re: Computer engineer career advice

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GPA would run circles around yours

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GPA in the working world means jack shite.

You are acting really grumpy towards a kid who is simply asking for advice. Just saying.

You're right, we should just coddle him like his parents have and tell him he's gonna be the best darn computer engineer ever, no matter how much it seems like he doesn't really want to work for it.

God forbid someone tell the kid he's gonna have to put in the work in school and in the real world when he's done if he wants to be successful.

You people want me on this wall, you NEED me on this wall!!!

So are you saying you're thinking about coding for a living?

I manage coders and used to code myself. It can be a relaxing job or a very stressful job depending on what you're working on or who you're working with. Just like any other job. The people who don't make it typically don't have the problem solving skills to sit there and constantly learn new things which is exactly what coding for a living is. Even people who make it through a spoon fed computer engineering program sometimes wash out and change careers. It's a lot of constant self learning.

I would say you should line up a visit to a shop where people are coding to see what goes on there.

But overall it's a great job. 90% of people can't look at and understand what the frick you are doing so it can be hard to explain. Pays really well if you're good at it. .

I can only speak for the software path.

Is it a good job? Depends on what you want out of a job. You will make 6 figures within 10 years if you are any good and thats just in the technical path. Mgmt gets on up there in money. But you will sit in a cube for 8 hours a day. That being said, work from home is becoming almost ubiquitous in the field for at least part of the week. There is also a creative aspect to software design that can be fulfilling depending on what you find interesting.

Stressful? Depends on your shop. Work for a chop shop contractor and yes, it will be stressful. Work for a large corporation or insitution and you can find a place where you make a shite ton of money for doing jack shite. No matter where you work though, you will likely be altering highly visible production software which affects millions of dollars . Production releases can be stressful.

Hard to get a degree in it? Depends on your proclivity for the mindset of a software designer. Logic and complex modular systems mostly. Good bit of math in school(Calc III). The higher level courses in Algoriths and Networking can be extremely hard, but nothing your average person can't handle if they dedicate themselves.

Hope that helps.

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As just a regular dev you top out at around 100-120 in the Louisiana market. After that you advance in management/leadership/architecture paths or a combination of all 3.

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Yep. Every software engineer I know (in the South LA area) makes between 80 and 120. The management guys I'm friends with make 115-145.

I would say most computer engineering jobs are dull and cubicle oriented like office space, but I really wouldn't know.

At least someone has the common sense to point that out! Some people are just hateful and jealous of someone trying to make the most out of their life because they did not do it with theirs! Thanks for pointing that out :)

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I work my butt off for my grades

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If you're in high school and work your butt off for your grades, you may want to consider another major.