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*U-Wire member papers have full permission to reprint all or part of this column. Enjoy! This Week: • How do I choose between two good professions? • Am I too old to major in computer science? (questions may have been edited for length, grammar and/or to maintain the sender's privacy.) I am a 30-year-old college student who keeps struggling with her major. Every time I think I have decided I change my mind again. I have it narrowed down to two at this point but I find myself feeling very nervous now that I am near the end of my basics and I am facing a choice. Psychology is on one choice, but I would need a master's to make any real money. I have been in contact with a local company to talk to someone about their career path, but have not gotten a return call. My next choice is art or communication design. I currently work in this field and sometimes feel that getting a degree in this area would make me more marketable. I would like to move toward art direction but wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life with high-pressure deadlines! What to
do! Could I be missing something? It sounds like you've already done a good bit of thinking about the practical applications of your two career choices. You've tried to contact professionals in the field, you've given thought to job prospects and you've considered the nature of the jobs themselves. It looks to me like all that's left is for you to actually choose which one you'd rather do. Do your best to forget, for a moment, about the money concerns and the state of the job market. Take a walk, phone up a friend or two, or sit down with a pen and paper and list what appeals to you - and doesn't appeal to you - about both lines of work. Give serious thought to which of the two majors, on balance, interests you more. Flip through your course catalog and circle the classes that look intriguing; if you find yourself more excited about courses in one major vs. the other, that's a pretty good sign right there. And do keep talking to profs and professionals in those fields. See if you can set up internships or office visits; maybe you could even shadow someone for a day. Visit Web sites like that for the Occupational Outlook Handbook and learn about the day-to-day lives of people who work in each field. And remember that, whether you're 20, 30 or 40, your college major does not dictate your career choice. Your major will provide you with the grounding and expertise you need to succeed in that field, but it will also provide you with far more practical skills that you can use no matter where you end up. (For instance, a psych major will give you keen insight into how we all mentally tick; this can help build your interpersonal relationship, leadership, communication and critical thinking skills. Art/communications design will similarly help you open up your mind, think creatively and organize those thoughts in a more presentable format.) Once you've spent some time with yourself figuring out your own dreams and desires, you'll inevitably feel more confident about yourself and the direction your education is taking. Remember that a major does not seal your career direction - and besides, you can always minor in the subject you don't major in, or even double major if you have the time and feel you can handle the workload. Myles Helfand, General Advisor I am 40 years old and pursuing a bachelor's degree in computer science, without any prior experience in the field. What is your opinion: Am I doing the right thing, or I am just wasting my time? When I look for a job will I face any prejudice because of my age? First and foremost, it is against the law for an employer to take your age into account when deciding whether or not to hire you, or for the allocation of assignments after you are hired. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 is fairly explicit on this point, and while I don't recommend it for light, pleasure reading, it wouldn't be a bad idea to surf www.eeoc.gov if you are genuinely concerned about prejudice on the part of a potential employer. What is not illegal, however, is hiring a candidate who exhibits experience above and beyond that of his or her peers. While you may or may not have experience in the field of Information Technology, your other previous work experience will have taught you an understanding of many intangible skills that younger, more technically experienced candidates may not have. As an engineer who is often tasked with interviewing candidates for technical positions, it is a pleasant surprise to come upon an applicant exhibiting a professional poise, competent oral and written communication skills, and an understanding of what it means to be a member of a team. These qualities can go a long way to sell a candidate to a potential employer. To sum up,
Computer Science is a field forgiving to late-comers and outsiders.
In today's technology driven economy, a sure-fire recipe for success
is to take an existing body of knowledge and add technical sophistication.
Computer Science is always best applied by professionals who understand
both the technology and the business. Ian Richards, Compsci Advisor While our VAVAs are good, we're not gods - please keep our disclaimer in mind when reading our advice.
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