Before you read this list, think about what a job in computing entails. I imagine you envision a geeky person hunched over their keyboard in a minute cubicle filled with empty pizza boxes. They’ve probably not seen natural light for days and smell vaguely of cheesy Wotsits. And they almost certainly wear glasses and braces. Their speech is punctuated with “lol”, “0wned” and “kthxbye” and they think soap is a film starring Samuel L. Jackson.

And they’d probably be clearing their desk as well since, obviously, their job just got outsourced to India and China – at the same time!

If any of that was even remotely close to your vision then read on.

• Demand for computing graduates has doubled in the past four years. Despite this, in the same time the number of graduates has dropped by a third. The job market is larger than ever and growing. A study in the US in 2006 found that only 2-3% of jobs were going offshore – that’s less than the number of jobs being created!
• Almost every website you use is looking for employees. From Last.fm to Facebook. YouTube to Digg. There’s a huge array of great jobs out there!
• Forget about sitting in a cramped, grey cubicle. Think large, open and modern:
  
  Flickr
  
  OpenDNS
  
  Google
• Be part of something exciting. Computers have changed the world like nothing else and yet it’s an extremely young field. People are still experimenting with crazy ideas and breaking new ground every day. Example: 5 years ago nobody knew what social networking was – it didn’t even exist. Now everyone and their mum is using it.
• Computing’s not about being a loner. Tech companies are increasingly leading the way at creating socially energetic environments. If you’re not playing beach volleyball on the Google campus,
  
  Google

  you may be dominating your Flickr faceball tournament.

  
  Flickr

  Or maybe going to a gig with your colleagues at Last.fm.

• Perks. Companies are constantly coming up with bigger and better perks. Free gym membership, health packages and dinner are becoming increasingly popular. Microsoft offers “Mobil Medicine” where the company dispatches doctors to employee’s homes in case of emergency. At Google you can get a massage, bring your dog in to work, and go to the company movie day. This is just a tiny selection of the innovative and fun perks companies are offering.

• the work we do impacts millions in a real and fundamental way

  The work you do will affect people now. Unlike in other jobs you don’t need to wait until after you’ve retired to make a difference, something you create today could be used by thousands tomorrow.
  “Our team [at Facebook] is made up of some of the smartest people that I have ever met, and I am inspired, challenged, and humbled each day… the work we do impacts millions in a real and fundamental way.”

If you think I’ve missed out anything, feel free to contact us and we’ll add it to the list!

So who am I to rabbit on about this stuff? I’m 20 and currently half-way through my computing science degree. And I can’t wait to go out and get a job. This industry is full of really interesting and intelligent people who come up with amazing stuff every day. And who wouldn’t want to work in a place where covering someone’s car in post-it-notes isn’t berated but celebrated?

InPhonic

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 24th, 2008 at 9:32 am and is filed under Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.