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Very vast indeed, that's my main problem. I'd maybe like to specialise in AI, or deep learning etc, but it is because of it sounding cool, rather than me having

Very vast indeed, that's my main problem. I'd maybe like to specialise in AI, or deep learning etc, but it is because of it sounding cool, rather than me having some concrete plan in mind.

tboyd47 9y ago
Well, if you want to delve into a subject for curiosity alone then university would be the place to do it. Just don't expect it to necessarily turn into a career. Maybe just answer this: do you enjoy working with people, or not? Then, after that, what are you optimizing for: money, or job satisfaction?
- Eugeleo 9y ago
  Those two questions are very difficult to answer for an 18yo. Although I never really worked with them when programming, in general I don't mind working with people. I like helping others and collaborating in a team. Well, and the question of money vs job satisfaction... I'd take the money, now (ideally both ofc). Not sure what I'd pick five years from now, though. (I know you probably meant me to answer these questions to myself, but I posted it here anyway)
  - tboyd47 9y ago
    If you don't mind working with people then I'd gravitate more towards jobs that require teamwork. Those tend to be easiest to break into because you have people around you that can help you ramp up. Getting hired for a "lone genius"-type role usually will require you to present some kind of pedigree such as a PhD or leadership on a well-known open source project. We all want both money and job satisfaction. Generally, large corporations and governments tend to be the biggest purchasers of software, and that's where the money is. The downside is that the bureaucracy and politics of those large orgs tend to attract a lot of unsavory characters and produce a lot of stress in people. Non-profits, small businesses, and startups need software too, and can be more satisfying to work with. It sounds to me like web development is going to be the job (or at least a job) for you. So you'll probably do fine with a general CS education. It's easy to get a job in web development, so use your time at college to branch out into whatever you find interesting, like AI, deep learning, etc. Unless you go for your masters', you probably won't get the chance again.

Very vast indeed, that's my main problem. I'd maybe like to specialise in AI, or deep learning etc, but it is because of it sounding cool, rather than me having some concrete plan in mind.

tboyd47 9y ago

Well, if you want to delve into a subject for curiosity alone then university would be the place to do it. Just don't expect it to necessarily turn into a career. Maybe just answer this: do you enjoy working with people, or not? Then, after that, what are you optimizing for: money, or job satisfaction?

Eugeleo 9y ago
Those two questions are very difficult to answer for an 18yo. Although I never really worked with them when programming, in general I don't mind working with people. I like helping others and collaborating in a team. Well, and the question of money vs job satisfaction... I'd take the money, now (ideally both ofc). Not sure what I'd pick five years from now, though. (I know you probably meant me to answer these questions to myself, but I posted it here anyway)
- tboyd47 9y ago
  If you don't mind working with people then I'd gravitate more towards jobs that require teamwork. Those tend to be easiest to break into because you have people around you that can help you ramp up. Getting hired for a "lone genius"-type role usually will require you to present some kind of pedigree such as a PhD or leadership on a well-known open source project. We all want both money and job satisfaction. Generally, large corporations and governments tend to be the biggest purchasers of software, and that's where the money is. The downside is that the bureaucracy and politics of those large orgs tend to attract a lot of unsavory characters and produce a lot of stress in people. Non-profits, small businesses, and startups need software too, and can be more satisfying to work with. It sounds to me like web development is going to be the job (or at least a job) for you. So you'll probably do fine with a general CS education. It's easy to get a job in web development, so use your time at college to branch out into whatever you find interesting, like AI, deep learning, etc. Unless you go for your masters', you probably won't get the chance again.