Before you commit years of your life to studying something you think you might enjoy or be good at, you first may want to think about the possible career paths that it could lead to and whether you can see yourself working in any of them. Otherwise, you may well find that you are wasting your time. What type of careers can a degree in computer science lead to? In truth, there are many potential options here that we are going to discuss. This way, you can identify whether this is the right path for you. If you are already taking a computer science course, you can then start to assess the different options that are available to you.
Software Developer
As you may have already been able to guess or work out, the most obvious career path that an online masters in computer science or similar course will lead to is becoming a software developer. This job involves creating various programs that perform tasks on computer-based devices such as laptops and smartphones. As well as the development of the software, testing and maintenance also play a central role here. Fluency in computer languages is a must if you are hoping to excel. Also, if you have so-called ‘soft skills’ such as communication, this is also going to play a major role in your success in this path.
Computer Hardware Engineer
If you are interested in the hardware of computer systems, becoming an engineer in this field is another potential route of the computer scientist. Essentially, you will be involved in the design, development, and testing of a range of different components of a computer, such as routers and circuit boards. As well as a high level of technical expertise, you are also going to require a good level of creativity here too. You need to be good with your hands as well as having excellent theoretical knowledge. You will also have to be ready to update this over time as different components go in and out of being used on a regular basis.
Computer Systems Analyst
Next up on the list, we have a computer systems analyst, which involves you advising various organisations about their current hardware and software and the different ways in which improvements could be made to it all. As well the necessary technical knowledge, you will need to have the type of strong communication skills that allows you to communicate with an organisation about why they need to update their current tech and the different advantages that the systems you are proposing to offer to them. While in this job role, you need to have one eye continually on the future as this will allow you to track trends in the industry and respond to them accordingly. You need to have business knowledge as you will be making the type of suggestions that impact a business as a whole.
Web Developer
While you do not necessarily need to have a background in computer science to become a web developer, it is a path that you may find yourself embarking upon. You need to be able to understand a range of different coding abilities, as well as helping to develop the type of sites that provide a major benefit to organisations. In addition, a lot of businesses will have a grand vision in mind with regards to the type of site that they want to create, and you need to be willing and able to guide their expectations and listen and assess their main priorities.
Information Security Analyst
With the widespread rise of technology, the door has been opened to hackers and others with nefarious intentions. Therefore, organisations have a huge vested interest in protecting their assets and making sure that they are not at risk of an attack themselves. This is where the job of an information security analyst comes in. Essentially, you need to be able to assess and identify where the risks are likely to come from in the first place and be an expert in installing systems that will have a major positive benefit. You also need to have analysing skills as this will help you investigate thoroughly when a potential breach occurs and improve and repair security systems.
IT Project Manager
IT projects need to have someone leading the way, and if this person has a background in computer science, this can have a major positive impact as you are able to oversee everything with a clear technical background. While there are IT project managers who do not have this same type of background, they may also struggle somewhat as they are always going to need external advice. Of course, this type of job requires a great number of so-called soft skills, including the ability to delegate tasks, communicate your ideas thoroughly, and lead a team to achieve a set of pre-defined goals and targets.
Computer Network Architect
Your next potential option of career is to become a computer network architect. While this job role may not be as well-known as some of the other ones that we have already discussed in the section just above, it is a viable option that a lot of organisations are looking for. Essentially, this involves the development and maintenance of networking and data communication systems. With businesses more reliant on communication and data sharing than ever before with the advent of working from home, it is a career path that appears like it will become more and more popular in the years become.
While there are plenty of other options out there for potential career paths involving computer science, these are just a few of the main ones that you should bear in mind. Ultimately, it is worth keeping your options open to begin with. Once you pick a path, you are more likely to specialise and start to develop a niche of your own in which you can really start to make a name for yourself.
