Career Report: Computer Science

By Marvin Greene

Bill Gates knows a thing or two about computer science careers. The Microsoft founder helped propel an industry from his company’s beginnings in 1975 to what it includes today – converged networks, programming languages and digital platforms.

So, when Gates says he worries that Microsoft will not have enough homegrown computer science talent to fill jobs in the future, his words are worth considering. Turn his sentiments around and what Gates is also saying is that now is a good time to be a computer science major in America.

Gates spoke of his concern about the reduced numbers of math and science majors at U.S. colleges and universities during Blacks at Microsoft Minority Student Day, organized by an African- American employee resource group at the company.

“It’s a little bit of a concern as we look at the trends in the United States,” Gates said during the February 10 event in Redmond, Wash., home to Microsoft’s headquarters. “We need to think about why that is.”

Gates has said in speech after speech that the hiring of computer science graduates is always a key corporate agenda item at Microsoft. “When I sit down and review projects here inside the company, the topic that always comes up is, ‘How’s the hiring going.’… We’ve got open headcount; these are super, well-paying jobs,” Gates said in 2005.

Microsoft is not alone. Every other world-class company is on the hunt to get talented computer science graduates to join up – whether that company is a traditional technology company like Microsoft or in other industries.

Mickey Garcia, University Relations and Recruiting Manager at aerospace giant Northrop Grumman Corp., called the long-term hiring outlook for computer science hiring at her company “very good.”

“If anything,” Garcia said, “we are concerned about a future lack of qualified candidates.”

Between the years 2000 and 2005, the number of arriving college underclassmen choosing computer science as a major fell by more than 70 percent, UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute has reported. The number of women choosing the major has decreased, too, from its peak in the mid-1980s. The Institute’s report said students view careers such as medicine or the law as more exciting. This has left recruiters and companies scrambling for good candidates to fill technical openings.

Meantime, the rapid spread of computers and information technology has generated an overwhelming need for computer professionals – those who design and develop hardware and software systems – according to the current Occupational Outlook Handbook, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics at the U.S. Department of Labor publishes annually. Many companies have had to go overseas for talent, and others have outsourced operations to foreign countries including India and China.

At Lockheed Martin Corp., Leslie L. Chappell, Director of University Relations, says software and systems engineering have the greatest demand for new college graduates, adding that high demand also exists in related fields such as electrical, computer, mechanical and aerospace engineering.

“We are fortunate that Lockheed Martin is growing, which means we’ll continue to need top technical talent to continue to meet business needs. But even for existing programs, we’re always improving the inner workings of our products and services, which will continue to mean demand for computer science students,” Chappell said.

Plentiful Roles, Evolving Tasks

Computer science workers include a wide range of specialists, from systems analysts to database administrators to computer programmers. Jobs and tasks in computer science evolve quickly as new areas of specialization occur and as businesses change the way they employ technology in their organizations, according to Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Computer system analysts, for instance, solve computer problems and apply technologies to meet the needs of individual organizations. Programmers design and update software systems that run computers from the inside out, and work with databases and object-oriented languages and client-server applications. Computer scientists are characterized as being theorists, researchers and inventors who solve complex computing problems and create new applications and technologies.

Related positions proliferate in the field of computer science. Network systems analysts tie together converged computing networks, such as local area networks and wide area networks, or LANs and WANs. Telecommunications specialists create interactions between computers and communications equipment to leverage voice and data platforms. Internet developers design links between computer servers to websites and ensure performance.

The Computing Research Association, a Washington-based industry group, said 18,232 bachelor’s degrees and 9,286 master’s degrees in computer science were awarded at U.S. colleges and universities during the 2004-2005 academic year. Both figures represent decreases from the previous academic year, the CRA said.

Computer science jobs are professional, white-collar positions. Employees in the field work hours similar to other professionals, although evening and weekend work can be required to meet deadlines or solve specific problems, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Opportunities to telecommute are increasingly common for computer professionals whose duties often can be accomplished from remote locations through modems, mobile computers, electronic mail and the Internet.

