IT/Software career thread: Invert binary trees for dollars.

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Trump's Staff
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Palum said:
OK brosephs I need your opinions. While I have a tech and software background I never took the career path of a coder so somewhat flying blind here.

I have a brother who is graduating a decent state school with his BS in CS soon, OK GPA but nothing outstanding and he's got 4 years of PT experience working in the lab at the school testing new hardware and software to meet IEEE (I think?) specs.

They've offered him his masters for free if he stays on at the lab. Fam is pressuring him to go, I am hesitant. Dad is saying his MS helped him get a great job he would not have otherwise gotten. Dad is 30 years removed from undergrad and job market is way different as are expectations in technology, in my opinion. To be clear, I am not against him obtaining an MS or PhD (or anything) but I think the value proposition has to be looked at as well as the timing. Almost all of the jobs he's looking at only require a BS and some of the larger companies state you can only apply for the entry level positions within 12 months of graduating with BS (clearly aimed at recent grads into internal pipeline). My perception is he's choosing the 'easier' path of just staying in school with no real plan, hoping to figure it out in another 2 years. I also think the risk is greater because if he doesn't do better at his MS, he's going to be competing a lot with higher GPA undergrads with less pay requirements/expectations and will suffer.

So what is your experience for software engineering and/or hardware/embedded devices? I perceive there to be very little practical value from an MS and that it might make his eventual job search harder rather than easier if he's competing with recent BS grads. It would be very different if he were going to a top school (or ivy league) or going for something like CE or EE in postgrad.

Thanks
Click to expand...
GPA is irrelevant for a developer.
 
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Trump's Staff
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Palum said:
Right, so it's basically this:

1) Lose up to 2-3 years full time BS wages/experience
2) Gain up to 2-3 years tuition free + potential Masters degree
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The average wages are 55k + 60k + 70k.

That is low balling it. So his 3 years will cost him 180k.

I would start working right away.
 
Big_w_powah

Big_w_powah

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...I <3 my company...

On a side note: Won the MSP contract. Resume went out a few places. Have interviews Friday; One as a Sr. Sys Admin, one as a Systems Manager. I really don't mind my current work conditions, but fuck the hoops they made me jump through mid-last year, and my boss's "dude, I got a plan, but not telling you lol" horseshit hoop the most.
 
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Big_w_powah

Big_w_powah

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Their plan was to make me a pm. I am. Still jumping through a million hoops to even do the job they ask. Giving up lots of sleep. Etc..

Its time to move.
 
Big_w_powah

Big_w_powah

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Noodleface said:
We told you long ago son
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I know I know. I tunnel visioned winning that msp contract. It was about beating the other guy. I won so I can leave happy.

I really want this management job. Its a big step up in pay and its with a company that does badassery.
 
Big_w_powah

Big_w_powah

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Not turning back now but i worry about how shitty things will be with my departure for my one good co worker. He will have future projects dumped in his lap on top of his work load on top of the support tasks i performed.

Fuck the company at this point but that dude is a good guy.

Its not enough to make me have second thoughts about leaving but i do worry.
 
Noodleface

Noodleface

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Hey man I left my last job where I was writing the bios for our servers for THE ENTIRE COMPANY. A company that provides content delivery networks worldwide. An international company of 20k or so employees. 10s or 100s of thousands of servers deployed.

And I was the only guy writing it.

I dropped it literally on no ones lap. I don't even know what they did when I left.

Can't get hung up on that stuff. Maybe he'll hate it and find a better job too.
 
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Tenks

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One of the most important things I've learned is no matter how specialized and required you are to a company you actually are not. I've seen countless "irreplaceable" (in their own eyes or in actuality) people come and go. The world keeps turning and the company keeps operating.
 
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Ao-

Ao-

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Big_w_powah said:
Not turning back now but i worry about how shitty things will be with my departure for my one good co worker. He will have future projects dumped in his lap on top of his work load on top of the support tasks i performed.

Fuck the company at this point but that dude is a good guy.

Its not enough to make me have second thoughts about leaving but i do worry.
Click to expand...
Take him with you, or at least let the dude know that when you go you'll take him with.
 
Noodleface

Noodleface

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Tenks said:
One of the most important things I've learned is no matter how specialized and required you are to a company you actually are not. I've seen countless "irreplaceable" (in their own eyes or in actuality) people come and go. The world keeps turning and the company keeps operating.
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Yeah that's true. I didn't believe myself to be irreplaceable I just really had no idea what they were going to do. Akamai still exists so guess they survived.
 
Big_w_powah

Big_w_powah

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I dont think dude is interested in following me. Weve discussed leaving together. He doesnt want the hassle he says.

That said i know im not irreplaceable. They could have a suitable replacement within a couple of months....


But i know my current boss. Took him 6 months to decide which greenhorn he wanted to hire before. Just gonna be shitty for dude while the boss drags his feet like he does on everything.

This is assuming i even get an offer. I mean im done here. Im going to look continuously til i find something.... But i also get to be selective on what i even send my resume to so it may take some time.
 
Louis

Louis

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Tenks said:
One of the most important things I've learned is no matter how specialized and required you are to a company you actually are not. I've seen countless "irreplaceable" (in their own eyes or in actuality) people come and go. The world keeps turning and the company keeps operating.
Click to expand...

This. We lost both of our system admins that knew our entire banks infrastructure above the workstation level within a month of each other. I thought for sure shit was going to eventually hit the fan with no one here having any knowledge of it and we'd crumble. Been about a year and half since then and nothing that bad ever happened.
 
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