Careers in Computer Science

The field of computer science is vast and provides opportunities for diverse, high-growth careers. From software engineer to data scientist, you’ll have many options to choose from. Let’s find out what computer science is, and look at some of the career paths available in this field.

When most people think about computer science, they often think only of computer programming. Programming is certainly part of computer science, but it’s important to know that computer science is actually a broad field that encompasses much more. When you study computer science, chances are you will be engaging with the theory, design, development, and application of software and software systems. For example, you might be working on how software is designed and developed, or creating the algorithms that make up the software. You can choose to focus your studies in areas like artificial intelligence, vision and graphics, programming languages, security, and more!

Computer scientists need to develop a great deal of technical skills in order to be able to design, develop, and analyze software and software systems. Things like mathematics, technical writing, and programming are some of the important technical skills required for computer scientists. What people may not realize, however, is that just as important as those technical skills are 21st century skills! A computer science professional, for example, will very often be tasked with problems that don’t have obvious solutions and require thinking in a creative way. It is also a big misconception that computer scientists work in isolation. In fact, most in the computer science field work as part of a team, and may even engage in pair programming where two programmers work together at a single station on a project. Skills like communication, collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity are essential for anyone working in computer science.

If you’re wondering if computer science is a field worth exploring, first ask yourself if you have an interest and curiosity in technology and problem solving. If you do, then think about an area that you might like to focus on (e.g., data science, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software engineering, etc.). Another thing to consider is that we live in a time when just about every industry requires the skills of computer scientists, which means you can combine your interests with the work you do as a computer scientist. For example, you can work in software development for an automobile company, a clothing company, or even a hospital.

The field of computer science is growing and changing as time goes on. Consider a background in computer science, and it will open many doors to an exciting and lucrative career!