Because computer science is a highly specialized field, not all professionals work for an organization. Many are employed on a temporary or contractual basis offering opportunities for selfemployment and flexibility. Computer science is expected to be one of the fastest growing occupations through 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor.

Mildred Pellot, Human Resources Manager at Dow Jones Inc., points out that while computer and engineering firms have a great need for qualified computer professionals, other industries such as publishing and printing do as well.

“Technology is a large part of Dow Jones because of our online products, as well as support for the print products. All of our publications – the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Smart Money – are also available online. We also have international newsletter groups covering Europe, Asia and South America. Technology is just in every single part of our corporation,” Pellot said.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook notes that while growth won’t be as robust as in the halcyon decade of the 1990s, when the development of information technology was peaking, continuing rapid growth in computer system design and related services will drive today’s job increases. Candidates who can combine the technological skills needed in computer science with interpersonal and business skills will be highly sought after, the Handbook said.

“We are looking for well-rounded individuals who have been able to sustain solid academic status, while at the same time developing business and soft skills in order to transition smoothly into the work environment,” Lockheed Martin’s Chappell said. “Communication and interpersonal skills, combined with initiative, flexibility and creativity, are important assets.”

Walter Caldwell, Manager, Staffing Resources at Aerospace Corp., echoed that view. Computer professionals cannot be the proverbial computer geeks, because they must be able to communicate internally within the company and externally to customers through devices like briefings and presentations, Caldwell added.

“Today’s student has to just be more complete. Not only in academics, but well rounded in terms of how they fit into organizations. We meet many outstanding young people in terms of their academic background, but then in terms of applying it in corporate settings, that’s where a lot of them fall short. You have to be sharp,” Caldwell said.

Salaries for computer science professionals are vigorous and range widely depending on job function and specialization. In 2004, median annual earnings of computer and information scientists, for instance, were $85,190, with the highest 10 percent of workers in the field earning more than $132,700, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Starting salary offers for computer science graduates with bachelor’s degrees rose to $51,305, 1 percent more in 2006 than in 2005, noted the National Association of Colleges and Employers in Bethlehem, Pa. Information sciences and systems graduates saw an 8.5 percent increase to bring their average offer to $48,593.

Outsourcing of computer science jobs to countries like India and China has been a source of contention in the industry in recent years. Employers also bring in foreign computer science workers to the United States to fill jobs through the federal H-1B visa program. The majority of the more than 600,000 new visas granted since 2000 – 39 percent – have been to foreign technology workers.

The rapid development of the Internet in the 1990s, connecting outlying computer networks, made it possible for companies to tap into specialized labor in other countries, spurring outsourcing. Computer scientists and database administrators, for instance, held about 507,000 jobs in 2004, including about 66,000 who were self-employed, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Remarkable Opportunities

Computer science recruiters say American graduates continue to have a remarkable opportunity in the industry, particularly if they prepare themselves to seize openings and excel in them. Garcia of Northrop Grumman urges students to avail themselves of internships and coop programs while in college to decide where their specific career interests lie.

“The more focused the student gets, the better the look from the recruiter and the hiring manager,” Garcia said. “There are various opportunities within the field of computer science, such as software development, database administration, etc. It is important that computer science students get some real-world experience, so they will know in which of these areas they would like to work.”

Caldwell, staffing manager at the Aerospace Corp., said, “A lot of companies are looking for students who have prepared themselves by way of co-op assignments and intern assignments – something that separates them from that other student who might also have a 3.5.”

Caldwell also appreciates students who ask about long-term opportunities in the field, which “shows that they are thinking ahead. I love a question like that because I can outline to them where they can possibly be in two years, five years. Not enough students ask questions like that.”

If students are worried about whether the jobs will continue to be in computer science going forward, Chappell, Lockheed Martin’s university relations director, offers this example of why qualified candidates will find career opportunities: “Think of it this way: The outer skin of an aircraft may not change dramatically over its decades of service, but the inner mechanics and the computer software that controls it could be significantly upgraded every few years to keep pace with the latest technological advances.”

M.V. Greene is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine.