[Partial]

Are most of you programmers around here CS majors or SE majors? Was it easy to find a job in CS? I am strongly considering making a switch in majors because I do not enjoy the EE classes I have to take for SE. However, I am worried about being able to provide for a family, have a steady job, career hapiness/flexibility, etc.

Any advice one can offer on the matter would be very much appreciated!!

[Dave]

FWIW, I've been trying to get a job with my CS degree for about a year and a half now, and all I've been able to come up with was two or three interviews.

On the other hand, I apparently suck and both looking for jobs and interviews in general. Something about being honest. "What brings you to company X?" "Well, I was driving by and I thought, 'Sure, they're not on my 'evil company' list. I'll apply there."

[Kickaha]

Er, either will do you fine if what you're interested in is programming as a career.

There's no real definition of the difference between CS and SE, and, as a software engineering researcher with a PhD in CS, I'd say that the entire label of 'software engineer' is a misnomer. There's no engineering, just art. (Don't feel bad, Fred Brooks himself stated that any discipline that needs to tack the word 'science' on to the end to tell you that it is... isn't.)

ANYwho... totally up to you. I've found CS to include much more of a broad background, while SE tends to focus on getting a job. It's more of a research vs. trade school issue than anything.

Just remember that anything you learn now to get a job will be obsolete in 10 years, so it's best to have a solid foundation in the fundamentals of theory, etc, so you can most easily keep up without getting left behind.

[Partial]

Do a lot of CS majors end up moving into management and make a better living than what they start out at? I am concerned about the ability to provide for a family and live comfortably, allowing myself to purchase relatively new computers every couple of years, a relatively nice house, a nice, big screen hdtv by the time I am 40, etc.

[MCQ]

If your goal is to work your way into management, it's certainly possible. More than likely, you can either progress upward along a technology oriented route becoming a more skilled engineer, or become a manager that deals with schedules, organizing teams, etc.

[Kickaha]

If management is where you want to end up, then management should be your major, really.

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by Kickaha If management is where you want to end up, then management should be your major, really.

Or a minor, at the very least.

[autodata]

I wouldn't recommend management for undergrad study. Studying management is something to in an MBA program at a top tier school. For an undergrad, study finance, economics or even accounting or engineering, but not management. Also, a big difference between IT and other fields is that there isn't a standard professional degree that separates staff from professionals, meaning that an IT path could likely be more circuitous than other options.

[dfiler]

I'll second the notion that there isn't an agreed upon distinction between CS and SE. CS is generally more theoretical and SE more applied, but there are numerous exceptions to this rule.

My path went as follows:
CS BS --> HCI MS --> Programmer --> Manager/Programmer
I minored in economics while in undergrad and took quite a few management courses as a masters student.

The hardest part of being a manager is dealing with people issues. This is especially true for technical managers in software engineering. It is rare to find someone that can communicate with both technical _and_ non-technical people. Interpersonal skills aren't exactly the specialty of CS types.

My stress level definitely sky-rocketed when promoted to manager. Everyone I manage is older than me... by a couple of decades. Unfortunately, the age issue is something that was left out of my management classes.

Also, there is a definite difference between the daily life of a manager and a grunt. Part of the reason I went into CS was because I like computers. They're predictable, logical, and don't have personality conflicts. Being a manager means that when you walk in the building, you better be prepared to deal with people and issues walking through your door. As a programmer, you can shuffle in, grab some coffee and hide behind the monitor until you're awake.

I would suggest forgetting about the CS vs SE distinction and instead focus on whether management is for you.

Also of more importance is applied vs abstract education. Some educational programs teach specific tools while others teach the theory behind the tools. For instance, I never had computers in any of my computers classes. Not one, ever, in 7+ years of college. The exact opposite is true for many people. Every class involved sitting in front of a screen during class hours.

I think applied education make it easy for ordinary people to find employment. More abstract education is better suited to the cream of the crop. (breaks arm patting my own back ) However, these theoretical/abstract oriented people may have a harder time finding a suitable job.

</rambling off the top of my head>

[spotcatbug]

I had a feeling we had done all this before, sorta recently.