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It's nice seeing other people feel this way -- because at least I'm not alone! Although my story's different, we're in the same boat. I graduated last month, 2

by djmill 12y ago

It's nice seeing other people feel this way -- because at least I'm not alone! Although my story's different, we're in the same boat. I graduated last month, 2nd in my class for computer science. I previously interviewed with Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Twitter -- all rejections! It was super depressing. One of my only friends at school landed a job at Twitter and his GPA was much lower than mine, he didn't work as hard, and now he gets paid 50% more than I do. Yes, 50% more, no exaggerations. Fuck me, right? haha So what am I doing now? I started my first full-time software engineer job last Tuesday with the same Fortune 500 retailer I did internships and co-ops with in the past. I code business applications for the company, it's fun but not super interesting. I'm making good money -- not top dollar, but a fair salary (maybe a little lower than I expected for having 4 internships before graduation, but still.) The real world is boring and no matter what work you're doing, it's probably not going to be super interesting. Think of it this way, even Google needs teams to do their boring work... I'm sure there are bored people at Google getting paid much much more than me (and you)! Needless to say, I'm not excited about my job. I'm excited about getting paid, but work is work. I'm working with the frameworks and languages that I want and I think that's all that really matters in the end. The last thing you need to keep in mind is that the work you're going to do, as a programmer/engineer, will most likely NOT change the world. Company's taglines like "Come Change The World With Us" -- shit like this -- is used so you think their company is doing great things, but they really aren't doing anything great. They use these strategies to attract top talent. It's the same reason Target and Coke use the color 'Red' to sell their products via their label (red means cheap!) Honestly, if you really want to change the world, change professions... and remember, becoming rich != changing the world -- you could own a sweet startup that does nothing more than sends "Yo!" to a friend on your friends list, but this doesn't change the world. So what can you do now that you're bored and you're fortunate enough to have a job in this economy? My suggestion is to work on something you really care about on the side. Make a project for yourself or work on an open source project that you think is helpful or "world changing". Live your life day by day and every now and then think about "how can I make my life easier" -- and build something that does make it easier. Transitioning from school to the real world is really weird. I've done it 4 separate times before graduation (internships and co-ops) and I've always loved work way more than school. We all have high hopes for graduation and when we don't get what we want, we can dwell on it for some time. Your best bet is to take things slow and take action on ideas when they come to you in your free time. Work on open source projects or make something for yourself. Be happy that you have a job and can pay off loans (if you have them) Sorry this response was so long, but I hope it helps in some way :)

ngokevin 12y ago
I think it may have just been your experience, but there are definitely tons of fulfilling and impacting jobs out there.
- djmill 12y ago
  Every job is fulfilling and impacting on some level. One project I worked on generates $150 million in revenue for the company I work for -- essentially saving a huge portion of the business. That's fulfilling for me and that impacts a major corporation and the lives of people who work for this company. But as engineers, we finish one thing and start another. There's no time to bask in our 'glory' and honestly, no one gives two shits about who made a feature work -- all that matters is that it works. What we think is 'impacting' and 'fulfilling' is all relative. What I'm trying to get across here is that most jobs aren't super exciting. If you're not happy in your current situation, keep looking for a job that IS exciting/fulfilling/impacting and don't complain, because you already know what you want and that's not what you currently have. Of course there are jobs that actually impact the world directly, there's just a smaller number of these jobs available. The Google Search team is a team that changes the world, but good luck joining them. Go help with the government health care crisis if you want to change the world. Health care systems are in a terrible state for the future. I'm not trying to be an asshole, I'm just trying to show you that the real world isn't what you've imagined throughout your college career, that's all and it's all good.

by djmill 12y ago

ngokevin 12y ago

I think it may have just been your experience, but there are definitely tons of fulfilling and impacting jobs out there.

djmill 12y ago
Every job is fulfilling and impacting on some level. One project I worked on generates $150 million in revenue for the company I work for -- essentially saving a huge portion of the business. That's fulfilling for me and that impacts a major corporation and the lives of people who work for this company. But as engineers, we finish one thing and start another. There's no time to bask in our 'glory' and honestly, no one gives two shits about who made a feature work -- all that matters is that it works. What we think is 'impacting' and 'fulfilling' is all relative. What I'm trying to get across here is that most jobs aren't super exciting. If you're not happy in your current situation, keep looking for a job that IS exciting/fulfilling/impacting and don't complain, because you already know what you want and that's not what you currently have. Of course there are jobs that actually impact the world directly, there's just a smaller number of these jobs available. The Google Search team is a team that changes the world, but good luck joining them. Go help with the government health care crisis if you want to change the world. Health care systems are in a terrible state for the future. I'm not trying to be an asshole, I'm just trying to show you that the real world isn't what you've imagined throughout your college career, that's all and it's all good.