Many of us are in the OSU Post-Bacc CompSci program, which means that many of us are not spring chickens. In fact, quite a number of us have already fought in the trenches of depressed job markets and inadequate salaries in our former career paths with little hope in sight. Which naturally brings me to the next topic of reasons for transitioning into computer science from prior employment—the economic struggles of professional millennials.
The legal field came with the common garden-variety prejudices, some more apparent than others depending on where you lived. A younger attorney is viewed as lacking sufficient experience. An attorney that didn’t drive a luxury car or wear top-tier expensive professional wear was viewed as struggling for income, an obvious sign of lacking success in case verdicts and settlements. Unfortunately, these prejudices still rang true in 2012, despite the poor health of the national economy. I hope that I can provide a relatable story for those who, like me, entered their professional careers at the most inopportune time: the 5 years trailing the 2008 housing crisis.
My law career started with a burst of fast pace Seattle living—a mix of early morning commutes, lunchtime speed-walking in blazers and pumps, and prayers to the rush hour traffic gods that your shift ends before the streets fill with concert goers or Seahawks season ticket holders. While this may sound like a normal life for some, for me it was absolute culture shock. Let’s put it this way, angry community members in my little hometown complained about the installation of a “second” stop light through main street.
Fast forward to my first opportunity as an attorney in Seattle Washington, amongst posh wanna-be musicians and trust-fund children of tech-transplants. Despite the post-2008 recession still taking its toll on the economy, everyone in Seattle sparkled. Moving to this shining city with less than 20 bucks in my bank account and an old rusted Buick Regal, I was quickly familiarized with ‘light hearted’ jokes made at my expense when other attorneys spotted my car, or my budget brown-bag lunch. And, of course, my age kept me, and other attorneys similarly situated, a healthy pace behind the “5 to 10 years experienced” lawyers who pulled out each rung of the ladder as they went.
Being young and poor is temporary. We all expect the daily stress that comes with both, and assume that our peers will eventually take us seriously. For previous generations this moment was fleeting, where even non-professional jobs provided buying power to purchase a house, car, and support a stay-at-home wife and 2.5 kids. However, in today’s economic environment and cost of living, such privileges are practically unheard of. As the American Dream dies a little with each generation, many of us are switching gears and investing in new, viable lifestyles and employment. Matched with the growing demand for jobs in math, science, and tech over the next decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and it’s obvious why many of us are here together.
We are all looking for a better life in terms of financial freedom, which amounts to at least one of the reasons for enrolling in OSU’s Post-Bacc program. The doors that this program unlocks and opens are infinite, and for those of us fighting uphill battles with income stagnation and ever-rising costs of living, it will most likely be life changing.
