i agree with the sentiment that 'if you're good, you'll find work and get paid for it'.
the thing about cs is that its definitely a field that you have to enjoy, and have some aptitude for, in order to succeed. coding and problem solving should be fun. it just has to click with you. if its not coming, then you're probably better off not forcing it.
as for the job market, it seems pretty good right now for talented people. i'm 27 and working in the financial sector right now, but started out more interested in pure tech stuff. but if you want $$, you have to go finance. there are actually interesting projects here, too. the trick is to find a company that suits your work style-- big and corporate, small and personal, and everything in between.
salary wise, i should be breaking 200k salary this coming year (base + bonus). out of school, i was part of a dot-bomb for about 6 months and then worked two other jobs before arriving where i am now-- i made about 90k at both of those.
experience is key. work while you're in school if you can! get that experience, get an internship, do something that allows you to write and read some code. don't expect school to give you enough to get by. but at the same time, be solid in your cs fundamentals so you know how to interview. you'd be amazed at how many 3.8+ gpa cs students i've interviewed that can't answer basic questions about oo and data structures. they're right out of school- this should be fresh in their minds. i cut more slack on these topics to people who've been working for a few years..
anyway, bottom line is if you're good then have no worries- there will be work and there will be pretty good money.
otherwise, find something else that you can excel at and enjoy. you can't really fake being a good programmer.
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i agree with the sentiment that 'if you're good, you'll find work and get paid for it'.
the thing about cs is that its definitely a field that you have to enjoy, and have some aptitude for, in order to succeed. coding and problem solving should be fun. it just has to click with you. if its not coming, then you're probably better off not forcing it.
as for the job market, it seems pretty good right now for talented people. i'm 27 and working in the financial sector right now, but started out more interested in pure tech stuff. but if you want $$, you have to go finance. there are actually interesting projects here, too. the trick is to find a company that suits your work style-- big and corporate, small and personal, and everything in between.
salary wise, i should be breaking 200k salary this coming year (base + bonus). out of school, i was part of a dot-bomb for about 6 months and then worked two other jobs before arriving where i am now-- i made about 90k at both of those.
experience is key. work while you're in school if you can! get that experience, get an internship, do something that allows you to write and read some code. don't expect school to give you enough to get by. but at the same time, be solid in your cs fundamentals so you know how to interview. you'd be amazed at how many 3.8+ gpa cs students i've interviewed that can't answer basic questions about oo and data structures. they're right out of school- this should be fresh in their minds. i cut more slack on these topics to people who've been working for a few years..
anyway, bottom line is if you're good then have no worries- there will be work and there will be pretty good money.
otherwise, find something else that you can excel at and enjoy. you can't really fake being a good programmer.