Computer Science Starting Salaries

According to this recent article (Canadian HR Reporter), the high starting salaries are still in fields related to software and other fields of engineering.

The careers with the highest starting salaries for graduates with a bachelor’s degree in the United States are software engineering ($71,666) (all numbers US$), industrial engineering ($62,245), chemical engineering ($57,500), electrical/electronic engineering ($57,145), and computer science ($55,664), according to the Employers Resource Association (ERA).

If you’re going to spend outrageous sums of money on college, make it count. (But don’t go into software because you think you’ll make a lot of money. If you don’t love it, you’ll hate it.)

Interview Advice

I’ve been on countless interviews, and I’ve learned a few things along the way. I don’t consider myself an expert by any means, but I’ve learned how to interview well. It took a while to figure it out, but I’ve learned that interviewing isn’t difficult. On the contrary, if you are focused and willing to view the process as a potentially fun learning experience, interviews can be great experiences.

I was astonished to read this article on CNBC: Managers to Millenials: Job Interview No Time to Text:

Human resource professionals say they’ve seen recent college grads text or take calls in interviews, dress inappropriately, use slang or overly casual language, and exhibit other oddball behavior.

“It’s behavior that may be completely appropriate outside the interview,” says Jaime Fall, vice president of the HR Policy Association. “The interview is still a traditional environment.”

Oh my! If you are texting or taking a phone call during a job interview, you have MUCH to learn. My hope is that such an occurrence is rare. Having been on both sides of the interview table, if I saw someone read a text message I would probably inquire as to the reason. I’ve never had this happen. Perhaps there is a family emergency.

I once went into a job interview very near my wife’s due date. I explained up front that my wife and I had an agreement: If my phone buzzes twice in a row and it is her, I have to take it. “My wife is going into labor,” is a perfectly fine reason to take a call in an interview. I can think of a few other reasons that necessitate taking a call or text during an interview, but only a few. (My wife, thankfully, did not go into labor during that interview. And yes, I did get the job.)

I love interviewing. I mean it: I enjoy going on a job interview! That sounds strange to some, I know. I look at it this way: Either I’ll get a job offer or I won’t. In either case, I am meeting new people and making contacts–and, whatever the outcome, I am becoming a better interviewee. As a child I was a very shy kid–scared to death of talking to people. Perhaps I’m making up for lost time, but talking to people–getting to know new people–is fun.

So here is my list of tips: Continue reading