job is a temporary that could change based on market needs but a career is something that last a lifetime.
Few years ago, when visited India, I found that there were many vocational schools that turn out hundred thousand programmers and testers. These people had good jobs because Indian's outsourcing business was doing very well. Recently the market trend is changing as the cost of doing business in India is going up. Many Indian companies begin to outsource programming and testing works to lower cost countries to focus more on higher and more profitable positions such as Architect, System analyst, Project manager etc. That means people with vocational training will be out of work as their wages (Average $800/month) could NOT compete with other lower wage countries such as China, Vietnam, Malaysia (Average $450/month) or African countries (Average $200/month). What will happen to these Indian's programmers and testers? They have to either reduce their wages or have no jobs. However, with the cost of living keeps rising fast, they cannot afford to live with lower wages so their future is still unknown. The outsourcing trend will continue to move works to where the lowest labor cost is, many jobs will also be moving quickly as the market need changes. In my opinion, no one could depend on this kind of job for long. It is essential to build a lifelong career based on good education rather than just a short term position.
My advice: Please stay in school and finish your college degree. Your future is brighter than you think. Do NOT focus too much on the current job market, it will change. I am sure there will be more opportunities for software engineers, computer scientists and information system managers. You should focus on the long terms NOT short term as you are still young with many years ahead. By the way, if you have a college degree in software and possess a foreign language skill, the chance for you to travel, work in a foreign country, earn a good wages, would also be very good as the world is experiencing critical shortage of software professionals.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
