Back in 2020, I decided to pursue a post-baccalaureate degree in computer science when I reached a point in my finance career where each day felt dull, unexciting, and restrictive. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, life is simply too short to not follow your dreams, so I went for it. But before committing, I researched the computer science career path extensively. I found that graduates would have the opportunity to work on abstract/unstructured problems that present new and exciting challenges. This sounded amazing to me as I have always had an insatiable desire to learn, regardless of topic. Computer science sounded like the perfect choice and this goal has kept me engaged in my studies over the last two years.
I have learned so much in my time at OSU and have completed projects that I did not originally think I was capable of. However, now that I will be graduating soon, my attention is starting to shift from academics to obtaining a job—and I must admit, it’s got me feeling a bit down. Perhaps I am being picky, but the current opportunities in the market are a bit unappealing. To be candid, most of these job postings sound just as boring as finance. I know it’s likely due to the state of the economy, which definitely won’t be permanent, but it’s impacting the opportunities available to new grads since companies are able to be extremely selective with the influx of qualified and experienced developers re-entering the job market with the recent wave of layoffs in the industry.
This issue has got me thinking over the last month: is this the right path for me? If these opportunities don’t interest me, maybe I’m just not meant for a corporate career, even if the day to day is slightly better than before. I’m a bit of an academic at heart—my mother was a teacher for 25 years, and she showed me the joy of learning at an early age. I’ve always loved the challenge of conquering a new concept and implementing it with confidence after persistent practice. That feeling is something I have chased my entire life and I’m worried that I won’t be able to replicate it working a job creating basic CRUD applications, websites, or fixing small bugs.
So, I’ve been exploring my options, and I find myself extremely interested in pursuing a master’s degree. I know I’m a little late to the game, but this is something I never really considered until this month. Of course, I wish I would have had this realization a little sooner, but I’m trying not to beat myself up over it. Oregon State is my first choice because I am passionate about the organization and what it stands for. If possible, I would love to pursue another degree here! Unfortunately, I’ve missed the deadline to apply for the M.S. in computer science, but the M.Eng is still open. However, I’m not sure if this is the right choice since the M.S. path sounds more like what I’d be interested in, but the M.Eng path still sounds like a lot of fun.
I definitely have a lot to think about! I don’t have to have the answer today, or even this week, but I need to know which track to pursue by mid-February. For now, I will continue as if my intent is to get a job at the end of the semester. I will be attending both the virtual and in-person career fairs in February, so maybe some clarity will emerge from those events. In the meantime, I will need to set aside some quiet time each day to sit and reflect on my future to help inform which path to take at this fork in the road.
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