After College, What Type of Jobs Should One Seek?

Sushant Bhatia asks: "I'm coming to the end of my Masters degree, and I'm on the prowl for jobs. However, there are so many types out there it's just overwhelming for someone who's never had to go through the job-hunting process before. So, what should I do? Should I go for a full-time, contract, half-time, or something else? Also, what kind of position should a person with a Master's in Computer Science be looking for (other than dish washer)? I've been looking at senior software developer positions, but is that too high up the ladder for someone 'fresh' to cope with? My current manager (research lab) says that 'You should always find a job that is above your skill level so that you can learn and be challenged.' I think he's right, but is that something Slashdot readers agree with? What was your job coming out of university?"

Comments

Re:...probably the moderation system...

[PakProtector]

Listen to the gears in your head grind themselves into nothingness as they try to divide by zero?

See, here, listen, I'll just run this little program I have here so you can hear the sound that a computer makes when it divides by ze1p2984h5t03849tNO CARRIER

Re:Something's Wrong Here

[PakProtector]

I recommend we make manditory for /. readership, in addition to a Geek Card, a roll of duct tape to be wrapped around one's head to prevent sudden 'sploding when one finds this sort of thing and thinks about it's repeFDGFQ#%$35@#%$rfNO CARRIER

Re:two words: self employment

[toddbu]

Who in their right mind marked this a troll? The initial post is asking what he should do with his newly minted Masters, the response is to go make a job instead of finding one, and somehow this is inappropriate? Or perhaps the moderator is simply a tax-and-spend Democrat who doesn't appreciate the truth when he sees it.

For what it's worth, I totally agree on becoming self-employed. A Masters in CS is really pretty meaningless in today's market. If you're in any technical field, prospective bosses are more worried about whether you can do the job than what your credentials are. Big companies like Microsoft send you through multiple interviews because they know that they can't trust your resume. I have a relative that bills out at $75/hr and his credentials are that he finished high school. The system may not seem fair, but whether you're self-employed or not, your income is directly proportional to your ability to convince others that you're worth the kind of money you're seeking. To the self-employed it's called "sales", and in a corporation it's called "sucking up".

Re:Master's in Computer Science, eh?

[PakProtector]

Sssh... You'll let them know what we Engineers think...